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Evaluation Plan For Leadership For Social Change Learning Community-2
Evaluation Plan For Leadership For Social Change Learning Community-2
Table of Contents
Program Context 3
Logic Model Description 4
Statement of Problem 4
Theoretical Framework 5
Program and Evaluation Stakeholders 6
Quantitative Approach 7
Research Design and Method 8
Survey Instrument 9
Population and Sampling Frame 10
Statistical Analysis 11
Results Presentation 11
Qualitative Approach 11
Focus Group Participants 12
Focus Group Procedures 13
Implementation Plan 14
Moderators 14
Scheduling 15
Data Recording 15
Analysis Plan 16
Coding and Procedures 16
Validity and Reliability 17
Limitations 18
Final Report 19
Next Steps 20
References 21
Appendices 22
Appendix A: Staff and Faculty involved in LLC 2016-2017 22
Appendix B: LLC Monthly Meeting Topics 23
Appendix C: Required Academic Courses for LLC 24
Appendix D: Logic Model 25
Appendix E: Invitation to Participate in Survey 26
Appendix F: Pre-Test Assessment 27
Appendix G: Post-Test Assessment 29
Appendix H: Invitations to Participate in Focus Group 31
Appendix I: Consent to Participate in Focus Group 32
Appendix J: Focus Group Questions 34
Appendix K: Budget 36
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 3
Program Context
Loyola University Chicagos Leadership for Social Change Learning Community (LLC)
serves first-year students who are seeking opportunities to explore introductory topics of
leadership, enhance their personal skills as leaders, and apply this knowledge through
engagement during their time at Loyola and beyond. The LLC began in the 2012-2013 academic
year in response to other institutions success and research in housing their own leadership
learning communities. (S. Howes, personal communication, Sept. 24, 2016). In the LLCs first
year, 64 first-year students were a part of the community, living in Regis Hall. Today, the LLC is
The LLC is overseen by multiple areas, including: the Office of Student Leadership
Development, the Department of Residence Life, and Academic Advising. See Appendix A to
There is currently no application process for students to be a part of the LLC, instead,
students are placed by preference in their housing assignment application for the upcoming year.
Students are placed on a first-come, first-served basis. (S. Siner, personal communication, Sept
20, 2016). Students in the LLC live together in Loyolas residence halls (this year, floors 3 and 4
of Mertz Hall) for the full academic year, attend required monthly meetings focused on different
topics surrounding leadership (see Appendix B), and take academic courses together (see
Appendix C).
and programming, and taking academic courses together, the LLC seeks to develop a sense of
community and connection with each other, as well as with the student leaders, staff, and faculty
supporting the learning community. The program seeks to help students feel empowered and
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 4
capable as they engage on-campus and beyond, gain knowledge, skills, and attitudes that
contribute to their development as socially responsible leaders. More specifically, the LLC
program allows opportunities for students to practice working collaboratively for positive
change, achieve academic success, and apply leadership principles in their academic pursuits
with regard to socially constructed identities as they relate to leadership, power and privilege,
and social change further develop their knowledge and skills related to advocacy. (S. Howes,
To help develop this evaluation plan, a logic model was used (see Appendix D) The
graphic below is a representation that consists of the input, outputs, and outcomes of the learning
community. The inputs for this logic model that are most important to recognize are personnel,
time, and financial constraints. The outputs for this logic model, which are a result of the inputs,
are arranged into activities and products. Through the outputs, the short-term, medium-term, and
long-term outcomes are then described for the Leadership for Social Change Learning
Community.
Statement of Problem
Since the initial implementation of the LLC at Loyola University Chicago, there have
been a significant amount of changes to the program. Staff and faculty working in and with the
LLCs has changed, the floor has moved buildings into a different environment, and the number
of students in the program has fluctuated. There is a new Assistant Director of Academic
Support and Learning Communities, Sam Siner, overseeing the LLC and they are now located in
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 5
a different hall. The number students have dramatically shifted through the years. Currently
there are about eighty residents of the LLC, which is average in comparison to previous years.
