EQUITY-CENTERED ASSESSMENT: CONCEPTS AND STRATEGIES

Part of the Lindenwood University Certificate in Culturally Responsive Assessment Speaker Series

Facilitators: Dr. Gavin Henning, New England College and Dr. Anne Lundquist, Anthology

Description:

We must create processes to ensure equity and inclusion as our campuses diversify. Often viewed as an objective, data-driven process for accountability and improvement, assessment not only must be implemented in an equitable way, but it can also be a process that fosters equity and inclusion. This reconceptualization of assessment requires and unpacking of the philosophical underpinnings of assessment practice as well as exploration into how assessment can be used to understand and deconstruct systems of power and oppression in higher education. Presenters will share a continuum of equitable assessment, engage participants in discussion regarding how to ensure individual and organizational readiness, and identify specific strategies for implementing assessment that is equitable. Learning outcomes As a result of attending this session, participants will be able • explain the intersection of assessment and equity and inclusion • describe the socially just assessment continuum • describe how to prepare individually and as an organization to engage in socially just assessment • Identify ways socially just assessment can be implemented on their campus

About the facilitators:

Gavin Henning is Professor of Higher Education at New England College in New Hampshire where he directs the Master of Science in Higher Education Administration and Doctorate of Education programs. Gavin is immediate past president of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) and is a past president of ACPA – College Student Educators International. He has over 20 years’ experience in higher education assessment and institutional research and frequently consults and presents regionally, nationally, and internationally on the topic. His scholarship includes over 90 peer-reviewed presentations and over 90 invited presentations and keynotes regarding assessment. In addition, he has published articles and books on assessment including Student Affairs Assessment: Theory and Practice with Darby Roberts that serves as the foundational text for assessment courses in many higher education graduate programs. Gavin earned his Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of New Hampshire.

Dr. Anne E. Lundquist, Assistant Vice President for Campus Strategy at Anthology (she/her/hers), is a white, cisgender, third generation educated researcher, poet, yogi, and social justice advocate who draws on her 30-year career in higher education to help campuses use data for change. Previously, Anne served as Director of Strategic Planning and Assessment for the Division of Student Affairs at Western Michigan University as well as senior student affairs officer at four liberal arts colleges. She has taught diverse subject matter, including educational leadership, institutional effectiveness, higher education law, writing, and literature. Anne’s areas of scholarship and interest include strategic planning, enterprise risk management, student success, and equity-minded assessment. She holds a MFA in Creative Writing and a PhD in Educational Leadership, Higher Education, from Western Michigan University. She earned her BA in Religious Studies and English from Albion College.