Research Associate - Office of Educational Outcome Assessment - Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences

Case Western Reserve University, United States

Updated: 2 months ago
Location: Cleveland, OHIO

Title: Research Associate

Department: Office of Educational Outcome Assessment

School: Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences

Location: Mandel School

SupervisorName and Title: Zoe Breen Wood, Director, Office of Educational Outcome Assessment

POSITION OBJECTIVE

The Research Associate will coordinate the day-to-day research and evaluation activities of the Office of Educational Outcome Assessment. This position has primary responsibility for coordinating the collection of student outcome data from coursework, field education, and post-graduation surveys. The Research Associate will also analyze these data and construct dashboards, summary reports, and other dissemination materials. The Research Associate will assist the Office Director and Senior Research Associate in the creation of curriculum maps, assessment instruments and matrices, and other tools used to evaluate implicit and explicit curricular outcomes associated with the Master’s degrees offered at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. The Research Associate will also provide support to the Mandel School’s Educational Outcome Assessment subcommittee, and the Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) taskforce. This work is critical to the operation of the office and will provide necessary data to support the Mandel School’s application for re-accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), due December, 2025.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

  • Coordinate routine educational assessment activities of the office. Create embedded assessment data collection instruments in Excel and coordinate data collection, cleaning, preparation and analysis for required courses at the generalist level, as well as provide training materials to, and interact with, faculty around these assessments. Manage the retrieval of field instructor assessments from the Tevera database. Produce and maintain a matrix of all embedded assessment points in the curriculum. Assist the senior research associate in the analysis of program outcome data (e.g., completion rates, graduation rates, employment rates, licensure pass rates). These data may be combined with other assessment data and used as the basis of scholarly presentations or articles and may provide opportunities to gain experience in submitting an IRB application and co-authoring scholarly manuscripts. Carry out day-to-day relationship management functions with internal/external stakeholders by attending meetings, fielding requests, and devising strategies to  address stakeholder needs. (40%)
  • Manage routine student and post-graduate student surveys, including: mid-course generalist survey; graduate exit survey; and 6-month follow-up survey. (15%)
  • Analyze data and produce summary reports. Analyze embedded assessment data and field instructor ratings and prepare summary reports to be shared with faculty, and submitted to our accrediting body, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Analyze quantitative and qualitative data from student and post-graduate student surveys. In consultation with the senior research associate, devise and execute strategies to disseminate research and summary data in creative and engaging ways (e.g., via interactive dashboards). Draft research reports, journal articles, briefings, and other dissemination materials. Conduct additional comparative analyses within the student survey data and prepare summary reports and dashboards to share with faculty, staff, and students. (20%)
  • Develop instructions and/or guidelines for research activities. Manage protocols and techniques for research projects involving a high degree of skill and training, including database development and maintenance. Work closely with the director and the senior research associate to devise new protocols and techniques for the holistic assessment of competencies in the specialized curriculum. Develop and deploy a new student survey to collect data after completion of their generalist training.  Compile materials and create summary documents (e.g., curriculum maps, matrices, syllabi, etc.) required for reaccreditation application. (15%)

    • NONESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

  • Provide support to the Mandel School’s Educational Outcome Assessment subcommittee and the Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) taskforce. (5%)
  • May supervise graduate and/or undergraduate student employees. (3%)
  • Perform other duties as assigned. (2%)

    • CONTACTS

    Department: Frequent contact with supervisor and/or senior research staff to plan and discuss assessment and evaluation activities and maintain workflow. Regular contact with faculty and Field Education staff regarding student assessment and outcome data-related activities. Occasional contact with faculty and administrative staff regarding reaffirmation activities and materials.

    University: Occasional contact with other departments and divisions to share information and dissemination materials.

    External: Limited or no contact with vendors or the public.

    Students: Frequent contact with student employees to supervise basic data analytic activities and the production of dissemination materials.

    SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

    May train new staff and/or occasionally supervise undergraduate and/or graduate student employees.

    QUALIFICATIONS

    Experience: 5 years of qualitative and quantitative professional research experience required.

    Education: Master’s degree required

    REQUIRED SKILLS

  • Highly organized with strong project management and data analytic skills (qualitative and quantitative).
  • Advanced quantitative data analytic skills, especially using spreadsheet programs such as Excel and Google sheets to clean, manage, and transform data, as well as conduct summary analyses.  Experience using complex formulas, creating pivot tables, and generating summary tables and graphs is desired.  Requires a solid understanding of administrative data sources and data structures.  Prior experience with statistical analysis packages (e.g., SPSS) and survey software (e.g., Qualtrics) preferred. Experience creating interactive dashboards and charts using data visualization software, such as Tableau and Power BI. 
  • Experience analyzing qualitative data (e.g., thematic analysis) and in selecting illustrative quotes.  
  •  Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong interpersonal skills.
  • Ability to work collaboratively in a small team environment with faculty, staff, and students.
  • Ability to work independently; following established guidelines to administer and track existing data collection and analysis activities; devises new protocols and guidelines to expedite and streamline office workflows
  • Ability to seek out effective solutions for common data management and project management problems.
  • Proficiency with MS Office Suite applications, email, and internet applications.
  • Knowledge of social work education preferred.
  • Ability to meet consistent attendance.
  • Ability to interact with colleagues, supervisors and customers face to face.

    • WORKING CONDITIONS

    General working conditions. May be required to attend evening and weekend meetings. Typical office  environment. No exposure to chemicals. This department is eligible for the CWRU Staff Hybrid Remote Work  Program. Under this program, the University permits hybrid remote work arrangements for eligible staff in certain departments. Eligible staff in this department are currently permitted to work up to two hybrid work days per week after successful completion of a three-month orientation period.

    TO APPLY:

    All resumes and cover letters should be sent to Dr. Karen Ishler, Senior Research Associate at the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at [email protected].


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