It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

College football season, of course! I love the excitement, the upsets, and the amazing plays. I was recently watching a game where the commentators made an interesting observation about the quarterback. They said that he had finally stopped worrying about being perfect on every throw. He was going for the touchdown plays. So, his completion percentage was lower, but the number of touchdowns was higher. The QB had been so cautious that he was only making plays that provided small gains, not big, game-winning gains.

What’s the connection to assessment here? Sometimes we are so worried about being perfect, measuring only what is convenient or makes us look good, that we forget the larger goal. The game-winner for assessment, in my opinion, is to look at things where you have the most to gain. What’s the risk? You may find something that doesn’t look good. You may throw a bad pass or turn over the ball. But, what’s the possibility? You could improve something that has a big impact on our students, your processes, customer service, etc. And, you get to do a touchdown dance, of course.

So, warm up your arm and GO LONG! It’s time to make the touchdown play. Make your assessments big and bold when possible. I believe the payoff of a big play is worth the yards that might be lost along the way.

See you next month!
Kasey

Kasey Neece-Fielder
Director of Strategic Planning and Assessment
Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
kasey.neece-fielder@utsa.edu
http://utsa.edu/students/assessment/