In Spring 2019, Dr. Kathy Nordyke Director of Citizenship and Service Learning, received an Assessment Grant for her project titled Student-Led Focus Groups to Enhance Quantitative Data Assessing Service Learning and Career Readiness. Dr. Nordyke explains “Service-Learning seeks to prepare students for the workplace in many ways. We have aligned our student learning outcomes with the NACE Career Readiness Competencies and Missouri State’s General Education Goals. We currently administer a survey to assess student learning related to these goals but would like to utilize student-led focus groups to gather and make sense of qualitative data. Additionally, we want to know how effective our current practices are on student learning and work-place preparedness.” The data from the focus group and the data they already collect will be used to assess the effectiveness of their programming.

The Office of Assessment recognizes and appreciates Dr. Nordyke’s work to improve students’ career readiness and learning while here at Missouri State.