Memo: Executive Summary

Date: January 10, 2014 From: Logan Franklin To: Dr. Ken Coopwood, Francine Pratt CC: Dr. Belinda McCarthy Subject: Executive Summary: DDI Needs Assessment Office of Multicultural Programs

In September, I approached Dr. Coopwood about doing an assessment project for the division. Dr. Coopwood wanted to know what his staff needs to perform with excellence. Based on this, I drafted a plan of an assessment project that would include a benchmark assessment to see how Missouri State compared to its peer institutions and staff interviews that would give an idea of what the staff sees as important in attaining excellence. The purpose of the assessment was to determine what excellence would look like and how we could attain it. I specifically studied the Office of Multicultural Programs, led by Francine Pratt. Benchmark Assessment In completing the benchmark assessment, I used Missouri States list of eleven benchmark institutions that is located on their website. I was able to get information on nine of the eleven institutions, as one did not have the functions of their office listed, and another did not seem to have an analogous office. The nine institutions I was able to assess were: Ball State University, Grand Valley State University, Illinois State University, James Madison University, Towson University, University of North Carolina-Charlotte, University of Northern Iowa, University of Texas-Arlington, and Wichita State University. I gathered quantitative information in two areas: (1) number of staff, and (2) hours of availability. Qualitative information was gathered by identifying themes and trends that could be compared to MSU. The following results were discovered when comparing the OMP to its benchmark offices: MSU is the most understaffed in terms of nonstudent staff (Figure 1) Including student staff still puts MSU in the bottom three in terms of staffing (Figure 1) MSU is among the top two in hours of availability (Figure 2) MSUs OMP is open later (7:00 PM) than any of its benchmark institutions MSU is in line with most of its benchmarks in providing programming for heritage months MSU is behind six of its benchmarks in providing some sort of periodic lecture or discussion series

MSU is behind all of its benchmarks in providing some sort of mentoring program for its students to help with retention Three of MSUs benchmarks hold an awards ceremony of some kind for students, faculty, and staff who exemplify diversity and multicultural education, which may indicate a trend that MSU could jump on

Figure 1

*Student staff includes Graduate Assistants and Undergraduate Student workers

Figure 2

Staff Interviews In my interview with Francine I got a sense of what the office does now and plans for the near future, as well as determining what excellence would look like in the office and what is needed to achieve it. The interview was structure with a few open-ended questions that allowed for further exploration. Francine mentioned that, in the near future, initiatives are planned to start to help first-generation students and African-American males. The reason for this is because of their higher than average attrition rates. Francine identified the following things as steps toward excellence: Staying open later to accommodate students more Having a more diverse group of students utilizing the office Having measurable changes in retention of the critical groups of students Hiring more full-time staff, as well as more graduate assistants Having more financial resources to implement the changes planned My recommendations for the future are as follows: Hiring more staff to be able to start implementing important changes for the office An increase in financial resources Implementing a mentoring program to be in line with our benchmarks as an answer to helping the first-generation and African-American male students Implementing some sort of periodic lecture or discussion series to educate students about important issues