Longtime St. Olaf faculty member named vice president for mission
St. Olaf College President David R. Anderson ’74 has announced the appointment of Jo Beld as vice president for mission.
Beld, a professor of political science, currently serves as the director of evaluation and assessment in the St. Olaf Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation.
She takes over the role of vice president for mission from Paula Carlson ’76, who has been named president of Luther College.
Beld joined the St. Olaf faculty in 1984. For the last 13 years, she has led the college’s evaluation and assessment activities. Under her leadership, the St. Olaf assessment program received an award for Outstanding Institutional Practice in Student Learning Outcomes from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The college’s assessment work is also featured on the website of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment.
Beld is a speaker and workshop facilitator for a wide array of colleges, universities, and higher education organizations, including the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the Association of Governing Boards, and the Southern Education Foundation.
She is also a member of the advisory board for the National Survey of Student Engagement, the assessment director for an inter-institutional STEM project funded by the National Science Foundation, and an evaluator for a Teagle-funded project enhancing graduate student preparation for evidence-informed teaching in the arts and sciences.
Beld earned her baccalaureate degree from Bethel University. She went on to earn an M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. from Yale University. Her teaching and research specializations include American politics, public policy, ethics, and social science research methods.