10 Assessment Update • May–June 2019 • Volume 31, Number 3 • © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. • doi:10.1002/au NILOA Perspectives The Assessment Profession in Higher Education: A Snapshot of Perceptions, Roles, and Activities Laura Ariovich, Conna Bral, Patricia Lynn Gregg, Matthew Gulliford, and Jennifer Ann Morrow Tensions between improvement and accountability have characterized the assessment profession from its origins in the 1980s through the present day (Ewell 2009). Recent public criticisms (e.g., Eubanks 2017; Gilbert 2018; Worthen 2018) have inspired passionate advocacy for the learning improvement mission, yet accountability, particularly accreditation, continues to be an im- portant driver of assessment activity at many institutions. These tensions are not just refected in academic debates, but they shape the daily experiences of learning outcomes assessment profes- sionals. How can we as a profession support new and experienced assess- ment professionals to be good stewards of assessment? What resources do in- stitutions and assessment professionals need to have available in order to do “good” assessment? To better understand the working lives of assessment professionals, we examined their perceptions, roles, and activities, with an eye toward identify- ing professional development needs. Our work, originally commissioned by the Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education, was pri- marily based on two national surveys of assessment professionals around the country conducted on behalf of the Uni- versity of Kentucky (UKY) (Combs and Rose, 2015) (N = 377) and Watermark (2016) (N = 1,074). It is our hope that these results will aid in continuing the conversation regarding what an assess- ment professional looks like and what competencies and professional develop- ment they need in order to be effective at their job. Perceptions of Assessment The Watermark (2016) survey in- cluded items related to assessment pro- fessionals’ views of the importance of assessment at their institution. Three themes emerged in the responses re- garding the importance of assessment: improvement, accountability, and im- plementation concerns. Many respon- dents mentioned the importance of as- sessment in improving student learning and facilitating conversations among faculty and staff. When discussing ac- countability, assessment professionals talked about the need for assessment to satisfy the expectations of accreditors and funders, as well as the moral obli- gation of doing assessment. The fnal theme that emerged, implementation concerns, was expressed exclusively by faculty and focused on issues regarding how institutions designed and carried out their assessment. Respondents of the Watermark (2016) survey were also asked what they liked and disliked most about as- sessment. Three overarching themes re- garding what assessment professionals liked the most about assessment were revealed: 1. Enjoyment of the methodologi- cal aspects of assessment (e.g., designing assessment processes and tools, collecting and compiling assessment data, and analyzing and making meaning out of assessment data); 2. Enjoyment of the collaborative as- pects of assessment (e.g., working with faculty in every aspect of as- sessment and, in particular, in the discussion and interpretation of fndings); and 3. Appreciation for the impact or the utility of assessment (e.g., inform- ing decision-making, validating instructional efforts, and fostering continuous improvement at the in- stitutional, program, and course levels) (Ariovich, Bral, Gregg, Gul- liford, and Morrow, 2018). When asked what they liked least about assessment, participant responses mirrored their responses to what they re- ported liking the most: 1. Issues with the methodological as- pects of assessment (e.g., some re- spondents just don’t like perform- ing methodological work and have reservations about the soundness of assessment design and implementa- tion); 2. Issues with the need to persuade and teach others about assessment To do their best work, assessment professionals need institutional support for their work in the form of adequate budgets, trained personnel, policies that encourage meaningful use of data, and reward structures that promote faculty engagement. Assessment professionals deserve a seat at the table and have the capacity to infuence positive organizational change.