dc consortium student conference 1.0
TRANSCRIPT
Faun Rockcliffe - Howard UniversityAkashi Kaul - George Mason University
William Rodick - George Mason UniversityStacey McDonald-Lowe, Howard University
Sophia Brown, George Washington University Shelley Starkey, George Washington University
Development of the DC Consortium Student Conference on Evaluation and Policy (DC SCEP): Towards Graduate Student Knowledge Brokering
The Beginnings of DC SCEP
● Identified need for DMV graduate student professional development and networking
● Inspiration: Edward F. Kelly Evaluation Evaluation Conference that has taken place in southern Canada and upstate New York
● Post Brown Bag Session: Brainstorming Student Led Conference
○ Rodney Hopson, George Mason University
○ Veronica Thomas, Howard University
○ Katherine Dawes, George Washington University
○ Valerie Caracelli, U.S. Government Accountability Office
● Identified student representatives● Began Planning in Fall 2016
Washington Evaluators Brown Bag Session - February 24, 2016. “Transitioning from School to Work: Preparing Evaluation Students and New Evaluators for the Profession.”
DC SCEP Planning Committee
● Collaborative Planning with Students and Mentors
● Student-led in-person & Conference Calls
● Basecamp Communication Platform● Conference Website● Abstracts & General Email Addresses● Eventbrite Registration● Announcements
● Student Representatives - Howard, George Mason, George Washington Universities and University of Maryland.
● Mentors: Rodney Hopson, Veronica Thomas, Katherine Dawes
● Additional Faculty Mentor - Tamara Moss, Howard University
DC SCEP’s Inaugural ConferenceFriday, May 5, 2017
Location & Characteristics
● Howard University● Theme: Advancing Social Justice in
Evaluation and Policy Integration● One-day Conference● $15 Student Registration● Keynote Address, Speed Networking,
Student Presentations, Panel Discussion
Total Attendance: 83
○ Students: Howard, George Mason, George Washington, American Universities and University of Maryland
○ 4 AEA Presidents (1 Current)○ 2 ASL GAO- Provided Interpreters ○ Howard University Administrators○ Over 10 Evaluation/Policy
Organizations/Agencies○ Washington Evaluation Sponsorship of Social
Event Post Conference
Student Feedback
4= Good, 5 = Excellent
4=Good, 5 = Excellent
Improvement:
● More student presentations● Allot more time:
○ Posters○ Presentations○ Q&A○ Speed Networking
Student Planning Committee Reflections
Faculty/Mentor Impressions
● Importance of mentorship and having supportive professors
● Opportunity to collaborate across schools and disciplines
● Provided an applied perspective for interprofessional practice and education in evaluation with representation from social work, education, psychology, economics, sociology, etc.
● Opportunity for students to interact with industry professionals and academics
● We had a lot of support from university administrators. Faculty did a lot of reaching out as far as fundraising goes.
● Provided a supportive environment for students to collaborate and lead
● This conference is a great way to foster partnerships between universities in the same geographic area
● Organizing a conference is hard work! It is not just about event planning - it requires an understanding of themes and consistency with intended outcomes
● More representation from other schools in the region
● Less faculty involvement at all stages
● Consistent stream of students for the planning committee
● Consistent funding sources ● Staying Student-led ● Leveraging DC SCEP for
something greater - creating social and cultural capital
● Preparing for DC SCEP 2.0
Lessons Learned and Way Forward
