After twenty-five years of teaching at a community college and more than a decade devoted to outcomes assessment, I decided to focus my energies full-time to educational assessment. I created Palmetto Academic Consulting Services in December 2010 to provide quality services to faculty and institutions around the world in the areas of assessment-based online learning resources and the development, training, and implementation of outcomes assessments and student learning outcomes.

Accountability in higher education manifests itself in student learning outcomes (SLOs). Documenting the degree to which students are proficient in identified competencies is the focal point for accreditation and funding. However, it is important not to lose sight of what SLOs are really about - continuous improvement. Therefore, I assist faculty and institutions integrate SLOs at both the program and course level, and use the data collected to achieve successful deployment of the outcomes assessment process.This includes appropriately leveraging technology in the collection and analysis of data, which is imperative in keeping the assessment process manageable for institutions.

In order to ensure quality assessment of student learning, I work with publishers to develop pedagogically sound assessment-based learning resources for students. Having learning activities tagged to specific competencies and identifiable outcomes increase their usefulness to both faculty and students.

I am an advocate for outcomes assessments and the development of student learning outcomes. I focus on providing support for faculty dealing with the day-to-day challenges in educational assessment and planning. I received my Masters of Accountancy from the University of South Carolina and have the following certifications: Certified Public Accountant (South Carolina), Accredited Tax Adviser, Accredited Business Accountant and Charted Global Management Accountant. I taught for over 25 years at Midlands Technical College, Columbia SC. My resume and VITA include serving as the Chair of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Program (ACBSP) Associate-Degree Board of Commissioners, co-director of the MTC Assessment Institute, and the past-president of ACBSP. Currently, I serve on the Accreditation Governance Board for ACBSP. In addition, I assisted with the successful implementation of a college-wide student learning outcomes assessment process at my college and conduct numerous workshops and presentations at institutions, national and international conferences.

Awards and Honors:
I have been fortunate to be recognized and honored academically and professionally by my peers over the years. A partial listing is provided below:

ACBSP Distinguished Chair Award
ACBSP 2015 Outstanding Service Award
Governor’s Distinguished Professor Award- Governor’s Office, State of South Carolina
Educator of the Year -Teaching - South Carolina Technical Education Association
Midlands Technical College Foundation’s Teaching Excellence Award
Midlands Technical College’s Dunbar-Tompkins Distinguished Lecturer in Career Programs
ACBSP- Star Service Award
ACBSP Region III Outstanding Service Citation
WebCT’s International Digital Content Leader Award
Innovative Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Technology Award - Ninth International Conference of College Teaching, Learning and Technology
Southern Region Faculty Member of the Year – Association of Community College Trustees
National Teaching Excellence Award (NISOD) - University of Texas
Faculty Member of the Year - Midlands Technical College
Teaching Excellence Award - Region III - ACBSP
Student's Choice for Teacher of the Year - Midlands Technical College
Citation from the South Carolina House of Representatives for outstanding contributions to MTC, the community and accounting profession.
President's Achievement Award, Columbia Chapter the National Association of Accountants

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