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TRIO SSS PROGRAM CAS SELF-ASSESSMENT REVIEW

TRIO SSS Program CAS Self-Assessment Review

Mario P. Cruz, Diana Rea Flores, Benjamin D. Kirk, and Cristina Valencia

Kremen School of Education, California State University, Fresno

Dr. Ray Ramirez

December 17, 2021

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Introduction

TRIO programs are federally funded educational outreach programs that began with the

Upward Bound program. Upward Bound emerged from the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964

to respond to the Administration’s War on Poverty (U.S. Department of Education, 2011).

Several of the TRIO Programs arose from the Higher education Act. Currently, there are eight

programs under the TRIO umbrella: Upward Bound; Upward Bound Math/Science; Talent

Search; Educational Opportunity Centers; Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement;

Student Support Services; Training Program for Federal Programs Staff; and Veterans Upward

Bound.

Assessment in higher education serves multiple purposes and can take many forms. The

effectiveness of student programs, services, and learning outcomes are assessed through the

continual collection of data and evidence. Assessment ensures that student programs, services,

development, learning outcomes, and experiences align with institutional mission and goals.

Assessment in higher education is also utilized to demonstrate institutional accountability to both

internal and external stakeholders. With the continuing rise in tuition and student debt, the call

for accountability in recent years has increased. Stakeholders and legislators are now questioning

the value of a college degree (Henning & Roberts, 2016), thus making assessment a critical

component in higher education institutions. Assessment should also be ongoing and not episodic,

with the end goal being continual institutional, departmental, and program growth and

improvement.

This paper serves as an informal self-assessment of the TRIO Student Support Services

(SSS) program functional area at California State University, Fresno (Fresno State), as outlined
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by the CAS Professional Standards. The TRIO SSS program serves first-generation, low-income,

and disabled students; it provides academic support services to undergraduate students with the

ultimate goal of retention and graduation (Student affairs and enrollment management, 2021).

The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) self-assessment

guide (SAG) has guided the TRIO SSS program functional area self-assessment. This guide has

been used to explore further the TRIO SSS program mission, vision, purpose, and sources of

inquiry. The following sections of this document will explore the program’s mission, vision

statement, purpose, and sources of inquiry used to inform this paper and conclude with final

recommendations for further program development and improvement.

Mission Statement

The Fresno State TRIO Student Support Services Program (SSS) mission is to provide

undergraduate students academic support, financial aid literacy/education, and graduate school

preparation support to ensure every individual’s successful retention and graduation (TRIO

Student Support Services, n.d.). In interpreting the TRIO SSS program’s mission, both internal

and external stakeholders can synthesize that the program’s main objective is to support

disadvantaged undergraduate students from low-income backgrounds, are first-generation, and

advocate for access to higher education for its students (TRIO Student Support Services, n.d.).

Also, from the mission statement, internal stakeholders such as the students receiving the

services can interpret the program as a place where they can go to receive guidance in their

undergraduate and graduate studies. Because the mission statement is descriptive of its services,

faculty and staff could serve as an ally to recommend qualifying students to the program.
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In essence, the mission statement gives us a gist of what one can expect from the

program. However, the mission TRIO SSS program presents on their website does not fully align

with the CAS Standards. While the mission statement on Fresno State’s TRIO SSS program

website does provide us with the types of services the program offers, the mission also lacks

more background on the kind of student the program strives to serve. Because the TRIO SSS

program is designed to serve and assist historically underrepresented students in their

postsecondary journey and complete their degrees, their mission statement must highlight this.

Students from low-income families, first-generation, underrepresented educational backgrounds,

who have a disability or hold other relevant federal or institutional criteria are assisted through

this program. All this is not highlighted within their mission statement. The CAS Standards

suggest that their mission statement must reference student learning, development, and success

(Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, 2019). Fresno State’s TRIO

SSS program lacks evidence in the mission statement in this area.

