Assessment Mini-Grants

Assessment Mini-Grant Information

The Office of Assessment has funding available for assessment-related activities in the form of competitive Assessment Mini-Grants. These grants are available to all faculty and staff at SHSU to help fund new or ongoing assessment practices within programs, offices, or departments; or to all faculty and staff to help fund travel to make an assessment-related presentation at a professional conference. Eligible recipients may request up to $1,000.

Application Process

The process for 2024-2025 will be as follows: All applicants must complete the Assessment Mini-Grant Application and submit it to thamrick@shsu.edu. Applications will be accepted beginning February 1, 2024, with a submission deadline of May 24, 2024. Applications will be reviewed by Assessment staff, and decisions regarding grant awards will be made by June 28, 2024. Funds will be available after September 2, 2024. Recipients will be required to submit a final report by August 30, 2025.

For additional information, please review the Assessment Mini-Grant documents below and contact Tama Hamrick at 936-294-4062 or thamrick@shsu.edu with any questions.

Assessment Mini-Grant Documents

Please use the following links to access the application, rubric, and final report template. The rubric can be used as a guide while filling out the application.


Assessment Mini-Grants Awarded for 2024-2025

Andrea Beerwinkle and Mae Lane, School of Teaching and Learning
Validation of a Survey to Assess Secondary Pre-Service Teaching Candidates' Content Literacy Knowledge and Research Self-Efficacy

Mona Cockerham, School of Nursing
Assessment and Implementation of Communication Strategies to Prevent Healthcare Errors Using TeamStepps

Eric Connolly, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Evaluating Student Preparedness for a Career in Criminal Justice

Meredith Conrey, Leadership Initiatives
SHSU's Texas Leadership Scholars Peer Mentorship Assessment

Dixuan Cui, Department of Mass Communication
Enhancing Lighting Training: A System Evaluation for Instructional Modality in VR Application

Austin Dixon, Academic Success Center
Exploring the Impact and Perceptions of Academic Recovery Programming

Steven Koether and Analeesa Santillan, Department of Biological Sciences
Starting from Scratch: Lab Instructor Influence on Undergraduate Grades

Michael Sproat, Sam Houston Memorial Museum
Sam Houston Memorial Museum Visitor Experience Assessment

Tamara Waggener, Department of Political Science
Developing and Assessing Students' Citizenship Skills

Assessment Mini-Grant Showcase

The Office of Assessment has selected the following Mini-Grants to showcase:

Maria Holmes, Honors College - Honors College Admission and Retention Assessment

Jesse Starkey, Global Center for Journalism and Democracy - International Journalism Training Follow-up Assessments

Jaron Rider, Recreational Sports - Student Staff Risk Management Knowledge and Skills Assessment

Michael Sproat, Sam Houston Memorial Museum, Sam Houston Memorial Museum Visitor Experience Assessment


Past Recipients

  • 2023-2024 Assessment Mini-Grant Recipients

    Rebecca Andrews-Dickert, Physiology and Pharmacology
    Identifying Strategies for Improvement of Peer Evaluation in TeamBased Learning

    Vivian Blackwell and William Blackwell, COE Assessment and Accreditation
    Design of an Integrated System for Tracking Program Completer Employment Outcomes

    Basem Boutros, Human Sciences
    Piloting a Cooking Demonstration Project for Food Science and Nutrition Students

    Jennifer Bunn, College of Health Sciences
    Assessment of the COHS Faculty Mentoring Program

    Beth Cory and Taylor Martin, Mathematics and Statistics
    Calculus I Concept Assessment Development

    Kendall Gragert, Honors College
    Community Engagement and Service-Learning in UNIV 1101 Honors

    Dustin Gross, Chemistry
    Diagnosing Chemistry Graduate Students' Readiness for Advanced Coursework

    Geraldine Monjardez and Patrick Buzzini, Forensic Science
    Casework Practicum as Advanced Interactive Learning Tool in Graduate . Forensic Course

    Jaime Pena Jr., First-Generation Center
    First-Gen Center Assessment

    Narasimha Shashidhar, Computer Science
    Two Conference Presentations: ProctorBox & Peer and Cooperative Learning at the Freshman Level

  • 2022-2023 Assessment Mini-Grant Recipients

    Bahia Braktia and Shantal Brissette, First-Year Experience
    Assessing FORWARD Students' Use of Academic Success Services to Develop Supportive Practices

