Indiana State University Newsroom

Will Barratt glanced at the wall in his office, reading aloud the names of several authors of books perched on his shelf that he kept since first peering into them while studying as a graduate student.

Now, a prominent organization has determined that Barratt's name should be included among the prominent list of scholars and professionals that he had once studied.

The ACPA-College Student Educators International Foundation has honored Barratt, who is the Lotus Delta Coffman Distinguished Professor in the Bayh College of Education, in its 2014 Diamond Honoree Class. The ACPA Foundation honors higher education and student affairs professionals nominated by colleagues "who believe these individuals have distinguished themselves as teachers, administrators, researchers, writers and association leaders," the organization's web site reports.

"As I looked at the list of the 1999 to 2012 honorees, it's the list of people who I read as a grad student, who I also have been reading throughout my career and the people I really like to hang out with at conferences so I can learn something," Barratt said. "It's a pretty serious group of people in the profession. It's a tremendous honor to be considered among them as a recipient of the same award."

Barratt, who will join previous honoree and fellow education professor Mary Howard-Hamilton as ISU faculty members on the prestigious list, was nominated by several colleagues, including Denise Collins, associate dean of the Bayh College. In her nomination letter, Collins wrote that Barratt was an early adopter of social media technologies to communicate with students and alumni, and he has continued to serve as a mentor for alumni for years after they graduate from Indiana State.

"... Dr. Barratt's career in student affairs has spanned nearly four decades, with the last 25 years being at Indiana State University as a faculty member in the Student Affairs and Higher Education program," Collins wrote. "He has helped prepare generations of student affairs professionals who are still working in higher education across the United States."

Barratt has been active in ACPA, serving on a number of task forces and commissions that have focused on numerous topics and issues affecting student affairs. He also has done extensive research on the impact of social class on college students, and has regularly presented at conferences and workshops across the country.

"I see myself first and foremost as a classroom teacher, and second as an active member of my professional association," said Barratt, who also has worked with universities around the world, including in Thailand, to teach students. "The recognition from my peers is what is so meaningful to me."

Barratt also is a co-creator of the Center for Measuring College Behaviors and Academics housed at Indiana State. Barratt and fellow co-founder Mark Frederick created the University Learning Outcomes Assessment (UniLOA), which has been administered for more than 500,000 college students across the nation. They have utilized the feedback to create guidelines on program development for colleges and universities to maximize effectiveness, with the ultimate goal of improving student retention and graduation."I can think of no better way to celebrate his career and to honor his work for ACPA and the student affairs profession," Collins wrote of Barratt, "than naming him a Diamond Honoree."

Photo: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/Events/Events-by-Year/2013/SAHE-hooding-ceremony-2013/i-FPdjS6R/0/L/05_03_13_SAHE_hooding-8292-L.jpg Will Barratt, Lotus Delta Coffman Distinguished Professor in the Bayh College of Education at Indiana State University, speaks during commencement. Barratt has been honored as one of the members of the 2014 Diamond Honoree Class by the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Foundation.

Contact: Denise Collins, associate dean, Bayh College of Education, Indiana State University, 812-237-2918 or denise.collins@indstate.edu

Writer: Austin Arceo, assistant director of media relations, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3790 or austin.arceo-negrich@indstate.edu