Vision Statement

While the Fresno State TRIO SSS program displays its mission statement proudly on the

home page of its website, the vision statement is missing. The U.S. Department of Education

TRIO SSS program website states the purpose and performance of the program. However, a

vision statement is lacking there as well. One might argue that the closest item to a vision

statement on the government website is the first line of the TRIO home page which introduces all

eight areas of the Federal TRIO program under the “Organization and Staff” heading. It states,

“The Federal TRIO Programs (TRIO) are Federal outreach and student services programs

designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds”

(TRIO Home Page, 2021).

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To be fair, TRIO is a Department of Education program, and the TRIO SSS program has

specific requirements for funding. These goals are reflected in the TRIO SSS program Fresno

State mission statement. However, it might be daunting to create a vision statement as its leaders

may think it implies the program could go beyond its predetermined purpose -- especially since

the minimum requirements to retain funding are very stringent. For example, the annual

persistence rates for the students served must be 91 percent, and 96 percent of students must be

in good academic standing for the TRIO SSS program to retain funding. An internet search

reveals many TRIO SSS programs have mission statements, but very few have vision statements.

The programs that do are similar to the mission statements (TRIO Student Support Services,

n.d.) or state larger aspirations (SDES TRIO Center • UCF, n.d.).

However, vision statements are essential for programs because they represent aspirations

beyond the mission and purpose. CAS charges TRIO and College Access Programs (TCAP)

leaders to create a vision for the functional area and communicate goals (Council for the

Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, 2019). The vision and the mission should drive

short and long-term planning for the TRIO SSS program. In this case, the vision could look

beyond earning students’ degrees and look towards the transformative effect their minoritized

graduates will have on the local community and society beyond.

Purpose

The purpose of the TRIO functional area, specifically the TRIO SSS program, was not

located on the Fresno State website. The purpose of the TRIO SSS program can be found on the

U.S. Department of Education website. The purpose of the TRIO SSS program is to provide

funding for higher education institutions for academic development, support students with

college requirements, and motivate students to complete their college education (U.S.
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Department of Education, 2021). The mission and vision statements influence the purpose of this

functional area by providing specific outcomes needed to be achieved to support the success of

students who seek out this functional area’s services and resources. Based on the functional area

mission, vision, and purpose statements, the students who will benefit the most from this

functional area are from low-income backgrounds, are the first in their family to attend college or

have a disability.

Students who are part of this program in this functional area learn how to succeed in

higher education through the resources provided. In addition, the TRIO SSS program provides

academic advising/counseling, writing and reading support, academic success workshops,

tutoring, and a one-unit course that offers valuable information for students about study

strategies and promotes student responsibility (Fresno State, 2021). Being part of the TRIO SSS

program at Fresno State, a student is eligible for financial assistance. To receive financial

support, the student must maintain full-time student status, have an unmet financial need, receive

a Pell Grant, have a semester GPA of 2.75 or higher, and have had at least two appointments

with a TRIO SSS program Counselor (Fresno State, Grant Aid, 2021) (Grant Aid ). The student

must also fill out an application and submit it before the deadline for the financial grant. Once all

information is validated, the student will be awarded the scholarship.

Sources for Inquiry List

We found several sources of inquiry when looking into the TRIO SSS Program at Fresno

State. The website contains information about the program, including the mission statement,

program eligibility, student responsibilities, program services, grant aid, the staff, events, and

contact information (TRIO Student Support Services Program, N.D.). Unfortunately, several

pages listed in the website menu did not work. These include tutoring, campus information and
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resources, and application pages. Through the staff page on the website, our team made contact,

then interviewed TRIO SSS and SSSV Program Director Ger Xiong. Before the interview, we

visited the office and collected some marketing materials. Director Xiong provided us with the

2019-20 Final Annual Performance Report following the interview. Below is a list of the

sources of inquiry we have identified.

● Website (TRIO Student Support Services Program, N.D.)

● Dept. of Education website (Student Support Services Program, 2021)

● Interview with the Program Director Ger Xiong (personal communication, October

14, 2021)

● 2019-20 Final Annual Performance Report (see Appendix A)

● Marketing brochures and materials (see Appendix B)

● Social media, including Twitter (@SsspTrio) and Instagram (@fresnostatetriosssp).