This project will be used to evaluate the student engagement of the students living in the
Leadership for Social Change Learning Community. This evaluation will be used by the
evaluators to determine the extent to which the students of the Leadership for Social Change
Learning Community are engaging with, or building community with each other, the university,
and the greater Chicago community. This will be a formative approach to the evaluation process
of the LLC. Because of the number of significant changes the LLC has gone under, only one
evaluation has ever been done on the community. This evaluation was given the first year of the
LLC inception and there has not been one done in the last three years.
Theoretical Framework
In the developing our evaluation plan, it is important to consider research and literature
that serve as a foundation for better understanding the student population and programming that
the LLC provides. Evans and Reason guiding principles for student affairs reflects the intention
behind the LLC: 1) A focus on students as a primary purpose of our work 2) Recognition of the
and theory, 4) Reflects a responsibility to broader society. 5) Social justice advocacy. (2011, p.
370-376) The LLC is driven by these intentions, providing a holistic experience through
Research has shown the value of college campuses extending learning beyond of the
classroom environment, and that learning communities and collaborative learning should become
a norm within campuses (Tinto, 1999, p. 6-7). Through learning communities, institutions are
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 6
able to do a better job to enable students to bridge the divide between academic classes and
the social construct that frequently characterizes student life. Students tend to learn and make
friends at the same time, and as they spend more time together learning, they learn more. (Tinto,
1999, p. 8)
Particularly within the first-year college experience, Tinto speaks to five conditions that
are essential to college retention: expectations, support, feedback, involvement, and learning
(Tinto, 1999, p. 2). Through the LLC providing clear expectations of requirements to students,
their first-year, and learning both in and outside of the classroom, the LLC can be seen as an
incredibly valuable part in the success of the student, but also in their retention.
the Leadership for Social Change Learning Community (LLC). The stakeholder analysis
organizes those identified into four different quadrants based on their power differential and
interest level. The stakeholders in the top left quadrant have the high interest and low power- are
identified as the subjects (Bryson & Patton, 2010). Within the context of the LLC the subjects
are those living in the learning community. These subjects have high interest in the LLC due to
their involvement, but low power due to their lack of positional authority. The subjects will be
the ones most impacted by any changes made due if the observations through the evaluation
were to be implemented. The opposite quadrant, are identified as the players and have high
The players for the LLC are: Sam Siner,Director of Academic Support and Learning
Krough, Faculty Director of Learning Communities, Academic Advising. Due to their direct
involvement with the LLC and connection to the students involved they have high interest in the
program. Because of the positional authority they hold within the university their level of power
is identified as high. This high power paired with high interest allows them to advocate for the
LLC and the students in the learning community. The players in this context will be in the
position to make changes if any are warranted after the evaluation is complete. Due to their
unique position of holding both power and interest constant we thought it be best to consult the
players throughout the evaluation process. Consultations were held with the players of the LLC
to yield more information and to gain a full sense of their role in the learning community.
The lower right quadrant houses the context setters, who have high power and low
interest. The context setters at Loyola University Chicagos Leadership for Social Change
Learning Community are: Deb Schmidt Rogers, Director of Residence Life, K.C. Mmeje,
Assistant V.P. and Dean of Students, Jane Nuefeld, Vice President of Student Development.
These individuals hold the most power of those in listed in the matrix due to their position at the
university. This position of power and authority allows them to make policy changes and
decisions which affects how the learning community operates. However, this same position can
create a gap between themselves and the students which their decisions impact.
Finally, the lower left quadrant houses the crowd, which has the least power and interest.
