FALL FORUM 2016
NOVEMBER 4, 2016
8:30 AM to 3:00 PM
College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA
Hogan Conference Center
8:15 – 9:00 AM
Registration &
Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 9:15 AM
Welcome:
Curtis R. Naser, NEEAN President,
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Fairfield University, CT
Ballroom
Introduction of Keynote:
Raymond Shaw, NEEAN Board Member At-Large
Associate Professor & Chair, Psychology
Merrimack College, MA
9:15 – 10:00 AM
Keynote Address: David B. Daniel, Ph.D. Professor
of Psychology at James Madison University and
managing editor of Mind, Brain and Education.
"Reconstructing Teaching & Learning From
Evidence"
10:00 – 10:15 AM
Break and move to breakout rooms
10:15 – 11:15 AM
Concurrent Sessions I
See next pages for Abstracts
11:15 – 11:30 AM
Break
Move to Next Session
11:30 – 12:30 AM
Concurrent Sessions II
See next pages for Abstracts
12:30 – 1:30 PM
LUNCH
Ballroom Lobby area (3rd Floor)
1:45 – 2:45 PM
Concurrent Sessions III
See next pages for Abstracts
2:45 – 3:00 PM
Networking, Travel Treats Available
Ballroom Lobby area (3 rd Floor)
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10:15 AM – 11:15 AM
Concurrent Sessions I
Reconstructing Teaching & Learning From Evidence
A
Hogan Center
Ballroom
Follow up discussion to Keynote address.
Presenter: David Daniel, Professor of Psychology. James Madison University.
B
Retrieval and Renewal: How One Department Responded to Assessment
Findings to Strengthen both General Education and Support of the
University Mission
Hogan
Center TBD
Like others, the University of Saint Joseph General Education program must balance competing aims, including
flexibility, convenience, and rigor. After assessment, we stepped back from flexibility and developed a core required
Religious Studies course that puts students in better stead for upper-level coursework and more clearly supports the
University’s mission.
Presenters: Agnes Curry, Professor, Philosophy and Director of General Education; Kevin J. Callahan, Professor
of History and Chair, Department of History and Society; Father Joseph Cheah, Associate Professor of Religious
Studies and Comparative Theology Chair, Department of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies. University of
Saint Joseph.
C
Assessing Ways to Foster Global Citizenship through Embedded Reflection
in a Four Week Study Abroad Experience
Hogan
Center TBD
Preparing students to become global citizens is a key learning outcome for many colleges and there are challenges to
demonstrating this outcome outside of a language requirement for students. At colleges that serve first generation
and working class students, economic and social barriers exist to integrating study abroad experiences into the
curriculum. This presentation includes results from a study abroad experience designed to both intentionally assess
the College’s globalization learning outcome and increase the access to global travel for students.
Presenter: Larinda Cole, Assistant Professor, Fashion Merchandising. Newbury College.
D
Yes – Maybe There Are Some Benefits from Accreditation in Higher
Education: Perspectives from a College, University, and Accreditor
Hogan
Center TBD
Accreditation is tough work; sometimes your efforts appear unsuccessful. This panel will share their story on ideas
to move forward, with accreditation goals realized through developing/implementing a strategic plan, examining
assessments aligned with standards, implementing new systems, and ensuring that the entire assessment “loop” (i.e.,
goals/questions, gathering evidence, interpretation, use) leads to continuous improvement.
Presenters: Mary Yakimowski, Associate Professor Educational Leadership Program, Assistant Dean, Farrington
College of Education at Sacred Heart University; Charles Britton, Assistant Professor Educational Leadership
Program, Farrington College of Education at Sacred Heart University; Velma Heller Assistant
Professor/Elementary Clinical Director, Teacher Education Program, Farrington College of Education at Sacred
Heart University; Steven Michels, Chair, University Assessment Committee, Associate Professor of Government Pol
and Global Studies, Sacred Heart University; Colleen Thornton MacKinnon, Private Consultant for accreditation
and policies.