Summary

TRIO programs emerged to assist students who may not have access to the resources

needed to reach their academic goals. As previously mentioned, the TRIO SSS program’s

mission is to provide undergraduate students with academic support, financial aid literacy, and

graduate school preparation, among many other services. As stated by the U.S. Department of

Education (2020), the purpose of the TRIO SSS program is to provide funding to higher

education institutions for academic development and overall student success.

Various methods and sources of inquiry were utilized to conduct our research and better

understand the TRIO SSS program’s functional area. These sources included: an interview with

the SSS Program Director, Fresno State TRIO SSS program website, U.S. Department of
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Education website, TRIO SSS program annual report, and marketing brochures. These inquiry

sources contributed to our knowledge and understanding of the functional area and served as

informational resources for our CAS functional area self-assessment. The subsequent sections

will examine the TRIO SSS program’s learning goals and learning outcomes, program learning

outcomes, additional program outcome recommendations, followed by a summary and

concluding remarks.

Learning Goals and Learning Outcomes

Learning goals and learning outcomes are beneficial for programs to establish to assess if

resources are being adequately used and, if not, to take the opportunity to make corrections. For

the TRIO SSS Program at Fresno State, there are currently no learning goals and learning

outcomes. This section will discuss the absence of learning goals and learning outcomes of the

TRIO SSS Program at Fresno State. Next, we will elaborate on creating learning goals and

learning outcomes that uphold the CAS Standards for this functional area. Finally, we will wrap

up this section by suggesting three learning goals and learning outcomes for this functional area.

To present additional learning goals and outcomes, we must discuss the lack of learning goals

and learning outcomes for the TRIO SSS Program at Fresno State.

Program’s Learning Outcomes

Our interview with Director Xiong found no learning goals and learning outcomes for the

TRIO SSS Program at Fresno State. However, for this functional area program, there are

program standard objectives that the program must meet to have a successful audit report for

continuing funding. The program standard objectives are considered program goals and

outcomes because the SSS program is audited yearly on its multi-year grant funding. Table 1

underscores the program standard objectives needed to be obtained for continued funding.
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Table 1.

Program Standard Objectives for the TRIO SSS Program at Fresno State

Persistent Rate 91% of all participants served by the TRIO SSS project will persist
from one academic year to the beginning of the next academic year or
graduate with a bachelor's degree during the academic year.
Good Academic 96% of all enrolled participants served by the TRIO SSS project will
Standing Rate meet the performance level required to stay in good academic
standing at the grantee institution.
Graduation Rate (4- 54% of 2014-15 new participants served will graduate with a
year institution only) bachelor's degree or equivalent within six years.
U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education Student Service--Federal TRIO Programs. 2019-20 Final Annual
Performance Report, Fresno State TRIO SSS Programs

From this table, the SSS program has high marks to receive a good standing status from

the U.S. Department of Education for continued funding for this functional area program.

However, with high program standard objectives to meet, the SSS program needs to ensure all

facets are operational to keep track of students’ academic college progress. Failure to complete

the program standard objectives could lead to the program being on probation. Multiple years of

missing program standard objectives can lead to loss of funding and elimination of the program

on the campus. This, in turn, will provide a disservice for the students the SSS program intends

to serve.

Under the U.S. Department of Education, all TRIO SSS programs must have program

goals designed to foster academic development and holistic and professional development for its

students. The TRIO SSS Program goals are to provide services in the field of academic tutoring,

advise and assist in college course selection, education and counseling to improve financial

literacy, information and assistance in applying for Federal Student Aid, and assisting students in

applying for admission to graduate school (U.S. Department of Education, 2021). With these

services, the program’s goals are to develop adept students throughout their undergraduate career
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and assist students in pursuing a graduate degree while serving as a tool of support. Thus, even

when the TRIO SSS Program at Fresno State does not currently have any program learning goals

and outcomes, adhering to the U.S. Department of Education guidelines drives their initiative

and supports their effort to graduate more first-generation, low-income students. During the

interview with Director Xiong, she shared that there has not been any program-wide assessment

of the TRIO SSS Program at Fresno State. She was very interested in an assessment that uses the

CAS Standards as a foundation for providing resources and services for this functional area

program. Therefore, the following section will suggest learning goals and learning outcomes for

the TRIO SSS Program at Fresno State.

