2025 Summit Registration Link: Summit Registration
- Single registration: $30
- Presenter registration: $15
- Group registration (3/$70): $70
- Group registration (5/$110): $110
- ERAU faculty/staff registration: $0
- Graduate student registration: $0
2025 Submission Link: Submission Site (Submit before Jan. 10!)
Ignite the Stars: Continuous Improvement Summit 2025
Feb. 26-28, 2025
Feb. 26-27: Fully Virtual
Feb. 28: Hybrid (Virtual and from Prescott, AZ)
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is delighted to announce the Second Annual Continuous Improvement Summit, set to ignite the stars on Feb. 26-28. This three-day virtual event will bring together higher education leaders dedicated to fostering continuous improvement in their institutions.
This year’s theme, Ignite the Stars, captures the essence of our collective journey towards excellence in higher education. Just as stars illuminate the night sky, our efforts in continuous improvement light the path forward, guiding us to new heights in assessment, data utilization, institutional effectiveness, accreditation and student life.
In an era marked by rapid technological advancements, evolving educational paradigms and increasing demands for accountability, the need for continuous improvement has never been more critical. The summit serves as a platform to explore these dynamic challenges, offering a space for thought leaders, practitioners and visionaries to exchange insights, share best practices and pioneer innovative solutions.
Our focus extends beyond theory to actionable outcomes. At Embry-Riddle, we believe that "the end of assessment is action" (Walvoord, 2010). This principle underscores the importance of translating insights into meaningful changes that enhance student success and institutional effectiveness. Our conference is designed to move from shared knowledge to actionable strategies, ensuring that every discussion and presentation leads to tangible improvements. We aim, like Jonson, Guetterman and Thompson (2014), to determine the "influence of the assessment enterprise."
The first day of the summit will feature interactive workshops and case-based discussions, providing practical tools and actionable insights. On the second day, we will spotlight groundbreaking research, success stories and innovative practices through engaging presentations. The final day is geared toward internal improvement efforts at Embry-Riddle, but registrants are welcomed to attend.
Session Types
Workshop (2-4 hours): Interactive, hands-on sessions aimed at providing participants with practical tools, in-depth knowledge and actionable strategies to drive continuous improvement in their institutions. Facilitators are expected to lead engaging, activity-based learning experiences that encourage collaboration, critical thinking and skill development. Workshops should focus on applied practice, discussions and guided problem-solving, ensuring that attendees leave equipped to implement new approaches in their professional contexts.
Case-Based Discussion (1 hour): Engaging exploration of a prepared 2-3 page fictional case related to themes such as continuous improvement, assessment, student life, institutional effectiveness, data utilization, or accreditation challenges. Moderators craft realistic scenarios and accompanying discussion questions to prompt thoughtful dialogue among participants. Attendees collaborate to share experiences, exchange strategies and collectively develop a range of potential solutions, deepening their understanding and practical approaches to similar challenges at their institutions.
Presentation (50 minutes): Designed to engage participants through informative, thought-provoking content that offers practical insights and actionable strategies. Presenters are expected to share their expertise, highlight innovative practices, showcase data-driven successes, or propose solutions to pressing challenges in higher education. Sessions should foster meaningful dialogue, encourage participant interaction and provide clear takeaways that attendees can apply within their own institutions.
Themes
We invite you to join us on this illuminating journey, where we will delve into the following key areas:
1. Exploring New Frontiers in Assessment
This theme encourages the exploration of holistic assessments that bridge academic and student affairs, raising the bar for comprehensive student development evaluations. What new challenges do we face in assessment today? What inventive methodologies and forward-thinking strategies are being employed on campuses to rise to these challenges? Whether we are debating the merits of historical assessment trend data, determining how to meaningfully disaggregate data, or crafting compelling continuous improvement data stories, we want to explore new approaches to the next frontier in assessment. Much like the aerospace industry creates new technology to navigate uncharted territories, higher education must develop innovative assessment practices to chart the path for embracive student success.
