OMG News
Excerpt from
“Outcomes Measurement- The Catalyst for Achieving Academic Excellence”
Dr. Patricia Larkins Hicks
August 29, 2005
Hampton University
Let’s begin by examining a straightforward question- “Why measure?”
We find that in today’s society, there are increasing demands for measurement, accountability, and demonstration that results have been achieved. This demand is being fueled by legislators, funders, stockholders, stakeholders, parents/families, consumers, accrediting bodies, and the list goes on.
Our educational system is under attack. Be it parents/families, school boards, tax payers, legislators- everyone wants to make sure that the dollars invested in education results in students learning and being prepared to become productive citizens.
We find ourselves living in a time when there are limited resources, limited time, global competition, demanding consumers, increased capability to access information, expanding uses of technology, and a need to achieve excellence. So measurement is not an option it is a must. Forces beyond ourselves are demanding that we measure.
But what I want each of you to appreciate about measurement, is that regardless of the external demand, it needs to be an internal calling because “that which gets measured, gets managed.” In other words, if we want to achieve our personal goals, we must yearn to measure so that we can manage ourselves and others in a way that results in our goals realized.
Given the commitment to academic excellence, we must continuously seek ways to improve what we do; we are on a mission at Hampton to be the best. Being the best requires that we measure.
To be the best and achieve academic excellence, we need funding. Our funders (govt., students, parents, alumni, community, corporations) need to know the results we are achieving.
The reality is that we do have limited resources (both capital and time) therefore we must make sure that we are efficient in what we do so that we can obtain our results in the most cost-effective manner. That too requires measurement.
When our stakeholders are delighted, they tell others. Delight goes beyond satisfaction. When our stakeholders are dissatisfied they complain and tell at least eight to ten people. When we do what is expected, stakeholders tell a few people. But when our stakeholders are delighted, they tell as many people as they did when dissatisfied. Knowing if our students, their family members, alumni, other stakeholders are delighted requires that we measure on a consistent basis.
We want to be recognized for what we do within our academic community. That recognition comes from positioning and positioning requires measurement.
Outcomes measurement is a user-centered, systematic approach to assess the extent to which a program has achieved intended results. This process focuses on the end-user, in this environment the student. And the process must be orderly and efficient.
To obtain the speech in entirety, email Dr. Hicks at patlhicks@omggetsresults.com
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