Recommended Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes are a critical component of the student learning experience, especially

when assessing program effectiveness. Suskie (2018) defines learning outcomes as “goals that

describe what students will be able to do as the result of a learning experience, or the knowledge,

skills, attitudes, and habits of mind that students take with them from a learning experience” ( p.

41). However, during our interview with Director Xiong, we learned that student learning

outcomes for the TRIO SSS program are not explicitly mentioned; only the TRIO SSS program

objectives are mentioned. Therefore, this section will recommend four student learning outcomes

for the TRIO SSS program that we believe will enhance program effectiveness. We will also

provide recommendations as to how these outcomes can be assessed.

Table 2.

Proposed Learning Outcomes for the TRIO SSS Program

Taxonomy of Learning Outcome

Significant Learning
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Foundational Students will demonstrate undergraduate-level reading, writing,

communication, and research skills.
Integration Students will describe the ten scales of the Learning and Study
Strategies Inventory (LASSI) and how they are applied.
Application Students will learn how to succeed in college through advising, peer
mentorship, tutoring, and workshops.
Learning how to learn Students will create habits of the minds that will enable success in
college and beyond.

Our proposed learning outcomes (see Table 2) are designed to work with Fresno State’s

mission and vision statements (Strategic Plan 2016-2020, n.d.), Fresno State’s strategic plan, the

TRIO program’s mission statement (TRIO Student Support Services Program, n.d.), TRIO SSS

program objectives, and the learning objectives of the University 8 course required for Students

underperform on the LASSI (see Table 2). Additionally, we used Fink’s (2003, as cited in Suskie

2018) Taxonomy of Significant Learning to categorize the type of learning for each outcome (see

Table 2). Focusing the program on the learning outcomes gives practitioners a tangible goal that,

if accomplished, will result in the program meeting its objectives.

Each of these outcomes (see Table 2) can be assessed in various ways. Assessment for

the Foundational outcome is measured by achieving a passing grade in their general education

coursework. The Integration outcome can be measured through a pre and post-LASSI

assessment, which can look at a student’s progress in the ten scales over time. The Application

outcomes can be measured through the student’s GPA, retention, and graduation – which also

happens to be the standard objectives for the TRIO SSS program. Finally, the Learning How To

Learn objective can be assessed through graduation, followed by post-graduate program

acceptance or employment.

Summary
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Having program learning goals and outcomes is a suitable way to comprehend what a

student will be able to do as a result of a learning experience or the skills and knowledge they

will gain from the learning experience (Suskie, 2018). Therefore, having learning goals and

outcomes guides students to understand the program and what is offered. Even though the TRIO

SSS Program at Fresno State does not visibly suggest any learning goals and outcomes, the

program must still meet program goals for continued funding. These goals are guided by the

Department of Education and intended to serve students in all aspects of their undergraduate and

graduate career.

Our proposed learning outcomes are intended to work alongside the program’s objectives

to better translate the program’s primary objective. We believe that the recommended student

learning goals and outcomes will improve program effectiveness in serving their students.

Moreover, the recommended learning goals and outcomes can serve as a guide to understand if

the program impacts the student’s development. In the subsequent sections, we will examine the

TRIO SSS program’s assessment methods and processes; analyze evidence collected by the

program; recommend additional methods for the program to consider; discuss shared results

among program audiences; summarize the analysis and close the loop.

