Director of Institutional Assessment
Dr. Nathan Anderson
Office: Administration Building 368
Email: nathan.c.anderson@minotstateu.edu
Phone: (701) 858-3064
Dr. Nathan Anderson is the Director of Institutional Assessment at Minot State University. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Education with an emphasis on Institutional Analysis, a Master of Science in Management, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Finance. Nathan’s work tends to focus on identifying, developing, and implementing strategies to help ensure that decisions are evidence-based and that appropriate data are collected and utilized for their intended purposes. In his current role, he coordinates and provides support to MiSU academic and co-curricular programs on completing their yearly program assessment reports and plans. Furthermore, he is MiSU’s Higher Learning Commission Accreditation Liaison Officer; co-chair of the Co-Curricular Committee, Student Learning Assessment Committee, and Academic Assessment Liaisons; and member of the Academic Assessment Committee, General Education Committee, Strategic Planning Sub-Group, Strategic Planning and Budget Council, University Cabinet, Staff Senate, and the North Dakota University System Info and Data Executive Governance Committee.
Through a previous contract with North Dakota’s (ND) Information Technology Department, he facilitated the development of a research agenda that utilized data from the ND Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) to support postsecondary retention and achievement, the development of methods to identify how the SLDS may be able to support data utilization relevant to Multi-Tier System of Supports implementation across ND, and the development of the Develop Your Data Mindset: Essentials of Educational Data Use online curriculum for pre-service and in-service teachers. Through a previous contract with PATH ND, he contributed to ND’s Full Service Community School Consortium as an external evaluator where his responsibilities included developing and implementing methods of assessing needs and outcomes. Nathan has also been an independent thesis formatting consultant and final reviewer of thesis papers for MiSU’s Graduate School.
Nathan’s experiences in K-12 and higher education led him toward the development of both the A+ Inquiry framework and the CP2R framework. A+ Inquiry is a model for guiding effective data utilization based on a synthesis of common stages that are embedded within methods of evaluation, research, and assessment. CP2R is a model for interpreting and studying a person’s or organization’s fitness for a role through lenses of capacity, passion, relevance, and presence.
Prior to working in roles related to the field of education, he held positions as a restaurant manager, restaurant entrepreneur, and coordinator of a program that provided residential services for clients undergoing substance abuse treatment or medication stabilization for severe mental illness.
Nathan has served his community through a variety of volunteer roles, which have included being a youth baseball board member, youth baseball coach, youth basketball coach, elementary school PTA member, family and consumer sciences advisory committee member, club volleyball website designer, Kids for Peace co-leader, church board of education member, Sunday school teacher, confirmation guide and mentor, adult ministries team member, youth ministries team member, Living in Faith Everyday (LIFE) Group facilitator, church council member, stewardship committee member, Food Faith and Family team member, and new pastor call committee member.
Nathan is married with two daughters and one son. He cherishes his moments with his family and friends. He enjoys activities at the lake, playing pickleball and tennis, longboarding, and writing.
Regardless of his role, Nathan aspires to consistently live in a manner that allows him to consciously do what he can do well and wants to do in ways that promote the well-being of others as well as himself.
