NEW YORK— September 13, 2018 –Watermark, the largest provider of assessment, ePortfolio, faculty activity reporting, and course evaluation software for higher ed worldwide, is pleased to welcome one of its newest institutional partners, Christopher Newport University located in Newport News, Virginia. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, Christopher Newport University has selected Watermark’s planning and assessment solutions for use across campus.
Focused on using data to drive meaningful improvements, CNU adopted Watermark specifically because of its ability to increase efficiencies and create a more holistic integration of institutional effectiveness processes, including: outcomes planning, program review, learning outcomes assessment, and accreditation reporting. Christopher Newport University plans to leverage Watermark to break down data silos at the institution, reduce redundancy and time spent on manual processes, and provide more longitudinal transparency around plans, goals, outcomes, and results.
Coupled with centralizing assessment planning processes, the institution plans to use Watermark to assess student learning and performance. CNU will use Watermark assessment solutions 1) to assess their Liberal Learning Core Outcomes (GenEd), 2) to centralize their assessment data collection, and 3) to prepare institutional performance reports that will increase transparency across campus and fulfill SACSCOC accreditation reporting requirements. The institution aims to more effectively close the loop on student learning by establishing a clear process for assessment across the University that supports program-level discussions about intended outcomes, assessment plans, and results.
With over 350 employees and 1,600 member institutions, Watermark has a proven track record with other similar institutions, which helped cement CNU’s final decision.
“We believe that Watermark is a vital tool in our ability to assess student learning and gather meaningful data that will allow us to improve both student outcomes and instructional design. The ability for our faculty and other instructional personnel to view target sets, goals, outcomes, and methods of assessment will be a fantastic step in creating a visual representation of what we as an institution hope to achieve. We are choosing to implement Watermark because it will help us systematically collect and analyze the educational intelligence we need to confidently tell our institution’s story,” said Dr. Jason Lyons, Director of Assessment for Christopher Newport University.
“We’re honored to partner with Christopher Newport University. We are committed to developing the solutions that universities need to meet the challenges of effectively planning for assessment, as well as using data to improve student and institutional outcomes. We want our technology to ease these processes so that faculty and administrators can focus more on using their data to make meaningful improvements,” said Kevin Michielsen, CEO of Watermark.
Founded in 1960 as Christopher Newport College, a two-year branch of the College of William & Mary, Christopher Newport University gained independence in 1977 and became a university in 1992. Today, CNU is a four-year public university that enrolls 5,000 students in rigorous academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences through the College of Arts and Humanities, the College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, the College of Social Sciences, and the Luter School of Business. Christopher Newport is included in The Princeton Review’s 2019 Edition of “The Best 384 Colleges” guide for students and parents (among 2,500 colleges in America), was named a College of Distinction by The Colleges of Distinction guide which highlights innovative learning opportunities at top schools, and was ranked the 17th Most Beautiful Campus in America.
With Watermark as their partner, Christopher Newport is poised to streamline and centralize its institutional and assessment planning processes in order to use its data to make meaningful outcomes improvements at all levels.
Watermark’s mission is to put better data into the hands of administrators, faculty, and students everywhere in order to empower them to connect information and gain insights into learning which will drive meaningful improvements. Through its innovative educational intelligence platform, Watermark supports institutions in developing an intentional approach to learning and development based on data they can trust.