How was the academy created?

A comprehensive needs analysis was conducted in the planning and creation phase of ASAP. A task force comprised of representatives of the major student affairs functional areas spent five months creating the vision statement, conducting a comprehensive needs analysis, establishing program goals, and identifying core competencies. The needs analysis included:

1. Consultation with content experts in the area of professional development for student affairs professionals.
2. Surveys of staff from non-student affairs backgrounds and their supervisors.
3. Review of current staff development offerings for student affairs staff
4. Review of survey results from graduates of Texas A&M’s Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education (SAAHE) masters program.

After completion of the needs analysis content teams were created to refine the curriculum and develop learning outcomes for specific sessions. A steering committee was established to determine the delivery format, formulate program policy, and design the program evaluation model.