Institute Focus

Honors programs and colleges are increasingly being asked to assess and evaluate their outcomes and effectiveness, and to implement processes of continuous improvement. In response to this need, the NCHC Assessment and Evaluation Committee offers the Institute for Strategic Planning, Assessment, and Program Review Knowledge (iSPARK) for directors, deans, and other honors personnel that play a role in defining and measuring the goals and outcomes for their honors programs or colleges.

This workshop will provide participants with an overview of strategic planning; discuss the benefits and limitations of academic assessment; lead participants through the process of identifying, measuring, and mapping learning outcomes for their program; introduce participants to NCHC resources that can be used for benchmarking their program; and prepare participants for undertaking a self-study and external review. This institute is required for any NCHC member wishing to become an official NCHC Program Reviewer. In preparing for a program reviewer role, you'll get training with working with the components of the Shared Principles and Practices Document. You'll also get practice with writing evidence statements, analyze sample self-studies and work with mock situations to get you used to working with different stakeholders from students to Presidents.

Learning Outcomes

• To help attendees understand the program review process.
  
• To understand how the Shared Principles and Practices document applies to institutions' honors units.
  
• To develop elements of a strategic plan
  
• To develop assessment techniques for honors units
• To prepare NCHC members to become program reviewers..

Audience

Ideal for directors with established assessment routines and anyone wanting to revitalize their approach. Required for those seeking to become an NCHC‐approved Program Reviewer

Double Up and Save $100!

Register first for NDI, and save $100 on iSpark registration! Registrants for the New Directors Institute (July 21-23) will receive a code to save $100 on their registration for iSpark (Institute for Strategic Planning, Assessment, and Reviewer Knowledge), July 24-26.

2024 Assessment & Program Review Institute Agenda

Venue & Accommodations

The New Directors Institute will be hosted in Chicago, Illinois at the

Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago Downtown River North

600 N State St | Chicago, IL 60654

Guest Room Rate: $249 per room per night (exclusive of applicable state and local taxes - currently 17.4%)


To make your reservation, call Hilton reservations at (312) 943-3800 and indicate that you are with the NCHC Summer Institutes.

OR: Click here to make your Room Reservation Online

Facilitators

Lisa Higgins, College of DuPage

Dr. Lisa Higgins has served as Director of the Honors Program at College of DuPage since 2017 and is a tenured professor of English. Prior to joining the full-time faculty at COD in 2004, she taught at University of Illinois at Chicago, Roosevelt University, Dominican University and Concordia University Chicago. She earned a master’s and doctorate in literature at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She also has a background working for non-profit organizations as a writer and fundraiser.

She was the proud recipient of the Outstanding Full-time Faculty Member in Liberal Arts Award (2018-2019) and the Outstanding Club Advisor Award for her work with the Honors Student Advisory Committee (2022). She has been involved in assessment and strategic planning projects over the years, including a site-visit by NCHC planned for April 2023. She is immediate past-president of the Honors Council of the Illinois Region and her college hosted the HCIR Student Symposium for undergraduates in Spring 2022.

College of DuPage is the largest single-campus community college in the country. Lisa looks forward to offering a two-year college perspective and working directly with faculty from community colleges during the Summer Institute.

David Rhea, Governors State University

Dr. David Rhea is Director of the Honors Program and Center for the Junior Year at Governors State University. He has earned tenure as professor of communication (2018; Ph.D. University of Missouri, 2007) and has been at GSU since 2008. In addition to being a peer reviewer for NCHC, he also is a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission and 2024 Chair of the Communication Assessment Division of the National Communication Association. He is a Past President of the Honors Council of the Illinois Region.

Dr. Rhea has authored or co-authored 8 conference activities related to honors education. He has been an NCHC Assessment and Evaluation member since 2013 and worked with teams on NCHC's first program review instrument in 2014.

In his nearly 10 years directing Honors at GSU, he has been responsible for spearheading much of its current development including its curriculum, study abroad, admissions process, scholarships, housing, budget development, prestigious fellowships, space development and more for an honors program that is over 50% students of color. The program recently completed a program review to prepare for its next decade of program success.

James Williams, University of Indianapolis

Dr. James Williams has served as the Executive Director of the Ron & Laura Strain Honors College at the University of Indianapolis since 2015. He is also a tenured associate professor of history and received the UIndy Teacher of the Year Award in 2016. His educational background is in medieval history with a doctorate from Purdue University and a master’s from Oxford University.

Dr. Williams has a good deal of experience with assessment, strategic planning, and evaluation. He has successfully designed and executed mission statements, learning goals, and two strategic plans for his current institution and has presented on these matters at the NCHC annual meetings numerous times. He has served on and actively engaged with NCHC’s Assessment and Evaluation Committee since 2015 becoming co-chair in 2023. When not engaged with assessment, he is leading the Mid-East Honors Association as its current President and past Secretary.

Dr. Williams believes that proper planning, communication, and implementation can transform education for honors students for the better. This has been evident at his home campus of UIndy where graduation rates of honors students have increased by 400% over the last 7 years.

Questions? Contact the NCHC office at (402) 472-9150 or hello@nchchonors.org