Assessment Methods and Processes

The SSS program collects a variety of data to meet federal grant requirements and inform

the assessment process at all levels. Efforts for data collection begin with the program

application. Other efforts include pre-and post-surveys, needs assessment surveys, and student

satisfaction surveys, among others. The Annual Performance Report (APR) contains pertinent

quantitative student and program data. It is also utilized as an assessment tool to make program

improvements and provide transparency to both internal and external stakeholders (G. Xiong,
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personal communication, October 14, 2021). LASSI (learning and study strategies inventory) is

utilized as a diagnostic assessment tool that helps to determine if there are any academic gaps a

student might need further support in. It also serves to inform SSS program workshops. The

following section will discuss the various data the SSS program collects such as, data utilized to

fulfill the Department of Education’s TRIO SSS program requirements, data utilized in the initial

application process, data gathered to complete the APR (which is utilized to determine if

program objectives and goals are being met), as well as how all this data is used in program

assessment efforts.

Evidence Collected by the Program

The TRIO SSS program collects various amounts of data to meet program requirements

and objectives. Since the program is federally funded, SSS must follow the Department of

Education’s strict guidelines to receive the grant. The program is required to meet specific

program objectives (see Table 1) and recruit a certain number of students each academic year (G.

Xiong, personal communication, October 14, 2021). For example, in 2019-20, the program was

funded for 200 participants. This data is collected and then transferred into the APR; the APR

has a breakdown (see Appendix A) of all pertinent program data such as the number of

participants, retention rates, graduation rates, required program services, along with the number

of participants receiving those services. One of the first pieces of data collected comes from the

program application.

The TRIO SSS program collects student data beginning with the program application,

including date of birth, social security number, mailing address, and race/ethnicity. The program

is required to have 66 percent of its 200 participants who are enrolled be low-income and first-
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generation, and or students with disabilities, including students with disabilities who are low-

income (TRIO Student Support Services, 2020). Therefore, copies of tax returns for income

verification and/or a confirmation of disability from the Services for Students with Disabilities

office are submitted along with the initial application (G. Xiong, personal communication,

October 14, 2021). An academic needs assessment question in the application is a second critical

piece of data, which is later utilized in assessment processes. Here the student can self-report an

area(s) they would like to further develop (G. Xiong, personal communication, October 14,

2021). In this section, the student can select all that applies such as, lack of academic

preparedness for college-level coursework, limited English proficiency, GPA below 2.0, and lack

of educational or career goals. This data is beneficial as it helps inform the planning and creation

of student workshops.

The SSS program collects indirect forms of data (Henning & Roberts, 2016) in student

surveys. The program has implemented workshop surveys, pandemic needs assessment surveys,

and student satisfaction surveys this year. The SSS program has about 12 student workshops

administered throughout the semester (G. Xiong, personal communication, October 14, 2021).

Out of these 12 workshops, a few are selected for survey evaluation; pre and post-student

surveys are then conducted on these workshops to determine if students grasped the workshop

concepts and if learning outcomes were met. The second piece of indirect data collected comes

from a student needs assessment survey, which was implemented at the beginning of the

pandemic. This survey determines students’ technological, financial, and housing needs during

the shift to the virtual learning format. The SSS program utilized the survey data responses and
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responded to students individually, and tried to support those with unmet needs as best as

possible. The last type of survey utilized by the SSS program is a student satisfaction survey

implemented at the end of each academic advising appointment. Director Xiong (2021) said this

survey was very insightful as students could provide direct feedback.

Current Assessment Efforts

The SSS program conducts a variety of assessment measures and utilizes these measures

to continually improve the program. The assessment efforts include LASSI, workshop surveys,

workshop relevance and impact surveys, trends in the program application, and assessment of

program requirements. Assessment efforts begin with collecting LASSI data; as previously

mentioned, LASSI is utilized as a diagnostic assessment tool that helps determine if there are any

academic gaps a student might need further support in. Per Director Xiong, LASSI also assesses

a student’s awareness of how they learn and strategize areas related to concentration, motivation,

and attitude (G. Xiong, personal communication, October 14, 2021). Students who score less

than 75% on LASSI are required to enroll in the University 8 course. This is a one-hour per week

course, and the themes covered are informed by LASSI data.

