Upcoming Events

Seal of Excelencia (SOER) Readiness Grant Project

• Application Deadline: September 16, 2026
• Program Period: Fall 2026 through Spring 2027

Apply to Position

Program Overview

In collaboration with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics, the Office of Assessment invites 
applications from faculty members (full-time or part-time) with demonstrated expertise or interest in 
qualitative research, student success, equity-minded assessment, or related fields. This opportunity is 
supported by the Seal of Excelencia grant and expands Stanislaus State’s Faculty-Scholar model, by pairing 
faculty mentors with student researchers to analyze open-ended student experience data and translate 
findings into institutional action.

The project is designed to strengthen the University’s readiness for the Seal of Excelencia by advancing data informed, equity-centered practices that elevate the lived experiences of students, with particular attention to Latine students and other historically underserved populations. Scholars will collaborate with graduate student researchers, Office of Assessment staff, institutional partners, and campus stakeholders to examine student engagement, belonging, mentorship, barriers to persistence, and culturally responsive support systems. The results will inform practice and initiatives related to the Stan State Strategic Plan and the Student Success Framework. 

Project Focus and Data Sources

Faculty and staff scholars will guide the qualitative analysis of open-ended student survey responses and 
engagement feedback. Potential data sources include the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), the HEDs Sense of Community Survey (2025), and institutional
student success initiatives. The project will use qualitative research design and a collaborative inquiry process to develop coding frameworks, identify themes, interpret findings, and formulate equity-focused 
recommendations to inform practice and initiatives related to the Stan State Strategic Plan and the Student 
Success Framework.

Faculty/Staff Scholar Responsibilities

• Provide leadership in qualitative research design, coding, thematic analysis, data interpretation, and equity minded inquiry.
• Mentor student researchers in qualitative methods, ethical data practices, use of qualitative analysis software, and effective communication of findings.
• Facilitate regular project-team meetings, including biweekly faculty-student research meetings during the primary analysis period.
• Collaborate with project co-directors and institutional partners to identify relevant data sources, refine research protocols, and align the work with institutional priorities.
• Guide the development and refinement of coding frameworks and support inter-rater dialogue and consistency across the research team.
• Engage campus stakeholders and student success workgroups in reviewing preliminary findings and identifying actionable recommendations.
• Contribute to reports, presentations, workshops, and other dissemination products for institutional leadership, campus committees, faculty, staff, and student success partners.
• Help integrate project findings into faculty assessment workshops and connect qualitative findings with information presented in CSU equity dashboards.
• Participate in project evaluation and sustainability planning, including assessment of student learning, faculty engagement, stakeholder feedback, and the institutional utility of findings.

Expected Project Timeline

• August/September 2026: Finalize project protocols, identify data sources and campus partners, recruit the research team, and participate in training in qualitative research methods.
• Fall 2026: Conduct qualitative analysis, hold regular faculty-student research meetings, develop the initial coding framework, and identify emerging themes.
• Winter 2026-2027: Review preliminary findings with campus stakeholders and student success workgroups, collect feedback, refine themes, and identify equity-focused recommendations.
• Spring 2027: Complete analysis and interpretation; prepare reports, presentations, and workshop materials; and present recommendations to leadership and relevant committees.
• Late Spring 2027: Evaluate project outcomes and develop a sustainability and scaling plan for continued implementation and future Seal of Excelencia initiatives.

Anticipated Outcomes

• A high-impact faculty-student research and mentorship experience that develops graduate student research skills and professional capacity.
• An equity-centered qualitative analysis of student experiences related to belonging, engagement,  mentorship, persistence, and culturally responsive support.
• Actionable findings and recommendations that can inform strategic planning, program development, assessment, and continuous improvement.
• Presentations and written products shared with campus leadership, student success committees, workgroups, and faculty assessment audiences.
• Greater institutional capacity to use student voice data in support of Seal of Excelencia priorities and equitable student outcomes.

Qualifications

Applicants should demonstrate experience or strong interest in one or more of the following areas:

• Qualitative research design, coding, thematic analysis, or mixed-methods inquiry.
• Student success, educational equity, culturally responsive practices, or the experiences of Latine and historically underserved students.
• Mentoring graduate or undergraduate student researchers.
• Collaborative, interdisciplinary, or cross-divisional research and improvement work.
• Communicating research findings to academic and administrative audiences.

Compensation and Grant Support

This project and the Faculty Scholar appointments are supported by the Seal of Excelencia grant. The grant 
budget includes support for faculty and staff scholars who provide qualitative research oversight, mentorship,  data analysis, stakeholder collaboration, and dissemination. Faculty compensation will be $1000 per semester  for a total of $2000 (split into two payments). The Office of Assessment and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics will provide additional project support, including access to qualitative data analysis tools, data files, meeting support, and related resources.

Project Leadership and Reporting

The project will be led by the Faculty Fellow for Assessment and Continuous Improvement and the Institutional Effectiveness and Community Partnerships Specialist through a collaborative, cross-divisional structure. Selected scholars will work closely with the project co-directors, graduate student researchers, and Academic Affairs staff. Reporting arrangements and final deliverables will be confirmed as part of the appointment.

