Volume 47, May 2010 Western Michigan University’s Newsletter for Academic A airs process. Compass is owned by Kurt Wilson , a current student The Evaluation Center in the IDPE program, bringing " rsthand experience with the frustrating limitations of the existing site and passion to Items of Academic Interest develop the new site as an intuitive, useful communication platform. The designs re# ect the new standard for WMU The websites for The Evaluation Center and the design/branding, such that the top banner/top links, color Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation program are in the process scheme, and fonts match others in the University. The sidebar of a long-awaited redesign, and we expect to launch our new links on the left are those dedicated to the Center and IDPE look in early June! This large project is working to accomplish program and will NOT include “pop out” sublinks. Categories many goals at once, including these: including subpages will be accessed through “landing page” to • Bringing the design within compliance of the simplify navigation and avoid the hassle of menus popping in new WMU branding and out. standards. • Updating the content, From May 13-18, streamlining the overall Dr. Chris L. S. Coryn , organization, and assistant professor of making the overall Evaluation, Measurement, experience much more and Research and Director user-friendly. of the Interdisciplinary • Adding user-friendly Ph.D. in Evaluation, hosted ‘Content Management a four-day workshop at System’ (CMS) The Evaluation Center for functionality to facilitate the National Council of ongoing updates by Delegates from India Educational Research and center sta , faculty, and Training (NCERT) delegation even students. from India. The evaluation-focused workshop was designed to • Integrating websites for the faculty as well as course- increase the delegates’ understanding of the foundations of speci" c websites, which currently are hosted in evaluation, skills in quantitative and qualitative data analysis di erent locations. techniques, and knowledge of assessment. NCERT was • Providing space for students to build/maintain their established in 1961 by the Indian government to assist in the own web presence. formulation and implementation of national education policy, This redesign project is being completed by Compass school education reforms, and teacher preparation initiatives. Outreach Media, a Grand-Rapids based web and advertising The purpose of this study tour is to enable the delegates to company that won the project through a competitive bid Continued on next page Table of Contents College of Arts and Sciences . 4 Extended University Programs . 19 College of Aviation . .6 The Evaluation Center . 1 College of Education & Human Development . 17 Graduate College . 2 College of Engineering and Applied Sciences . 10 Haworth College of Business . 20 College of Fine Arts . 14 Offi ce of Faculty Development . 25 College of Health and Human Services. 15 University Libraries . 23 1 Prism: Western Michigan University’s Newsletter for Academic Affairs interact with evaluators and researchers from across North intense and productive programs I have been associated with America and to acquire advanced evaluation skills. Dr. Coryn in higher education.” and The Evaluation Center were selected by NCERT as one of only four stops during their North American tour. The Staff Accolades techniques the delegates learn from the workshop will be implemented in national education evaluation projects within Dr. Marianne Di Pierro , director, Graduate Center India. Additionally, Dr. Coryn and IDPE student Carl Westine for Research and Retention, presented her research on will travel to Delhi, India, this summer to assist NCERT in the Disambiguation: Through the Looking Glass - from Debrie" ng data analysis portions of the projects. to Process Improvement at Eastern Michigan University’s Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) Academy Stephen Magura , director of The Evaluation Center, Conference on May 17. Her article by the same title will and Ezechukwu Awgu , graduate student in interdisciplinary be published by the Journal for Quality and Participation evaluation, will present at the College for Problems of Drug in October 2010. Her study begins with the premise that Dependence conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., June 12-17, 2010. the dissertation advising circle is a classroom, a learning Their presentation is entitled “Heroin-Dependent O! enders’ community from which best practices are discovered Experiences with Buprenorphine vs. Methadone Maintenance.” and disseminated. Debrie" ng is the vehicle that drives continuous process improvement and implementation of Staff Accolades quality initiatives within the dissertation