The second area of assessment entails workshop surveys; this year, workshops are being

assessed to determine how engaging, relevant, and impactful they are to students. Student

responses on the program’s application needs assessment portion also help inform workshop

creation and implementation. The needs assessment responses are also examined for possible

trends; SSS looks for patterns of student responses. In this section of the application, students

can self-report an area they would like to enhance further or develop; perhaps they want to
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develop a specific academic area or are interested in career goal planning or financial literacy.

Like the workshop surveys, this data helps inform workshop creation.

Lastly, assessment is conducted on whether program requirements such as advising

appointments, academic development workshops, tutoring (for those who fall below a 2.5 GPA)

contribute to student success or whether it might hinder it. The program aims to understand

whether these requirements are adding additional stress to students’ already busy schedules, as

many students also have other curricular and co-curricular responsibilities. Per Director Xiong,

comparisons were made between students who completed 100% of all program requirements and

those who completed 75% or less to try and understand if a correlation exists. She explained

there was a slight increase in GPA in those who completed 100% of the requirements compared

to those who did not satisfy all requirements. This data then allows her to reframe the program

requirements (if needed) to help students feel encouraged, empowered, engaged, and more active

on campus, versus just adding additional burden to the student (G. Xiong, personal

communication, October 14, 2021).

All SSS program student data, including evidence and data from assessment efforts, is

tracked and stored in Blumen Software. This software is crucial to program functioning as it

keeps track of all data, including data that informs SSS program standard objectives. These

standard objectives include Persistence Rate, Good Academic Standing Rate, and Graduation

Rate. Persistence Rate tracking is evidenced by the number of students who persist from one

academic year into the beginning of the following academic year (TRIO Student Support

Services, 2020); next-semester student course enrollment also informs persistence rates (G.
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Xiong, personal communication, October 14, 2021). Student GPA is also utilized to inform Good

Academic Standing Rates, both of which are stored and tracked in Blumen. Graduation Rates can

then be determined from persistence rate data. A Blumen report is run at the end of the academic

year, and all data is put into the APR report, which is submitted to The Department of Education

for grant funding purposes. All data and assessment efforts made by the SSS program contribute

to the evidence and data collection; in turn, this data is continuously used in program-wide

improvement efforts, which are then used to complete the APR and utilized in the grant funding

application cycle.

Assessment Methods for the Program to Consider

As mentioned earlier, it was explained that the SSS program at Fresno State uses

assessment methods to assess their resources and programs, but not for the SSS program in its

entirety. The SSS program does provide indirect assessments through the forms of end-of

workshop surveys. Henning and Roberts (2016) explain that an indirect assessment focuses on

the students’ insight into their learning. The SSS program employs end-of-workhouse surveys

after providing academic success workshops covering financial literacy, time management, and

graduate school/professional school preparation (Fresno State, Services, 2021). The SSS

program uses the information gathered from the indirect assessment surveys after workshops to

gauge if students comprehend the curriculum and implementation. For a more direct assessment,

the SSS program can ask additional questions at their end-of-workshop surveys focused on the

actual demonstration of knowledge or skill that can be measured—for example, asking questions

about how to open a bank account to measure financial literacy or questions on how to apply for

graduate school to measure knowledge about the application process. Along with implementing
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end-of workshop surveys, the SSS program also used indirect assessment by conducting a needs

assessment survey for their students during COVID-19.

COVID-19 has halted normal operations in providing resources and support for students

of the SSS program on the Fresno State campus. The majority of the TRIO students come from

disadvantaged backgrounds and rely on the help and support through the SSS program functional

area. The SSS program created and distributed a needs assessment survey to understand the

impact COVID-19 had on the students. This indirect assessment survey was conducted to gather

information and support those students who needed the most resources and support during the

COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend the SSS program continue to employ indirect assessment

through surveys. We also encourage the SSS program to use various assessment methods to

enhance this functional area program.

According to Henning and Roberts (2016), a summative assessment occurs at the end of

the program that includes an overall perspective. Therefore, we recommend the SSS program

institute an assessment from the first day of school to graduation completion. This will provide

vital information for the overall operations of the SSS program from start to finish and provide

support for each grade level (first-year support vs. last year support) through forms of surveys,

focus groups, interviews, or reflection papers. From the information gathered, the SSS program

can make changes that will yield the best results for students who are a part of the TRIO SSS

program.

