History

Research & Practice in Assessment (RPA) evolved over the course of several years. Prior to 2006, the Virginia Assessment Group produced a periodic organizational newsletter. The purpose of the newsletter was to keep the membership informed regarding events sponsored by the organization, as well as changes in state policy associated with higher education assessment. The Newsletter Editor, a position elected by the Virginia Assessment Group membership, oversaw this publication. In 2005, it was proposed by the Newsletter Editor, Robin Anderson, Psy.D. (then Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness at Blue Ridge Community College) that it be expanded to include scholarly articles submitted by Virginia Assessment Group members. The articles would focus on both practice and research associated with the assessment of student learning. As part of the proposal, Ms. Anderson suggested that the new publication take the form of an online journal.

The Board approved the proposal and sent the motion to the full membership for a vote. The membership overwhelmingly approved the journal concept.  Consequently, the Newsletter Editor position was removed from the organization’s by-laws and a Journal Editor position was added in its place. Additional by-law and constitutional changes needed to support the establishment of the Journal were subsequently crafted and approved by the Virginia Assessment Group membership.  As part of the 2005 Virginia Assessment Group annual meeting proceedings, the Board solicited names for the new journal publication. Ultimately, the name Research & Practice in Assessment was selected. Also as part of the 2005 annual meeting, the Virginia Assessment Group Board solicited nominations for members of the first RPA Board of Editors.  From the nominees Keston H. Fulcher, Ph.D. (then Director of Assessment and Evaluation at Christopher Newport University), Dennis R. Ridley, Ph.D. (then Director of Institutional Research and Planning at Virginia Wesleyan College) and Rufus Carter (then Coordinator of Institutional Assessment at Marymount University) were selected to make up the first Board of Editors. Several members of the Board also contributed articles to the first edition, which was published in March of 2006.

After the launch of the first issue, Ms. Anderson stepped down as Journal Editor to assume other duties within the organization. Subsequently, Mr. Fulcher was nominated to serve as Journal Editor, serving from 2007-2010.  With a newly configured Board of Editors, Mr. Fulcher invested considerable time in the solicitation of articles from an increasingly wider circle of authors and added the position of co-editor to the Board of Editors, filled by Allen DuPont, Ph.D. (then Director of Assessment, Division of Undergraduate Affairs at North Carolina State University).  Mr. Fulcher oversaw the production and publication of the next four issues and remained Editor until he assumed the presidency of the Virginia Assessment Group in 2010. It was at this time Mr. Fulcher nominated Joshua T. Brown (Director of Research and Assessment, Student Affairs at Liberty University) to serve as the Journal’s third Editor and he was elected to that position.

Under Mr. Brown’s leadership Research & Practice in Assessment experienced significant developments. Specifically, the Editorial and Review Boards were expanded and the members’ roles were refined; Ruminate and Book Review sections were added to each issue; RPA Archives were indexed in EBSCO, Gale, ProQuest and Google Scholar; a new RPA website was designed and launched; and RPA gained a presence on social media. Mr. Brown held the position of Editor until November 2014 when Katie Busby, Ph.D. (then Assistant Provost of Assessment and Institutional Research at Tulane University) assumed the role after having served as Associate Editor from 2010-2013 and Editor-elect from 2013-2014.

Ms. Katie Busby served as RPA Editor from November 2014-January 2019 and focused her attention on the growth and sustainability of the journal. During this time period, RPA explored and established collaborative relationships with other assessment organizations and conferences. RPA readership and the number of scholarly submissions increased and an online submission platform and management system was implemented for authors and reviewers. In November 2016, Research & Practice in Assessment celebrated its tenth anniversary with a special issue. Ms. Busby launched a national call for editors in fall 2018, and in January 2019 Nicholas Curtis (Director of Assessment, Marquette University) was nominated and elected to serve as RPA’s fifth editor.