Clif Stratton Receives 2026 Assessment Champion Award

ACE is delighted to recognize Clif Stratton, Associate Professor in the Department of History, with the 2026 Assessment Champion Award in recognition of his sustained, exemplary contributions to undergraduate program assessment across multiple roles and at multiple levels of the university. The Assessment Champion Award honors faculty and staff members who promote meaningful undergraduate program assessment efforts that support student learning.

Across roles, Clif has consistently prioritized student success and embraced innovative approaches to improving undergraduate education. His leadership in advancing meaningful, large‑scale undergraduate program assessment reflects his commitment to supporting student learning, equity, and educational quality at WSU.

Lindsey Brown
ACE Director

Clif has been involved with UCORE, WSU’s general education program, since he came to WSU in 2010. Over the years he has developed and taught a variety of UCORE courses, participated in numerous assessment activities, as well as served on and led multiple committees and initiatives.

• As UCORE Director, Clif provided thoughtful and collaborative leadership that strengthened UCORE’s assessment infrastructure and deepened its integration into curricular decision‑making. Under his direction, UCORE undertook revisions to both its curriculum and learning outcomes, reinforcing the role of assessment in promoting coherent, equitable, and intentional general education experiences. Additionally, he helped launch the Core to Career program to support faculty interested in intentionally incorporating career readiness into their UCORE courses, to help students see the connection between the learning outcomes and career readiness competencies valued by employers.
• Clif also co-chaired UCORE’s Subcommittee for Assessment during his tenure as UCORE Director, facilitating productive faculty dialogue around student learning results and their implications for teaching and curriculum. Additionally, his service to UCORE’s Subcommittee for Assessment predated his role as UCORE Director, serving on the committee at its inception in 2016, contributing sustained leadership in reviewing assessment data and refining assessment practices.
• Prior to his UCORE Director role, Clif served as the Assistant Director of the Roots of Contemporary Issues program, which houses UCORE’s Foundational First-Year Experience courses, where he was instrumental in developing a system for assessing student learning outcomes that provided meaningful, actionable results in a large, multi-campus program. As the Assistant Director, he played a key role in leading faculty norming and anchor training sessions, fostering shared expectations for student learning, and leading discussions of findings that informed changes to instruction, assignments, and course design.

Clif currently serves on the Department of History’s Undergraduate Studies Committee and continues to participate in program assessment activities, both for the major and for UCORE. He is also currently a Faculty Fellow leading the College of Arts and Sciences’ Career Ready, World Ready Initiative, aimed at making sure every student has the knowledge, skills, and experiences to thrive in their future and that classes intentionally build career and real-world skills alongside academic knowledge.

Assessment of student learning is important for our faculty and our students because it is about closing the intentional design loop. We begin with intended outcomes that are relevant to students’ future civic lives and careers. We build learning experiences that help students meet those outcomes. Finally, we assess how it went, learn from it, and adjust accordingly. It’s an ongoing process that helps our students grow into the thinkers and problem solvers we know they can be.

Clif Stratton
Associate Professor, Department of History

The award will be presented at the DAESA Awards Ceremony in April 2026. As part of its mission to prepare WSU undergraduate students academically for lifelong achievement and success, DAESA and its units and programs manage the distribution of a number of diverse awards to faculty, staff, and students. The awards promote excellence in undergraduate education and student success across the institution. For more information, see the DAESA Awards and Recognition webpages.