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This episode features a leadership perspectives conversation with Joe Garcia, Chancellor of the Colorado Community College System, the largest higher education and workforce training provider in the State of Colorado. Colorado Community College System: cccs.edu/ This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment. Episode recorded: February 2023.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.

In this episode, we spend time with three leaders representing institutional accreditation organizations in higher education.  Our guest are David Chase, Laura Gambino, and Mac Powell.  David is Vice President of Educational Programs at the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, known as WASC, where he is part of the Senior College and University Commission.  Laura is Vice President at the New England Commission of Higher Education.  Mac is President of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, also affiliated with WASC.Links to the institutional accreditation organizations mentioned in this episode: Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges:https://accjc.org/ New England Commission of Higher Education:https://www.neche.org/ Western Association of Schools and Colleges—Senior College and University Commission:https://www.wscuc.org/ This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment.Episode recorded: January 2023.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.

This episode features a leadership perspectives conversation with Amelia Parnell, Vice President for Policy Research and Advocacy at NASPA, a U.S. association devoted to serving student affairs administrators in higher education.Some of the resources mentioned in this episode include the following:NASPA (association):https://naspa.org/ You Are a Data Person (book):https://styluspub.presswarehouse.com/browse/book/9781642671377/You-Are-a-Data-PersonSpeaking of College (podcast):https://www.speakingofcollege.com/This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment.Episode recorded: December 2022.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.

In this episode, we discuss the role the Department Chair plays in higher education institutions with representatives from the Wiley publication entitled The Department Chair.  Our guests are Carolyn Allard, Trey Guinn, Juston Pate, and Halley Sutton.  Carolyn is Editor of The Department Chair; Trey is Associate Professor and Program Director in the School of Media and Design at the University of the Incarnate Word; Juston is President and CEO of Elizabethtown Community and Technical College; and Halley is Managing Editor for Wiley’s suite of higher education publications.Learn more about The Department Chair at this link:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19364393.This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment.Episode recorded: November 2022.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.

This episode features contributors to a special issue of Assessment Update focused on learning improvement.  Assessment Update is a bimonthly periodical from Wiley for which Stephen Hundley, host of the Leading Improvements in Higher Education podcast, serves as editor.  Each of today’s podcast guests have contributed articles to the November/December 2022 issue of Assessment Update.  Our guests are Terri Flateby, Megan Good, Julie Morrison,  Monica Stitt-Burgh, and Pam Tracy, all of whom are members of the Learning Improvement Community.This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment.Episode recorded:  October 2022.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.Resources referenced in this episode include:Assessment Update, accessible via the website of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis:  assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.Learning Improvement Community:  learning-improvement.org.

This episode features three colleagues James Madison University's (JMU) Center for Assessment and Research Studies, or CARS, all of whom are also faculty members in JMU's Department of Graduate Psychology:  Sara Finney, Keston Fulcher, and Megan Good.  Sara is an Associate Director in CARS.  Keston previously served as Executive Director of CARS and is an Improvement Strategist.  Megan currently serves as Interim Executive Director of CARS. The Center for Assessment and Research Studies is recipient of the 2022 Trudy W. Banta Lifetime Achievement in Assessment Award.  Keston is the inaugural recipient of the Improvement Influencer Award.  Both of these awards are bestowed by the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis. This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment.Episode recorded:  September 2022.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.

This episode features a leadership perspectives conversation with Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, President and CEO of Benedict College.  President Artis shares with us her leadership journey, advice for aspiring leaders, and future trends, including the role Historically Black Colleges and University play in higher education.  This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment.Episode recorded:  September 2022.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.

In this episode, we spend time with Drew Koch, Chief Executive Officer of the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education.  The Gardner Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving outcomes associated with teaching, learning, retention, and completion, along with promoting higher education’s larger goal of achieving equity and social justice.  Learn more about the Gardner Institute at  jngi.org.This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment.Episode recorded:  July 2022.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.

This episode features three editors of a new Stylus Publishing book entitled Delivering on the Promise of High-Impact Practices:  Research and Models for Achieving Equity, Fidelity, Impact, and Scale.  Our guests are Jerry Daday, Jillian Kinzie, and John Zilvinskis.  Jerry is a Professor of Sociology at IUPUI, where he also leads the Institute for Engaged Learning in the Division of Undergraduate Education.  Jillian is Interim Co-Director of the National Survey of Student Engagement in the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University Bloomington.  John is an Associate Professor at Binghamton University, State University of New York. Some of the resources mentioned in this episode include the following: American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) – https://www.aacu.org/ Center for Postsecondary Research (CPR) – https://cpr.indiana.edu/ Delivering on the Promise of High Impact Practices (book from Stylus Publishing) – https://styluspub.presswarehouse.com/browse/book/9781642673616/Delivering-on-the-Promise-of-High-Impact-Practices HIPs in the States – https://assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu/program/HIPs_in_the_States.html IUPUI’s Institute for Engaged Learning – https://getengaged.iupui.edu/ National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) – https://nsse.indiana.edu/ This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment. Episode recorded:  June 2022.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.

