JUDICIAL Affairs wins NASPA Excellence Grand Gold Award

JMU's Office of Judicial Affairs has received the NASPA Excellence Grand Gold Award for the Civic Learning program. The NASPA Excellence Awards recognize the contributions of members who are transforming higher education through outstanding programs, innovative services, and effective administration. In receiving the Grand Gold Award, the Civic Learning
program is recognized as the highest achiever among 200+ applications.

Members of the Judicial Affairs and Center for Assessment and Research Studies staffs will attend the NASPA conference in Boston in March 2008 to receive the award.

Special recognition goes to Wendy Young and Jilliam Joe, the authors of the winning proposal and significant contributors to the success of the Civic Learning program. Wendy Young, Assistant Director, Judicial Affairs oversees the assessment of the programs and services in the judicial office, including sanctioned educational programs. She has worked in Student Affairs for 9 years in Residence Life and Judicial Affairs. Ms. Young supervises
the coordinator that runs the day-to-day operation of the Civic Learning program.

Jilliam Joe is a doctoral student in the Assessment and Measurement Ph.D. program at JMU. As part of her internship and employment in the Center for Assessment & Research Studies (CARS), she is serving as the assessment consultant for the Office of Judicial Affairs. Jilliam serves all the outcomes assessment needs for the various programs housed in Judicial Affairs. Her work for the Civic Learning program over the last year involved formalizing learning and development objectives, creating measures, and
facilitating staff development on topics related to assessment and measurement.

The efforts that led to this award are due to a strong collaboration between CARS and Student Affairs. In particular, the following should be highlighted: Judicial Affairs Director, Dr. Josh Bacon; AVP Al Menard; the Coordinator of Civic Learning, Greg Meyer; Graduate Student for Civic Learning, Cathleen Doane. The CARS faculty and staff members who have played a particularly integral role in developing assessment for this program are:
Dr. Sara Finney, Associate Assessment Specialist for CARS; Andrew Jones, Graduate Student Assistant for CARS; and Dr. Christine Harmes and her Summer 2007 Performance Assessment class. Finally, program implementation and assessment would have little success without the many volunteers (faculty/staff) for the Civic Learning program who serve as mentors and site supervisors for our students.