NJC HOSTS 2024 REGIONAL ASSESSMENT CONFERENCE
More than 70 from state’s higher educational institutions attended
Northeastern Junior College (NJC) was thrilled to host the 2024 Colorado Regional Assessment Conference on Friday, Feb. 16. It was a momentous occasion for educational assessment in the state, bringing together more than 70 faculty and staff from Colorado’s higher educational institutions.
Keynote speeches included Pepperdine University’s Dr. Jennifer Miyake-trapp and Terrence Cao, who discussed the need for educators and instructional designers to collaborate, and Dr. Kris Acheson-clair from Purdue University, who shared insights from specific case studies that have built intercultural competence development and global learning.
University of Northern Colorado faculty Randy Larkins and Chad Bebee shared methods for gauging student learning with a focus on how to build successful program outcomes. Dr. Geeta Verma of the University of Colorado-denver presented on Livedx, an Ai-powered platform that converts real-life experiences into academic credentials. Dr. Michael Schulman of the Colorado Community College System presented innovative results from his retention research.
Red Rocks Community College’s Derek Grubb and Pikes Peak State College’s Brook Koltun both offered valuable perspectives on evaluation techniques in advising and student services and how to incorporate the Council for the Advancement of Standards into educational assessment.
The conference was organized by Leslie Weinsheim, Director of Institutional Research at NJC. Weinsheim and Dr. Matt Garcia of Red Rocks Community College shared experiences building an Honors Program and a First Year Experience Program, respectively. Dr. Veronica Koehn, NJC’S Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences, presented on the expedient journey faculty have taken to develop institution-wide student learning outcomes that thoroughly encompass and embody the robust liberal arts, sciences, and career-technical education NJC provides.
The conference was a huge success, according to Sam Soliman, NJC’S VP of Academic Affairs. He was especially appreciative of the attendees’ contributions from UNC, the US Air Force Academy, the University of Colorado, the University of Northern Colorado, and sister colleges like Red Rocks, Lamar, Arapahoe, Front Range, and Aims.
“This conference showcased NJC’S leadership in educational assessment and strengthened our collaborations across Colorado’s higher education landscape,” Soliman added.
By creating a platform for institutions and educators to work together, the 2024 Colorado Regional Assessment Conference has raised the bar for academic innovation and excellence, creating a dynamic setting for sharing best practices and advancing comprehensive educational assessments and student learning strategies.