In this episode, we have a leadership perspectives conversation with Kate McConnell from the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).  At AAC&U, Kate serves as Vice President for Curricular and Pedagogical Innovation and Executive Director of VALUE.  Kate’s leadership at AAC&U provides tremendous opportunities for advancing our understanding of important teaching, learning, and assessment concepts.  Learn more about AAC&U at aacu.org. This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment.Episode recorded:  May 2022.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.

This episode features three editors of a new Stylus Publishing book entitled Reframing Assessment to Center Equity:  Theories, Models, and Practices.  Our guests are Gianina Baker, Gavin Henning, and Anne Lundquist.  Gianina is the acting director of the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment.  Gavin is Professor of Higher Education at New England College where he directs the master’s and doctoral programs in Higher Education Administration.  Anne is managing director for learning and innovation at The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice at Temple University.This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment.Episode recorded:  March 2022.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.Some of the resources mentioned in this episode include the following:Anthology’s website for the Equity Centered Landscape Survey - https://www.anthology.com/equity-centered-assessment/landscape-survey Equity-Driven, High Achievement:  Assessment of Student Learning and Development - http://shop.btpubservices.com/Title/9781948213325Public Design for Equity - https://www.publicdesignforequity.org/ Reframing Assessment to Center Equity: Theories, Models, and Practices - https://styluspub.presswarehouse.com/browse/book/9781642672572/Reframing-Assessment-to-Center-Equity Research is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods - https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/research-is-ceremony-shawn-wilson The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through  Mindfulness - https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Work-Racial-Justice-Transforming/dp/059308392X The Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry, Volume 3 related to equity - http://www.studentaffairsassessment.org/jsai-vol-3

In this episode, we have a conversation about learning and assessment taking place in fraternity and sorority contexts within the higher education sector.  Our guests are Jim Barber, Heather Matthews, and Steve Veldkamp.   Jim is Senior Associate Dean for Academic Programs in School of Education at the College of William & Mary.  Heather is Chief Communication Officer at Sigma Phi Epsilon.  Steve is Special Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs at The Pennsylvania State University, where he also serves as Executive Director of the Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform.  The Piazza Center is located at Penn State; learn more at https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/piazzacenter. This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment.Episode recorded:  March 2022.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.

This episode features the co-editors of a special issue of Research & Practice in Assessment focused on the topic of assessment’s evolving professional identity.  Our guests are Jeanne Horst and Gina Polychronopoulos.  Jeanne is Director of Research at CommonLit, and Gina is Associate Director for Curricular Assessment at George Mason University.  Our conversation has relevance for both individuals working directly in assessment and for colleagues who support and champion assessment in their respective contexts.  Listeners may access the special issue of Research & Practice in Assessment (Volume 17, Issue 2) discussed during this episode by visiting https://www.rpajournal.com/rpa-archives/.This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment.Episode recorded:  March 2022.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.

In this episode, we spend time with three colleagues representing the Learning Improvement Community, a network of individuals in higher education reshaping learning outcomes assessment.  Our guests are Kathleen Gorski, Errin Heyman, and Pam Tracy.   Kathleen is Dean for Learning Outcomes, Curriculum, and Program Development at Waubonsee Community College.  Errin is Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at Reach University.  Pam directs the Center for Faculty Enrichment at Longwood University, where she is also a Professor of Communication Studies. This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment.Episode recorded:  January 2022.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.Two specific resources mentioned in this episode are:A Simple Model for Learning Improvement: Weigh Pig, Feed Pig, Weigh Pig  https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED555526.pdf A Guide to Writing Learning Improvement Stories with Your Faculty:  From Start to Finishhttps://www.learning-improvement.org/story-guide

In this episode, we discuss The Guiding Principles for the Assessment of Arts Learning.  Our guests are Timothy Brophy, Maria Leite, Marcia McCaffrey, and Jeff Poulin.  Timothy is Director of Institutional Assessment and Professor of Music Education at the University of Florida.  Maria is Assistant Director of Institutional Assessment at the University of Florida.  Marcia is an Arts Consultant with the New Hampshire Department of Education.  Jeff is Managing Director of Creative Generation.  Please see below for information about several resources mentioned during this episode. This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment. Episode recorded:  January 2022.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.Some of the resources mentioned during this episode include the following: The Guiding Principles for the Assessment of Arts Learning:  https://creative-generation.org/publications/the-guiding-principles-for-the-assessment-of-arts-learning World Alliance for Arts Education:  https://www.waae.online/  Boal, A. (2000). Theater of the Oppressed. Pluto press. Brophy, T. S. & Haning, M. (Eds.). (2020). Advancing music education through assessment: Honoring culture, diversity, and practice. Selected papers from the 7th International Symposium on Assessment in Music Education. Chicago, IL: GIA Publications.  Brophy, T.S. (Ed.). (2019). The Oxford handbook on policy and practice in music education (Vols. 1 and 2). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Freire, P. (1972). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Herder and Herder. Hooks, B. (1994). Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. Routledge. Music and the Brain:  https://neuro.hms.harvard.edu/centers-and-initiatives/harvard-mahoney-neuroscience-institute/about-hmni/archive-brain-1 OK Go - Upside Down & Inside Out:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWGJA9i18Co Resources from the Colorado Department of Education:  https://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment/resourcebank-assessments Resources from the Michigan Arts Education Instruction & Assessment:  https://maeia-artsednetwork.org/  Resources from the New York State Department of Education: http://www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction/arts-assessment Arts Assessment for Learning: http://artsassessmentforlearning.org/ Anti-Racist Arts Teachers:  https://www.antiracistartteachers.org Arts & Humanities: Don't Leave School Without Them: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/980440814/

