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Assessment day is an annual event hosted by UW-Whitewater. Assessment day is a day where people are brought together so they can share the work they have done on excessing student learning. People from individual programs, student affairs or even across campus come together to bring the information and data that they have gathered on what students have learned and what they experienced from their programs. It’s a day for people to share their work and their accomplishments.

Every year there is a keynote speaker presentation, a panel presentation and a poster session that are included in the exciting events of the day.

The keynote speaker for 2019 was Dr. Peter Felten. Felten is a professor of history, assistant provost for teaching and learning, and executive director of the Center for Engaged Learning at Elon University. Felten talks about six factors that are learning, relationships, expectations, alignment, improvement and leadership.

Felton believes that improvement is at the top of these six factors.

“We can always do better in what we are doing. And we can always support our students in learning more.”

Assessment Day is a day to honor research on improving student assessment and performance. At the University Center in the Hamilton room, anyone is able to go in there and see the 44 posters that have been made for Assessment Day and are able to look at the research that has been discovered.

There is tables set up for the people that attend so they are able to look over brochures, talk and trade ideas to the people around them.

Joan Littlefield Cook is the Interim Associate Host and the Director of Academic Assessment.

Academic Assessment is the process of gathering and analyzing information about student learning and using it to improve the learning process. During Assessment day Joan stays very busy making sure everything is going right and everyone is enjoying their day.

Assessment Day has a tag line and that is “Celebrate and Contact.” Cook wants to make sure that the people at Assessment Day are sharing and celebrating their work.

“It is a fun day to relax a little bit and celebrate the great things that are happening.”

Cook looks forward to this day every year.

It takes a lot of work to prepare for this day. It takes the programs and the people working in the programs to gather and assess student learning.

Assessment Day is to celebrate and to make people across campus aware of all the good work that is going on throughout the University. 2019 is the largest Assessment Day that there has been and it will continue to grow. It is open to all student, staff and faculty.

“Come and enjoy” Cook encourages, “It would be great if we could get more students to get a sense of what is going on in terms of staff and faculty and the interests in what our students are learning and what students can do to become more successful.”

Assessment Day happens every year and if you did not make it this year, mark it on your calendar and check it out for 2020 and be part of Assessment Day!