advising experience. Outcomes provide a foundation for procedural reform that The following new publication is available: Magura, S ., academics may consider as they work with doctoral advisees. Spybrook, J ., Rosenblum, A., Fong, C. , Villano, C. , Vogel, Di Pierro’s research, Assessing Doctoral Student Progression H. S., & Betzler, T. (2010. Undiagnosed drug misuse among was selected for presentation at the 18th National Quality admissions to psychiatric day treatment and prediction of Education Conference (NQEA) in Chicago, Ill., Nov. 7-9. NQEC early exit. Open Addiction Journal , (3), 102-108. is the nation’s leading conference for teachers, administrators, and support personnel to learn about using quality tools and concepts to improve U.S. schools. The Conference represents an opportunity for educators seeking awareness, commitment, Graduate College re" nement, and measurable progress in applying continuous improvement approaches and processes. Items of Academic Interest Student Accolades The Michigan Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (MI-AGEP) conducted a Dissertation Writing The Graduate Student Research Fund was established Retreat from May 13-16 at the MSU Biological Station and to support graduate students engaged in independent Conference Center in Hickory Corners, Mich. The event was scholarly research, scienti" c inquiry, inventive technology and hosted by the WMU Graduate College. “About half of all original artistic activity. The fund, which awards up to $1000, students who begin dissertations do not complete them,” is intended to help students pay extraordinary or unusual notes Dr. Lewis Pyenson , dean of the Graduate College. costs incurred in research projects. The March - April 2010 “The retreat aimed to set students on the right path by recipients are Michelle Barger of Geosciences; *Amanda o! ering them practical, hands-on advice.” According to Des Lauriers of the Medieval Institute; *Lisa Horton , English; Wendy Carter, the animator of the retreat who holds a *Julien Kouam, Evaluation, Measurement and Research; Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin and whose program, Amanda Quisenberry, Psychology; Andrew Riley , Psychology; Thesis and Dissertation Accomplished (TADA), formed the Aroha Rodrigues , Biological Sciences; Miles Rogers , core of the multi-day event, the focus is directed to “places Biological Sciences; Phillip Sawatzki , Biological Sciences; where students typically have problems: conceptualizing a Steven Schultze , Geography; * David Terry , History; Christina topic, developing a pre-proposal, writing a literature review, Triezenberg , English; and Jessica Urschel of Psychology. writing a proposal, analyzing data, writing the last chapter, Students with a star next to their name were awarded a and editing.” Michigan AGEP combines the resources of four supplemental international travel grant of up to $500 funded Michigan research universities to collaborate in recruiting, by the Graduate Student Advisory Committee. supporting and mentoring underrepresented minority students who are pursuing doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. AGEP at WMU now also provides services for doctoral students in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences. Tony Dennis , director of Recruitment and Retention in the Graduate College observed that, “students came away with a sense of direction, preparedness, and accomplishment. It was by far one of most 2 Prism: Western Michigan University’s Newsletter for Academic Affairs March-April Travel Grants up to $600 have been awarded campus should be congratulated for their hard work, creativity to fteen outstanding students. Travel Grants are meant to and dedication to research and scholarship. pay for extraordinary costs associated with research, including travel to archives or archeological sites, travel to interview Mr. Julien Kouam , doctoral student in the Department of people for studies, or travel to conferences to present their Evaluation, Measurement and Research and Doctoral Associate research ndings. This years March-April 2010 Awards in the Graduate Center for Research and Retention, has been went to Tracy Barshe , Speech Pathology and Audiology; awarded a Graduate Student Research Award for March-April *Joshua Bench, Counselor Education/Counseling Psychology; 2010. His research focuses on the value of a Western-style Susan Benston , Geography; Adam Fox , Psychology; Li Fu, system of evaluation in an African context. He asks what Geography; Erik Kostandyan , Industrial and Manufacturing speci c contextual measures an evaluator should take to make Engineering; Jason Lenz , English; Malvika Parmar , the results of the evaluation useable. Kouam, a native of Cte Geography; Taylor Paskin , Biological Sciences;