    Sarah Browning, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
    Faculty Research Developmental Needs Assessment

    Emma Bullock, Beth Cory, and Amy Ray, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
    Developing a Reliable and Valid Vocabulary Assessment for MATH 1385

    Hannah Burkig and Jaron Rider, Recreational Sports
    Emergency Action Plan Assessment

    Kathleen Gilbert, Food Pantry
    Community Perspective Assessment of Improving Culturally Responsive Food Access

    Jacqueline Ingram and Jill Pagels, School of Teaching and Learning
    Development of a Content-Specific Literacy Assessment Instrument

    Minhyun Kim, Department of Kinesiology
    Using Technology to Enhance the Motor Skill Assessment in Adapted Physical Activity Course

    Anna Lu, Department of Communication Studies
    Assessment of Using Virtual Reality in Increasing Intercultural Communication Competence

    Taylor Martin and Beth Cory, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
    Developing a Calculus I Concept Inventory Assessment - Stage 1

    Ling Ren, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
    CJC MA/Ph.D. Program Self-Study and External Review: Addressing the Depth vs. Breadth Concern Over the Doctoral Research Portfolio Policy and Practices

    Tracy Pringer Richardson, The Graduate School
    Graduate Program Advisor Training

    Valeece Simmons-Davis, School of Teaching and Learning
    Professional Learning Communities and Teacher Candidate Efficacy with Cooperative Learning Structures

    Candace Walkley, Kevin Kalinowski, and Petra Rocic, College of Osteopathic Medicine
    Utilizing Formative Assessments to Provide Differentiated Instruction in an Osteopathic Medical Student Cohort

    Megan Woolford, College of Osteopathic Medicine
    Clinical Skills Rubric Development and Implementation

    • 2021-2022 Assessment Mini-Grant Recipients

      Jonathan Alvarez, Office of Human Resources
      Human Resources Employee Retention Analysis

      Ulan Dakeev, Department of Engineering Technology
      Neo Technologies Assessment Manual

      Patricia Durham, School of Teaching and Learning
      Increasing Literacy Specialists' Efficacy for Advocacy and Leadership Through Reciprocal Mentoring

      Steve Nenninger, Department of General Business and Finance
      Assessing EMBA Students Using a Banking Simulation

      Deborah Popham, School of Music
      Applied Music Performance Skills and Diverse Repertoire Assessments

      Amy Ray, Emma Bullock, and Mary Swarthout, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
      Developing Reliable and Valid Vocabulary Assessment for Math 1384

      Keila Tyner, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
      Enhancing Assessment and Student Learning in the Fully Online Fashion Merchandising Program

    • 2020-2021 Assessment Mini-Grant Recipients

      Leslie Anglesey, Department of English
      Assessing First-Year Writing Completion Rates Among Student Populations

      Siham Bouamer, Department of World Languages and Cultures
      Assessing Graduate Students' Oral Proficiency in World Languages and Cultures

      Benita Brooks & Helen Berg, School of Teaching and Learning
      Culturally Responsive Teaching in Teacher Preparation

      Stephen Brown, Department of Population Health
      Post-Graduation Employment Survey

      Emma Bullock & Amy Ray, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
      Developing a Reliable and Valid Vocabulary Assessment for MATH 3381

      Sheng-Lun Cheng, Donggil Song, & Marilyn Rice, Department of Library Science and Technology
      A Longitudinal Assessment of Students Motivational Processes and Products in an Online Doctoral Program to Increase Student Retention

      Ulan Dakeev, Department of Engineering Technology
      Assessment With NeoTechnologies - ARCADE

      Diane Dowdey & April Shemak, Department of English
      Assessing the English Graduate Certificate and the English MA Program

      Jason Ingram, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
      Third-Party Review of the Criminal Justice BA/BS Program

      Geraldine Monjardez, David Thompson, & Rajesh Balaraman, Department of Forensic Science, Department of Chemistry, and Department of Biological Sciences
      Imaging Technology as an Interactive Learning Tool in Undergraduate STEM Courses

      Jannah Nerren, College of Education
      Assessing Mental Health Knowledge of Teacher Educators

