This is the first of a special 3-part series of our podcast, and in this episode—which is Part 1—we will focus on being a consumer of scholarship . In Part 2, we will learn about engaging in the scholarly process , and, finally, in Part 3, we will discuss disseminating scholarly results in various outlets . Parts 2 and 3 will be featured in Season 5, Episodes 10 and 11, respectively, of this podcast. Our guests for this episode are Katie Busby, Nick Curtis, Ken O’Donnell, and Heather Strine-Patt...
Jun 23, 2025•51 min•Season 5Ep. 9
This episode focuses on legal issues confronting faculty members across the higher education sector. Our guest is Kent Kauffman. Kent is Associate Professor of Business Law at Purdue University Fort Wayne. He is also author of the recently published book entitled, “Navigating Choppy Waters: Key Legal Issues College Faculty Need to Know.” Link to resource mentioned in this episode: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538197288/Navigating-Choppy-Waters-Key-Legal-Issues-College-Faculty-Need-to-Know This se...
May 20, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Season 5Ep. 8
In this episode, we have a conversation about continuous improvement in higher education. Our guest is Will Miller. Will serves as Associate Vice President for Continuous Improvement and Institutional Performance at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he and his colleagues also host the annual Continuous Improvement Summit, which is open to the broader higher education community. Links to resources mentioned during this episode: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: https://erau.edu/ Con...
Apr 21, 2025•51 min•Season 5Ep. 7
This episode features colleagues discussing results from a recent study they conducted entitled “A Portrait of the Assessment Professional in the United States.” Our guests are Ruth Slotnick and Mark Nicholas. Ruth is Director of Assessment at Bridgewater State University, and Mark is Vice President for the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison Uni...
Mar 17, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 6
In this episode, we discuss issues of faculty job satisfaction and retention in collegiate contexts. Our guest is Todd Benson. Todd is Executive Director and Principal Investigator with the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education, or COACHE as it is known, which is based in the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University. Link to resource mentioned in this episode: Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE): coache.gse.harvard.edu/ This season of Leading ...
Feb 18, 2025•49 min•Season 5Ep. 5
This episode features a conversation with a higher education assessment leader involved in championing Student Learning Outcomes, or SLOs as they are also known. Our guest is Jarek Janio, who, in addition to being a faculty member at Santa Ana College, is also one of the founders of the California Outcomes & Assessment Coordinator Hub, otherwise known as COACHes, which provides plentiful resources for those involved in working with SLOs. Link to resource mentioned in this episode: California...
Jan 21, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 4
This episode features a conversation with a colleague from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, or NACE as it is also known. Our guest is Mary Gatta, who serves as Director of Research and Public Policy at NACE. Link to resources mentioned in this episode: National Association of Colleges and Employers: https://www.naceweb.org/ This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madison University; learn m...
Dec 16, 2024•31 min•Season 5Ep. 3
In this episode, we have a conversation with colleagues involved in producing Assessment 101 in Higher Education: The Fundamentals and How to Apply Them , the debut title in the Assessment and Improvement in Higher Education book series from Routledge. Our guests are Alex Andrews, Keston Fulcher, and Megan Good. Alex is an Editor for higher education at Routledge. Keston is a Professor of Graduate Psychology and an Improvement Strategist at James Madison University. Megan is an Assistant Profess...
Nov 18, 2024•56 min•Season 5Ep. 2
This episode features contributors to a special issue of Assessment Update focused on the future of High-Impact Practices, also known as HIPs. Our guests are Catherine Chan, Jerry Daday, and Jillian Kinzie. Catherine is assistant vice provost for high impact practices in the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Jerry is professor of sociology and executive associate dean in the Institute for Engaged Learning at Indiana University Indi...
Oct 21, 2024•58 min•Season 5Ep. 1
This episode features a conversation with two colleagues from 1EdTech, a member-led non-profit educational technology partnership organization. Our guests are Suzanne Carbonaro and Kelly Hoyland, both of whom serve as directors of 1EdTech’s higher education programs. 1EdTech: https://www.1edtech.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 recorde...
