You may have interacted with the Barton County Community College math teacher and coordinator of assessment at a presentation he’s given on assessment at HLC’s Annual Conference. Not only does the HLC Assessment Academy Mentor identify with others in the pursuit of learning, he also strives to unite with them in purpose, as he knows that the sky can be the limit for all who stand and work together.
When and how did you first learn about accreditation?
The topic of accreditation has been a part of my culture and conversation since I began my career as a math instructor more than two decades ago at Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kansas. Actually experiencing accreditation, however, first occurred about 15 years ago during a site visit. I was relatively new as the coordinator of assessment, and I knew I needed to be ready to meet with the peer review team. For the uninitiated, the experience can seem intimidating. However, Barton’s vice president at the time told me not to worry as she would be there to back me up. But as you would expect, something urgent came up, and I found myself alone in a room with the peer review team.
I must have looked like a deer in headlights, but the team met me where I was, and we ended up having a constructive conversation about student learning. Although I did not necessarily give the best or correct answers, if there is such a thing, I made it through the crucible. Fortunately, I have since learned and experienced that the measure of grace shown by the team was not the exception, but rather the norm.
How do you explain your work with HLC to people who aren’t familiar with accreditation, in 10 words or less?
Everyone values learning, but we help them improve it strategically.
Why did you want to get involved with HLC?
My wife asked me out on our first date, and less than a year later, we were married. In that same vein, the easy answer to why I got involved with HLC is because I was asked. A door opened and I saw an opportunity to step into a role I was passionate about. The Assessment Academy asked me to serve as a Mentor, and I jumped at the opportunity to assist where I could. I had a wonderful experience with my Mentors, having gone through the Academy myself, and I have always been passionate about helping others.
What aspects of your background have been particularly helpful in your work with HLC?
I have previously gone through the Assessment Academy as a team leader. As such, I understand the structure and know what the participants are going through. I have been there, and I can help them understand what to expect and how to refine their results and overall experience to benefit their students and the overall institution.
What have you learned from working with HLC that’s been beneficial to you?
As I told my children when they were younger, if you want friends, you must play with them. You have to engage with people and build relationships. Similarly, much of the Assessment Academy experience focuses on collaboration and working together with other institutions. But it is about more than just standing on their shoulders and best practices. Rather, it is about lifting each other up for mutual benefit. I saw this at the Academy’s conversational table discussions where institutions were sharing contact information to continue working together after the Academy.
None of the schools I have mentored seem to have the same approach to assessment. Yet they all have the same goals: to improve student learning and provide the best possible education for their students. It is not about uniformity of process, but rather, unity of purpose, and if we can come together collectively, anything is possible.
What has been one of your most memorable experiences working with HLC?
Last year I had the privilege of facilitating with the Academy at the results forum when teams come together to conclude their projects. It was an experience to see the joy and sense of fulfillment of the various teams as they deliberately took a moment to take stock of all they had accomplished.
How do you find the time to volunteer with HLC?
Fortunately, Barton has been supportive, from the president on down, allowing me to fit the work I do with HLC into my schedule.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Mr. Lyle Sharman, my second-grade teacher, inspired me to be a teacher when I grew up. His intentional kindness always stood out to me, and I knew I wanted to help others and become a teacher myself.
What is your greatest career or life achievement so far?
My pride and joy: Barton’s Assessment Institute. This training program is a direct outcome of Barton’s Assessment Academy project that inspires and develops the next generation of assessment leaders. Seventy faculty and staff have already completed this yearlong practical study on the assessment of student learning with more to come. The icing on the cake, however, was when I was selected to present on the topic at the HLC Annual Conference a few years ago. Pouring out my heart to a room packed with people who were just as passionate as me fed my drive to continue helping others.
What’s your favorite part of being a member of the HLC community?
I often talk to faculty about the idea that minor changes add up to big ones. Small intentional adjustments can improve a course, and faculty upon faculty making these small improvements then collectively has a large overall impact on student learning across the institution. With HLC, it is more than that. It is institution upon institution moving the needle on student learning as they take part in the Academy, which collectively has a massive impact on student learning across all higher education.
Interested in how your institution could benefit from the Assessment Academy? Learn more about the program and sign up to be notified about the next application period.