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Assessment and Accreditation Council

The Assessment and Accreditation Council advises on and facilitates matters related to:

  • The ongoing, systematic cycle of assessing student learning at the program-, unit-, and school-level; and
  • The University's reaffirmation of accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission.

Started in 2008, the Assessment and Accreditation Council (AAC) is a group of academic and administrative leaders appointed by the provost and charged with facilitating the University-wide effort to assess student learning outcomes in the undergraduate and graduate curricula and co-curricula. In 2015-16, a subcommittee developed a strategic framework for assessment to articulate an institutional strategy for student learning assessment within Northwestern's decentralized structure.

Co-chaired by leadership from the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching, the AAC ensures that school- and unit-based approaches to assessment of student learning are aligned with the institutional strategy and supports efforts to track progress toward institutional goals for student learning assessment. School representatives on the AAC share with each other valuable insights to consider as each school advances its assessment of programmatic student learning outcomes. AAC members are the primary channels for disseminating assessment best practices by championing assessment in their school and unit communities. Additional information about student learning assessment at Northwestern can be found on the Searle Center's Assessment and Curricular Change website.

In addition, the AAC serves as an advising body for the University's reaffirmation of accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission. Northwestern was reaffirmed for accreditation in July 2015 and will undergo its next comprehensive evaluation for accreditation in 2024-25. More information about Northwestern's accreditation process can be found on the University Accreditation page.

 

Council Members

  • Jennifer Keys, Co-chair; Senior Director of the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching
  • Lina Eskew, Co-chair; Assistant Director, Equitable Assessment, Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching
  • Rob Aaron, Executive Director of Student Affairs Assessment and Planning, Student Affairs
  • Jacqueline Babb, Chair of the Faculty Senate’s Educational Affairs Committee; Senior Lecturer and Director of IMC Full-Time Program, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications
  • Lori D. Barcliff Baptista, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Advising; Professor of Instruction, Department of Performance Studies, School of Communication
  • Wesley Burghardt, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Engineering; Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
  • Shoshannah Cohen, Manager of Institutional Analysis, Administration, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
  • Debbie Crimmins, Senior Director of Institutional Research, Office of the Provost
  • Lauri Dietz, Director of Pedagogy and Assessment, Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching
  • Celina Flowers, Assistant Provost for Faculty, Office of the Provost
  • Victoria Getis, Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies, Northwestern Information Technology
  • Michelle Guittar, Head of Instruction and Curriculum Support; Librarian for Latin American and Latinx Studies, Northwestern Libraries
  • Desiree Hanford, Professor and Director of Academic Integrity and Appeals, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications
  • Greg Hanifee, Associate Dean, Degree Operations; Clinical Assistant Professor of Management, Kellogg School of Management
  • Linda Jacobs, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Bienen School of Music
  • S. Venus Jin, Associate Dean for Education, Professor in Residence, Northwestern University in Qatar
  • Alison Lanser Phillips, Business Systems Analyst, Office of the Registrar
  • Becky McAlister, Registrar, Pritzker School of Law
  • Celia L. O’Brien, Assistant Dean for Program Evaluation and Accreditation; Assistant Professor, Medical Education, Feinberg School of Medicine
  • Laura Panko, Assistant Dean for Curriculum and Assessment, Administration; Professor of Instruction, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
  • Amit Prachand, Associate Vice President for Information and Analytics
  • Mearah Quinn-Brauner, Assistant Provost for Strategy and Policy, Office of the Provost
  • Angela Ripp, Director of Academic Affairs, The Graduate School
  • Kimberly Scott, Associate Dean for Innovation and Program Development; Director and Assistant Professor, Master’s in Learning and Organizational Change Program, School of Education and Social Policy
  • Elizabeth Trubey, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs; Professor of Instruction, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
  • Susan Beth Wesner, Assistant Dean of the Undergraduate and Credit Programs, School of Professional Studies
  • Lee West, Director for Undergraduate Education, Office of the Provost
  • Hilary Zimmerman, Director for Diversity Initiatives, Evaluation and Assessment, Institutional Diversity and Inclusion