Our Purpose
We help colleges and universities advance the science and practice of assessment, the skills and opportunities for practitioners, and real quality improvements.
Our goal is to help colleges fulfill accreditation requirements related to improving student outcomes assessment mandates.
Our focus is on assisting colleges in accelerating and advancing efforts to assess and improve student learning. We can help foster and engage faculty and administration in a collaborative effort to reshape your culture to make continuous improvement a constant focus.
Our staff can help your institution:
Take the kind of steps needed to meet accreditation guidelines for practical and worthwhile improvement
Identify and address specific questions about your institution’s teaching-learning processes, about the performance of these processes, and the way the institution uses data to improve
Analyze data and develop processes for improvement
Prepare for accreditation and reaffirmation visits
Higher Education Consulting Services
We bring deep experience in higher education administration with particular expertise in data analysis, assessment, strategic planning, and accreditation. Our work is grounded in research-based practices, frameworks, and models that will help you navigate your greatest challenges in:
Exploring, developing, and launching new learning assessment models
Improving student learning outcomes
Developing and enhancing academic programs
Developing an integrated strategic plan for your institution or division
Other Areas of Expertise
Strategic planning
Accreditation self-studies
Program development
Data analysis
Program review
Looking for Experts?
Our experienced professionals can provide your institution and employees with the knowledge, skills, and resources to succeed.
We bring deep understanding of higher education administration, data analysis, assessment, accreditation, and strategic planning. We've accumulated significant experience in implementing best practices, models, and innovations that have met the demands of accreditors, gained the approval of college faculty and staff, and made improvements to ensure the success of learners.
Are You Satisfied that Your Assessments Result in Real Improvements in Student Learning? Can Faculty and Staff Articulate How Outcomes Assessment Results are Systematically Used to Improve Student Learning?
Assessment is Critical for Meeting Accreditation Standards
“While to date no institution appears to have lost its accreditation solely because of student learning outcomes assessment deficiencies, increasing numbers of institutions are being required to address such issues as institutions are being placed on probation or are receiving follow-up requirements — with learning outcomes assessment as one of the main reasons, if not the sole reason” (Staci Provezis Project Manager and Research Analyst for the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment).
CLOSING THE LOOP
Most colleges have outcomes, data, and assessments but need some level of help in more systematically "closing the loop", that is, in establishing more effective means for analyzing, documenting, and using assessment data for improved learning. The “how to close the loop” is puzzling, but is the most often neglected, yet critically important component of outcomes assessment. Let us help. We can work with you to develop proven approaches to guide your assessment practices leading to more effective decision- making that meet accreditation standards.
Get in touch
We at Educational Assessment Professionals offer consultations to walk you through your needs, the scope of your goals, and your budget.
Book an appointment ▸
Our Director
Dr. Steve Atkins
Steve has broad experience in higher education having served as faculty, director of institutional effectiveness, dean of arts and sciences, vice president of academic and student services, vice president of continuing education, campus dean, chief academic officer, accreditation liaison, and consultant. He has personally crafted numerous accreditation self-studies and institutional responses and reports and has a strong background in regional, national, and professional accreditation standards. His work with SACS is particularly extensive and includes membership on numerous accreditation teams, special investigative committees, and served as Lead Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Evaluator for several colleges,
In addition, he has a deep understanding and first-hand experience in designing and implementing successful outcomes assessment models and strategic plans that have met the approval of accrediting bodies. Other experience includes: teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in assessment, college teaching, educational research methods, statistics, and mathematics. His leadership in creating a college-wide critical thinking initiative led to attaining the Excellence in Critical Thinking Award granted by the Foundation for Critical Thinking.
Education
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, GREENSBORO
PH.D
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHARLOTTE
M.A., MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
ELON UNIVERSITY
B.A., MATHEMATICS