E
Collaboratively Designed Learning Assessment Modules
Hogan
Center TBD
Seven New England colleges formed the Learning Assessment Research Consortium to create online modules on
assessment. This session describes the modules and shares how this free resource can be utilized. Participants will
experience part of a module, provide feedback, and brainstorm ways the modules can be launched at their campus.
Presenters: Christopher Cratsley, Director of Assessment, Fitchburg State University; Jennifer Herman, Director
for the Center of Excellence in Teaching, Simmons College; Kimberly Hamilton Bobrow, Professor, English and
Humanities Faculty and General Studies Program Coordinator, Manchester Community College; Linda Bruenjes,
Acting Director, Center for Teaching & Scholarly Excellence, Suffolk University; Victoria Wallace, Instructional
Designer, MGH Institute of Health Professions.
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F
Signature Work for General Education: Assignment Design and
Hogan
Assessment Toolkits
Center TBD
Members of the Quinsigamond Outcomes Research for Excellence team demonstrate a backward-designed
assignment frame, adaptable across courses, fields, and outcomes. They share the accompanying toolkit which
includes rubrics, example assignments, and resource collections for faculty and students and explain how they used
Blackboard to deliver this content to all faculty.
Presenters: Gaelan Lee Benway, Professor of Sociology and Academic Assessment Facilitator; Amy Beaudry,
Professor of English and Academic Technology Facilitator; Kathy Frederickson, Professor of English and Writing
in the Disciplines Coordinator; Ruth Ronan, Coordinator of Instructional Technology & Assessment; Tiger Swan,
Coordinator of Library Reference and Instruction. Quinsigamond Community College.
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
A
Concurrent Sessions II
Creating Structure in the Churn: General Education Assessment for a
Hogan
Predominantly On-line, Highly Individualized Adult Student Population
Center TBD
How do we do effective general education assessment with adult students in online courses? In this session, we will explore
how one institution is creating systems and using preliminary data to improve teaching and learning by engaging adjunct
faculty and thinking strategically about outcomes assessment.
Presenters: Carina Self, Associate Dean for Academic Effectiveness; Heather Geoffroy, Psychology Faculty
Member and Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Curriculum; Dona McKenzie, Communications Adjunct Faculty
Member; Burgess Smith, History Adjunct Faculty Member; Liz Gauffreau, Humanities Faculty Member and
Director of Individualized Learning. Granite State College.
B
Hogan
Center TBD
Create together draft opportunities for deep faculty development support in the assessment of learning to improve,
and broaden learning among all students. You will create tools for your institutional FILA. I will share our approach
to faculty development, an outline of Institute topics, and describe how we measure the Institute’s impact among
faculty and students.
Presenter: Ed Morgan, Associate Director for Learning Assessment, Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching.
Tufts University.
C
Promoting Institutional Change: Creating Student- Centered ‘Gateway’
Hogan
Courses
Center TBD
The presenter will share preliminary findings from an evaluation of a course redesign initiative. Specifically, what the data
has revealed about student resistance to increased active learning, changing faulty pedagogy, and the larger, institutional
change process. Attendees will discuss how this relates to their campus.
Presenter: Cynthia A. Cogswell, Postdoctoral Fellow for Assessment & Evaluation, Dartmouth Center for the Advancement
of Learning. Dartmouth College.
D
Create a Faculty Institute for Learning Assessment (FILA)
Review, Redesign, Reflect, Revise: Using Evidence to Reconstruct CollegeWide Learning
Hogan
Center TBD
Our outcomes-based core curriculum frames innovative, interdisciplinary teaching and learning. Drawing on an
established culture of assessment, faculty gather evidence of student learning and reflect on classroom experience.
As we enter year three of implementation, we outline what we’ve learned and how we’re using those lessons to
revisit our design.