      Jaron Rider, Recreational Sports
      Combatting Lack of Exercise, Disconnect from the University and Social Isolations Through Virtual Recreational Programming

      Mahdi Safa, Department of Engineering Technology
      Creating Predictive Models for Business Solutions Using Geoprocessing

      Min Jae Suh, Department of Engineering Technology
      Improving the Scholarship Application Assessment Rubric: Identifying Self-Plagiarism on Scholarship Applications

      Mingkui Wei & Bing Zhou, Department of Computer Science
      Enhancement of ABET CAC Criteria on Program Educational Objectives and Continuous Improvement

    • 2019-2020 Assessment Mini-Grant Recipients

      M.C. Breen and Steven D. Koether, Academic Success Center and College of Science and Engineering Technology
      GUIA: Graduate/Undergraduate Instructor Academy Assessment

      Jin Young Choi and Douglas H. Constance, Department of Sociology
      Aligning the "Writing in Sociology" Mid-level Course Assessment Across Instructors and Formats

      Ulan Dakeev, Department of Engineering Technology
      Spatial Cognition Tools for Future Design Engineering Students

      Juan D. Daza, Rajesh Balaraman, and Patricia Ramsey, Department of Art and Department of Biological Sciences
      Assessment of a 3-day Workshop on SHSU Community Engagement: SHSU Art and Biology Department

      Jennifer J. Didier, Department of Kinesiology
      Using Virtual Reality to Increase the Learning and Assessment of our Students

      Kathleen Gilbert, COHS-Food Pantry
      Food Pantry Awareness Assessment

      Forrest Lane, Department of Educational Leadership
      Impact of First-Year Seminars on Students Placed into Developmental Education

      Benjamin Mitchell-Yellin and Glenn Sanford, Department of Psychology & Philosophy
      Developing a Writing Assessment Instrument for PHIL 2306

      Carolyn Moore, School of Music
      Developing a Comprehensive Plan for Assessing Music Therapy Students' Professional Disposition and Clinical Musicianship SKills

      Lori Rose, Ericka Dupclay, Lixin Wang, and Rajesh Balaraman, Department of Biological Sciences
      Evaluation of Laboratory Assistants in the Department of Biological Sciences

      Temilola Salami, Department of Psychology & Philosophy
      Identifying Human Trafficking Victims: Measurement Development and Validation

      Danica L. Schieber, Department of General Business and Finance
      The Search for Confidence: Analyzing Student Presentation Reflections

      Michael Sproat, Sam Houston Memorial Museum
      Sam Houston Memorial Museum Strategic Planning

      Dana Van De Walker, International Programs
      Best Practice Perspectives on International Student Recruitment from Texas Community Colleges

      Tamara Waggener, Department of Political Science
      Assessing Civic and Political Engagement

    • 2018-2019 Assessment Mini-Grant Recipients

      Sinem Akay-Sullivan, Department of Counselor Education
      Implementing Heart Rate Variability and Blood Oxygen Saturation Measurements in Assessment and Treatment of Trauma

      Min Kyung An and Peter Cooper, Department of Computer Science
      Development of Transition Plans to New Mandatory ABET CAC Criteria

      Jessica Bedore, Department of Agricultural Sciences
      Assessing Knowledge and Skills in Equine Nutrition

      Wyatt Brown, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
      MSCJ Graduate Exit Exam Implementation

      Jin Young Choi and Douglas H. Constance, Department of Sociology
      Aligning the Sociology Capstone Course Across Teaching Formats and Instructors

      Lindsay Clark, Department of General Business and Finance
      Scaffolding for Success in Information Literacy

      Dana Grant, Residence Life
      Residence Life Student Satisfaction Assessment Project

      Melinda Holt, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
      Assessment of Core Mathematics Interventions

      John Jordan, SAM Center
      Attending the NACADA Assessment Institute for Training and Workshops

      Jannah Nerren, College of Education
      CAEP Conference Travel

      Megan Richardson, Office of Health Promotion
      National College Health Assessment

      Jaron Rider, Recreational Sports
      Instilling a Growth Mindset in Challenge Course and Climbing Wall Participants

      William Shepherd, Department of Physics
      Specifications-Based Grading in Upper-Division Physics

      Susanna Shupp, Academic Success Center
      Assessment of State Mandated Co-Requisite Math Models

