Jean Yerian’s new role as VCU’s director of assessment marks the latest stage in a history of assessment-related work at VCU and abroad.
A Chicago native, Yerian earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Duke University, then traveled to Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, on a Rotary Graduate Fellowship. After attaining a higher diploma in Anglo-Irish literature of the 19th and 20th centuries, Yerian returned to the United States where she earned her master’s degree in higher education from Ohio State University.
After working at various schools in Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia, Yerian said she accepted the scholarship and placement assistant position in VCU’s placement office. She began as a temporary hourly employee, but said she “stayed a little longer than expected.”
Having served in multiple positions in the placement office as well as in student affairs and the University Career Center, Yerian became the associate dean of student affairs in 1993, a position created so she could spend more time on assessment and seeking grants.
“We were trying to develop new things,” she said, “but we needed new resources to do it.”
In June 2000, Yerian took a year’s leave to work at Zayed University in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, emirates of the United Arab Emirates. While there, she served in program development as an assistant to the provost.
“(Zayed) was a new university to educate women leaders,” Yerian said, explaining that she enjoyed the work because she believed in women leaders in the Arab world. “Students would gain degrees but also qualities of teamwork, leadership, etc.”
Between the two Arab campuses, Yerian said she worked with more than 100 faculty members to implement a special assessment program for Zayed University.
“The process was very much aimed at developing greater abilities in students,” Yerian said, explaining that students developed portfolios about their family lives, internships and other information to prove their abilities in different areas. Faculty teams then reviewed the portfolios.
She described her time at Zayed University as one of her favorite work experiences and “a very rich year of learning.”
After her year’s leave ended, Yerian returned to VCU, in 2001 as a special assistant to the vice provost for academic affairs where. Last month, she was named VCU’s director of assessment to help with the universitywide assessment program designed to aid the university in its accreditation with SACS and other organizations.
Roderick McDavis, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said the university is “just thrilled to death that Ms. Yerian surfaced as our top candidate (for the assessment position).”
Yerian said she looks forward to working with university faculty and administrators in her new role.
“There are a lot of good stories at VCU that people can tell,” she said. “I’m looking forward to many good conversations.”