Meaningful Assessment and Storytelling in Higher Education
Micro Course, 5 Weeks
Asynchronous
Credential Only
|
Asynchronous, 5 Weeks; 2-3 hours per week |
Next Start: January 30, 2026 |
Becca Morris, Ed. |
How do we know what we “do” is working? What change in students are we looking for, and is it measurable? Why does demonstrating success matter?
Unlock the power of meaningful assessment and storytelling in Student Affairs and Higher Education. This microcourse equips you to craft clear, measurable learning outcomes and develop and implement direct assessment tools like observations, portfolios, projects, rubrics, and tests of knowledge—to capture real evidence of student learning. Connect data across multiple surveys and results, and turn data into insight, helping professionals tell a compelling story of transformative growth and the impact of higher education.
Join Dr. Becca Morris, an experienced educator, assessment coordinator, and senior student affairs administrator in understanding the value of data-informed practices as she makes creating an assessment project or plan accessible. Hear from higher education experts, practitioners, and even students, on how engaging in meaningful assessment changes the game, and helps everyone demonstrate effectiveness.
- Participants will be able to recognize key differences between effective and ineffective learning outcomes
- Construct effective and measurable learning outcomes
- Identify ways to implement Bloom’s Taxonomy into their everyday learning experiences
- Create meaningful pathways to use assessment data to support your department’s work and align to institutional missions
- Empower yourself and others to use direct assessment as opposed solely to relying on student’s self-perception
- Learn tangible examples from industry experts and authors, including search consultants who will share how demonstrating assessment skills can set yourself apart in a crowded job market.
Weekly Engagement
- Week 1: Writing Effective Learning Outcomes
- Week 2: Creative Assessment Strategies
- Week 3: Rubric Creation
- Week 4: Writing Effective Highlights and Reports
- Week 5: Now What: Theory into Practice
Guest Speakers
Joseph D. Levy, Ed.D
Associate Vice Provost of Accreditation and Quality Improvement, Excelsior University; Expert Knowledge Center Expert, WEAVE
Liz Gross, Ph.D.
CEO, Campus Sonar
Carrie Coward
President, Summit Search Solutions
Tammarah Townes
Senior Consultant, Summit Search Solutions
Higher Education Leadership Program
Becca Morris, Ed.D.
Director of the Higher Education Leadership Program
Vice President, Campus Life
barile@hws.edu
(315) 781-3900
- Higher education administrators looking to deepen their use of direct assessment
- Student affairs professionals looking to empower a data-informed approach in their units
- Graduate students seeking to build a strong foundation in assessment design and application as they enter the workforce
Why choose HWS’ Higher Education Leadership Program?
The HWS Higher Education Leadership Program offers professional development courses, allowing you to learn from our faculty from anywhere in the world, for one course or all of them, stackable to a degree should you wish to pursue one. Augment your practical and educational experience with the newest issues and trends in higher education. Market the credential on your resume, demonstrating your knowledge and expertise in an evolving landscape.
About Becca Morris, EdD
Becca Morris, EdD serves as Vice President for Campus Life, Dean of Students, and Director of the Higher Education Leadership Program at Hobart and William Smith. She has served as an adjunct professor and course designer at Keuka College and Ithaca College. Her online course, Developing and Refining a Resident Assistant Training Program, is a best-selling class at ACUHO-I. The course uses an assessment-focused approach to student staff development, which followed Morris’ published work on implementing online learning for training. With more than two decades of professional experience in assessment, Morris coordinates Student Affairs assessment at HWS, leading an accreditation external review team to remark that "Student Affairs is arguably doing some of the best assessment work at the campus.
Ready to Master Higher Education Assessment?
Enroll today and gain the skills to design outcomes, measure learning, and showcase the true impact of your programs.