In this special episode, we provide a recap of the 2021 Assessment Institute, the oldest and largest U.S. higher education event focused on assessment and improvement.  Stephen Hundley and Caleb Keith provide an overview of the Assessment Institute, including some of the themes from this year’s program.  Christine Robinson and Karen Singer-Freeman share an update on the Grand Challenges in Assessment Project.  Jerry Daday, representing HIPs in the States, discusses the continued evolution of High Impact Practices.  Finally, we conclude with an excerpt from the Assessment Institute’s Plenary Keynote Panel featuring Jonathan Alger, President of James Madison University.Listeners are invited to visit assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu to access the complimentary session recordings and other resources from our 2021 program, along with learning how to participate in future Assessment Institute events.This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment. Episode recorded:  December 2021.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.

In this episode, we spend time with three leaders representing the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS), which promotes standards in student affairs, student services, and student development programs.  Our guests are Dan Bureau, Devon Ford McCartney, and Darby Roberts. Dan is Assistant Vice President for Student Health and Wellbeing at Louisiana State University and is immediate past president of CAS.  Devon teaches at the University of Houston and works full time at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center leading Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts.  Darby is Director of Student Life Studies in the Division of Student Affairs at Texas A&M University.    This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment.  Episode recorded:  November 2021.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.

This episode recognizes and celebrates Alverno College, recipient of the 2021 Trudy W. Banta Lifetime Achievement in Assessment Award.  Our guests are Joe Foy, Heather Mernitz, and Kathleen O’Brien.  Joe is vice president for Academic Affairs at Alverno College.  Heather is Professor of Physical Sciences and Chair of the Council for Student Assessment at Alverno College.  Kathleen is Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Emerita at Alverno College and currently serves as Provincial Coordinator for the School Sisters of St. Francis. Listeners will enjoy learning about what are known as the "Alverno Abilities" and the incredible, pioneering difference Alverno College has made to our understanding of teaching, learning, and assessment.This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn more at jmu.edu/assessment.  Episode recorded:  September 2021.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.

In this episode, we recognize and celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP), a grant program of the National Science Foundation.  This goal of this federal program is to assist higher education institutions in broadening participation of historically underserved students in the STEM disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  Our guests are Leroy Jones II, Kim Nguyen, and Zakiya Wilson-Kennedy. Leroy is Professor of Chemistry and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Chicago State University.  Kim is Director for Statewide and Regional Collaborations in the STEM Education Innovation and Research Institute at IUPUI.  Zakiya is Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion in the College of Science at Louisiana State University.  All three of our guests have been leaders in their own contexts in supporting the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation.   Two important references are mentioned in this episode: (1) the “Tinto Model,” which can be found in Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking causes and cures of student attrition (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press; and (2) the LSAMP website, which can be accessed here: https://beta.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/louis-stokes-alliances-minority-participation.This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by Watermark, the largest global provider of educational intelligence software solutions for higher education. Watermark offers integrated digital tools that support assessment and accreditation, faculty activity reporting, course evaluation and surveys, and catalog and curriculum management. Learn more at watermarkinsights.com.  Episode recorded:  August 2021.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.

This episode features three leaders from the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA).  Our guests are Kayla Loper, Zachary Clark, and Amber Shaverdi Huston. Kayla is Manager of Arts, Culture, & Entertainment at Oklahoma State University.  At the time of this recording, Zachary was Director of Student Activities & Assessment at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  Amber is Executive Director of the National Association for Campus Activities.  Kayla, Zachary, and Amber discuss the important role campus activities play in student development on college and university campuses. This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by Watermark, the largest global provider of educational intelligence software solutions for higher education. Watermark offers integrated digital tools that support assessment and accreditation, faculty activity reporting, course evaluation and surveys, and catalog and curriculum management. Learn more at watermarkinsights.com.  Episode recorded:  June 2021.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more at assessmentinstitute.iupui.edu.