A Guide to Conducting A College-Wide Needs Analysis: The Process and Key Outcomes

Maja Stojanović, Petra A Robinson and Roland W. Mitchell
Louisiana State University

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to analyze and understand the personal and professional development needs of the employees of the College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The data for the project were collected by the CHSE Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development though a survey administered to the CHSE employees (staff, faculty, administrators, graduate assistants) during the summer 2020 semester and interviews conducted with 34 CHSE employees. The importance of this project comes from the fact that it sought to understand the needs of all college employees, thus helping the stakeholders understand in which specific training to invest based on employees’ needs, as well as understand if different types of employees have different needs. By informing professional development programs, these results should ultimately improve performance, quality, and efficiency. Further, we took a comprehensive approach by using both the quantitative and qualitative approach and by focusing on both personal and professional development, inherent in the mission of our college to improve the quality of life across the lifespan.

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