Assessment Faculty Fellows play a central role in capacity building and direct academic program and faculty support related to student learning and assessment at the University of Connecticut. The University of Connecticut is currently building infrastructure for and resources toward creating a sustainable culture of assessment. The University aims to develop this culture across academic programs.
These fellowships provide an opportunity for interested faculty to strengthen their skills in team-management, to deepen their expertise in this area of teaching and learning, and to participate in developing a purposeful culture of assessment at an institutional level. The fellows support assessment through outreach and support, including but not limited to consultations, training for academic programs and faculty, and resource development.
For the academic year 2024-25, 2 fellow positions will be available.
Academic-program Assessment Faculty Fellow: Description and Role
The academic program fellows will serve as a lead contact and resource for academic programs as the programs define meaningful and measurable program-level student learning objectives, curricular maps, and assessment plans, while promoting assessment innovation and transformation. For the academic program fellows, most work will involve partnering with a small set of academic units who will be working on learning outcomes for their graduate program(s), with the option to offer wider workshops and trainings to faculty outside of these units. Work done by the academic program fellows will focus on:
- Development or refinement of learning objectives
- Development of curricular maps
- Aligning assessment measures from courses to learning objectives
- Supporting best practice in relation to equity and inclusion in the development of learning objectives, outcomes, and assessment
- Analyzing assessment results through quality improvement and an equity and inclusion lenses.
- Supporting best practice in relation to equity and inclusion in the development of learning objectives, outcomes, and assessment
The fellows will participate in regular meetings with the Office of Academic Program Assessment to collaborate on planning and to share progress and impact. Program-level fellows will also serve as co-chairs of the University Student Learning Assessment Committee. The fellows will have the option to develop a specific project related to learning outcomes and assessment that they would like to work on throughout the duration of their fellowship.
The hourly commitment may vary throughout the year, but the expectation is that each fellow will commit an average of 10 hours a week to this work. Each fellow will take on the role for a full academic year and the summer of 2024.
Fellowship Support
Each fellow will receive one course buyout per semester (two in total across the academic year) at the standard University rate to support the time commitment of the work associated with the role. Each fellow will also receive summer salary of $5,000 for summer 2024 to allow for preparation time ahead of the academic year related to the fellowship. Each fellow will also be provided with $2,000 of professional development support, intended for activities that will benefit the fellowship (e.g., participating in conferences or workshops related to assessment).
Fellows would be expected to attend the Assessment Institute on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. The fellowship period would run from May 23, 2024, through to May 22, 2025, with preparation effort (meetings with relevant professional staff, professional development activities) occurring during the summer period.
Application Process
Applicants should be current full-time faculty members at the University. Tenured, tenure track, and CIRE faculty are all welcome to apply. To apply, please submit a letter of interest addressing the following:
1) Explain your interest in this fellowship opportunity,
2) Describe your previous experience with program-level assessment of student learning,
3) Describe what assessment-related knowledge and skills you would bring to this position,
4) Explain what you would hope to learn or gain through the fellow experience,
5) Beyond this fellowship, discuss how you would expand the culture of assessment at UConn during and after the fellowship, and
6) Identify potential indicators of success for your participation in this program.
Each application should also be accompanied by a letter of support from the department head (or dean for non-departmentalized schools) indicating their support for the applicant serving as a fellow and their acknowledgement of the course buyout each semester.
Both the nominee’s letter of interest and the letter of support can be emailed to: assessment@uconn.edu. Please put “Faculty Fellows” in the email subject line.
Feel free to email Lauren Schlesselman at assessment@uconn.edu with any questions about the position or the application process.
Deadline for applications: February 5, 2024
Decisions communicated by February 15, 2024
For more information, contact: Office of Academic Program Assessment at assessment@uconn.edu