Expert on Assessment of College Student Learning, Spellings Report

HARRISONBURG, Va. — U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is to announce today plans for a campaign to carry out the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Higher Education. Assessment of student learning in higher education is expected to be a key part of the report.

James Madison University is a national leader in assessment and measurement through its Center for Assessment and Research Studies (www.jmu.edu/assessment/), and offers a Ph.D program in assessment and measurement designed to meet the expanding accountability, quality-assurance and outcome-assessment needs of the 21st century. JMU also offers a master's degree in psychological sciences with a concentration in quantitative methods (assessment, measurement and statistics) and a doctor of philosophy program in assessment and measurement.

Dr. T. Dary Erwin, associate vice president of academic affairs for assessment and public policy at JMU, is available to discuss questions of assessment and measurement in higher education. He can be reached at 540-568-7020 or by e-mail at erwintd@jmu.edu.

Erwin holds a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in student development in higher education, with minors in measurement and statistics and counseling psychology. He also holds a master's degree from the University of Tennessee in educational psychology and statistics. Erwin came to JMU to serve as the director of CARS in 1987 from Texas A&M University.

Among Erwin's responsibilities are coordinating the annual assessment of the learning and development of JMU's nearly 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students; participating in the strategic planning for JMU's academic affairs related to accountability and program development; and facilitating in the design and state approval of new academic programs. He also has been involved on the state level in the development of new state assessment guidelines that are to be considered by the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia.

Contact:
Dr. T. Dary Erwin
Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs, Assessment and Public Policy
James Madison University
Office phone: 540-568-7020
erwintd@jmu.edu
Cell phone: 540-435-4136
Home phone: 540-434-0924