Doctoral Student Helps Define Quality in Higher Education

By Caitlin Mundy

Assessment and Measurement Ph.D. candidate Kristen Smith says her hands-on college experiences prepared her for her summer internship. Smith is on her way to becoming a triple duke, having earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology and her master’s degree in Psychological Sciences. She is in her final year of her doctoral program. She has published several articles, frequently presented her research at professional conferences and now teaches PSYC 210, the statistics and measurement course required for the psychology major. With the guidance of her faculty adviser, Dr. Keston Fulcher, Smith was accepted for a 2015 summer internship at the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in Decatur, Georgia.

SACSCOC is the regional accreditor for James Madison University and all other degree-granting higher education institutions throughout the southern states. Their missions is to assure the educational quality of the institutions and enhance the overall effectiveness and educational impact of these institutions. In union with this mission, Smith’s internship focused on the goal of quality educational advancement.

Under the leadership of her professional mentor Dr. Alexei Mateev, Director of Training and Research at SACSCOC, Smith worked on a qualitative research project assessing the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Impact Reports of several institutions. Smith and Mateev reviewed the Impact Reports from many different institutions, including two-year and four-year schools. Together, they created a qualitative coding system and rubric that can be used to describe the kinds of things institutions were doing through their quality enhancement plan initiatives.

When asked how her current program prepared her for this opportunity, Smith commented on the leadership opportunities and autonomous structure of the Ph.D. program here at JMU. This feeling of preparation stems from her course work in mixed methods research, opportunities to consult about assessment needs and the development of practical skills through her role as a graduate assistant. Smith stated, “I am grateful for the hands-on practice my program has given in preparation for this role and future roles.”

Although the summer has come to a close and Smith is back in Harrisonburg for her final year, her work with Dr. Mateev and SACSCOC continues. Smith and Mateev have submitted their qualitative coding framework and research findings as a research presentation for the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) Conference. Their work has been accepted by the conference, and Smith will travel to Washington D.C. in January to present with her SACSCOC colleagues. “I am happy to still be a part of this project,” said Smith. “I am happy to know that what I did this summer did not just end, and I am proud to bring national visibility to our program with an organization that truly enjoys working with and developing the research skills of students.”