Do you have a Facebook account? If so, we want you to "Like" us and to tell all of your higher education colleagues to "Like" us, too.  Connecting with us is one way to help you stay current on Alliance initiatives and learn what is happening in the higher education community related to assessment of student learning.

We currently have 200+ people following us, but we have a goal to reach 500 by May 31.  Help us reach this goal by simply clicking here to "Like" us.   Then click on "Suggest to Friends" on the top left and tell everyone you know in higher education.  

In order to have an impact nationally and fulfill its mission, the Alliance needs to expand, and we are looking for your assistance in order to make this happen.  We are confident you know many other college and university presidents that believe excellence in undergraduate education in preparation for work, life, and responsible citizenship is a core commitment of their institution.  If any of them also recognize the need to establish, strengthen, and integrate assessment practices that support continuous improvement of student learning, then the Alliance would like you to nominate them.

Please send us the names of presidents and chancellors who you think would want to be a part of this collaborative initiative.  We will send letters to these presidents and chancellors asking them to join 70+ other campuses in making this public commitment.  Please send your recommendations to office@newleadershipalliance.org.    

Hope College prides itself on educating its students by aiming to "develop the growth of each student as a competent, creative, and compassionate person." Enrolling over 3,200 students, Hope is a religiously-affiliated small liberal arts institution located in Holland, Michigan. As a founding member of the Presidents' Alliance, Hope joined this initiative because of the importance and value of continuous improvement within the campus community.  Hope believes that it is a leader in using data to move the institution forward.  In turn, the opportunity to learn about what other institutions do in the area of evidence-based decision making was valuable in deciding to join the Presidents' Alliance.

Intentionality regarding the collection and use of data to improve student learning is central to assessment work at Hope.  The institution has regularly participated in national initiatives such as the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) as part of its assessment cycle and recently participated in the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education in 2006 and 2010.  More specifically, Hope has invested attention toward three outcomes related to student learning assessment: academic rigor, diversity, and student writing.

Hope has demonstrated that it not only collects data related to student learning, but it also uses data to inform practice.  Based on results from 2004 NSSE data, Hope began focusing on student perceptions of academic rigor.  From the 2004 study, seniors at Hope reported studying less than 10 hours per week compared to seniors at peer institutions.  In response to the data, Hope investigated academic rigor among students and faculty. Scott VanderStoep, Director of Assessment and Professor of Psychology, indicated that addressing the problem of academic rigor by consulting with faculty consisted of holding academic forums, faculty workshops, and department chairs. Since the issue of rigor directly came from student self-reported data, it was important to solicit input from the Hope student body on the issue. Upon confronting the issue of academic rigor, VanderStoep reported that students now report spending more time on homework and a greater sense of being academically engaged.

Employing sound evidence-based strategies to promote student learning has been a critical aspect of Hope's approach to assessment. More information regarding Hope's steps toward to addressing academic rigor and other assessment initiatives can be found in its Presidents' Alliance institutional profile.

APPLY FOR THE TEAGLE ASSESSMENT SCHOLAR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 

Teagle Assessment Scholars are faculty, staff, and administrators with a strong interest in using evidence to improve student learning. Teagle Scholars have the knowledge, technical skills, social prowess, and political savvy necessary to help colleges and universities use evidence to strengthen the impact of liberal arts education within the complex organizational structures and practices that govern our institutions.

Although the Teagle Assessment Scholar Development Program will provide new Scholars with the skills and resources to improve the quality and impact of assessment at their home institutions, the goal of the program is to promote the development of people who are also committed to working with colleagues at other colleges and universities to improve student learning.

If you are interested in becoming a Teagle Assessment Scholar, and you do not have significant experience with assessment at the department, program, course, or institutional level, you are invited to apply.  The Development Program, which began in fall 2010, is designed to help new Scholars develop their:

• ability to understand different forms of assessment evidence and effectively communicate their meaning to a range of audiences;
• ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, and administrators from colleges and universities to identify actions that will improve student learning;
• understanding of the broader trends and events that influence institutions' capacity and interest in using evidence to improve student learning;
• ability to work collaboratively with other Teagle Scholars to help institutions improve student learning.

Applications for the 2011 cohort of the Teagle Assessment Scholar Development Program are currently being accepted.  The deadline  to apply is May 15, 2011. Click here for more information and here for the application.

Will you be at any of the following events?  The Alliance will be presenting  so be sure to join us!

• March 27-30, 2011 - ACPA Annual Convention  
• April 3-5, 2011 - AGB National Conference on Trusteeship 
• April 8-12, 2011 - The Higher Learning Commission Annual Conference