Pack Assessment Ambassadors
The Pack Assessment Ambassadors (PAA) are undergraduate students who apply and are selected to work with DASA Assessment on projects that help the Division of Academic and Student Affairs (DASA) best support success of the whole student. Ambassadors are trained to conduct focus groups on student attitudes and experiences, learn and participate in data analysis, and develop the assessment and leadership skills that are valued in a wide variety of career paths.
The Pack Assessment Ambassadors’ work has supported initiatives such as Retention Foundations Assessment, a DASA initiative coordinated by DASA Assessment to study the underlying variables that impact student retention at NC State. Each spring semester, Ambassadors examine topics that affect student success (e.g., academic engagement, sense of belonging, first-generation student success). DASA Assessment trains and collaborates with Ambassadors to carry out data collection and analysis that will help the Division of Academic and Student Affairs support students.
Spring 2024 Ambassadors
How to Apply
Applications for the Ambassador program are accepted during each fall semester and new ambassadors begin working together in the spring. Students are selected for participation based on their academics, leadership, and demonstrated interest in developing assessment or research skills. The ambassadorship is a paid opportunity to gain training and hands-on experience in data collection and analysis. We are no longer accepting applications for spring 2024.
In spring 2024, the Pack Assessment Ambassadors are working on a special project that helps the Division of Academic and Student Affairs better understand students’ experiences with campus employment at NC State.
Ambassador Experiences
“PAA has been such an interesting experience, allowing me to discover a new type of research I had never been exposed to before now as well as providing me with an opportunity to help make the school that I love a better place… I encourage anyone who is looking for an opportunity to learn new skills in qualitative research and make changes to the NC State community to think about joining.”
– Anna, Junior, COS
“Collecting the qualitative testimonies of students of all disciplines, ages, backgrounds, etc. at NC State this past semester was one of the highlights of the academic year. I highly recommend the Pack Assessment Ambassadors to any student who wants to learn more about analyzing topics on our campus.”
– Sam, Junior, CHASS
“I have gained so much from my experience as a Pack Assessment Ambassador. My favorite part is that I got to see the ‘back story’ of a qualitative data analyst team. I learned how to gather, sort, and code data… I would recommend PAA to my peers because it is a great opportunity to learn and grow as a scholar, not only as a student. You will meet great staff and peers who you can learn so much from!”
– Kelly, Sophomore, CHASS