Assessment in Action

Understanding Student Learning

Faculty and Staff join together for annual assessment workshop

2021 Graduate Assessment Workshop

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Over the past 8 years, many of you have joined us at our Annual Assessment Workshops each May to assess student learning in Public Affairs and General Education. Like last year, we’re focusing to graduate programs.

Faculty and Staff join together for annual assessment workshopFaculty and Staff join together for Annual Assessment Workshop group photo


With COVID-19, won’t be holding our traditional face-to-face workshop, but instead will host a virtual workshop via Zoom. While that means you won’t get to partake in the awesome menus we put together with Catering, you’ll still receive a $500 stipend for participating with your team!

Here’s what you need to know:

Purpose: Make assessment easier for faculty and learn best practices and ideas from others on campus. Pick something in your graduate programs that you, as a team, would like to work on with your colleagues.

Non-Purpose: We don’t want to add more work or make your work harder.

What’s the process?
Figure out a question you have related to student learning at the graduate-level. If you want to participate but are wondering what to look at, reach out to a member of the Assessment team. We can help you brainstorm and give you a list of suggestions.

Pull together 3-4 colleagues and a graduate student (Bonus: faculty who bring a student get an extra $100 on their stipend and the student gets paid hourly!)

Meet with consultants. Once you have a plan and a team, fill out this quick FORM to:

  • RSVP
  • Set up a consultation appointment so we can document your plan.

What will the workshop look like?

  • Meet on Tuesday, May 18, at 11:00 am for about 2 hours via Zoom.
  • Discuss your question with colleagues from other departments. [30 minutes]
  • Get in a breakout room with your team. [30 minutes]
  • Between Tuesday and Thursday, set up times to talk—work separately, meet via Zoom, touch base with us.
  • Assessment will hold virtual “office” hours via zoom Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday. Take advantage and check-in, ask questions, and get a thinking partner.
  • Meet on Thursday, May 20, at 11:00 am for 90 minutes via Zoom.
  • Do a five-minute presentation to the group via Zoom which includes an action and next steps.
  • Fill in a brief report based on Barbara Walvoord’s Assessment Clear and Simple:
    • What’d you talk about
    • What’d you do?
    • Next steps

What You Get

  • Time to think, talk, and plan with colleagues
  • A stipend of $500. $600 if you bring a student to participate. Students will be paid hourly.
  • Connectivity