Application or Expression of Interest

Submit the Faculty Scholar application by September 16, 2026. Applications should briefly describe the 
applicant’s relevant expertise (including use of high impact practices), interest in the project, experience 
mentoring student researchers, and availability during the 2026-2027 project period.
For questions, contact grant Co-Directors, Erin Littlepage, Institutional Effectiveness and Community 
Partnerships Specialist, at elittlepage@csustan.edu or Jey Strangfeld, Faculty Fellow for Assessment and 
Continuous Improvement at jstrangfeld@csustan.edu.

Academic Year 2026–27

• Application Deadline: September 25, 2026  

Apply to Pilot Program 

Purpose of the Pilot 

Faculty are invited to participate in a General Education Canvas Assessment pilot designed to support clearer, more consistent assessment of General Education learning outcomes across courses and programs. 

The pilot will help faculty connect course and program learning outcomes to GE anchor outcomes and institutional learning outcomes and utilize the VALUE rubrics to assess student achievement of General Education. The pilot will take faculty through the steps of aligning course learning assessments with institutional level rubrics (VALUE) and PLOs already uploaded in Canvas, which will allow for the export and assessment of GE outcomes data without adding an additional layer of assessment outside the course. Programs will benefit from this assessment process by providing easily accessible and reviewable data for program-level discussion and evaluation of student learning.  Additionally, individual faculty benefit pedagogically from direct and specified measures of student learning in their courses.  

Pilot Goals 

The General Education Canvas Assessment pilot will: 

• Support faculty in aligning course learning outcomes with GE anchor outcomes and program learning outcomes.  

• Support faculty in aligning course assessments with course, GE, and program learning outcomes. 

• Support faculty in understanding how GE and PLO outcomes map to institutional level learning outcomes. 

• Introduce or refine the use of VALUE rubrics for assessing student learning. 

• Provide a structured Canvas shell as a place for step-by-step guidance and information sharing among the participants. 

• Generate faculty feedback on the usability of the Canvas course/module and the assessment process. 

• Help identify what kinds of data are produced through the process and how they can be used for improvement. 

• Strengthen university-wide practices for assessment, reporting, and closing the loop. 

Faculty Participation Expectations 

Faculty selected for the pilot will be currently teaching a GE course in Fall 2026.  

Additionally, faculty will be expected to: 

• Enroll in the GE Canvas Assessment pilot shell. 

• Participate regularly in synchronous pilot meetings, workshops, or course meetings (3-5 meetings). 

• Complete all asynchronous activities in Canvas, including selected modules, resources, forms, reflections, or assessment tasks. 

• Identify relevant learning outcomes of the GE course being assessed. 

• Connect relevant course learning outcomes to program learning outcomes and GE anchor outcomes via Canvas’s rubric tools. 

• Use the assigned or selected VALUE rubric to assess student learning in existing assignments used to assess GE anchor outcomes. 

• Provide feedback throughout the pilot on the clarity, usefulness, feasibility, and workload of the Canvas shell and assessment process. 

•  Attend an Assessment party to acknowledge your great work and support future cohorts! 

Participant Eligibility 

This pilot is open to any faculty member who is currently teaching at least one GE course in the fall 26 semester.  

Additionally, this pilot is especially appropriate for faculty who meet at least one of the following: 

• Are interested in improving student learning assessment. 

• Desire to help shape a clearer and more sustainable university-wide assessment process.  

• Priority is given to program/department chairs, or faculty currently involved in program assessment or annual program review, including programs either stating the APR process or at an early stage of the APR process. 

Benefits of Participation 

Faculty participants will: 

• Receive structured guidance on GE assessment expectations that can inform their pedagogical and other assessment goals. 

• Gain experience using VALUE rubrics to assess student learning. 

• Contribute to university-wide assessment improvement. 

• Help shape future Canvas-based assessment resources. 

• Provide feedback that will improve the process before broader implementation. 

• Receive a $500 professional development stipend upon successful completion of participation requirements: 

• Complete all required asynchronous Canvas modules. 

• Participate in at least 75% of the required synchronous meetings, workshops, or pilot sessions. 

• Submit required assessment materials and feedback. 

Tentative Timeline 

Fall 2026 

• Call for faculty participants released. 

• Faculty participants selected. 

• Canvas shell orientation held. 

• Initial workshops on GE outcomes, PLO alignment, and VALUE rubrics. 

• Faculty begin completing Canvas modules and identifying assessment materials. 

• Participants provide initial feedback on Canvas materials and process clarity. 

Winter 2027 

Interested faculty participants will have the opportunity to engage in the following activities for an additional stipend ($250): 

• Participants review exported Canvas findings. 

• Ongoing discussions on how to best engage with General Education data at the program and institutional level. 

• Ongoing feedback is collected on the pilot structure, workload, and usefulness. 

• Assessment team reviews findings and identifies improvements for future implementation. 

Spring 2027 

• (Optional but encouraged) Participate in spring 2027 assessment meeting to present their experiences and progress. 

Selection Criteria 

Participants (up to 10) may be selected based on: 

• Alignment with GE assessment needs. 

• Optimize representations across GE areas or disciplines. 

• Connection to current or upcoming APR cycles. 

• Ability to participate in synchronous meetings and complete asynchronous Canvas activities. 

• Interest in helping refine the assessment process for broader use. 

Apply Here