Boyd named director of Academic Assessment

Published: June 12, 2020

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Following a national search, Katie Boyd has been named director for the Office of Academic Assessment.

As director, Boyd will oversee the university's comprehensive infrastructure, efforts for programmatic and general education assessment and lead academic effectiveness data collection efforts with graduating seniors aligned with the university's strategic plan. Serving as the university's principal academic assessment advisor, Boyd will provide support to the broader campus and work to strengthen the university's culture for assessment and learning improvement.

“Dr. Boyd has supported assessment excellence at Auburn University for several years, leading to national recognition for the office,” said Norman Godwin, associate provost for academic effectiveness.“As director, she will continue to support our campus community, helping us leverage data to improve student learning and the student experience.”

Boyd joined the Office of Academic Assessment in 2016 as an assessment specialist, eventually becoming the associate director in 2017, where she supported over 300 academic degree programs in the development and completion of assessment reports. Her efforts to incorporate meta assessment into the university’s practices largely contributed to the institution's submission of its successful SACSCOC 5-year interim report.

Boyd began serving as the director in January 2020 following the transition of Megan Good to the university's director of academic quality and improvement. During that time, Boyd worked to elevate the unit's award-winning initiative, the Student Core Outcomes and Readiness Evaluation, or SCORE. The program provides the university with direct information on the extent to which Auburn students are achieving the university's general education learning goals. SCORE remains an integral part of the unit's Creed to Succeed initiative, a series of four activities all undergraduate students must complete the semester leading up to graduation. Creed to Succeed also provides the university with vital campus engagement and career outcome data.

In recent years, the university has experienced significant improvement in the implementation of quality assessment practices, both institutionally and among degree programs, something Boyd looks forward to continuing as director.

"We are well-poised to take on the continued challenge of measuring student learning and success," said Boyd. "I am excited to support units across campus in making data-informed decisions to move the needle towards greater success for Auburn graduates."

Boyd holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics and psychology from Wittenberg University and earned both a master's degree and a doctorate in industrial and organizational psychology from Virginia Tech.

Submitted by: Marisa Singh