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 4Ep. 12
In this episode, we spend time with four influential scholars whose work has informed our thinking in the areas of experiential education and High Impact Practices, the latter often referred to as HIPs. Our guests are Alice Kolb, David Kolb, George Kuh, and Ken O’Donnell. Alice and David are widely recognized as leaders in experiential education, while George and Ken have led the way in developing our understanding of HIPs. Links to some resources mentioned in this episode: Experiential Learning...
Aug 19, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Season 4Ep. 11
This episode features a conversation with the editor of The National Teaching & Learning Forum , a Wiley publication. Our guest is Lee Skallerup Bessette. In addition to serving as editor of this publication, Lee is also Assistant Director of Digital Learning in the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship at Georgetown University. Links to resources mentioned in this episode: The National Teaching & Learning Forum : https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21663327 All the Thin...
Jul 22, 2024•53 min•Season 4Ep. 10
In this episode, we have a conversation with editors of the Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry, Improvement, and Impact (JSAIII) , which is an open access publication advancing assessment across all student affairs functional areas. Our guests are Heather Strine-Patterson and Alice Mitchell, both of whom serve as editors of the Journal , and both have extensive backgrounds on various college and university campuses. Link to the Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry, Improvement, and Impact (JSAIII)...
Jun 17, 2024•44 min•Season 4Ep. 9
This episode focuses on Transparency in Learning and Teaching, also known as TiLT. Our guest is Mary-Ann Winkelmes. Mary-Ann is Founder, Director, and Principal Investigator of the Transparency in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education project. Link to plentiful resources from the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TiLT) project: https://tilthighered.com/ . This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James Madis...
May 20, 2024•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 8
In this episode, we have a conversation with a coauthor of the book, Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning , released in April 2024 by Johns Hopkins University Press. Our guest is Eddie Watson. Eddie is Associate Vice President for Curricular and Pedagogical Innovation and Executive Director for Open Educational Resources and Digital Innovation at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). Links to resources mentioned in this episode: Teaching...
Apr 09, 2024•41 min•Season 4Ep. 7
This episode features editors of the 2nd edition of the Routledge book entitled Coordinating Divisional and Departmental Student Affairs Assessment . Our guests are Erin Bentrim, Gavin Henning, and Kimberly Yousey-Elsener. Erin is a Data and Learning Analytics Strategist at Anthology, Inc. Gavin is Professor of Higher Education at New England College, where he directs graduate programs in higher education and provides leadership to the Center for Innovation, Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship. ...
Mar 07, 2024•49 min•Season 4Ep. 6
In this episode, we have a conversation with the co-editors of the Routledge book Exemplars of Assessment in Higher Education, Volume Two: Strategies for a Changing Higher Education Environment . Our guests are Jane Marie Souza and Tara Rose. Jane Marie is Associate Vice President for Accreditation and the Accreditation Liaison Officer at the University of Rochester. Tara is Interim Associate Vice Provost and Director of Assessment at Louisiana State University. Links to books mentioned in this ...
Feb 12, 2024•32 min•Season 4Ep. 5
This episode focuses on the intersection of work in student affairs and that of assessment and accreditation. Our guests are Sarah Gordon, Bill Heinrich, and Pam Shefman. Sarah is Associate Professor and Interim Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at Arkansas Tech University. Bill is Director of Mindset at Symplicity, an educational technology firm. Pam is Executive Director of Planning and Assessment at the University of Houston Clear Lake. Link to article discussed in this episode ("The rol...
Jan 16, 2024•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 4
In this episode, we have a conversation on the theme of equity-centered collaboration in assessment and improvement. Our guests are Bethany Miller and Ellen Peters. Bethany is Director of Institutional Research and Assessment at Macalester College and Ellen is Associate Provost for Institutional Research, Planning, and Student Success at the University of Puget Sound. This season of Leading Improvements in Higher Education is sponsored by the Center for Assessment and Research Studies at James M...
