Learning Assessment

Nichole Fehrenbach

Director, Learning Assessment

njackson18@valenciacollege.edu

Nichole has worked in higher education over the past 15 years with a focus on outcomes-based practices and assessment methods that inform curriculum. She co-chairs the Assessment Coordinating Committee (ACC) and directs the Faculty Fellows for Data and Assessment who support 90 discipline and program teams in close- to- the- learner assessment in service of curriculum, teaching, and learning. Her pedagogical experience includes years in the classroom full-time at Valencia teaching humanities and as adjunct faculty at Rollins College teaching humanities and mathematics courses. Prior to that Nichole worked with Rollins’ TRIO grant programs teaching rising first-generation college students through Upward Bound. She is a doctoral student at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education specializing in Mind, Brain, and Teaching. Nichole is a recent ECMCF Fellow and an alumna of the Strategic Data Project for Postsecondary Career and Technical Education (SDP-CTE), a program of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. With her prior degrees from Rollins College spanning the Master of Liberal Studies (MLS), BA in Mathematics (and a minor in dance), Nichole knows that together we can discover multiple ways to find evidence of learning and build each other’s capacity to easily see those paths. Nichole’s evaluations incorporate mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis to support collaborative meaning making and continuous process improvement. Her research interests include well-being and well-being at work; higher education leadership; learning outcomes assessment; career and technical education; and philosophies of education and justice from the ancient world to emerging theories.

Tom Dvorske

Assistant Director, Learning Assessment

tdvorske@valenciacollege.edu

Tom has worked in higher education for more than 20 years as a member of the faculty (English, Communications, Humanities) and an administrator, primarily in the areas of assessment, accreditation, and institutional research. As a faculty member, Dr. Dvorske has specialized in first-year writing, creative writing, and modern and contemporary British and American Literature. He previously coordinated English education teacher preparation programs at two different institutions where he began his deep dive into assessment. He transitioned into a role as accreditation liaison and institutional effectiveness at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, overseeing that institution’s Quality Enhancement Plan and Institutional Research. Tom moved to Florida in 2015 where he continued to work on assessment, institutional effectiveness, and accreditation for Florida Polytechnic University, leading that institution from candidacy through its first reaffirmation and launching its first Quality Enhancement Plan in 2022. He’s held many roles and leadership positions in policy, curriculum at campus and state levels, and has also served as an academic department chair.

Sophia Burgos

Technical Specialist

sburgos18@valenciacollege.edu

Sophia has been with Valencia College since 2018. In her time with the college, she has served students at all stages of the enrollment and registration process. Currently, she is the Technical Specialist for Learning Assessment, where she now provides technical support to both the Learning Assessment teams and faculty. Her passion for computer programming and problem-solving inspired her to seek a role where she could not only enhance her skills but also apply her  knowledge to assist others effectively.  She previously earned the AA General Degree and a Technical Certificate in Operations Support and Services. Sophia is also actively pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Computing Technology and Software Development.