About Volunteer Assessor Program
Alverno College's Volunteer Assessor Program recruits and trains local business professionals to assist staff and faculty by providing feedback that students can use to improve their performance. The perspective of volunteer assessors brings a new dimension to judging student progress.
Most volunteer assessors participate in assessing the Initial Social Interaction Assessment that all new undergraduate students must complete. Before assessing, volunteers receive thorough training in how to interpret the criteria for each assessment, to observe student performance, and to provide feedback.
More than 500 volunteers from the business and professional community work with Alverno students. Many of them have been assessing for 10 years or more. What keeps them coming back?
- Assessors find it stimulating and rewarding to help students learn to judge their own performance.
- Most assessors report that the process of learning to identify constructive behaviors and providing accurate feedback makes them better supervisors. These skills help them evaluate their own efforts and those of staff and employees.
- Assessors make a unique contribution to the personal and professional development of students. For many, it is a very personal way of giving something back to the community.
Volunteer assessors must have a bachelor’s degree, an interest in helping students, and effective interaction skills.
