Photo of Professor T. Dary Erwin  
   T. Dary Erwin, Ph.D.

     Professor of Leadership Studies and Psychology
     Advisor to Postsecondary Leadership Concentration

 
     Contact Information            Mailing Address
     (o)540-568-6688                  MSC 1505
     (f) 540-568-7117                  James Madison University
     erwintd@jmu.edu                Harrisonburg, VA 22807

Primary Research Interests
Accountability and Policy in Higher Education

Courses frequently taught
Assessment and Public Policy, Proseminar in Postsecondary Education, Policy Development and Analysis in Postsecondary Education, and Research Practicum in Postsecondary Studies

Dr. Erwin was formerly Associate Provost for Public Policy at James Madison University where he established the Center for Assessment and Research Studies.  Under Dr. Erwin’s leadership, the first doctoral program in Assessment and Measurement began fall 1998.

Dr. Erwin has testified before an Education and Workforce subcommittee of the US House of Representatives and US Department of Education committees; presented at over 100 professional conferences; and participated in numerous meetings about collegiate accountability.  He has spoken at over 70 college campuses to faculty, student affairs professionals, and administrators about outcome assessment around the world.

Dr. Erwin’s articles on college impact and assessment first appeared in 1980 and his Jossey-Bass book entitled Assessing Student Learning and Development: A Guide To The Principles, Goals, and Methods of Determining College Outcomes was published in 1991.  He is also author of the Erwin Identity Scale, the Scale of Intellectual Development, numerous articles and chapters, and a reviewer of critical thinking, problem solving, and writing assessment methods for the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative.  He serves on the editorial boards of Quality in Higher Education, Assessment Update, and Active Learning in Higher Education and as a Board of Regent for the Institute of Certified Professional Managers.

Dr. Erwin has previously been affiliated with Texas A & M University and the University of Tennessee.  He received his bachelor and master's degrees from the University of Tennessee and his doctorate in student development and measurement from The University of Iowa.

Dr. Erwin is past recipient of the Annuit Coeptis Award of the American College Personnel Association and of the Ralph F. Berdie Memorial Research Award of the American Association for Counseling and Development.  He was also past chairperson of the Measurement Services Association.

Recent Publications

Alshehri, S. A., Alshehri, A. F., and Erwin, T. D. (2012).  Measuring the medical school educational environment: Validating an approach from Saudi Arabia. Health Education Journal, 72.

Erwin, T. D. (2012).  Intellectual college development related to alumni perceptions of personal growth.  Research and Practice in Assessment, 7, 41-49.

Erwin, T. D. and DeFilippo, J. G.  (March/April 2010).  The evolution of assessment policy: A view from Virginia.  Change, 42(2), 40-44.

Pieper, S. L., Fulcher, K. H., Sundre, D. L., & Erwin, T. D. (2008). What do I do with the data now?:  Analyzing assessment information for accountability and improvement. Research and Practice in Higher Education, 2(1).