In an effort to provide ongoing professional development opportunities for SAAL members, the Professional Development Committee hosts Structured Conversations. Structured Conversations are monthly interactive assessment webinars. A listing of upcoming webinars and past records can be found below. Check the professional development calendar for a full listing of events.
SAAL Structured Conversations are designed with you in mind. Recognizing the expertise of our colleagues in Student Affairs assessment, we are issuing a call for presentations to share your expertise, perspectives, and best practices in student affairs assessment.
Ready to submit a proposal? Please fill out the form below. SAAL typically hosts one Structured Conversation per month and we accept submissions on a rolling basis. The SAAL Professional Development Committee will coordinate all the logistics for the session including technical support and promotion.
Collaborative Inquiry Across Associations: Methodological Insights from Analyzing 1,000 SAAL Listserv Threads
Register for the June Structured Conversation: Collaborative Inquiry Across Associations
If you are unable to attend live, register to receive the recording and any available resources.
Abstract:
A joint project was conducted by representatives from SAAL, NASPA's Assessment Evaluation and Research Knowledge Community, and ACPA's Commission for Assessment and Evaluation to analyze roughly 1,000 listserv threads from 2020–2024 to understand practitioner needs and shifts in student affairs assessment. The inter-association team used a two‑round coding process to categorize posts into announcements, job postings, and practitioner inquiries. Professional development dominated discussions, while methodological questions and peer troubleshooting highlighted the listserv as a shared community of practice. Rising director‑level and institutional research postings signaled expanding career pathways. Findings underscore the value of coordinated cross‑organizational inquiry to pool capacity, strengthen networking, and broaden perspectives.
Learning Outcomes:
Presenters:
Structured Conversations are FREE and anyone can participate. If you are unable to attend a Structured Conversation live or want to review a past Structured Conversation, recordings going back to 2016 are available on the SAAL YouTube Channel.