UH Hilo educator selected for prominent national leadership training

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Contact:
Alyson Kakugawa-Leong, (808) 974-7642
Director, Media Relations, University Relations
Posted: Apr 7, 2010

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Associate Professor of English Dr. Seri Luangphinith has been chosen to participate in the 2010 Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Assessment Leadership Academy. In making the announcement, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Philip Castille noted that Luangphinith is one of only 25 people selected nationwide.

Luangphinith and colleagues from around the nation will take part in advanced training for higher education professionals to provide assessment-related leadership at their institutions and within the western region. They will meet at least twice in Oakland, California beginning this summer to study, work, and plan. The training will prepare them to provide workshops, consultation and guidance and to support the scholarship of assessment at their institution and others.

The Academy curriculum includes structured learning opportunities in a range of techniques and strategies for assessing educational effectiveness. It addresses the broader context of national issues in assessment, accreditation, and accountability, and it prepares Academy graduates for leadership roles in WASC-sponsored educational events, visiting teams, and policy discussions concerning assessment and educational effectiveness.

Upon completion of the WASC Leadership Academy, participants will be expected to 1) provide training and guidance to faculty responsible for assessing academic programs; 2) advise campus leaders on policy and procedures intended to promote educational effectiveness; and 3) continue to contribute to regional and national assessment efforts.

As chair of the UH Hilo Congress Assessment Support Committee, Luangphinith and a diverse team of faculty representing different colleges and disciplines have taken part in several WASC assessment training sessions since 2009. As chair of the English department, she has worked with department members to modify and streamline the English major, align its courses, and begin work on developing rubrics to identify student learning outcomes and assess those student outcomes in both literature-based and writing-based English courses.

While at the Academy, Luangphinith will develop and complete an assessment-related project relevant to UH Hilo by the end of the session. Suggested projects posted on the Academy homepage include:

• Developing and implementing campus workshops and support for assessment
• Developing and implementing a plan for providing feedback on and support for departmental assessment efforts
• Developing or refining the assessment of General Education
• Developing a campus infrastructure that supports sustainable assessment
• Developing and implementing collaborative assessment projects with another institution

Support to send Luangphinith to the Leadership Academy is provided by the office of Vice Chancellor Castille and the Faculty Congress.