SPCS hires Dr. Joel Hanel as school's first accreditation & assessment specialist

By Julia Straka, ’21

Dr. Joel Hanel was named Accreditation and Assessment Specialist for the University of Richmond School of Professional & Continuing Studies on Jan. 2, 2019. Hanel is the first to hold this position at SPCS. 

In this newly created position, Hanel is responsible for developing and overseeing processes of accreditation and assessment for education programs, both undergraduate and graduate, at UR. His commitments include working to meet program standards set by both the Council for Accreditation of Education Programs (CAEP) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). He will also attend conferences for both organizations.

Hanel will manage the data collection, assessment, and reporting aspects of program evaluation to help the school meet state and federal standards, like those determined by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). However, by “ensuring quality level of program-level assessment,” as described in his job description, he will also work with various faculty to meet the wider university goals of student success and continuous improvement. 

Hanel will work with various SPCS deans, program chairs, and assistant chairs, as well as with the dean of the School of Arts & Sciences. He will also collaborate with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness to help UR programs and students reach their potentials.

Hanel comes to UR from Radford University’s College of Education and Human Development. He worked as a Data Manager, and most recently, as Director of Assessment at Radford. He has been invited to present on quality assessment and assurance pertaining to collegiate education programs at conferences.

Hanel earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in political science, from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the University of Mississippi, respectively.