Collaborative Autoethnography and Accreditation: Faculty Reflections on Their Self-Study

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Equity, Coherence, and Assessment: Enhancing Teacher Preparation Through Collaborative Insights (Table 7)

Abstract

In this collaborative autoethnography (CAE), we, three education faculty members, reflect on our experiences leading our departments through the accreditation process. Using key dimensions of CAE, we engaged in individual and collective reflections and negotiation of meaning. The analysis of our reflections yielded three key findings. We first discuss the feelings of pressure due to the high-stakes accreditation process. Second, we reflect on our admiration for one another’s contributions while also detailing how we felt that others outside the accreditation process could not comprehend the depth of our work and impact on our lives. Lastly, we reflect on our pride in our ability to build a collaborative culture of assessment. We discuss implications for faculty who lead the accreditation process.

Authors

• Maria Paula Mello, St. John's University

• MaryBeth Schaefer, St. John's University

• Aliya Holmes, St. John's University