Assessment and Accreditation Council
The Assessment and Accreditation Council (AAC) advances Â鶹´«Ã½’s Strategic Framework for Assessment and supports the University’s ongoing accreditation efforts through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Convened by the Office of the Provost and its Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching, the AAC serves as a cross-institutional council of academic, co-curricular, and administrative leaders who:
- Identify emerging institutional opportunities, challenges, and priorities related to assessment, accreditation, and continuous improvement of student learning;
- Strengthen institutional capacity for sustainable, evidence-informed assessment through professional development and resources, communication, infrastructure, and visibility tailored to local needs and priorities; and
- Cultivate a shared culture of assessment that advances Â鶹´«Ã½’s mission, vision, and core values through collaboration, reflection, transparency, and a commitment to student success.
The Council’s work is guided and supported by its executive sponsors, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Karen Smilowitz and Associate Provost for Strategy and Policy Roma Khanna, ensuring alignment with University priorities and the HLC accreditation framework.
Co-chaired by leadership from the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching, the AAC ensures that school- and unit-based approaches to assessment of student learning are aligned with the institutional strategy and supports efforts to track progress toward institutional goals for student learning assessment. AAC members engage in complementary ways, offering strategic direction, subject-matter expertise, operational insight, and connections to local contexts in order to foster a collaborative environment that strengthens institutional effectiveness and fosters shared learning across academic, co-curricular, and administrative units.
Additional information about assessment of student learning at Â鶹´«Ã½ can be found on the Searle Center's Assessment and Curricular Change website.
In addition, the AAC serves as an advising body for the University's reaffirmation of accreditation by the HLC. Â鶹´«Ã½ was reaffirmed for accreditation in August 2025 and will undergo its next comprehensive evaluation for accreditation in 2034-35. More information about Â鶹´«Ã½'s accreditation process can be found on the University Accreditation page.
Council Members
- , Co-chair; Senior Director of the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching
- , Co-chair; Senior Assistant Director of Assessment, Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching
- Rob Aaron, Executive Director of Student Affairs Assessment and Planning, Student Affairs
- , Chair of the Faculty Senate’s Educational Affairs Committee; Senior Lecturer and Director of IMC Full-Time Program, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications
- , Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Advising; Professor of Instruction, Department of Performance Studies, School of Communication
- Erica Wilke Bova, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate and Post-Baccalaureate Programs, School of Professional Studies
- , Associate Dean of Undergraduate Engineering; Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
- , Manager of Institutional Analysis, Administration, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
- Debbie Crimmins, Senior Director of Institutional Research, Office of the Provost
- , Associate Dean for Faculty; Assistant Professor of Musicology, Bienen School of Music
- Celina Flowers, Assistant Provost for Faculty, Office of the Provost
- , Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies, Â鶹´«Ã½ Information Technology
- , Head of Instruction and Curriculum Support; Librarian for Latin American and Latinx Studies, Â鶹´«Ã½ Libraries
- , Professor and Director of Academic Integrity and Appeals, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications
- , Associate Dean, Degree Operations; Clinical Assistant Professor of Management, Kellogg School of Management
- Amy J. Hauenstein, Director of Professional Programs, Office of the Provost
- , Associate Dean for Education, Professor in Residence, Â鶹´«Ã½ in Qatar
- Andrianna Kurzenberger, Associate Director for Strategy and Policy, Office of the Provost
- Michelle Manno, Associate Provost for Community Enrichment
- , Registrar, Pritzker School of Law
- Marina Micari, Director, Academic Support & Learning Advancement
- , Assistant Dean for Program Evaluation and Accreditation; Assistant Professor, Medical Education, Feinberg School of Medicine
- , Assistant Dean for Curriculum and Assessment, Administration; Professor of Instruction, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
- Alison Lanser Phillips, Business Systems Analyst, Office of the Registrar
- , Associate Vice President for Information and Analytics
- Mearah Quinn-Brauner, Assistant Provost for Strategy and Policy, Office of the Provost
- , Director of Academic Affairs, The Graduate School
- , Associate Dean for Innovation and Program Development; Director and Assistant Professor, Master’s in Learning and Organizational Change Program, School of Education and Social Policy
- , Director of Pedagogy and Curricular Development, Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching
- , Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs; Professor of Instruction, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences