Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

Students Engaged in Research and Assessment

Tuesday, May 20, 2025, By News Staff
Share
College of Arts and SciencesOffice of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessmentstudent researchStudents
Three individuals stand in front of a scientific poster presentation, which displays various charts, graphs, and text. Behind them, a large window reveals a view of buildings and greenery.

Three linguistic studies students, Loretta Awuku (left), Sylvia Page (center) and Johnson Akano, pose with their presentation at Syracuse University’s One University poster session.

Loretta Awuku, Sylvia Page and Johnson Akano—three graduate students pursuing linguistic studies master’s degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences—spent the past year researching and contributing to assessment and curricular development processes.

The research team’s project, Peer-to-Peer Student Outreach in Linguistics MA Curriculum Assessment and Development, was led by faculty mentor Amanda Brown, professor and linguistic studies program director in the College of Arts and Sciences. Brown received a Student Engagement in Assessment Mini-Grant, which aims to enhance student assessment knowledge and skills, develop a sense of agency to inform curricular decision-making and provide invaluable insight about the student learning experience.

The research project engaged 14 current students and six graduates in a mixed methods approach to answer the project’s three research questions:

  • Do students know about current program learning outcomes?
  • How do student feel about the master of arts (MA) focus areas?
  • Should a psycholinguistics focus area be added?

“The participants felt more comfortable sharing their perspectives with their peers and the project has revealed a number of insights around which important faculty discussions and program innovations will follow,” Brown says of the benefits of engaging with students in the assessment.

The mini-grant opportunity gave the student researchers the assessment knowledge and skills to advance their future success. Akano pointed to the personal development this project offered as he pursues postgraduate opportunities.

“I’m really interested in assessment and one of the major reasons I got involved in this project was to learn more,” Akano says. “I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in the area of language assessment and I think the skills and the knowledge that I’ve acquired from this program will be very valuable for me when I start my doctoral studies.”

Page was pleasantly surprised by the amount of responses they received to the survey. “Their engagement showed they were invested in the program even though they had completed it and they actually wanted their voices to be heard,” Page says.

The students presented their research at the 9th Annual TESOL/Applied Linguistics/Foreign Languages (TALFL) Conference and Syracuse University’s One University Assessment Celebration this semester.

“It’s a great experience to present at a conference to different people from across the country and build the skills needed to communicate data collection and analysis,” Awuku says, highlighting the presentation skills she developed through these opportunities.

For this research team, the Student Engagement in Assessment Mini-Grant experience and findings benefitted them directly and also benefits future students in the program. Applications for 2025-26 mini-grant are open through Aug. 8. Interested? Apply today.

Story by Naimah Rahman

  • Author

News Staff

  • Recent
  • Deadline Set for Fiscal 2025 Year End Business
    Monday, June 9, 2025, By News Staff
  • The Libraries’ Resources: A Staff and Faculty Benefit
    Monday, June 9, 2025, By News Staff
  • Endowed Professorship Recognizes Impact of a Professor, Mentor and Advisor
    Monday, June 9, 2025, By Eileen Korey
  • Forecasting the Future With Fossils
    Sunday, June 8, 2025, By Caroline K. Reff
  • DPS Earns Accreditation From International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators
    Friday, June 6, 2025, By Kiana Racha

More In Campus & Community

Deadline Set for Fiscal 2025 Year End Business

Cash Operations has set a deadline of 3:30 p.m. on Monday, June 30, 2025, to receive deposits at the Bowne Cash Operations office for credit in fiscal year 2025. Deposits should be made as early in the day as possible…

The Libraries’ Resources: A Staff and Faculty Benefit

Syracuse University Libraries is a critical asset to student success and faculty research and teaching. But Syracuse University staff may not realize that all the collections, services and spaces available through the Libraries are also available for staff use. Anyone…

DPS Earns Accreditation From International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is thrilled to announce that it has achieved accreditation from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA), the leading authority for campus public safety. Fewer than 100 agencies have earned this distinctive…

Blackstone LaunchPad Founders Circle Welcomes New Members

Syracuse University Libraries’ Blackstone LaunchPad welcomed 34 graduates of the Class of 2025 as new members of the Founders Circle. They were selected in recognition of launching or leading ventures at the University while students, as well as contributing to…

Neal Powless Inducted Into American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame

You could say that lacrosse is in Neal Powless’s blood. Powless G’08, the University ombuds, is a member of the Onondaga Nation Eel Clan. He is the son, grandson and brother of legendary lacrosse players. Powless picked up a lacrosse…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.