Expertise

 

Ellyn McLaughlin, Ed.D.

Dr. Ellyn McLaughlin, president and principal of EdWrite Consulting, is an experienced higher education consultant and has served in the roles of faculty, department chair, associate provost, and vice president. Since 1999, she has assisted clients with curriculum development, program evaluation, accreditation preparation, institutional self-study, and student learning assessment. She has presented nationally and internationally on topics, such as alignment of learning outcomes, compliance with accreditation standards, articulation of credit, and development of education policy. As a grant writer, Ellyn has a strong record of success with competitive applications, including Title III and TAACCCT. She holds an Ed.D. from West Virginia University, an M.Ed. from Vanderbilt University, an M.A. from Marshall University, and a B.A. from the University of Charleston. 

Click here to receive a resume with detailed experience.

 

 

 Testimonials


Ellyn strives to establish long-term and mutually rewarding relationships with clients and partners. The following feedback provides evidence of the value of her contributions and guidance.

 

 

"Ellyn assisted our team with preparation for our 2014 WASC accreditation site visit. Throughout the project, I was impressed with how prepared she was to work with our team. She read through hundreds of documents and was able to effectively grasp the inter-workings of a somewhat unique institution. She was courteous and respectful while giving us valuable feedback. After a very short time, Ellyn felt like a member of our team. She is a teacher at heart and was able to share in-depth knowledge of assessment practices. After our initial contract, Ellyn stayed on with us to lead and train our Assessment Committee and assist in developing assessment documents. Overall, Ellyn provided constructive feedback and support and was a joy to work with."
Nicole Lesher, MA
Director of Institutional Research and Assessment/Accreditation Liaison Officer
California Southern University



"Working with Ellyn on our 2014 TAACCCT proposal was beneficial for our college for several reasons. She helped us establish and follow timelines that eased the submission process and ensured that our proposal was complete and fully met the requirements listed in the RFP. Due to the short timeline, it was critical to have a knowledgeable, external team member who could review our work and help ensure that we were not only meeting our college’s needs, but we were also fulfilling the needs of DOL. In addition, she worked well with our Grants Office, providing input and feedback where needed but still allowing the proposal to remain “ours.” Finally, she was extremely pleasant to work with and embodied many of the traits I think a consultant should have—she was knowledgeable, responsive,  communicative, flexible, and willing to help out with anything we needed, big or small. I truly enjoyed working with her on the TAACCCT grant and was pleased to share the great news of our award with her. I would highly recommend Ellyn to others and look forward to working on future projects with her."
Kelley Woods-Nord
Grant and Technical Writer
South Central College



"I worked with Ellyn to prepare our Periodic Review Report for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in 2013-2014. Ellyn was closely involved in guiding us through the process and helping us to understand the report requirements and types of evidence that would best support our case, as well as reviewing and proof-reading our multiple drafts. I was impressed with how fast Ellyn would respond to our questions and review the drafts. It only took her two days to very thoroughly review and provide detailed comments, both substantive and editorial, to our final draft. Having Ellyn's support was essential in achieving a high quality report which got very positive reviews and, as a result, our university's accreditation was re-affirmed for the next five years."
Tatiana Yarkova, Academic Secretary
Central European University



"Ellyn provided an unbiased perspective of our school in preparation for our WASC site visit. She asked pointed questions that resulted in revisions and improvements of processes and procedures. Ellyn is professional at all times and has the ability to be comfortable with uncomfortable silences. This, in turn, helped us to be better prepared for the visit. Additionally, Ellyn provided guidance to the Faculty Senate Curricular Committee in developing review procedures that we are still using. Once the committee members were more comfortable with the process, she stepped back but was available for any questions we had or to provide additional guidance as needed. I, personally, felt comfortable asking Ellyn questions and she was consistently responsive."
Stephnie Hopple, MeD
Director, Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning
California Southern University



"As the Academic Secretary and Research Director of Central European University (CEU), one of my principal tasks in 2010-2011 was to prepare a Monitoring Report requested by the MSCHE as a follow-up to their accreditation visit in 2009. I contacted Ellyn to seek assistance on preparing the Report and undertaking necessary reforms in the University. This was a decision I never regretted as her help and guidance were absolutely invaluable. Ellyn was able to both challenge our institution in its academic assessment and planning and, at the same, time be down to earth and realistic in her advice. Where necessary, she advised me to go back to the leadership to revise or clarify policies or to obtain additional information.  Importantly, she helped me to make the best use of the information we had. Ellyn has an ability to guide organization of a large amount of material to distill and structure essential messages. While she was intricately familiar with the MSCHE requirements and clearly had experience with many other higher education institutions, she was at the same time amazingly attentive and understanding to the specifics of our University. Her guidance was always helpful to interpret the standards in such a way that they could be effectively applied in our circumstances. As a result, our Monitoring Report was unconditionally approved by the MSCHE. I would wholeheartedly recommend Ellyn to anyone who is looking to improve or report on their practices of academic assessment, planning, and quality assurance in higher education."
Aleh Cherp, MSc, PhD
Professor, Environmental Sciences and Policy | Central European University
Coordinator, MESPOM Consortium (www.mespom.eu)



"Ellyn is the most well-prepared instructor I had during my graduate work. It was clear that each individual session, as well as the overall learning arc of the class, was carefully considered and planned. Her knowledge and experience in program evaluation and report development made the class very practical and real. In addition, her presentation and sense of humor made the subject enjoyable, when it could have very easily been dry in the hands of another instructor. I would enthusiastically register for any class she teaches."
Scott Farquhar, Graduate Student, Non-Profit Managment



"Ellyn's leadership is an inspiration to those who work with and for her. She has an uncanny ability to organize projects and provide detailed guidance without micro-managing. I am amazed at how she intuitively determines a project's path and outcome. Ellyn is a unique person who can be detailed while seeing the big picture. These traits make her invaluable to any organization with which she is associated."
Maggie Hurd, Instructional Specialist, AACC (Retired)



"Ellyn is very approachable. She tailors her communication, formal and informal including humor, to make her point or connect with students. She's fully aware of each student's progress in class and makes every effort to always be encouraging and supportive of their efforts. Her organization is clearly evident which fulfills class deliverables on time and with clarity. Her passion about program evaluation elevates students' learning and interest. Ellyn will deliver what you've asked of her and something so much more! Her contributions will surpass your expectations, as she will always give more than 100% of her efforts. I consider her to be a lifelong mentor."
Annie Fulton, Graduate Student, Non-Profit Managment



"Ellyn's greatest strength is teaching. Her instructions and goals focus on getting the listener to absorb information and apply it to real life situations. I learned how to think differently, more effectively… how to evaluate… make and take the proper steps in order to think about outcomes.  I would highly recommend Ellyn to any organization. Her instruction and advice will no doubt prove beneficial. She is always prepared and is very relaxed and open. She is focused, goal oriented, professional, and a pleasure to work with."
Shawtair Thompson, Graduate Student, Non-Profit Managment