Alverno College Wins National Award for Student Assessment

Alverno College will receive the 2021 Trudy W. Banta Lifetime Achievement in Assessment Award, given to national leaders in assessment work.

The award has previously only been given to individuals, making Alverno the first institution to receive it.

“This is a tremendous honor for Alverno College,” said Joseph Foy, Ph.D., vice president for Academic Affairs. “This prestigious award is a testament to the legacy of educational innovation that Alverno is known for, as well as the continued excellence provided by Alverno’s staff and faculty today. I am very proud of our campus community and of the Alverno College students who demonstrate in their personal and professional lives the transformational power of our outcomes-based approach to education.”

The award will be presented at the 2021 Assessment Institute in Indianapolis, hosted by Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) from October 24–27. The IUPUI Assessment Institute is the oldest and largest U.S. higher education event focused on assessment and improvement. This year’s virtual event will include more than 250 educational sessions addressing a range of assessment topics, themes and trends. Several thousand attendees from across the U.S. and several foreign countries are expected to attend.

Since the early 1970s, Alverno College has been a leader in teaching and assessment, pioneering an ability-based curriculum that focuses on eight skills most valued by employers: communication, analysis, problem solving, valuing in decision-making, social interaction, developing a global perspective, effective citizenship, and aesthetic engagement. Rather than receiving traditional letter grades, Alverno students are assessed by faculty members, peers and professionals. This in-depth feedback allows students to understand how to capitalize on their strengths and improve their weaknesses.

Educators from around the world attend Alverno’s annual Summer Assessment Workshop, which this year will be held virtually on June 2, 4 and 7. Faculty, administrators and staff who are experts at designing and implementing assessment methods will guide attendees through understanding and exploring learning outcomes, competency-based education, student assessment-as-learning, and institutional assessment. For more information or to register, visit alverno.edu/Workshop.

About Alverno College

Founded in 1887 by the School Sisters of St. Francis, Alverno College promotes the academic, personal and professional development of its students in a collaborative and inclusive environment. Undergraduate programs for women are offered in more than 60 areas of study, and graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology, school psychology, music therapy, music and liturgy, and business are open to women and men.

A leader in higher education innovation, Alverno has earned international accolades for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, which emphasizes hands-on experience and develops in-demand skills. The college, Wisconsin’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution, ranks among the top schools in the Midwest for its commitment to undergraduate teaching and innovation by U.S. News & World Report. For two years, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education named Alverno the country’s most inspiring college.

Based in Milwaukee, Wis., Alverno College is a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college.