Practical Assessment Strategies Series (PASS)
Practical Assessment Strategies Series (PASS) features virtual workshops led by industry experts, offering valuable insights and practical skills. The Professional Development Committee is excited to announce new workshops to PASS, aimed at further enhancing your professional toolkit. These workshops will guide participants in using new tools to improve efficiency and enhance assessment techniques. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your professional capabilities and stay ahead in the field of assessment. Register now and take the next step in your professional development journey!
Each workshop will have a MAX of 25 registrants to allow for constructive discussions, questions, and opinions. There will be a waitlist if you register after we hit our cap. So register as soon as it opens!
Are you a member?
The topics will be presented twice on different dates.
Once for members and again for non-members.
- 11/12 - FULL - Utilizing the Microsoft Suite: Strategic plan tracking, progress, and assessment at the Divisional and Departmental Level
- 12/3 - Storytelling for Change: Turning Data into Impact
- 12/17 - A Simple, Smart(sheet) Way to Collect Assessment Data
NON-MEMBER DATES:
Utilizing the Microsoft Suite: Strategic plan tracking, progress, and assessment at the Divisional and Departmental Level
November 19, 2025
3:15pm-4:45pm ET / 2:15pm-3:45pm CT / 1:15pm-2:45pm MT / 12:15pm-1:45pm PT
Description:
In this session, participants will explore how to use the Microsoft Suite—particularly SharePoint, Microsoft Lists, and Power BI—to streamline strategic planning, progress tracking, and assessment processes across divisional and departmental levels. This session highlights how one Student Affairs team leveraged existing Microsoft tools to build an efficient, cost-effective assessment system that fosters collaboration, transparency, and data-driven decision-making.
Through real-world examples and lessons learned, participants will gain insight into how to structure SharePoint and Lists for both divisional and departmental data management, connect goals and priorities across units, and visualize outcomes in Power BI to communicate progress toward strategic objectives.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
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Identify opportunities to leverage Microsoft tools already available on their campus for assessment and strategic tracking.
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Design a SharePoint and Lists structure that supports secure, scalable data collection and sharing.
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Implement best practices for managing permissions, ensuring data integrity, and improving workflow efficiency.
Bio: Jessie Johns currently serves as the Coordinator of Student Affairs Assessment at the University of Missouri. In this role, she leads divisional annual assessment data collection and analysis, departmental assessment projects, supports the creation and measurement of student learning outcomes, and facilitates staff development and capacity building in assessment. She is currently co-leading a working group utilizing Microsoft tools in Higher Education Assessment. She also works closely with divisional and institutional partners to strengthen strategic planning, cross-divisional collaboration, and student success initiatives. She has her Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Administration of Higher Education from Auburn University and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English from Georgia Southern University. She is also certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute.
Non-Member Cost: $40
Storytelling for Change: Turning Data into Impact
Ryan Smith, Director of University Assessment
Illinois State University
December 10, 2025
3pm-4:40pm ET / 2am-3:40pm CT / 1pm-2:40pm MT / 12pm-1:40pm PT
Description: In this interactive session, we’ll explore how storytelling can transform the way we communicate assessment, evaluation, and research findings. Participants will learn a practical framework for building compelling stories from data, with real examples from higher education. We’ll cover strategies for identifying the purpose of a story, understanding your audience, and integrating narrative with data visuals. Participants will leave the session with a data story they crafted and with the ability to apply what they’ve learned at work.
Speaker Bio: Ryan Smith is the director of university assessment at Illinois State University. Ryan has presented and administered many workshops on data storytelling in higher education. Ryan focused on how storytelling can address the problems of data overload, audience engagement, and advocacy. He holds a PhD in Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. MSE in Education from Drake University, and BA in Art History from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Ryan has over 25 years of experience in higher education assessment, institutional research, and planning.
Non-Member Cost: $40
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