In the context of the LLC, the crowd is the general student body at the university- those who are
not involved with the learning community. The general student body was designated as the
crowd in relation to the LLC due to their lack of power within this context. The LLC also does
not directly impact the general student body- they have little to no stock in the learning
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 8
community. The Power versus Interest grid (Bryson & Patton, 2010) can be found below with all
Subjects (High Interest, Low Power) Players (High Power, High Interest)
Students living in the Leadership Learning Sam Siner, Assistant Director of Academic
Community Support and Learning Communities
Resident Assistants for Leadership Learning Shannon Howes, Director of Student
Community Leadership Development
Marilyn Krough, Faculty Director of Learning
Communities, Academic Advising
Resident Director for Leadership Learning
Community
The Crowd (Low Power, Low Interest) Context Setters (High Power, Low Interest)
General student body (Students who do not Deb Schmidt Rogers, Director of Residence
live in the Leadership Learning Community) Life
K.C. Mmeje, Assistant V.P. & Dean of
Students
Jane Nuefeld, Vice President of Student
Development
Quantitative Approach
For the purpose of this assessment, we will be conducting mixed methods research to
address our evaluation questions. These questions will hone in on the students learning of
leadership in the learning community. Specifically discussed in this section will be the
quantitative approach within the assessment. The quantitative approach will be the primary
focus of the mixed methods assessment, and will produce the majority of the data compared to
the qualitative approach. The sections below will focus on the research method and design,
survey instrument, population and sampling frame, statistical analysis and the results
presentation.
In order to effectively assess and seek opportunities for improvement within the
Leadership Learning Community, we made a collaborative decision with stakeholder Sam Siner,
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 9
Assistant Director for Academic Support and Learning Communities, to focus on the learning
(Creswell, 2009). This is a described as a pre-test measure. Then there is a treatment of the
participants, which is their education of leadership. Finally, there is the post-test measure
implemented to measure the learning that took place during the treatment. Since we will be
sampling on group at a time, a census sampling will be used because of the manageable size of
the LLC cohort (80 students in 2016-2017 academic year) and will distribute and require all
students to take part during both the first and last required meetings of the year.
Survey Instrument
The link to the pre-test survey (Appendix F) will be given to the group of participants and
they will be given notice that they must complete a survey during their first required monthly
LLC meeting on the floor that the LLC resides in. The assessment will include nine Likert-scale
questions broken into three areas within the LLCs learning goals: campus engagement,
with Loyola staff and faculty, fellow LLC students, and non-LLC students. Students will select
their comfortability on a five-point scale, with 1 being not at all and 5 being very. The
leadership, power and privilege, and social change. Students will select their understanding on a
five-point scale, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree. The third and
activities related to advocacy. Students will select their willingness to engage on a five-point
scale, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree. The survey should take no
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 10
longer than ten minutes to complete. Following this, two demographic questions regarding
gender and race will be included. This allows the stakeholders to hold data for future research.
This will also allow them to see if there are groups of individuals not receiving the same learning
experiences or opportunities.
Students will be given the survey through Orgsync, also known as LUCentral on campus.
Orgsync is a system that they university has invested in and can be utilized in many different
ways. It is an online system that allows users to access it from anywhere. OrgSync allows for
data to be collected confidentially. OrgSync also keeps the data from each participant together
without identifying the participant. Both the pre-test and the post-test will be administered
through Orgsync.
The post-assessment (Appendix G) is a reflection of the pre-assessment, and the link will
be given at the last required monthly LLC meeting of the year, which takes place during the first
week in April. The date and time change each according to the schedule of Shannon Howes, the
Because the population is so small-in the academic year 2016-2017 there are 80 students
enrolled, we will be wanting to utilize the entire population for the pre-assessment and post-
assessment survey. Utilizing the entire population would be difficult, because not all participants
will want to participate. For this survey to have statistical power a group of 60-65 students
would be sufficient. This will give an accurate depiction of each students growth after
completing the program, and allow us to see the impact on the whole population as well. There
will be a sample of this population of first year students utilized for the purpose of the focus
group.
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Statistical Analysis
A paired samples t-test would be best used to analyze the data. This would be used to
view the means between sections beginning and end experiences. The use of a paired samples t-
test will allow researchers to compare results of two different tests. In this case, the pre-test and
post-test results will be compared. The analysis of the data will happen with the use of the
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), provided by Loyola University Chicagos
School of Education.
