UNM NAMES OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR

July 23, 2003

UNM NAMES OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR

Dr. Nancy Uscher, University of New Mexico associate provost for Academic Affairs/Curriculum and Instruction, today announced the appointment of Associate Professor of Sociology Paul Steele to the position of outcomes assessment coordinator.

Steele, who assumes his new title at the beginning of the 2003 fall semester, will be responsible for working with various University constituencies to help set policy for UNM's assessment activities in areas related to UNM's student recruitment, retention and graduation rates and efforts, Uscher said. "Additionally, the coordinator will collaborate with the UNM Office of Institutional Research on appropriate assessment projects," she said.

"I am very pleased that Paul has accepted this challenging responsibility. He has a solid background in program evaluation and is a dedicated teacher and scholar. He has much to contribute to the assessment goals of the university," Uscher said.

Steele said he views assessment research as "a tool to promote positive outcomes for all stakeholders, including students, faculty, administrators, funding and accrediting groups and others. For me, the best evaluation work considers the needs of all stakeholders, is interactive and empowering, and is organized to help improve program or policy effectiveness, impact and efficiency."

However, he explained that "assessment can only produce positive outcomes when stakeholders join together to use the findings in constructive ways. Fortunately, I believe that excellence in teaching and learning is broadly and enthusiastically supported throughout the UNM community. As a consequence, I believe that the assessment process and its resulting innovation is more likely to be a collaborative adventure than an individual responsibility," he said.

Steele joined the UNM faculty as an assistant professor in 1979. At UNM, he is a 2002 recipient of the Gunther Starkey Award for Teaching Excellence and has participated in innovative teaching opportunities, such as UNM's Freshmen Seminar program and the Albuquerque Teacher's Institute summer seminar program.

Additionally, Steele has worked to develop new teaching models and degree programs, such as the Criminal Justice baccalaureate degree program on UNM's main campus, as well as other programs on UNM's main and branch campuses.

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