Tuesday, March 24, 2026
11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET

Demonstrating AES Work as Evidence of Institutional Effectiveness

Student affairs departments are being increasingly called upon to demonstrate student learning. Accreditors expect clear, unit-level assessment for all areas across campus, as well as direct and indirect assessment measures in student-facing units that incorporate student learning in their services. Many administrators are limited in their understanding of assessment and oftentimes are left out of critical assessment conversations.

Join us on March 24, 2026 when our expert presenter – Michael C. Sachs, MA, JD, CCEP, the Interim Vice President for Administration and Accreditation at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania – will explore direct vs. indirect assessment, translating assessment terminology into plain language. He’ll walk through how to connect departmental missions and goals to the institutional strategic plan. You’ll be able to distinguish among unit, direct and indirect assessments, how to incorporate these into your assessment plans; and clearly demonstrate how they contribute to institutional effectiveness.

Using concrete examples from real campus units, our presenter will show you how to move from ad-hoc data collection to a manageable, repeatable assessment cycle. Whether your campus is preparing for an accreditation self-study or seeking clearer expectations and more substantial evidence of impact, this session will offer a straightforward roadmap for building or strengthening Administrative, Educational and Support Services (AES) unit-level assessments. 

Topics Covered

Gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you: 

• Clarify Administrative, Educational and Support Services (AES) roles and language in assessment by defining AES units, unit-level assessment, direct and indirect assessment measures, and how they connect to institutional effectiveness.
• Align mission, goals and outcomes by connecting AES missions and strategic goals to institutional priorities and accreditation standards, and translate them into a small set of clear, measurable outcomes.
• Choose appropriate direct and indirect assessment approaches for AES units, including usage data, needs assessments, satisfaction surveys, environmental scans, student learning outcomes, benchmarking, and compliance metrics.
• Develop realistic measures and “close the loop” by applying findings to planning, budgeting, staff, and day-to-day operational decisions – use the results for improvement.
• Leverage existing tools and standards so units can build on existing requirements rather than “reinventing the wheel”.
• Build sustainable assessment cycles with realistic timelines and review processes that meet accreditation expectations, support continuous quality improvement and document AES unit contributions over time. 
  

Presenter

Michael C. Sachs, MA, JD, CCEP, serves as the Interim Vice President for Administration and Accreditation at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, where he provides leadership for institutional accreditation, compliance, and key administrative areas, including facilities, human resources, Title IX, and university police.
Click here for full bio.