Lastly, we recommend the SSS program incorporate the CAS Standards and the CAS

Self Assessment Guide (SAG) to assess the resources and services provided from this functional

area. The CAS Standards and the CAS SAG provide a guide map to assess a functional area

within higher education. Within the CAS Standards, examples are provided on what evidence is
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needed to begin the assessment process. When doing the CAS SAG, what is essential to consider

is to refer to the mission and vision statements of the program and institution as forms of

evidence to ensure student learning outcomes are being met. We recommend the CAS Standards

and CAS SAG because the accessibility and guided roadmap are applicable for all levels of

student affairs practitioners that can implement assessment in their work.

Shared Results among Program Audiences (Stakeholders and Audience) Diana

Because the TRIO SSS program does not have embedded learning outcomes, it is

challenging to gauge whether or not the students are meeting the program’s learning outcomes.

Nevertheless, even when the program does not have visible learning outcomes, the students are

assisted and expected to benefit and be enriched. One way that the TRIO SSS program measures

student learning is through its annual performance report. The program measures the success of

its students by assessing the persistence rate of students, the percentage of students who

successfully graduate within six years, and the number of students in the program that maintain

good academic standing (see Appendix A).

Student learning through the program is intentional. Student learning fully aligns with the

TRIO SSS program’s mission. In their mission, the program highlights the services students are

expected to receive while being part of the program. It also highlights the reason why these

services are offered. On the institution’s side, Fresno State’s mission vaguely aligns with student

learning. In essence, it can be challenging to truly align student learning with the institution’s

mission statement simply because Fresno State’s mission is not detailed. The institution’s

mission statement is to “boldly educate and empower students for success” (Fresno State’s

Strategic Plan 2016-2020, 2019). This mission statement falls short in being more descriptive.
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The TRIO SSS program must address audiences and stakeholders as a federally funded

program. Because it is a grant-funded program, its main stakeholder is the funded agency, in this

case, the federal government. One way the program shares results is through its final annual

performance report. In that report, the program addresses critical elements of the programs they

serve and the effect on the students. This is especially important because the program must show

evidence of the student’s impact to continue receiving federal funding. Another important

audience the TRIO SSS program addresses are the program’s students. Addressing students is

important because the students are the ones receiving the services and why the program exists.

Recommendations

Within Student Affairs, the TRIO SSS program is unique because its oversight,

requirements, and funding come directly from the Department of Education. While we

understand the TRIO program must achieve the Department of Education’s program outcomes to

continue to receive funding, there remain opportunities to enhance the program beyond the

funding requirements. To this end, we recommend the TRIO SSS program subscribe to the

Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS)

(https://www.cas.edu/subscribe). Implementing CAS throughout the TRIO SSS program can

become grounded in widely recognized professional standards.

CAS provides a seven-step self-assessment guide to offer a comprehensive program

review. The steps include planning the process; assembling a team; identify, collect, and review

evidence; evaluate the evidence; develop an action plan; prepare a report; and close the loop – or

put the plan into action (Program Review, n.d.). After the assessment is performed and the report

is distributed to all interested stakeholders, it is vitally important to use those results to improve

the program’s weaknesses. Maintaining a regular self-assessment schedule of at least twice per
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five-year funding cycle is essential to realize constant improvement. Suppose the SAG

assessment is administered at the end of years two and four of the grant cycle. In that case, the

second-year assessment will give time to make adjustments to the program, while the year four

assessment can be used to implement more significant changes for the next grant cycle.

