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What professional development do assessment professionals need to succeed in higher education? To meet the rising demands in the field, assessment professionals seek ways to improve their skill sets. The current study utilized survey responses from over 200 higher education assessment professionals across the United States to assess the amount of training assessment professionals had when starting their position, the professional development they have sought since being in the position, and what training is still needed in the field. A thematic analysis of three open-ended survey questions revealed the eclectic backgrounds of assessment professionals, their preferred trainings while in the role, and the content and modalities requested for future professional development.

What skills and dispositions are most important for higher education assessment professionals to be successful in their work? Emerging professionals and their instructors must be cognizant of what skills and dispositions are necessary in order to be adequately prepared for this work. Utilizing a survey instrument that was developed based on recent research and validated by a panel of experts in higher education assessment, we surveyed 213 higher education assessment professionals from across the United States, assessing their perceptions on the importance of 92 skills and 52 dispositions. We analyzed responses by utilizing descriptive statistics for closed-ended items and thematic analysis of open-ended items. A discussion of the findings, including what skills and dispositions were deemed most important, as well as implications for future research and professional identity are discussed.

This paper introduces a conceptual framework for overcoming common assessment challenges and supporting a positive assessment culture in higher education through fostering collaborative relationships with faculty and staff. By using a lens that integrates concepts from person-centered and solution-focused counseling, positive psychology, and motivational interviewing, assessment practitioners can better understand what guides the cultivation of inclusive and participatory relationships in assessment. The RARE model provides a common set of strategies for implementing principles of effective assessment practice, developed by two assessment professionals from universities located in different accrediting regions: WASC (Western Senior College and University Commission) and SACSCOC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges). In calling attention to the influence of their practitioner training and background, this model also highlights the benefit of exploring the disciplinary diversity that exists within the assessment field. Through exploration of this reflexive, strengths-based approach to assessment practice, the authors contribute to the discourse about professional identity in higher education assessment.

The RARE Model (Clucas Leaderman & Polychronopoulos, 2019) is a framework for nurturing collaborative relationships in assessment practice. The four components (R- relate, A- acknowledge, R- reflect, E- Empower), which are based in humanistic and postmodern counseling theories, outline interpersonal strategies to support and strengthen relationships with our faculty and staff colleagues. Previous experiences employing this approach with colleagues and clients were primarily in person. While reflecting upon our assessment practices throughout this time, we wondered: "how do these strategies translate to a virtual environment?" Throughout this experience, we have found ourselves prioritizing the strategies to Relate and Acknowledge; now more than ever, it is critical to focus on building and nurturing relationships with our assessment partners. A more detailed outline of adapted RARE Model strategies is forthcoming; here, we offer a few examples of what has worked so far, as we continue to navigate the remote environment.