October 25, 2018 | Joliet, Ill.
The University of St. Francis (USF) recently welcomed Dr. Lirim Neziroski as its new Dean of Teaching and Learning Outcomes. Among Neziroski’s responsibilities at the university include coordinating the assessment of general education program outcomes, collaborating with academic departments to develop continuous improvement in assessment and program reviews, overseeing first-year experience (Foundations) courses, and supervising first-year experience program coordinators. He will also oversee the Department of Academic Technology and coordinate faculty development activities.
“As I begin my tenure at USF, my main focus is on university outcomes, which is what the university promises to produce in students outside of their major studies,” Neziroski said. “It is a focus on the holistic, broader development of students.”
From skills including communication, critical thinking, integrative learning, and lifelong learning, these university outcomes are the signature characteristics USF promises to develop in students.
Neziroski said that while the overall outcomes have been identified (there are over twenty on the list), his efforts now are focused on continuing to hone how they are measured.
“We have a variety of measurement tools in place already, such as national rubrics, classroom assessments, capstone projects, post-graduation data, and other performance data, but we continue to work with instructors to identify newer, more effective, and more accurate methods of measurement and will then work to align them with our targeted outcomes,” he said.
Neziroski’s reference to aligned efforts is one of the main attributes that attracted him to USF.
“USF has clear alignment between its mission, vision, and goals and what it is doing in the classroom,” he said. “The university says it values these goals, and from the reading and research I did when I was learning more about the university, it was clear to me that the work they are doing in the classroom and the data they produce validate those values.”
Dr. Neziroski holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Georgia, an MBA in Organizational Leadership from the University of Massachusetts, a Master of Arts degree in English-Humanities from the University of Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Augustana College.
The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves 4,100 students nationwide, offering undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 49,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.
University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.
