Institute for the Development of Excellence
in Assessment Leadership

January 5-9, 2009 - Savannah, GA  -  Apply now!

August 3-7, 2009 - Baltimore, MD - Application coming soon!

IDEAL provides a professional development opportunity for those responsible for leading their faculty in the development and implementation of a program assessment plan to improve student learning and document program effectiveness. This Institute will engage you in working with colleagues to develop new knowledge and skills that will enable you to be an effective assessment leader. When you leave the Institute, you will have completed an implementation plan you will be able use at your home institution.

Choose a topic below, or scroll down to view all information:

• What Is Unique About IDEAL

• What You Will Learn

• Topics You Will Explore

• Who Should Apply

• CASEE Dissemination Channel Designation

• About the Institute Leader

• Testimonials

• General Information

• Application Information and Deadlines

What Is Unique About IDEAL

The developers of IDEAL recognize that the most difficult thing about implementing what is learned in a workshop, seminar, or institute is that, when you return to your own institution, you do not have the support you need when questions arise about implementation. As an IDEAL Scholar, you will have one year of support in the following ways:

Interactive dialogue and sharing of materials: SharePoint® portal software will support the exchange of materials and ongoing discussion threads on topics of interest to IDEAL Scholars. This site will be used exclusively by IDEAL Scholars and monitored by the Institute leader. It will also include an “Ask the Experts” dialogue portal.

IDEAL webinars: Quarterly webinars will be held on topics of interest to IDEAL Scholars. Topics will be defined based on the dialog on SharePoint® and suggestions from the Scholars. When necessary, outside experts will be utilized on specialized topics of interest (e.g., sampling techniques, survey design, etc.).

Assessment website: The IDEAL website will provide reviewed reference materials for program assessment and examples of well-designed assessment processes. Experienced Scholars will become peer reviewers and participate in the selection of reference materials based on their usefulness to furthering good program assessment practices. There will also be a place on the website for success stories and lessons learned. [This website will be maintained by ABET and, although designed for IDEAL Scholars, will be available to others as well.]

What You Will Learn

IDEAL focuses on the skills and knowledge you will need to be an effective assessment leader and to manage the change process in your program or college. The Institute will challenge you to think about the assessment of student learning from the program-level or college-level perspective and integrate the basic principles of assessment, change management, and facilitation tools. The activities in the Institute will take you from the basic principles to an understanding of how those principles can be applied in the context of your program/college. Although the primary focus of the Institute will be on developing sound assessment practices, you will learn how to lead others in the process effectively by applying facilitation tools and basic change management principles.

Topics You Will Explore

Assessment principles: You will learn the core principles of assessing student learning using a continuous improvement model. Topics covered will include

• writing measurable outcomes
• developing scoring rubrics
• curriculum mapping
• choosing assessment tools
• developing efficient processes and timelines
• developing and implementing effective surveys
• exploring the use of portfolios
• reporting results

Facilitation skills: How to manage groups plays an important part in engaging other faculty in the assessment process. Whether you are leading a team of faculty from multiple departments or working with faculty within a single department, using facilitation tools will enable you to move efficiently through the process by harnessing faculty energy in meaningful directions. In addition to tips on how to facilitate a meeting, some of the things you will learn when and how to use include

• silent brainstorming and affinity process
• force field analysis
• modified nominal group process
• decision matrix
• jigsaws
• issue bins

These processes will be modeled at the Institute.

Change management: Having a good understanding of the program assessment process and the tools to facilitate groups is necessary, but not sufficient to create sustainable change processes. Throughout the Institute, you will explore the basic principles of change management and be challenged to discern their applicability to your own college/program culture. Topics will include

• stages of change
• resistance
• planning for change
• communication and change
• changing upwards

Who Should Apply

The Institute is designed for faculty who would describe themselves as “beginner to marginal” in their knowledge of assessment processes. Because IDEAL begins with the basics and builds throughout the workshop, it is not recommended for those who have significant assessment experience. It is not designed for assessment professionals or those who do not work directly with groups of faculty in developing and implementing assessment processes.

