1)Basic Information:

a.Name:Anne McDaniel

b.Institution:The Ohio State University

c.Title:Senior Associate Director

d.Department:Center for the Study of Student Life

2)PleasedescribewhyyouareinterestedinbecomingaDirectoratememberwiththeCommissionforAssessmentEvaluation.

Assessment and evaluation in student affairs is essential for many reasons – to tell our story, to demonstrate what we do is working, but most importantly, to improve our practice and help students succeed. I want to join the Directorate of the Commission on Assessment and Evaluation to promote the use of assessment and evaluation in student affairs more broadly and use my expertise in assessment and evaluation to share with others how and why assessment matters. Joining the CAE Directorate will allow me to further my desire to influence students’ live by supporting other student affairs professionals to do that work on their campuses.

3)Howdoyoubelieveyourpastexperienceandexpertiseinthefieldofassessmentinstudentaffairswillrelatetoyourposition onthe Directorate?

I am an experienced researcher and student affairs assessment professional. I am currently Senior Associate Director at the Center for the Study of Student Life at the Ohio State University. In this role, I oversee campus-wide and multi-institutional research and assessment projects, including the national Study on Collegiate Financial Wellness and College Prescription Drug Study. In addition, I work with departments within our Office of Student Life to develop innovative assessments using a variety of quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

Prior to this role, I completed a PhD in Sociology from the Ohio State University and was an Assistant Professor of Education and Sociology at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). At UCI, I taught the PhD-level course on Education Research Methods. I have published research extensively in the field of higher education, with a focus on gender inequalities in educational experiences and attainment in journals like the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, Annual Review of Sociology, and Comparative Education Review. I believe my strong methodological and statistical training will be an asset to the CAE Directorate as well as my direct experience in assessment and evaluation.

4)PleasedescribeanypreviousinvolvementintheCommissionforAssessmentandEvaluation,oranyotherACPA-relatedwork/presentations.

In 2015, I co-hosted a webinar for ACPA jointly presented by the Commission for Assessment and Evaluation and Commission for Wellness titled “Results from the National Student Financial Wellness Study” and I hosted a panel discussion at the 2014 ACPA national convention on “The ABCs of Assessment.”

5)BelowyouwillfindalistofcommitteesinwhichDirectoratememberscollaboratethroughouttheyear.PleaseprovideONE idea thatyoubelieve couldbenefitthe Commissionasitrelatesto anyoneofthese committees:

  1. StudentAffairsAssessmentInstitute: Planning, implementing, and evaluating the annual Institute
  2. Communications: Coordinate and provide regular updates for blog, website, and social media; liaison with workgroups
  3. Commission Logistics: Coordinate convention activities, elections process, and orientation for new members
  4. Convention Program Series: Identify hot topics/best practices; solicit programs and lead presenters
  5. CAS: Work with ACPA CAS liaison to provide resources
  6. Webinars: Identify topics; plan, implement, and evaluate 3-4 webinars
  7. Online Learning: Work with the International Office to develop 2+online learning modules on assessment topics
  8. Book Discussions: Develop 4 article/book discussions utilizing various methods (webinar, social media)
  9. Publications: Coordinate 2-3 publications on theme-based or stand-alone topics; team to plan/author or recruit writers

Convention Program Series: A challenging and important issue in student affairs, is how to educate students and our campus communities about sexual misconduct and assault. I believe it could be really useful to have programs at the Convention related to how to assess the climate of sexual misconduct and assault on campus, and how to use those data to improve climates on campus. This past year, I administered and analyzed Ohio State’s Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct as well as worked on a committee comprised of researchers and practitioners across the state of Ohio to develop a state-wide set of benchmark questions on this topic that will be administered to students on almost every Ohio campus. These experiences make me realize we have a lot to learn about how to conduct assessments of our campus climate on sexual misconduct and assault, as well as how to talk about the data once we have it.

I would propose soliciting a variety of programs on assessing sexual misconduct and assault. First, I would propose a program on “Lessons Learned on Conducting Campus Climate Surveys on Sexual Misconduct and Assault” and gather experts from a variety of types of institutions to discuss what works on their campus, from administering the details of the survey to getting buy-in from across campus. Second, I would propose a session on “Beyond the Survey on Campus Climate: Using Focus Groups and Interviews to Talk about Consent on Campus.” I recently conducted focus groups of a similar nature and was struck by the depth and sophistication of the conversations students had on this issue. I believe it is also useful to think beyond just surveys for data collection. Finally, I would propose a session on “Using the Data from Campus Climate Surveys on Sexual Misconduct and Assault.” Climate survey data can be challenging to analyze, discuss and present. I would love to see a panel of experts talking about how to present these data in appropriate and effective ways and strategies for engaging the campus community – from students to senior administrators – in using the data to change the climate.

6)After reading the introductory statement below about the ACPA Leader Selection Process, take a moment to reflect on your own experiences at the intersections of equity, inclusion and diversity. How will your experiences help you in our work to champion equity, inclusion and diversity within and outside the ACPA community?

A good assessment has to be inclusive assessment. In order to understand our students’ experiences, we must be cognizant that there is no “one” student experience, but many, diverse student experiences. In my work, I strive to be as inclusive and equitable as possible. I do this in a few ways. First, when designing any assessment project, I get feedback from diverse perspectives to see if I am asking questions that are applicable to all audiences. Further, I make sure the assessment is accessible to all student audiences. Second, in conducting assessment and analyzing data, I consider my own implicit biases to try to limit how my own perspective and background may shape my understanding of student stories. Finally, when sharing results, it important to make them inclusive in terms of the language I use and accessible in terms of the presentation. In addition to these steps, my research has always focused on gender equity in higher education, while trying to understand how intersections of background, experiences and gender produce different outcomes for students. I am committed to doing this research to better all student experiences and provide more equal opportunities for students. I think this orientation and experience will allow me to be a champion for equity, inclusion and diversity both within and outside the ACPA community.

Introductory Statement

The ACPA Leader Nomination and Election process provides a defining moment in the development of our organization. It is an opportunity to ensure that people with the necessary competencies are leading ACPA and providing governance that will secure the future of the organization, fulfill the objectives of the association, and deliver long lasting sustainable benefits and results. It is also an opportunity to try to ensure that from the outset as many leaders as possible have an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion understanding and competencies, as well as commitment and confidence to deliver on the explicit strategic priorities of ACPA.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion skills are critical requirements of leadership in ACPA. Embedding and integrating Equity, Diversity and Inclusion into core or mainstream activities is a competence organizations have struggled with in the past, but ACPA has a legacy and a commitment to get this right.

The capability for getting this right must include knowledge, skills and experience engaging and partnering with individuals and groups from multiple identities and the capacity to integrate a diversity of views and information into the decision-making of leadership. Ultimately, ACPA is acting as a champion for students, faculty and other staff and their interests, ensuring high standards of quality and consistency of support and growth for all.