Director of Policy Analysis for General Education and Student Learning Outcomes
Office Location: L-316 Library Building
Office Phone: 718-281-5236
E-Mail: IBeckford@qcc.cuny.edu
Ian Beckford, Ed.D., is the Director of Policy Analysis for General Education and Student Learning Outcomes at Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York. Currently in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Academic Affairs, he joined the college in September 2011. Dr. Beckford received his baccalaureate degree from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. Dr. Beckford also has two master’s degrees – his first in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and his second in Industrial Labor Relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pennsylvania. Dr. Beckford’s doctoral degree is in Policy, Planning and Evaluation from the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Beckford began his professional career conducting applied evaluation research in a variety of settings. He served as an evaluator in a variety of school reform, evaluation, and child development projects, as well as higher education evaluations while working at several social policy research and evaluation firms. Dr. Beckford has also worked in the philanthropic field as an Evaluation Officer at the former DeWitt Wallace Readers’ Digest Foundation (now the Wallace Foundation) in New York City. In this role, he was responsible for designing Requests for Proposals and managing research and evaluation projects in the youth services, public libraries, and arts and cultural fields. He presented evaluation plans and findings to policymakers, practitioners and research audiences. As an Evaluation Officer, he monitored over $15 million in evaluation contracts and research grants each year.
Since joining the higher education field in 2006, Dr. Beckford has worked at both undergraduate and graduate institutions as Director of Institutional Research. At these institutions, he has performed many tasks, including coordinating the submission of state and federal reports; providing research assistance to various academic and administrative departments; providing enrollment data, student outcomes and evaluation reports; and supporting the college’s strategic planning process. Since joining Queensborough Community College in September 2011, Dr. Beckford has assumed greater responsibility regarding assessment activities at the college. In his current role as Director of Policy Analysis for General Education and Student Learning Outcomes, Dr. Beckford leads the college's assessment of student learning outcomes at the course, program, and general education level and in courses employing High Impact Practices. He provides statistical and professional, academic analysis of programs designed to improve students' academic skills and achievement and recommends improvements based on statistical and programmatic analysis. He directs college activities and operations related to academic matters in support of academic policy and student learning strategies. He assists the Dean for Institutional Effectiveness in the college’s strategic planning process. Dr. Beckford also oversees the assessment of outcomes to improve student and administrative services and to support student success. He also assists the Dean for Institutional Effectiveness in ensuring the institution’s compliance with accreditation standards and reporting requirements. Finally, Dr. Beckford collaborates with faculty and professional staff in departments and offices across the college regarding assessment activities and provides training and staff development in support of planning and assessment efforts.