      Tabitha Tipton, Lowman Student Center
      Safety Certifications

    • 2017-2018 Assessment Mini-Grant Recipients

      Tatiana Artamonova, Department of World Languages and Cultures
      Comparing the Outcomes of Online and Face-to-Face Spanish Courses

      William Blackwell, Department of Language, Literacy, and Special Populations
      Design and Implementation of a Program Completer Survey to Inform Curriculum Decisions

      Simone Camel, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
      New Accreditation Standards Assessment Workshop

      Christina Ellis, College of Education
      Teacher Preparation Capstone Portfolio

      Dana Grant, Residence Life
      Residence Life Student Satisfaction Assessment Project

      Jannah Nerren, College of Education's Center for Assessment
      Artful Assessment: College-Wide Assessment Mini-Conference

      Ryan Randa, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
      College of Criminal Justice Senior Exit Survey

      Megan Richardson, Office of Health Promotion
      SHSU Fights the Flu: Strategies for Increasing the Vaccination Rate at a Large University

      Ashly Smith and Traci Austin, Department of General Business and Finance
      Improving Professional Presentation Skills: Skills Assessment and Peer Feedback with Video Recordings

      Michael Sproat, Sam Houston Memorial Museum
      Sam Houston Memorial Museum Visitor Experience Assessment

      Jeffrey Sullivan, Department of Counselor Education
      Implementing Personality Assessment Inventory

      Candice Wilson, First-Year Experience
      Freshman Learning Communities Assessment

      David Yebra, High Potential Employee Leadership Academy
      Leadership Academy Meta-Assessment

    • 2016-2017 Assessment Mini-Grant Recipients

      William Blackwell, Department of Language, Literacy, and Special Populations
      Developing Multi-Point Assessment Instruments for Measuring the Knowledge, Ethical and Professional Reasoning, and Growth

      Mae Cox, Julie Herron, Jamie Coyne, and Victoria Hollas, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
      Assessment of Teaching Post Bacc Students

      Sarah Fritsch, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
      Calculus Preparation Project

      Dana Grant, Residence Life
      Annual Residence Life Student Satisfaction Survey

      Lisa Muftic, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
      Assessing Criminal Justice Living Learning Communities

      Jaron Rider, Recreational Sports
      Student Staff Risk Management Knowledge and Skills Assessment

      Michael Sproat, Sam Houston Memorial Museum
      Sam Houston Memorial Museum Visitor Experience Assessment

      Ann Stiles and Linda James, School of Nursing
      Teaching Transcultural Self-Efficacy in Nursing Students

      Mary Williams, Department of Kinesiology
      Assessing Inter-Professional Education in Healthcare Professions

      Kelly Zinn, School of Nursing
      A Pilot Study Assessing the Impact of Virtual Simulation on Clinical Judgment and Confidence in Pre-Licensure BSN Students

    • 2015-2016 Assessment Mini-Grant Recipients

      Patsy Collins, Student Money Management Center
      Classroom Assessment Utilizing Student Response Systems

      Karla Eidson, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
      First Generation College Students Perceptions of Study Abroad

      Jose Santiago, Department of Kinesiology
      Development of an Instrument to Assess Pre-Service Physical Education

      James Van Roekel, Lowman Student Center
      Lowman Student Center Student Participation Tracking

    • 2014-2015 Assessment Mini-Grant Recipients

      Julie Albert and Linda Zientek, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
      Student Success Rates of Developmental Mathematics Students By Student Profiles

      Maria Holmes, Honors College
      Honors College Admission and Retention Assessment

      John Jordan, SAM Center
      Qualitative Program Assessment

      Steven Koether, College of Sciences
      FoS: Online Peer Evaluation of Effort - Improving the Ease of Use

      Valerie Powell, Department of Art
      Assessing Risk-Taking in the Classroom

      Todd Primm, Department of Biological Sciences
      Developing the Microbiology Concept Inventory

      Glenn Sanford and David Wright, Department of Psychology and Philosophy
      Assessing Student Metacognition as an Indicator of Critical Thinking Skills

      Jesse Starkey, Global Center for Journalism and Democracy
      International Journalism Training Follow-up Assessments

      James Van Roekel, Lowman Student Center
      LSC Student Evaluation

      Tamara Waggener, Department of Political Science
      Assessment and Pedagogy in Required POLS Course