Results Presentation
The assessments findings will be compiled and shared with the primary stakeholders of
the Leadership Learning Community, Sam Siner, Shannon Howes, and Marilyn Krough. The
results of the quantitative survey will be combined with the qualitative pieces of the survey
during the presentation. There will be documentation presented from the pre-test and the post-
test in bar graphs for visual representation. There will also be a written narrative that compares
the data. The findings from the qualitative part of the study will also be included in the
Qualitative Approach
For the purpose of measuring the learning outcomes for the Leadership for Social Change
assessment. Specifically discussed in this section will be the qualitative approach within the
assessment. There will be a focus group, which will serve as the qualitative approach within this
mixed methods assessment. The purpose of the focus group will be to garner further insight of
the data collected through the quantitative assessment. In other words, while the quantitative
portion gave a hard data set through numbers, the focus group will attach meaning through words
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 12
and responses given during the assessment. This will help when assessing the whole data set, to
determine how successful the learning outcomes of the LLC are over the course of the academic
year.
Due to the inability to utilize all 80 students involved in the program during the focus
group portion we will need to identify a representative sample. Those who can participate in the
focus group will be limited by two determining factors: individuals who have completed the
Leadership for Social Change Learning Community [one full academic year] and have
participated in the quantitative portion of the study pre and post-assessment survey. The
individuals who have completed one year of the learning community and the pre and post-
surveys will receive an invitation to sign up for the focus group. There will be a deadline to
communicate interest in the focus group due to the short period the academic year provides
access to the students. The participants will not receive a tangible item as an incentive- rather
they will be given gratitude through gestures such as thank you cards. For example, the students
have been informed of the impact their participation in the assessment process will have on the
There will be two focus groups, in order to capture a large enough sample group of the
population. This will also allow smaller groups, so each participant can contribute equally to the
information gathered through the qualitative assessment. Both of the focus groups will be
administered the same questions and given by the same proctors. In order to gain the best
perspective of growth in the efficacy of the learning outcomes, the focus group will take place at
the end of the academic year- once all expectations of the participants has been completed.
The focus group protocol (Appendix J) will be strictly followed when proctoring the
focus group[s]. There will be seven open ended questions which the proctor will follow, a
scripted opening and closing, and a space for closing comments. The structure of the focus
The focus group participants will be brought into the room where the focus group will be
conducted. The focus group participants will have time to get settled and find their desired seat-
the seating arrangement will be chairs in a large discussion circle to encourage an honest, open
dialogue about the individuals experiences throughout the learning community experience.
Once the moderator has assessed the participants are settled, the introduction to the goals and
learning outcomes of the focus group will be introduced. The participants will receive an
informed consent form (Appendix I) once an overview of the program has been communicated.
The consent form allows for the following conditions: if you feel uncomfortable you may leave
at any time, to not answer questions posed directly or indirectly, and the protection of
confidentiality. The signing of this form will allow us [researchers], to ethically include the
results of the focus group into the final report. After the forms have been completed and
The focus of the focus group, is to measure - through the questions asked-the extent to
which the learning outcomes of the Leadership for Social Change Learning Community are
being met. While the questions will be answered, it is up to the moderator to set the tone for the
space of the focus group. This will include being a gatekeeper of the frequency of information
from each individual; allowing a space for each individual to become equally involved in the
focus group. The gatekeeping of the conversation will be crucial to the end resulting data- if one
or two people dominate the conversation there will not be a representative sample of the
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 14
population reflected in the assessment. The moderator will also supply clarification of any
questions if so asked by the participants. Once all of the questions have been administered by
the moderator and answered in depth, there will be space provided for final comments. After no
more than twenty minutes has been given for the final comments [or all are given], the moderator
with supply a concluding remark [through the provided script]. The moderator will be prompted
at this time to give thanks for the participants time and again to reiterate the objective of the
focus group and how their contribution allowed for this to be fulfilled.
