Carlos E. Cuéllar, Ph.D.
Dr. Carlos E. Cuéllar is the Director of Institutional Assessment and Program Review at UTRGV where he oversees self-study and continuous improvement initiatives in academic affairs, student affairs, and university operations. He works closely with faculty and staff from across campus to define programmatic and departmental goals and design and implement systematic assessments for measuring progress toward them. He offers resources and workshops that help make assessment findings actionable and accessible to non-expert audiences. He is enthusiastic about collaborating with campus leaders to reframe the narrative on assessment from a compliance-driven exercise to a systematic process that informs programs and departments about developing meaningful innovations that improve student learning, student services, and departmental operations.
In addition, Carlos has assisted with successful SACSCOC regional accreditation reviews (Decennial Reaffirmation and Fifth-Year Interim Report) by preparing narratives, site visits, and supporting documentation on Comprehensive Standard 8.2.a (Student Learning Outcomes of Educational Programs, 8.2.c (Educational and Student Support Services), and 7.3 (Administrative Support Services). He currently leads a small, dedicated team of assessment professionals, including two Faculty Fellows at UTRGV, to support faculty and staff with designing, describing, and refining their self-study initiatives.
Prior to his current role in university administration, Carlos was a faculty lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Affairs at Northern Arizona University where he served on the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and was extensively involved in designing and implementing a high-impact first-year learning initiative. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Rice University, has a strong background in empirical and quantitative research methods, and has expertise is in American politics, with a particular focus on Latino politics, public policy analysis, state and local politics, and campaigns and elections. He has developed over ten distinct undergraduate courses in American politics and has taught at four institutions of higher education. He continues to have a part-time faculty appointment in the Department of Political Science at UTRGV and is fortunate to have a front-row seat at the innovative teaching, learning, and assessment strategies through his involvement in institutional assessment work.