Chair-Elect / Chair / Past Chair

1) Basic Information: a. Name: Michael L. King, PhD b. Institution: The University of Southern Mississippi c. Title: Assistant to the VP for Student Affairs d. Department: Office of the VP for Student Affairs 2) Please describe why you are interested in becoming a Directorate member with the Commission for Assessment & Evaluation. After attending the 2014 Assessment Institute, I found myself most appreciative of the highly intentional and coordinated focus on professional and assessment-skill development. I knew then I wanted to be part of this team. I later learned more about the CAE and made sure to attend the 2016 ACPA conference in Montreal. I was pleased to meet more CAE folks who were also welcoming, supportive, and committed to doing quality work. I am interested in becoming a directorate member because I would like more opportunities to immerse myself in discussions about the profession and be part of (and contribute to) the evolving success of this profession. 3) How do you believe your past experience and expertise in the field of assessment in student affairs will relate to your position on the Directorate?

In my four and a half years in student affairs, my assessment responsibilities have only expanded. Initially, my assessment focus was only part of my responsibilities in our Union & Programs department, but just a year into my position I began coordinating the collection and review of our division’s SACS-related ‘unit assessment reports.’ In the three years of administering this process, I was able to make this a far more meaningful process for our units, whereas it was initially seen as an edict, devoid of explanation and follow-through. To foster this cultural change, I began hosting professional development seminars and many one-on-one meetings to provide the much-needed assistance for our directors tasked with preparing these reports. Recently, I assumed a new divisional role in the Vice President’s office and am now tasked with developing our division’s first-ever strategic plan, which will provide a much-needed and enhanced level of direction. My interest and desire to perform these responsibilities are rooted firmly in my passionate desire to be part of solutions, particularly solutions that improve systems of higher education. I believe these experiences, as well as my experience leading the Board of Directors for our local Habitat for Humanity affiliate, will closely relate to the work required as a CAE directorate member. 4) Please describe any previous involvement in the Commission for Assessment and Evaluation, or any other ACPA- related work/presentations.

My student affairs association membership originated with ACUI. I have presented on assessment topics at ACUI’s 2014 and 2015 national conferences. Also, I co-authored an article published in the 2015 Nov/Dec issue of ACUI’s The Bulletin, in which we wrote about how to establish a culture of assessment within one’s department. I also have numerous national and regional presentations from my former life as a Communication Studies researcher and educator, which I hope speaks to my ability to organize and construct helpful conference presentations. However, I regret to report that I have not yet submitted a session for an ACPA conference. I don’t like attending conferences without contributing as a session presenter, but this summer was consumed by organizational and job description changes. Ugh. I also don’t like excesses. 5) Below you will find a list of committees in which Directorate members collaborate throughout the year. Please provide ONE idea that you believe could benefit the Commission as it relates to any one of these committees:

a. Student Affairs Assessment Institute: Planning, implementing, and evaluating the annual Institute When it comes to the Assessment Institute, not much could be improved, but perhaps CAE could consider providing additional time or perhaps a supplementary set of sessions that allows space for attendees to work on individual projects. This could be in the form of a “work room” that is staffed by an experienced/seasoned assessment professional available for questions. This space would further enable attendees to bring back tangible deliverables enhanced by outside expert advice. I found the faculty to be approachable for one-on-one meetings in which these type of conversations could take place, but introverts might find it easier to approach faculty in a space like I described. Such an addition might even encourage people to return in subsequent years. This service could be provided at the national convention as well. b.Communications: Coordinate and provide regular updates for blog, website, and social media; liaison with workgroups c. Commission Logistics: Coordinate convention activities, elections process, and orientation for new members d.Convention Program Series: Identify hot topics/best practices; solicit programs and lead presenters e. CAS: Work with ACPA CAS liaison to provide resources f. Webinars: Identify topics; plan, implement, and evaluate 3-4 webinars g.Online Learning: Work with the International Office to develop 2+ online learning modules on assessment topics h.Book Discussions: Develop 4 article/book discussions utilizing various methods (webinar, social media) i. Publications: Coordinate 2-3 publications on theme-based or stand-alone topics; team to plan/author or recruit writers This idea doesn’t necessarily fit with the above areas, but I think it’s worth mentioning. I believe many benefits could come from creating and overseeing a small set of assessment awards. There are several possibilities, but one area I think would be especially helpful to campuses everywhere is something like a “Closing the Loop” award. Such an award would recognize a person, department, or division who reports sound assessment practice resulting in a closing-the-loop exemplar. We could publish honorable mentions as well. These archived examples could provide practitioners with helpful descriptions of ideally constructed and enacted assessments.

6) After reading the introductory statement below about the ACPA Leader Selection Process, take a moment to reflect on your own experiences at the intersections of equity, inclusion and diversity. How will your experiences help you in our work to champion equity, inclusion and diversity within and outside the ACPA community?

My formative years were spent in a rural and predominantly white area of the country where the biggest perceived differences in people were 1) whether you lived in town or on a farm and 2) whether you were Lutheran or Catholic. However, as I experienced various collegiate atmospheres I continually learned about a vast array of backgrounds, perspectives, life experiences, etc., and I found myself forever intrigued. Given this intrigue, I’ve worked to expose myself to and learn about unfamiliar populations and cultures, which is in part evidenced by my 2008 relocation from the comfortable and familiar Midwest to my current location in South Mississippi. I strongly support equity, inclusion, and diversity, as these components contribute to and help ensure a diversity of thought and ideas, which I work to ensure is represented on all my committees.

Introductory Statement The ACPA Leader Nomination and Election process provides a defining moment in the development of our organization. It is an opportunity to ensure that people with the necessary competencies are leading ACPA and providing governance that will secure the future of the organization, fulfill the objectives of the association, and deliver long lasting sustainable benefits and results. It is also an opportunity to try to ensure that from the outset as many leaders as possible have an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion understanding and competencies, as well as commitment and confidence to deliver on the explicit strategic priorities of ACPA.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion skills are critical requirements of leadership in ACPA. Embedding and integrating Equity, Diversity and Inclusion into core or mainstream activities is a competence organizations have struggled with in the past, but ACPA has a legacy and a commitment to get this right.

The capability for getting this right must include knowledge, skills and experience engaging and partnering with individuals and groups from multiple identities and the capacity to integrate a diversity of views and information into the decision- making of leadership. Ultimately, ACPA is acting as a champion for students, faculty and other staff and their interests, ensuring high standards of quality and consistency of support and growth for all.