Implementation Plan
The main idea for the focus group is to make the participants comfortable enough to be
able to share willingly with the researchers. The use of moderators, scheduling of focus groups
and recording of group discussions are all extremely necessary to create an environment that
Moderators
Moderators of the focus group can have a significant impact on the results of the focus
group. The moderator of the focus groups will be Candice Germany, who is a co-contributor of
University Chicago and is supervised by Shannon Howes, so she has knowledge of the
Leadership Learning Community and their requirements. Candice does not have direct contact
with students that currently live in that community. Emma Hindman and Dana Gramuglia, also
co-contributors to this evaluation plan, will act as the assistant moderators during the focus
groups. Dana currently has no direct contact with community, other than the information given
to her during this evaluation process. Emma works as an Assistant Residence Director in the
same residence hall where the learning community resides. The assistant moderators will handle
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 15
logistics of the focus group. Their main responsibilities are checking to make sure the
participants are comfortable and all equipment is working effectively. Having assistant
moderators will lessen the amount of personal bias the moderator may have that could impact the
focus group. Personal bias of the moderator will be controlled by having the presence of an
Scheduling
Focus group implementation will take place in mid April- at the end of the academic
term. This timeline was created with the undergraduate students in mind- who are usually
preoccupied with end of the year papers and final exams during the month of May. The date of
the focus group will be set the week before fall break- early October; by scheduling this far in
advance we hope to avoid conflicts with other events and commitments. The scheduling of the
focus group will be communicated in advance to the students involved through email. There will
be a conference room scheduled in Damen Student Center, located within a short walking
distance of Mertz Hall- where the learning community resides- to make it convenient for those
Data Recording
While the focus group takes place, there will be two different methods of capturing data.
Dana and Emma will both be responsible for taking complete notes during the focus group. The
observations being noted will include (but not limited to): body language, voice inflections, and
the spoken content. The goal behind utilizing two note takers will be two allow the researchers
to minimize personal bias. The second method of capturing data will be audio recording. The
method of using audio recording was preferred over recording using video equipment in order to
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 16
preserve the integrity of the confidentiality communicated to the participants. With the concept
of confidentiality in mind, there will be procedures within the transcribing process to preserve
the identity of those in the focus group. The audio recording will then be transcribed and coded
by Emma and Dana; who have already witnessed the identity of the focus group participants.
The purpose behind only allowing Emma and Dana to listen to the audio recording is to prevent
anyone involved with the learning community to identify a focus group participant by their voice
or speech patterns. The other purpose of providing a transcription and coding of the focus group
is make the results of the focus group accessible to the researchers and allow them to make
Analysis Plan
The focus group will be structured around the learning that has potentially occurred and
the student engagement in leadership on campus. The coding of the data will be focused on
recognizing those statements made by the focus group. Anticipated codes would be: leadership
skills, community involvement, and social justice. Another part of the assessment is to find other
ways to get students to engage in learning around leadership and other ways to encourage student
Coding Procedures
Though there are many types of coding, descriptive coding will be used during this
process as it was described by Rogers and Goodrick (2010). The transcribed document will be
uploaded to Microsoft Word, and each code will be assigned a highlight color. Dana, Emma, and
Candice will go through the transcribed document and highlight each code in its required color.
Gathering and evaluating the data will take a significant amount of time.
