"Not an end; rather, a beginning"

"Assessment Results Reconsidered" - Keeling et al

        "Building a culture of assessment reflects an orientation towards organizational functioning that is open to discovery, growth, and advancement. No single project defines assessment within an institution; rather, the overall effort towards engaging in critical examination of an institution's practices, outputs, and outcomes in the spirit of of open discovery represents a sea-change in the culture of higher education" (Keeling, 103).  This rings so true to me as I am becoming more involved with the field of higher education and student affairs. Assessment is not by any means an end; rather, it is the beginning of a new cycle as we make sense of that knowledge and put it towards the next task. It is also vital that all departments of the institution are on the same level as far as defining the importance of doing assessment work. One project does not advance the whole office or department, nor does one department's work elevate the work of the entire division. We must all be making constant efforts to assess more and to do more with those results.
      The article questions whether or not assessment is seen as a "fledgling response to external calls for accountability" (Keeling, 105). When competition arises between universities, most departments like to promote the great work that their staff, faculty, and students are accomplishing. To insure that their work is top notch, assessment must be done. This response to the external calls will show a program or department's strengths as well as future projects to strengthen their areas of improvement.