CASEE Designation Channel Designation

About the Institute Leader

The leader for IDEAL is Gloria Rogers, Ph.D., who has been active in disseminating information on program assessment and institutional effectiveness for 20 years. She has authored or co-authored over 30 publications, made over 50 invited presentations and seminars at national and regional conferences, and given presentations or workshops on over 80 college campuses, 18 of which were outside U.S. borders. She has also served as an external evaluator on 17 NSF-funded projects and currently serves on advisory committees for the National Science Foundation, American Association of Colleges & Universities, and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Rogers is currently the Associate Executive Director, Professional Services, at ABET.

Testimonials

“IDEAL is well worth the investment in time and money. It should be a required exercise for anyone who will be in charge of assessment activities at any institution that is seriously committed to using the ABET process to improve the quality of their programs." — Wesley Lawson, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland

“IDEAL was the best experience I have had so far, compared to all of the conferences and workshops I have attended in the past. It was organized in an interactive way that kept the participants involved and active throughout the five days. Receiving instant feedback to all our questions resulted in a clearer picture regarding the assessment process we need to implement or reevaluate at our institutions." — Zsuzsa Balogh, Civil Engineering Technology, Metropolitan State College of Denver

“This was the best (and most intense) workshop I have attended. It will also greatly impact the university. Gloria was tremendous — excellent presentations, interactive exercises and assignments. She has so much energy and enthusiasm for a tough topic." — Denise Duncan, Computer Information Systems, Regis University

“Before IDEAL, I knew the assessment 'tree,' but after IDEAL, I know the 'branches' of assessment, too. As an IDEAL Scholar and someone at an institution with programs seeking initial ABET accreditation, I am now confident that my colleagues and I can make a relevant contribution to program assessment that ensures quality improvement of our engineering programs." — Mario Patino, Institutional Director of Assessment, Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Ecuador

General Information

Schedule: Daily sessions run from approximately 8:30am – 5:00pm Monday through Thursday and 8:30am – noon on Friday, with breakfast, lunch, and breaks provided. Some homework will be required. Participants must commit to be in attendance for all sessions of the Institute.

Environment: IDEAL is a working meeting and casual attire is recommended.

• Savannah sightseeing information: www.savcvb.com
• Baltimore sightseeing information: www.baltimore.org

Accommodations

• The January 2009 Institute will be held at the Hampton Inn & Suites on 201 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Savannah, GA, 31401. Reservations can be made at (912) 721-1600 or via this link. The negotiated rate of $119/night for IDEAL is only available until Thursday, December 4, 2008.

Application Information and Deadlines

Application: IDEAL is limited to 40 participants. The application process includes both completion of an application form and submission of a written letter of support. Qualified candidates will be notified of their admission within three weeks of receipt of all required materials.

• Application form
  • January 2009 Institute
• Letter of support: Each applicant must have his or her supervisor write a letter of support for the applicant’s selection, indicating IN DETAIL the specific level of support for the applicant’s involvement in leading the program or college assessment effort (e.g., release time, reward structure, etc.). Letters should be sent to IDEAL, c/o Dr. Gloria Rogers, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012. Applications for admission will not be considered complete until the support letter is received.

Application deadline: Applications will be accepted until each Institute is full.

Fees: Beginning with the January 2009 Institute, the fee will be $1,750. This fee includes all lunches, reference materials, and participation in the year-long follow-up activities.

Cancellation/refund policy:

• Registrants agree to furnish payment by meeting start. 

• Registrants agree to provide ABET, Inc., with written notice of any decision to cancel their registration(s). 

• Registrants agree to the following refund schedule:

  	If ABET has received payment	If ABET has not yet received payment
  Written notice of cancellation received by ABET within 15 business days or more of meeting start.	Registration fee refunded less $350 service charge.	Registrant will be billed a $350 service charge.
  Written notice of cancellation received by ABET within 14 business days or less of meeting start.	No registration fee refunded.	Registrant will be billed full registration fee applicable based on the postmark or timestamp of registration.
  No written notice of cancellation received by ABET, and registrant does not attend meeting.	No registration fee refunded.	Registrant will be billed full registration fee applicable based on the postmark or timestamp of registration.

• Cancellation notices should be mailed to ABET, Inc., 2007 Annual Meeting, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202, or faxed to the attention of Hope Joseph-Nelson at 410-625-2238.

 Further information: Contact Gloria Rogers at 410-843-7180 or use the Contact Us feature of our website.