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 17
In the coding process following the focus group, coders will follow processes outlined by
Rogers and Goodrick (2010) in which they will individually read through and identify common
themes and differences between dialogues, then forming definitions for each unique code, which
is also known as pattern coding. After coders have worked through transcripts separately, they
will then come together and compare their results to ensure that they are being consistent in
In an effort to ensure that the results of coding from our focus group interviews are valid
and reliable, we plan on taking steps to ensure coders as well as moderators leading focus groups
will not have a direct relationship with any of the stakeholders and departments involved in the
Learning Leadership Community. Coders will use member checking throughout the process as
described by Krueger and Casey (2010) where moderators will occasionally repeat back what
has been shared and summarize common themes that came up in dialogue back to the
participants, confirming that these topics were of importance and relevant to the Learning
When focusing on validity and reliability there are several protocols which can be
established to ensure the assessment process is true and valid. According to Schuh (2009),
triangulation is one of those protocols, using multiple sources of data, data collection methods,
or both, and multiple investigators to collect data (168). There are multiple sources to ensure
triangulation takes place: theoretical sources, those provided by LLC, and the information
gathered from the pre and post-test as well as the focus group.
When establishing validity and reliability, the identities of the moderators and the impact
it creates should be recognized before conducting the focus groups. The ways in which the
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 18
identities can impact the space of the focus group are as follows: our own perceptions when
taking down the observations of the focus group (e.g., body language, voice inflections, and the
spoken content), the way others present themselves in the focus group, and the answers provided
in the focus group by the participants. These different attributes based on our identities can
affect the validity and reliability of the data. The identities we, as moderators are bringing into
Limitations
The main concern and potential limitation that may come from the focus group is the fact
that individuals involved in the focus group all have a personal relationship with one another
through the program, classmates, and living with one another in their shared community within
the residence halls. As a result, there is a higher potential for conflict between individuals and
outside biases that may influence participants willingness to share and what they choose to share
Secondly, it is incredibly important that the moderator work to remain open-minded and
create a space where all participants are able to share freely. This includes setting expectations
and conditions for success at the beginning of the meeting with the group that the dialogue
should focus around the learning experience within the learning community and that this is not a
space that is meant to target others, but rather a time to speak to successes and opportunities for
Finally, because the space is filled with self-identified leaders, it is likely that many
participants will be eager to share their opinions and experiences. It is essential that the
moderator is providing opportunities for all students to participate in the conversation and is
ensuring all participants are sharing, researchers are better able to avoid generalizing findings to
Final Report
The resulting themes found in coding will be compiled and presented as a narrative report
by the coders in collaboration with researchers Emma Hindman, Candice Germany and Dana
Gramuglia. The report will note the consistent themes identified by coders in addition to
outlying themes that are of importance, but not as frequently referenced by participants
throughout the focus group sessions. A concept map will be used as a visual aid to better
understand the connections and relationships between themes and the flow of the focus group
dialogue. The final report will be presented for review to major stakeholders within each
Next Steps
Once the assessment portion is completed there are several steps we have identified
which will need to occur annually along with the program. Due to all of the current researchers
graduating in May there will need to be a new set researchers identified. The new set of
researchers will help ensure the evaluation and assessment process will occur every academic
year. Until this assessment, there has not been a regular and consistent method of evaluation,
thus not allowing for a true comparison of results of learning outcome execution from year to
year. With the process set in place and the new set of researchers this will be implemented each
academic year. With the consistent assessment and implementation of the evaluation there will
need to be an evaluation of trends- this will be identified through the coding of the focus groups
and and the results of the pre and post-test. A lasting implementation of assessment will allow
References
Creswell, J. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches.
Evans, N. J. and Reason, R. D. (2001), Guiding Principles: A Review and Analysis of Student
E. Newcomer (Eds.), Handbook of practical program evaluation (3rd ed.). San Francisco,
CA: Jossey-Bass.
Schuh, J. H. (2009). Assessment methods for student affairs. San Franscisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Tinto, V. (1999) Taking retention seriously: Rethinking the first year of college.
Appendix A
Staff and Faculty involved in LLC 2016-2017
Sam Siner: Assistant Director for Academic Support & Learning Communities, Residence Life
Appendix B
LLC Monthly Meeting Topics
Fall Semester:
Meeting 1: What is the Leadership Learning for Social Change Learning Community?
