AASCU Consulting 360 Assessment for Higher Education Leaders TM
Leadership effectiveness
A 360-degree assessment is a comprehensive tool used to evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of leaders across various organizational roles. It offers a holistic view by gathering feedback from multiple perspectives, including peers, direct reports, supervisors, and other stakeholders. AASCU Consulting 360 Assessment for Higher Education Leaders TM are specifically tailored to assess the leadership capabilities of individuals holding key positions in higher education including presidents, provosts, CFOs, vice presidents for student affairs, academic deans, and other institutional leaders. These assessments, drawing upon AASCU Consulting’s forty years of experience in conducting presidential and senior leader evaluations, enhance leaders’ effectiveness by offering reliable quantitative and qualitative feedback. They are currently being updated to incorporate the latest AASCU research on regional comprehensive university presidential leadership competencies.
The process begins with a confidential online assessment administered to a diverse group of stakeholders identified by the individual being assessed and their superior. These stakeholders may include colleagues, staff members, faculty, and administrators who have regular interactions with the senior leader being evaluated. It can also include the board, students, community members, or advisory boards as applicable. The questionnaire is designed to evaluate the leader’s performance based on predetermined leadership skill clusters and competencies relevant to their role.
Participants are asked to provide feedback on the senior leader’s strengths, weaknesses, and overall performance in areas such as communication, decision-making, strategic planning, team-building, and interpersonal relationships. Simultaneously, the senior leader being assessed also completes the same questionnaire. This allows for a comparison between the leader’s self-perceptions and the perceptions of others, facilitating greater insight into potential blind spots and areas of discrepancy.
In addition to the online assessment, the scope of the 360-degree process may include in-depth interviews with select stakeholders to gather qualitative insights and perspectives. These interviews provide an opportunity for further exploration of feedback and can uncover valuable context behind the quantitative data.
Based on the findings of the assessment, a professional development plan can be developed in collaboration with the senior leader to address identified areas for growth and improvement. This plan may include targeted training programs, workshops, mentoring, or executive coaching sessions tailored to the leader’s specific needs and goals.