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The Assessment Network of New York (ANNY) held its annual regional conference at Buffalo State University in Buffalo. The regional conference was entitled “Empowering Assessment on our Campuses.”

The keynote address was give by Dr. Victoria M. Ferrara, Director of Educational Assessment at Mercy College. Dr. Ferrara’s presentation covered faculty-driven assessment.

In order to create a self-sustaining faculty-driven assessment process, Dr. Ferrara noted that six conditions were needed:

1. Faculty must “own” the assessment process
2. Information must be valued as a powerful tool
3. Learning expectations and methods of assessment must be identified
4. Learning outcomes evidence must be collected and analyzed
5. Evidence must be used for curriculum and program improvement
6. Assessment findings must be shared

Dr. Ferrara emphasized that faculty participation in assessment is insufficient. Instead, faculty must own the process. Faculty must drive assessment rather than comply with top-down mandates.