Spring Semester:
Meeting 7: Privilege, Oppression, and Systemic Social Change (Controversy with Civility)
Appendix C
Required Academic Courses for LLC
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Appendix D
Logic Model
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Appendix E
Invitation to Participate in Survey
As a member of the Leadership for Social Change Learning Community, we would like to gain
understanding of your current leadership skills through a 5-10 minute survey. Completing this
survey will help the learning community work towards improving for the future.
Please follow the link below to the pre-survey. All responses will be kept confidential, to be used
only to improve the Leadership for Social Change Learning Community.
As a member of the Leadership for Social Change Learning Community, we would like to gain
understanding of of leadership skills you learned over this academic year through a 5-10 minute
survey. Completing this survey will help the learning community work towards improving for
the future.
Please follow the link below to the post survey. All responses will be kept confidential, used only
to improve the Leadership for Social Change Learning Community.
Recently, you were invited to participate in a post-survey to support the growth of the Leadership
for Social Change Learning Communitys future.
Please follow the link here to take the post-survey. This survey will take about 5-10 minutes of
your time to complete. Thank you for dedicating your time and helping us improve the
Leadership for Social Change Learning Community.
Appendix F
Pre-Test Assessment
This survey is used to gain understanding of your current leadership skills. Please answer the
following questions below.
On the scale below, with 1 being not at all and 5 being very, share how confident you are
using the leadership skills you learned when engaging with different groups on Loyola
University Chicagos campus.
1:Not at all 2 3 4 5: Very
On the scale below, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree, share your
understanding of social identity in relation to the different listed concepts.
1:Strongly 2 3 4 5: Strongly
Disagree Agree
On the scale below, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree, share your
comfortability in engaging in different types of advocacy.
1:Strongly 2 3 4 5: Strongly
Disagree Agree
I am engaging in
advocacy activities.
I am comfortable
engaging in
conversations about
advocacy.
Female
Genderqueer
Gender Non-Conforming
Hispanic
Asian
Native American
Appendix G
Post-Test Assessment
This survey will be used to gain understanding of the leadership skills you learned over this
academic year. Please answer the following questions below.
On the scale below, with 1 being not at all and 5 being very, share how empowered you feel
engaging with different groups on Loyola University Chicagos campus as a result of
participating in the LLC.
1:Not at all 2 3 4 5: Very
On the scale below, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree, share your
understanding of social identity in relation to the different listed concepts after being a part of the
LLC.
1:Strongly 2 3 4 5: Strongly
Disagree Agree
On the scale below, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree, share your
comfortability in engaging in different types of advocacy after being a part of the LLC.
1:Strongly 2 3 4 5: Strongly
Disagree Agree
I am comfortable
engaging advocacy
activities.
I am comfortable
engaging in
conversations about
advocacy.
Male
Female
Genderqueer
Gender Non-Conforming
Hispanic
Asian
Native American
Appendix H
Invitations to Participate in Focus Group
As a member of the Leadership for Social Change Learning Community, we would like feedback
of your experiences this past year. This feedback would be given through the form of a focus
group- along with a few of your fellow learning community cohort.
Within the bottom of this email is a e-form to indicate interest in participating in the focus group.
All material disclosed in the focus group will be kept confidential, used only to improve the
Leadership for Social Change Learning Community.
Recently, you were invited to participate in a focus group here to support the growth of the
Leadership for Social Change Learning Communitys future.
Please follow the link here to sign up for a focus group time. The focus group will meet once for
60-90 minutes. Thank you for dedicating your time and helping us improve the Leadership for
Social Change Learning Community.
Appendix I
Consent to Participate in Focus Group
Introduction: Due to your participation in the Leadership for Social Change Learning
Community at Loyola University Chicago, you are being asked to participate in a focus group for
evaluation purposes.
Purpose: The main purpose of this focus group is to improve the quality of the Leadership for
Social Change Learning Community by exploring more in depth discussion than the pre and post
survey can provide. This will improve the experience of the future classes of the learning
community.
Procedure: The focus group will consist of seven open ended questions and space for additional
comments. This will last approximately 60-90 minutes of your time.
