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News Article

Faculty and Student Affairs Staff to Present Learn@State

03/15/2016

JONESBORO – Greek author and philosopher Plutarch is credited with the insightful quote about education, "The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled."  Taking that a step further, he reasonably could have asked, "How bright, how long and how intensely does the fire burn?"

Professional educators on university campuses are always concerned with their effectiveness; finding the best evaluation methods is an ongoing process.

Faculty members and student affairs professionals at Arkansas State University will gather at Cooper Alumni Center Wednesday, March 16, to share their latest ideas on assessing student-learning success. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Over a three-hour period beginning at 3 p.m., A-State educators will make presentations about their own investigations into student learning during a new program, "Learn@State," organized and sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Office of Assessment.

Dr. Summer Deprow, director of the Office of Assessment at A-State, said the mission of Learn@State is "To create a faculty and student affairs-centered celebration that provides an opportunity to present closed-loop, in-progress and emerging assessment investigations."

The program will feature oral presentations by 18 individuals who will discuss their involvement in student-learning assessment.  Several individuals will document their experience through innovative displays.

Dr. Lynita Cooksey, provost, added, "This event is a testament to the varied student learning experiences that are provided by our outstanding faculty and student affairs professionals. The hope is A-State’s efforts to ensure continuous improvement will be evident."

Those making oral presentations and the university areas they represent are: Christina Akbari, Nursing and Health Professions; Karen Blue, Nursing and Health Professions; Lisa Bohn, Fine Arts; Catherine Calloway, Humanities and Social Sciences; Kristi Costello, Writing Center and Humanities and Social Sciences; Emily Devereux, Research and Technology Transfer; Steven Green, Agriculture and Technology; Cathy Hall, Nursing and Health Professions; and Katerina Hill, Business.

Others are Barbara Doyle & Ali Khalil, University College; Julie Lamb Milligan, Education and Behavioral Science; Amanda Lambertus and Lisa Rice, Sciences and Mathematics; Anne McGee, Humanities and Social Sciences; Judy Pfriemer, Nursing and Health Professions; Edward Salo, Humanities and Social Sciences; Audrey Skaggs, Nursing and Health Professions; Gabriel Tait, Media and Communication; and Nathan Wells, Agriculture and Technology.

Additional presentations will be made by Lillie Fears, Media and Communications; Diane Gilmore, Sciences and Mathematics; John D. Hall, Gerald Strait and Craig Jones, Education and Behavioral Science; Zahid Hossain, Engineering; Sarath Nonis, Business; Melodie Philhours, Business; Robert Robinette, Dean B. Ellis Library; Jacques Singleton and Kimberley Davis, Education and Behavioral Science; and Ashley Zehel, Humanities and Social Sciences.

A 21-member Learning Outcomes Advisory Council works with the Office of Assessment to highlight and encourage effective assessment through various activities, with Learn@State the most involved to date. As a bonus for their efforts, participants will be eligible to win a stipend for professional development.

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