Are you ready to begin an assessment with SAIRO's support?
Make sure by reviewing our steps to get a sense of the process involved and remember to plan ahead. You can go in order by clicking each step or jump to whatever step your project needs. While timelines vary by the complexity of the project involved and the level of support needed, it is likely that to fully create and launch an assessment with SAIRO you will need at least 10 business days.
Already familiar with the process? Go directly to our online Assessment Plan Form.
If you work in a student affairs department and have specific questions about any point in the steps below or questions about your department's Annual Outcomes Assessment, please contact your department's SAIRO consultant. All others should reach out us at sairo@saonet.ucla.edu.
Review Assessment Resources and Tools
If you have never conducted an assessment process or are need a refresher on assessment topics SAIRO has compiled resources that provide guidance about how to design and administer effective assessments at every step. We also provide information on the vendor tools we use to support effective assessment practice within individual departments as well as the division of Student Affairs.
Work with SAIRO to Access Existing Data
Sometimes your topic of interest might be a project that does not require new data collection and we may have existing data that meets your needs. SAIRO is the primary coordinating office for the majority of major institutional surveys of UCLA students. Our office also engages in more targeted qualitative and quantitative projects to support the work of Student Affairs. The results from these efforts are communicated to UCLA students, staff, and other stakeholders to provide insight into student experiences and drive institutional improvement.
Depending on your level of familiarity with major institutional surveys, you can review what existing data we have by viewing:
- Reports and data tables organized by topic --for those users who can identify a topic of interest but aren't sure which surveys cover that content
- Reports and data tables organized by survey, including copies of survey instruments and information about the administration cycle for each survey
Should you find that there is data in one of our major existing surveys that could potentially answer your assessment questions please review our guidance on how to submit an ad-hoc request for data and send your request.
Upon submission of your request, a SAIRO staff member will contact you within 3 business days with further information/next steps.
Submit Assessment Plan Form
If it seems that existing data is not going to answer your assessment questions, use the resources we've compiled to help you to develop a plan for your project. You will want to:
- Define Mission and Goals (big picture areas that relate to your project, such as department or club mission or goals)
- Identify Specific Outcome/Phenomenon of Interest (What particular program, service, or aspect of your work do you wish to assess?)
- Articulate Clear Assessment Question(s) (What key questions will this assessment attempt to answer?- Note these are not the specific questions to be asked on a survey, rather the questions that the survey seeks to answer)
- Select Method (What type of project will work best to gather the information you need? A survey? Rubric? Qualitative Methods?)
- Consider the start and close dates for this project?
- Consider what your sample size this assessment (How many participants will you have? Give your best educated guess)
- How will you identify participants? (Do you have existing contact information or will you need to submit an RSR to identify your sample?)
Upon consideration of these topics please fill out the Assessment Plan Form to the best of your ability. If you have a draft survey or other assessment instrument ready, please upload it to the form or work with SAIRO to develop one. Upon receipt, SAIRO staff member will contact you within 3 business days with further information/next steps.