Leading Improvements in Higher Education with Stephen Hundley

In this episode, we have a conversation with an assessment leader who adapts The Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award to higher education through a framework known as "Champion for Excellence." Our guest is Bridget Dewees, who serves as Senior Officer for Institutional Effectiveness at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Links to resources mentioned in this episode: Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce):https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige-award HBCU-CEEQA (Collaborative for Excellence in Educational Quality Assurance):https://hbcu-ceeqa.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: March 2026.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner and Angela Bergman.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more go.iu.edu/assessmentinstitute. 

This episode describes an updated higher education assessment framework known by the acronym ACCELERATE, and we will ‘unpack’ each letter of this acronym during this podcast episode. Our guests are Divya Bheda, Daniel Kaczmarek, and Constance Tucker, each of whom is an assessment professional in their respective institutional context. Importantly, these three guests are also representing the larger group involved in developing the ACCELERATE framework. Link to an article describing the ACCELERATE framework:https://aalhe.scholasticahq.com/article/145101-accelerate-assessment-principles-for-best-practice  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: December 2025.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner and Angela Bergman.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more go.iu.edu/assessmentinstitute.

In this episode, we discuss the concepts of program theory and implementation fidelity, including their influences on teaching, learning, assessment, and improvement.  Our guest is Sara Finney.  Sara is Professor of Graduate Psychology at James Madison University, where she also serves as Associate Director for Student Affairs Assessment in the Center for Assessment and Research Studies.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: November 2025.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner and Angela Bergman.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more go.iu.edu/assessmentinstitute. 

Josh Morrison, Director of Academic Retention Programs at the University of Indianapolis, and Tris Utschig, Director for Scholarly Teaching at Kennesaw State University, delve into the transformative power of process education. They discuss how this approach, centered on the cycle of believe-do-assess-grow, enhances student retention through innovative initiatives like learning-to-learn camps. The duo highlights assessment's vital role in promoting self-growth and faculty mentorship, and they share insights on leveraging AI in education. Tune in for their expert tips on implementing these practices!

In this episode, we have a conversation with colleagues from the Consortium of Organizations for Student Affairs Assessment, or COSAA, which is a collaborative effort across key student affairs assessment organizations.  Our guests are Shaun Boren, Renée Delgado-Riley, Paul Holliday-Millard, and Sarah LaFrance.  In addition to serving as student affairs assessment professionals within their own institutional contexts, our guests are also national leaders involved in the organizations operating under the umbrella of COSAA.Link to resources mentioned in this episode: ACPA’s Commission for Assessment and Evaluationhttps://myacpa.org/groups/cae/ Consortium of Organizations for Student Affairs Assessment (COSAA)https://studentaffairsassessment.org/entries/blog/announcing-the-formation-of-the-consortium NASPA’s Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Knowledge Communityhttps://www.naspa.org/division/assessment-evaluation-and-research Student Affairs Assessment Leaders (SAAL)https://studentaffairsassessment.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 2025.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner and Angela Bergman.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more go.iu.edu/assessmentinstitute. 

Natasha Jankowski, Director at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Joe Levy, Associate Vice Provost at Excelsior University, discuss their new book on assessment in higher education. They explore the importance of collaboration among all campus members and outline practical roots of assessment. Joe shares insights on personalizing education and embracing unbundled credentials, while Natasha emphasizes a student-centered approach in light of AI challenges. Their conversation inspires a vision where assessment is both valuable and accessible to everyone.

Join Gavin Henning, a professor and director at New England College, and Cindy Cogswell, director of data strategy at NYU, as they delve into assessment and change management in higher education. They discuss the foundation of their co-edited Routledge book, sharing insights on linking theory to practice. The pair reveal real campus case studies, emphasizing flexibility and the importance of buy-in. Their practical advice includes actionable strategies for assessment professionals, while highlighting future trends like DEI and AI. A must-listen for education leaders!

This is the third of a special 3-part series of our podcast, and in this episode—which is Part 3—we will focus on disseminating scholarly results in various outlets. Part 1 focused on being a consumer of scholarship, and Part 2 focused on engaging in the scholarly process.  Parts 1 and 2 were featured in Season 5, Episodes 9 and 10, respectively, of this podcast. Our guests for this episode are Bill Heinrich, Sarah Lacy, John Moore, and Marti Snyder, each of whom represents a scholar-practitioner perspective related to teaching, learning, assessment, and improvement.   Links to publications related to this episode: Assessment Update:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15360725 Experiential Learning and Teaching in Higher Education:https://journals.calstate.edu/elthe Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry, Improvement, and Impact:https://journals.indianapolis.iu.edu/index.php/jsaiii Research & Practice in Assessment:https://www.rpajournal.com/  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 2025.  Host:  Stephen Hundley.  Producers:  Chad Beckner and Angela Bergman.  Original music:  Caleb Keith.  This award-winning podcast is a service of the Assessment Institute in Indianapolis; learn more go.iu.edu/assessmentinstitute. 

Join Sarah Evans, an associate professor focusing on high-impact practices, and Amy Johnson, assistant VP for academic success, as they delve into the scholarly process. They’re joined by Jerry Daday, who emphasizes the importance of collaboration in research, and Erica Eckert, who shares insights on integrating scholarship into daily practice. Discover how to navigate institutional review boards with ease, the impact of generative AI on research, and the value of partnerships in enhancing learning outcomes. A must-listen for anyone in academia!

Join Heather Strine-Patterson, Ken O’Donnell, Nick Curtis, and Katie Busby as they explore the vital role of being a consumer of scholarly work in higher education. Discover how experiential learning frameworks impact career readiness and the importance of effective assessment practices. The guests share their unique insights on engaging with academic research and fostering a culture of collaboration among students and professionals. They also tackle the challenges of diversity and inclusion in scholarship, urging listeners to actively engage and disseminate their findings.