CARS Faculty and Students Present Research in Greece

Mar 21, 2025: CARS faculty and PhD students presented impactful assessment research in Athens, Greece, sharing findings on programming, test effort, and academic alerts with a global audience.

Graduate Psychology faculty Sara Finney recognized with the Distinguished Service Award from CHBS

Feb 26, 2025: Sara Finney, professor in the Department of Kinesiology, was recognized with the Distinguished Service Award for the College of Health and Behavioral Studies.

Four undergraduate summer interns learn the fundamentals of assessment

Jul 29, 2024: Assessment and Measurement, Quantitative Psychology, and the Center for Assessment and Research Studies welcomed four summer interns.

OSARP-SASS Partnership for Outcomes Assessment Practice

Mar 21, 2023: In August 2022, the Office of Student Accountability and Restorative Practices (OSARP) and the Student Affairs Assessment Support Services (SASS) within the Center for Assessment and Research Studies committed to a year-

CARS Influence on CAS Standards

Mar 21, 2023: JMU’s CARS faculty and students helped revise national CAS standards, adding Program Theory and Implementation Fidelity to improve higher ed program design, assessment, and impact.

CARS presents at AALHE

Mar 21, 2022: CARS faculty and students presented research at AALHE on student engagement in assessment, showing understanding boosts effort and quick strategies can improve low-stakes test performance.

IUPUI Award

Mar 21, 2022: JMU’s CARS received the 2022 Trudy W. Banta Award for decades of national leadership in assessment, innovation, and learning improvement in higher education.

Dr. Hundley Interview

Mar 21, 2019: Dr. Stephen Hundley of IUPUI blends leadership, teaching, and assessment expertise to advance higher education, emphasizing meaningful learning and institutional improvement

Assessment: Spring Drive-In

Mar 21, 2019: JMU and Virginia Assessment Group co-hosted a 4-VA drive-in conference using telepresence tech to share strategies for using assessment data to improve student learning across institutions

SCHEV: Assessment Reports

Mar 21, 2019: JMU’s General Education program shows over 20 years of student learning gains, with 98% info literacy by year one and consistent growth in scientific and quantitative reasoning.

Assessment: Summer Internship Series

Mar 21, 2019: Derek interned at the American Board of Surgery, applying research to practice, while Nikole worked at The Center for Assessment, analyzing ESSA school ID rules and presenting nationally.

Dr. Mark Warner

Mar 21, 2018: Dr. Mark Warner reflects on his decades at JMU, highlighting how assessment transformed Student Affairs from service-focused to learning-centered, fostering collaboration and student development.

Drs. Finney & Fulcher Travel to Stanford University for Empirical Educator Project

Mar 21, 2018: Drs. Finney & Fulcher joined Stanford’s EEP to foster cross-institutional collaboration, share JMU research, and plan faculty training to enhance student learning outcomes.

Interview With Dr. Sally Brown and Phil Race

Mar 21, 2018: JMU PhD student Nick Curtis interviewed UK assessment leaders Sally Brown and Phil Race, who advocate for authentic, formative assessment that fosters real learning and student success

Interview with Dr. Dillon and Dr. Lending

Mar 21, 2017: JMU’s CIS program improved students’ soft skills via a learning improvement initiative, showing how assessment, trust, and collaboration can transform teaching and student success.

Dr. Ross Markle and Dr. Javarro Russell Interview

Mar 21, 2017: JMU grads Markle and Russell lead ETS efforts to shift from testing to collaboration, using HEIghten assessments to improve student learning and foster faculty engagement

Assessment Leaders Gather for Inaugural National Learning Improvement Summit

Mar 21, 2017: Banta and Ewell pioneered outcomes assessment in higher ed. Their legacy continues through efforts like JMU’s 2017 Learning Improvement Summit.

Assessment and Measurement Program students interview Dr. Jerry Benson

Mar 21, 2017: JMU’s strong assessment culture stems from faculty commitment, collegial collaboration, and stable leadership, with CARS and its PhD program driving innovation in student learning outcomes.

Assessment and Measurement Program students interview Dr. Sara Finney

Mar 21, 2017: Dr. Sara Finney leads JMU’s partnership with ETS to enhance student learning assessment, combining psychometric expertise, faculty collaboration, and graduate training for impactful educational outcomes.

Assessment and Measurement Program students interview Dr. Catherine Wehlburg

Mar 21, 2017: Dr. Catherine Wehlburg emphasizes faculty engagement, aligning assessment with accreditation, and fostering community through AALHE to improve learning and promote meaningful assessment practices.

Dr. Hathcoat Interview

Mar 21, 2016: Dr. Kate McConnell of AAC&U highlights collaboration, VALUE rubrics, and data communication as keys to improving assessment, aiming to align efforts with accreditors and foster national impact.

Interview with Kate McConnell, Senior Director for Research and Assessment at AAC&U

Mar 21, 2016: Dr. Kate McConnell of AAC&U highlights collaboration, VALUE rubrics, and data communication as keys to improving assessment, aiming to align efforts with accreditors and foster national impact.

Interview with Dr. Peter Ewell

Mar 21, 2016: Dr. Peter Ewell highlights the need for faculty buy-in, collaboration, and engaging data use in assessment, envisioning seamless, simulation-based practices to improve higher education by 2025

Interview With Dr. Trudy Banta

Mar 21, 2016: Dr. Trudy Banta, a pioneer in higher ed assessment, emphasizes collaboration, faculty development, and using data to improve learning, highlighting IUPUI’s impactful assessment practices.

Student in Assessment and Measurement Program Interviews CFI Directors

Mar 21, 2016: JMU’s LID program blends faculty development and assessment to enhance student learning and academic culture, fostering collaboration, curriculum redesign, and national scalability

Bucalos and Ellis Interview

Mar 21, 2016: Bellarmine leaders Drs. Bucalos and Ellis promote collaborative, faculty-led assessment to improve student learning, making it a core part of campus culture beyond accreditation.

Growing Assessment: Dr. S. Jeanne Horst's Influence at James Madison University

Mar 20, 2016: Dr. Jeanne Horst of JMU’s CARS blends statistical expertise with a passion for improving student learning, mentoring, and fostering growth through collaborative, personalized assessment practices

Alumni Panel: Assessment and Measurement Program

Mar 21, 2015: Six JMU Ph.D. alumni shared career insights, job search tips, and key skills from their program at an assessment panel hosted by CARS

Dr. Schuh Interview

Sep 6, 2013: Dr. John Schuh urges student affairs professionals to start assessment with available resources, stressing its role in improving programs and meeting accreditation standards.

CARS: Madison Collaborative

Sep 6, 2013: JMU’s Madison Collaborative uses assessment to teach ethical reasoning via the Eight Key Questions, integrating data-driven changes and re-assessment to improve student learning

Learning Improvement Summit

Mar 21, 2013: Drs. Banta and Ewell pioneered outcomes assessment in higher ed, shaping national efforts to evaluate university effectiveness and the value of degrees.