Presenters: Catherine Zeek, Director, Teaching and Learning Center, Professor of Education; Steve Bloom,
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of Undergraduate Education; Michael Daley, Associate
Professor of Environmental Studies, Coordinator, Multidisciplinary Course; Kimberly Farah Professor of Science,
Coordinator, Scientific Inquiry & Problem Solving Knowledge Perspective; Dennis Frey, Associate Professor of
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History, Coordinator, Global & Historical Knowledge Perspective; Sarahbeth Golden, Associate Professor of
Psychology; Coordinator, Individuals & Society Knowledge Perspective; Michelle Niestepski, Associate Professor
of English; Director, Writing Program; Coordinator, First Year Seminar; Vladimir Zimakov, Associate Professor of
Art; Coordinator, Aesthetics & Creativity Knowledge Perspective. Lasell College.
E
College as Practice for Life: Decision-Making in College
Hogan
Center TBD
Drawing on college and post-college interviews with over 200 students who attended seven colleges, we discuss five areas of
decision-making that offer practice at becoming liberally educated: managing time and balancing commitments, developing
support networks, establishing a sense of home in unfamiliar places, asking for advice, and seeking intellectual engagement.
Presenter: Suzanne B. Lovett, Associate Professor of Psychology. Bowdoin College.
1:45 PM – 2:45 PM
A
Concurrent Sessions III
Assessing Core Competencies in the General Education Curriculum at
Pine Manor College
Hogan
Center TBD
This session provides an overview of the general education revision at Pine Manor College.
Competency rubrics in Communication, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Citizenship, and Integrated
and Applied Learning will be discussed along with preliminary assessment and interpretation.
Presenters will also describe how the College competencies have been integrated into co-curricular
policies.
Presenters: Diane Mello-Goldner, Dean of the College, Associate Professor of Psychology; Eileen McLaughlin, Associate
Professor of Communication; Michele Ramirez, Assistant Dean for Foundational Learning, Professor of Psychology;
William Stargard, Assistant Dean for Faculty Development and Teaching Excellence; Staci Weber, Dean of Student Affairs;
Melissa Yoffe, Associate Dean for Academic Services. Pine Manor College.
B
Applying Course-Based Instructional and Assessment Practices to Campus
Hogan
Contexts
Center TBD
Using the instructional cycle as a model, participants will reflect on concepts such as pre-assessment, instructional
design, feedback, and assessment. The importance of the model in individual courses will be established prior to
considering broader academic and co-curricular applications. Faculty, administrators, and student affairs
professionals will benefit from this session.
Presenters: Laurie Grupp Associate Professor of Elementary Special Education, Director of the Center for
Teaching Excellence, Providence College. Jeanne Mullaney Professor of Foreign Languages Assessment
Coordinator, Community College of Rhode Island.
C
Competency Card Sharks: Strategies for building support for
Hogan
institutional and general education outcomes
Center TBD
Because institutional or general education learning outcomes cross disciplinary lines, they can be difficult for faculty
and staff to embody in their teaching and interactions with students. This session introduces and demonstrates
strategies, including a card game/curriculum mapping exercise, that have been successful in promoting
implementation of these learning outcomes.
Presenters: Craig Pepin, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Assessment, Core Division; Ellen Zeman,
Learning Assessment Director. Champlain College.
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D
E
Using Assessment Data to Improve the Teaching and Learning of Critical
Hogan
Thinking
Center TBD
Results from three cycles of assessment of critical thinking at Western New England University will be shared, showing
dramatic improvement. We will focus on both changes to the assessment process and how working with faculty on
assignment design has improved the teaching and learning of critical thinking in all disciplines.
Presenters: Josephine Rodriguez, Coordinator of Assessment; Lisa Hansen, Associate Coordinator of Assessment.
Western New England University.
Everything I Thought I Knew About Rubrics Was Wrong
Hogan
Center TBD
Well, not really, but I recently reviewed the literature on rubric development and was surprised by how much I didn’t know.
How well do your rubrics follow good practices? How might you make your rubrics more useful? Answer some quiz
questions and find out!
Presenter: Linda Suskie, Assessment & Accreditation Consultant.
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