Dec 15, 2023•45 min•Season 4Ep. 3
This episodes features four contributors from the 2nd Edition of Trends in Assessment: Ideas, Opportunities, and Issues for Higher Education , a book published by Routledge featuring more than 50 thought leaders and partners from the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis. Our guests are Divya Bheda, Nick Curtis, Jerry Daday, and Caleb Keith. Divya is an education consultant with a particular focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, access, and justice. Nick is director of assessment at t...
Nov 16, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 2
In this episode, we have a conversation with Ken O’Donnell, the inaugural recipient of a new Assessment Institute in Indianapolis award for excellence related to High-Impact Practices, often referred to as HIPs. Ken is Vice Provost at California State University-Dominguez Hills, and he is one of the founders of HIPs in the States, a network of colleagues advancing the work of High-Impact Practices on college and university campuses throughout the United States. Links to resources mentioned in th...
Oct 16, 2023•51 min•Season 4Ep. 1
This episode features a leadership perspectives conversation with Debra Humphreys, Vice President of Strategic Engagement with the Lumina Foundation. Lumina Foundation: luminafoundation.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: September 2023. Host: Stephen Hundley. Producers: Chad Beckner, Caleb Keith, and Shirley Yorger. Original mus...
Sep 18, 2023•45 min•Season 3Ep. 12
In this episode, we have a leadership perspectives conversation with Carleen Vande Zande from the National Association of System Heads, or NASH as it is also known. At NASH, Carleen serves as the Chief of Staff for the Institute for System Improvement and Innovation and is involved in several national-level initiatives. Links to resources referenced in this episode: National Association of System Heads: nash.edu/ Delivering on the Promise of High-Impact Practices (book): routledge.com/Delivering...
Aug 14, 2023•53 min•Season 3Ep. 11
This episode features leaders from the Competency-Based Education Network, or C-BEN as it is also known. Our guests are Amber Garrison Duncan and Tiffany Freeze. Amber is Executive Vice President and Tiffany is Vice President for Consulting Services at C-BEN. Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN): c-ben.org/ Other references mentioned in this episode include: Anderson, L., & Krathwohl, D. A. (2001). Taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom's taxonomy of educat...
Jul 10, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 10
In this episode, we have a leadership perspectives conversation with Erick Montenegro, who serves as Associate Director of the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education. Links to resources mentioned in this episode include: The Pell Institute: https://www.pellinstitute.org/ Council for Opportunity in Education: https://coenet.org/ National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA): https://www.learningoutcomesassessment.org/ Reframing Assessment to Center Equity: T...
Jun 15, 2023•47 min•Season 3Ep. 9
This episode features Marisol Morales, who serves as the Executive Director of Carnegie Elective Classifications at the American Council on Education. We spend time discussing the Elective Classification for Community Engagement and the Leadership for Public Purpose Classification, both of which reflect important values and goals for colleges and universities. As you will hear, we spoke with Marisol during her busy travels promoting this important work. American Council on Education: https://www...
May 15, 2023•51 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In this episode, we spend time discussing students’ basic needs with colleagues from The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice at Temple University. Our guests are Anne Lundquist, Stacy Priniski, and Josh Williams. Anne is Director and Assistant Professor at The Hope Center in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple. Stacy is a Senior Evaluation Associate at The Hope Center. Josh is a practitioner-researcher at The Hope Center. Learn more about The Hope Center at: hope.temple.edu ....
Apr 17, 2023•53 min•Season 3Ep. 7
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...
Mar 13, 2023•37 min•Season 3Ep. 6
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...
Feb 14, 2023•59 min•Season 3Ep. 5
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-Person Speaking of College (podcast): https://www.s...
Jan 17, 2023•47 min•Season 3Ep. 4