2. Assessment as a Catalyst for Student Success
This theme focuses on how academic, student affairs and operational improvements can all contribute to holistic student success, paving the way for greater achievements. Assessment often carries a negative connotation with faculty and staff who wonder what happens with the data they provide. Why has the narrative seemingly lagged in connecting assessment efforts with student success outcomes? Just as a well-coordinated flight crew ensures a smooth journey, effective assessment practices can enhance curriculum effectiveness and identify areas for service enhancement. Through tailored feedback and adaptive learning approaches, students receive personalized pathways that foster deeper understanding, retention and skill development.
3. Empowering Change Agents: Faculty and Staff
This theme explores how institutions have successfully cultivated a cadre of continuous improvement leaders and how we can prepare these leaders to have maximum impact, fostering a culture of innovation and proactive development. Empowering faculty and staff to lead continuous improvement is imperative. When faculty and staff take the helm of improvement, they serve as agents of change, ensuring that academic offerings and student support services are dynamic and relevant. Similar to how pilots and ground crews must be well-trained and equipped for a successful flight, institutions must provide the right tools, training, and support to faculty and staff.
4. Innovative Technology for Transformative Assessment
This theme shows how these technological advancements can be used to innovate assessment processes, ensuring they remain relevant, efficient and aligned with contemporary educational needs. Leveraging technology in assessment transforms traditional evaluation methods, infusing them with precision, scalability and adaptability. Modern tools offer real-time analytics, facilitating instant feedback and adaptive learning pathways. Digital portfolios, AI-driven assessments and interactive platforms can strengthen student engagement, enable more equitable assessment develop personalized and adaptive learning, and ensure comprehensive skill capture. Just as advanced avionics systems have revolutionized flight, these technological tools can elevate our assessment practices to new heights.
5. Data-Driven Decision-Making and Institutional Research
This theme looks at cutting-edge techniques in data collection, analysis and reporting that can propel your institution forward. In the world of aerospace, precise data and research are crucial for safe and efficient operations and for advancing new ideas. Similarly, in higher education, robust data and institutional research are essential for informed decision-making and continuous improvement. Learn about innovative uses of data and research to drive institutional effectiveness. Explore how institutions are harnessing data to uncover insights, inform policy and enhance student outcomes.
6. Cultivating a Continuous Improvement Culture
This theme delves into strategies for embedding continuous improvement into the fabric of your institution. Just as an aircraft requires regular maintenance to ensure peak performance, educational institutions must cultivate a culture of continuous improvement to secure top-tier excellence. From creating feedback loops that drive actionable change to fostering an environment where every stakeholder is committed to excellence, this track will provide insights and best practices for sustaining long-term improvement efforts.
7. Innovating Student Life and Engagement
This theme focuses on innovative approaches to enhancing student life through continuous improvement. Student life is an integral part of the higher education experience, contributing significantly to student development and success. Discover how institutions are reimagining student services, extracurricular activities and campus environments to better support student engagement and well-being. Share your successes and challenges in creating vibrant, supportive communities and practices that foster student growth and achievement.
Your participation is key to the success of this summit. By presenting, you will have the opportunity to showcase your expertise, connect with peers, hone your research ideas, and contribute to a collective vision of excellence in higher education.
We encourage you to submit your proposals by Jan. 10. Please include a brief abstract, your session format preference (workshop, case study or presentation) and a short biography. Submissions are welcome from all areas of higher education, including faculty, administrators and student affairs professionals.
Join us as we Ignite the Stars, lighting the way for the future of higher education. We look forward to your innovative contributions and to embarking on this journey of continuous improvement together.
For highlights of the 2024 Inaugural Continuous Improvement Summit, please visit our Summit 2024 page.
Contact Us
Dr. Will Miller
Associate Vice President for Continuous Improvement & Institutional Performance
SACSCOC Liaison
Email: will.miller@erau.edu