Program Review

Although admittedly a small portion of my workload, assessment and program review projects have become more frequent in post-pandemic years.  I welcome invitations for this work — site-visits are preferred — and created this page to assist interested parties.

Assessment and Program Review

I have completed formal training as a program reviewer by the National Collegiate Honors Council and been employed in that capacity for honors programs in West Virginia, Montana, and Colorado, most recently in spring 2026 (Fort Lewis College).

I have also served as an English department external reviewer, most recently for East Texas A&M (undergrad and grad) in spring 2024. 

More locally, I authored the WOU English department’s self-study in fall 2025 and co-authored the Honors Program’s self-study in 2024.  I also co-authored the English department’s self-study in 2017.  I also led efforts to overhaul the honors curriculum (twice) as well as the English curriculum.

Finally, I have served on two state-wide, governmental committees in Oregon, for the Higher Education
Coordinating Commission (HECC):  the Common Course Numbering committee (for literature) and the Major Transfer Map committee.

Academic and Honors Advising

In my role as honors director, I earned campus and also national awards for academic advising. Below
I list the years for those awards, plus relevant publications and presentations delivered at NACADA (National Academic Advising Association) and NCHC (National Collegiate Honors Council) conferences:

  • “Meet Me at the Carousel: Harnessing City as Text to Build Lasting Community.” Co-authored with
    Steve Garrison and Amanda Threlkeld. (Re)Reading the World: A Festschrift Celebrating 50 Years
    of Place as Text and the Legacy of Bernice Braid. NCHC Publications, 2026.
  • Developing in Honors, opening session, panelist. NCHC national, Dallas, TX, 2022.
  • “Honors Programs and the Humanities: the Last, Best Stand?” Scholarship of Teaching and
    Learning, Savannah, GA, 2022.
  • “Who Are Faculty Advisors and How Do They Connect with Students?” Panelist, NACADA national, Cincinnati, OH, 2021.
  • “Advising in Honors: High Achievement, High Need, High Reward.” NACADA regional, Portland,
    OR, 2018.
  • “Best Practices (and Practical Bets…) in Honors Advising.” Oregon Academic Advising Conference, Monmouth, OR, 2016.
  • “Advising the Exemplary: The Uniqueness of Honors Advising.” NACADA regional, Manhattan, KS, 2016.
  • “’If Gold Shall Rust …”: Demystifying Stereotypes in Honors Advising.” NACADA regional, Seattle,
    WA, 2016.
  • Faculty Advisor of the Year, national award, NACADA, 2016.
  • Faculty Academic Advisor of the Year, Western Oregon University, 2014.
Leadership and Degrees

Director, WOU Honors Program, 2008-present.
Professor of English, Western Oregon University, 2009-present.
Trustee, WOU Board of Trustees, 2018-2020.

Major Transfer Map Committee, Higher Education Coordinating Committee, 2024-25.
Common Course Numbering Committee, Higher Education Coordinating Committee, 2023-24.
Faculty Lead, playwright Ayad Akhtar campus visit, 2019.
Faculty Lead, Mexican ex-President Vicente Fox campus visit, 2010.
President, WOU Faculty Senate, 2010-2012.
Executive Committee, WOU Faculty Senate, 2010-2016.
Associate Professor, Western Oregon University, 2004-2009.
Assistant Professor, Western Oregon University, 1999-2004.

Ph.D., English, University of Kentucky, 1999.
M.A., English, University of Kentucky, 1992.
B.A., English (Honors), University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1989.