Developing Key Performance Indicators

October 20, 2010

Amy Feder
Assistant Director, Assessment Programs

What are key performance indicators?

performance indicator

metrics

dashboard

balanced scorecard

report card

success factors

Steps to implementation

Articulate

Operationalize

Create

Share

Steps to implementation

Articulate

Operationalize

Create

Share

Starting points:
Existing KPIs on your
campus
Mission and vision
Strategic plan
Learning outcomes
frameworks (e.g., CAS,
AAC&U)
Numbers you are already
using

 Graduation Rate
Retention Rates
Annual Giving
Satisfaction
Campus Climate
Student Awareness
Campus Safety
Student Participation

Student Engagement
Credit Hour Production
Contact Hour
Housing Occupancy Rates
Student Conduct Incidents
Programs Offered
Service Hours
Outcome Measures

Direction of development of KPIs

University
Division
Department
Program

Institutional Dashboards
Institutional Dashboard Examples:
- Mean SAT score
- Research Funding
- 4 or 6 year Graduation Rate
- Doctorates Awarded
- Undergraduate Enrollment
- Graduate Enrollment
- Alumni Giving
- Financial Aid Awarded
- Scholarships Awarded

Divisional Dashboard

Departmental Dashboard

Provide information on the

direction of the organization
May not be directly
actionable for departments
Primarily shared up or
out
Examples:
Overall student satisfaction
Retention Rates
Annual Giving
Participation Rates

Focus on the aspects of the

department that are critical
Measured frequently and
more actionable
Measures are understood by
staff members
Have significant and positive
impact on daily operations
Examples:
Knowledge of
policies/procedures
Perceptions
Outcome measures

Departmental dashboard example: University at Albany

Parent Program:
- # contact via email (by year)
- # Parent Council Membership (by
year and class)
- % in-state vs. out-of-state
residence
- % satisfied with email contact
- % satisfied with accessibility of
Parent Liaison
- % parents who considered
themselves involved

Divisional dashboard example: William Paterson University

Division of Enrollment Management
and Student Development:
- % overall student satisfaction rates
(by semester)
- % student engagement rates (by
level of connectedness)
- % student involvement rates (by
semester)
- Learning outcome domain rates (by
type of learning environment)
- % student development rates (by
subject area)

Students' working
% of students working for pay, on and off campus
hours working off campus

Enriching "out of classroom" experiences

% who have participated in internship, co-op, field experience, practicum
% participating in co-curricular activities
% who have participated in community service/volunteer work

Campus involvement/engagement
% attending campus events and activities
% involved in student leadership roles

Diversity experiences
% viewing campus as diverse
% discussing diversity related issues
% treated fairly as a student on the campus

Overall satisfaction with campus experience

Employment of graduates

Involve key constituents

Is the development of KPIs internally driven or externally required?
Who will be USING the KPIs?
With whom will you be SHARING the KPIs?
Are others on your campus also developing KPIs?
Is there an existing committee that can lead the KPI development process?

Keep it simple
At core, the performance
indicator is simple and
informative.

KEY is the important word

Steps to implementation

Articulate

Operationalize

Create

Share

Data collection methods

Keep in mind: KPIs are
quantitative/numbers
and can come from:
Campus or student
record systems
Tracking
Surveys
Rubrics

Data collection: Existing campus systems

systems

Data collection: Tracking

Data collection: Surveys

Data collection: Rubrics

Single Source

Survey

Multiple Sources

Survey
1

Survey
2

Average

Survey
3

Single source KPI from one survey

Multiple source KPI from many surveys

Ways to represent data

Count

Percentage

Mean

Use terms consistently

Create data audits and/or
data dictionaries
Define terms:
Student
Class year
Terms/time periods

How this affects the assessment process

Incorporate KPI into planning or project proposals

Develop a standard set of scales and question formats
Consider response rate requirements for inclusion in KPIs
Create a data dictionary

Steps to implementation

Articulate

Operationalize

Create

Share

What to include in descriptions

Source
Sample /response rate
Date stamp
Question text
Scale
Person responsible

Use colors consistently and with purpose

Time Periods

Population

Progress to Goal

Using StudentVoice

Using StudentVoice

Steps to implementation

Articulate

Operationalize

Create

Share

Include in annual reports

http://www.albany.edu/studentaffairs/assessment/docs/Briefing%20Book%2008-09/index.html

Add to your website

http://www.clemson.edu/administration/student-affairs/balanced-scorecard.html

Connect in StudentVoice Management

Steps to implementation

Articulate

Operationalize

Create

Share

Questions?
Amy Feder
Assistant Director, Assessment Programs
afeder@studentvoice.com

StudentVoice
210 Ellicott Street, Suite 200
Buffalo, NY 14203
716.652.9400