The following is a report of highlights from the 2024-25 Commission for Assessment and Evaluation, provided by outgoing Chair Tori Rehr.
As I close my term as Chair of the Commission for Assessment and Evaluation (CAE), I want to take a moment to reflect on the past two years. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, CAE faced the challenge of re-engaging members amidst new uncertainties. Many of our members experienced shifts in their professional trajectories and institutional contexts, including reduced professional development funding. Our goal over the past two years has been to reaffirm CAE’s leadership within ACPA and the broader student affairs assessment community through a variety of initiatives and consistent communication.
In the 2023-24 cycle, we established several programs, including the mentorship program, CAE awards, and a LinkedIn presence. These efforts were recognized with the 2024 Overall Distinguished Commission Award. In the 2024-25 cycle, our Directorate Board worked on expanding these initiatives and solidifying our structure to ensure sustainability in the future.
Members of CAE’s Directorate Board at Convention
24-25 Key Successes
New Leadership Structure
CAE moved to a structure where each Directorate Board member has their own titled role, creating meaningful experiences for volunteers that also support the sustainability of CAE initiatives. Additionally, we shifted the Student Affairs Assessment Institute (SAAI) to an appointed position to reflect the travel requirement for this role and to support a longer planning timeframe for the Institute. Directorate Board members positively received both changes, although there is some continued area for growth in networking between committees.
Research Contributions
CAE completed the joint-association syllabi project and published our findings in the Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry, Improvement & Impact (JSAIII). Our efforts were recognized with the Commission Excellence in Research and Scholarship award. CAE leadership also presented at convention, highlighting a new analysis of programs from the Student Affairs Assessment Institute.
Increased Engagement
CAE newsletter’s open rate increased to 50%, and we developed a consistent calendar for posting. We also hosted successful webinars and created baseline tracking for our LinkedIn and convention proposals to ensure future tracking. We are also excited to enter the second year of the CAE’s Assessment Mentorship Program, with applications opening soon!
Recognition of Excellence
CAE continued to refine its rigorous process for program endorsement and endorsed six programs this year at ACPA Convention:
- Facilitating Equity-Minded Program Reviews & Strategic Planning Processes – Steve Desir
- GenAI: Your Assessment Assistant – Gavin Henning
- Developing and Piloting an Assessment Framework for Restorative Practices and Programs – Lindsay Stebbins, Riley Herr, Evan Frizzell, & Mara McFadden
- Making Institutional Changes for Campus Inclusion: Using the INSPIRES Campus Climate Index – Emily Creamer, Matthew Mayhew, Anisha Gill-Morris, & Jossie Muñoz
- Money, Please!: Strategies for Funding Gender and Sexuality Centers – Jesse Beal, Warren Scherer, Andrew Herridge, Lo Denmon, & Lorant Peeler
- Enhancing Equity: Seven Years of Campus Climate Assessment Insights – Cameron Beatty, Chad Kee, & Jamie Washington
CAE also entered its second year of a reinvigorated awards process. This year we were delighted to receive several submissions – it was quite a challenging selection process. Ultimately, the following awards were distributed:
- Outstanding Early Career Professional to the University of North Texas Student Affairs Assessment team (Dr. Sheilla Bustillos, Sam Williamson, & Shafayat Islam)
- Excellence in Equity-Centered Assessment to the James Madison University Center for Assessment and Research Studies (Dr. Sara Finney, Dr. Jonathan Stewart, Autumn Wild, Riley Herr, & Katarina Schaefer)
Tables at CAE’s joint social
Collaborations
CAE co-founded the Consortium for Student Affairs Assessment (COSAA) and presented with other COSAA members at the Indianapolis Assessment Institute on the importance of student affairs assessment for student success. We also contributed to an article in JSAIII describing the contributions of student affairs assessment professional organizations. We also explored new partnerships within ACPA, including by hosting a joint social with the Commission for Student Involvement at Convention.
Moving into 25-26
CAE’s plans for 25-26 are well underway! I couldn’t be more excited to see Paul Holliday-Millard assume leadership of CAE – Paul brings a thoughtful and collaborative leadership style that will help move the commission forward. CAE will work on defining a research agenda, increasing engagement with ACPA membership broadly, and continuing collaborations and partnerships in the field of student affairs assessment. Internally, the commission will focus on codifying recent changes and further documenting processes to promote sustainability.
Finally, I want to extend my gratitude to the CAE Directorate Board for their work and flexibility during this time of transition, as well as our ACPA and COSAA partners for their support and leadership. This work would not be possible without you!
Tori Rehr
Outgoing Chair, Commission for Assessment and Evaluation
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