To complete the SAG, the Fresno State TRIO SSS program will need to develop a Vision

Statement, Statement of Purpose, and Program Learning Outcomes to complement the existing

Mission Statement. The vision statement should be aspirational and align with the Department of

Education’s mission, the Fresno State TRIO SSS mission and the Fresno State vision statement

and values. The statement of purpose should be inspired by the Department of Education’s

purpose and build a bridge between the national agency and the local program. The Program

Learning outcomes should be tied to the program’s mission, vision, and purpose and be

measurable. The mission, vision, and purpose will construct the soul of the program for students,

faculty, staff, graduate assistants, interns, and other stakeholders. These combined with the

learning outcomes will provide a firm foundation to ground any program assessments.

To complement the CAS self-assessment tool, we recommend developing annual internal

assessments for the TRIO SSS program. While surveys can work for this purpose, due to survey

fatigue among students, the program may want to utilize other qualitative methods such as focus

groups, interviews, or reflection papers. This assessment will enable the program to look beyond

the numbers required by the Department of Education report and gain a deeper understanding of

what students think and feel about the program. Again, we stress the importance of following up

with the assessment with reports to stakeholders and implementing an action plan for continual

improvement.

Conclusion
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The TRIO SSS program does essential work in providing access to higher education to

underserved populations. The job done in the two humble rooms in the Lab school has impacted

hundreds, if not thousands, of lives directly, and there is no doubt those students have gone on to

make a transformative impact on the surrounding community. Assessment is a way to find

continual improvements within the program, which, in turn, can heighten your visibility and

status on the campus. While the first assessment may be stressful in terms of time, funding, and

other resources, we believe the payoff will be worth it so long as the results inform change.

When one considers the impact just one successful graduate has on their own family, friends, and

community, then multiply that by the number of successful graduates; the sphere of influence is

staggering. It is truly a privilege to provide this small amount of guidance to such an important

program.
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References

Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. (2019). CAS professional

standards for higher education (10th Ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Fresno State. (2019, September 26). Strategic Plan 2016-2020. Fresno State. Retrieved

December 16, 2021, from https://fresnostate.edu/president/strategic-plan/index.html

Grant Aid. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2021, from

https://studentaffairs.fresnostate.edu/studentsupport/grantaid.html

Henning, G. W., & Roberts, D. (2016). Student affairs assessment: Theory to practice. Stylus

Publishing, LLC.

History of the federal trio programs. (2011, September 09). U.S. department of education.

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/triohistory.html

Program Review. (n.d.). Retrieved December 16, 2021, from

https://www.cas.edu/programreview

Resources & Services. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2021, from

https://studentaffairs.fresnostate.edu/studentsupport/services.html

SDES TRIO Center • UCF. (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2021, from https://trio.sdes.ucf.edu/

Strategic Plan 2016-2020. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2021, from

https://fresnostate.edu/president/strategic-plan/index.html

Student affairs and enrollment management. (2021, September 22). Fresno State.

https://studentaffairs.fresnostate.edu/departments-programs.html

Student Support Services Program. (2021, September 3). US Department of Education (ED).

https://www2.ed.gov/programs/triostudsupp/index.html

Student Support Services Project.

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Suskie, L. (2018). Assessing student learning: A common sense guide. John Wiley & Sons,

Incorporated.

TRIO Home Page. (2021). https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html

TRIO Student Support Services. (2020). 2019-20 Final annual performance report: Summary of

data and prior experience points, or results of standard assessments.

TRIO Student Support Services Program. (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2021, from

https://studentaffairs.fresnostate.edu/studentsupport/index.html

TRIO Student Support Services. (n.d.). Northeastern State University. Retrieved November 7,

2021, from https://offices.nsuok.edu/trio/StudentSupportServices/default.aspx

U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education Student Service–Federal TRIO

Programs. (2020). 2019-20 Final annual performance report: Summary of data and prior

experience points, or results of standard assessments. California State University, Fresno.

US Department of Education (ED). (2021, December 13). Student Support Services Program.

U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved December 16, 2021, from

https://www2.ed.gov/programs/triostudsupp/index.html

U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). TRIO Home Page. US Department of Education.

Retrieved December 16, 2021, from

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html
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Appendix A

2019-20 Fresno State TRIO SSS Annual Performance Report

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Appendix B

Fresno State TRIO SSS Brochures

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