Risks/Benefits: With participation in the focus group there are no foreseeable risks involved.
There will be in depth reflections on the experiences within the Leadership for Social Change
Learning Community; and there is potential for personal risk depending on each persons
experiences. Benefits include learning of others experiences within the LLC and elevating the
experience of future classes in the LLC by providing data for assessment and implementation to
improve the program.
Compensation: There will be no monetary compensation for the participation in this focus group.
During the time of the focus group there will be refreshments provided.
Confidentiality: All information gathered from the focus group will be kept confidential. There
have been protocols and procedures put in place to ensure the identity of the focus group
participants. The answers, thoughts, and identity of those involved in the focus group will not be
revealed to anyone not listed as a moderator or assistant moderator.
Participation: The focus group is voluntary and can be left at anytime without consequences if
atmosphere of the space does not feel safe or becomes uncomfortable.
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 34
Contacts and Questions: If there are any questions about the focus group, please contact the
moderator at ehindman@luc.edu and the assistant moderator at dgramuglia@luc.edu.
Statement of Consent: By signing below this indicates you have read the content above, asked
any outlying questions, and confirm the participation in the focus group. For your own record
keeping, we will provide a copy of this signed document.
__________________________________ ____________
Participants Signature Date
__________________________________ ____________
Moderators Signature Date
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 35
Appendix J
Focus Group Questions
Introduction:
Thank you for taking the time to attend todays focus group. My name is ______________, and
I am the moderator for todays discussion. The purpose of this focus group is to gain a better
understanding of your experiences within the Leadership for Social Change Learning
Community this year. You previously completed an electronic survey through LUCentral, and
this is an opportunity to share specific experiences and feedback you have. Your participation
and honesty in sharing is appreciated, and your responses will be used in an effort to continue to
improve the learning community in future years.
During our time together I will ask a series of different questions related to the learning
community. These questions will serve as a guide to our conversation. Feel free to participate as
you feel comfortable. This is meant to be informal, so there is no need to raise your hand or ask
permission to speak. We want to hear all of your different perspectives and experiences, and
encourage everyone to share freely.
Our conversation will be recorded and then transcribed. All of your names and information will
remain confidential in the final report. Are there any questions at this time? Please read over the
informed consent form that you have received, read over it, and sign your name at the bottom of
the page. When you have completed this, please place your pen down so that I can collect them.
Thank you. Before we begin, are there any other questions? I will now turn on the recorder.
Discussion Questions:
What made you want to apply to be a part of the LLC?
What friendships and connections came out of your experience in the LLC?
Can you tell me about the relationships you had with staff and faculty involved with the LLC?
Can you provide an example of a time you have used new knowledge and skills from the LLC?
Could you tell me about how you hope to enact positive social change after being a part of the
LLC?
What programs or experiences should we offer again for next years LLC?
What can be done to improve the LLC program in the future?
Closing
As we wrap up, I want to make sure everyone has had the opportunity to share what they wanted.
Is there anything that was not discussed that you would like to share at this time? Thank you. I
wanted to take the chance to summarize some of the conversations we had today, [moderator will
share themes and patterns that were shared throughout the focus group]. Does all of that sound
correct?
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 36
On behalf of Student Leadership Development, Residence Life, and Academic Advising, thank
you for participating in todays focus group. Your experiences and feedback are appreciated and
valuable as we evaluate the Leadership for Social Change Learning Community and work
towards improving experiences for future students. I will be available for a few minutes
following our time together if you have any individual questions or thoughts you would like to
share.
EVALUATION PLAN FOR LLC 37
Appendix K
Budget
Survey Survey $0 $0
Administration
Focus Group
Audio Recording $0 1 $0
Equipment Rent from LUC Digital
Media Services
OrgSync $0
Provided through the
departmental budget
Refreshments (2 $2 8 $16
Liters)
Consent Forms $0 42 $0
Room $0 4 $0
Reservations