Stephen Sheridan

Stephen A. Sheridan, Jr. works in Villanova University’s Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (OSPIE) where he is the Director for Accountability, Accreditation and Assessment Services. In this role, he provides leadership and expertise in the design, implementation, and analysis of assessment activities related to student development and learning outcomes, as well as the University’s accreditation processes with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. A Villanova employee for over 19 years, Steve is also an alumnus (BS, Accountancy ’98, MPA ‘05), part-time professor in the Villanova MPA program, and serves on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Assessment committees in the Department of Public Administration.

I was very fortunate to secure a job during my Senior year (thank you Career Center!) as an Investment Accountant with PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. working on mutual funds. After a couple years, I realized that my heart wasn’t in the private sector. In 2001, I pursued and attained a Senior Accountant position at Villanova. I had made lasting connections with faculty and staff here, so it was like coming home. While the work was generally the same, I found it more fulfilling because it was in service to Villanova’s mission and in support of students. Feeling more settled, I decided to take advantage of the University’s tuition remission benefit. After researching the Master of Public Administration program, I knew it was for me and it truly was a perfect fit. The faculty were (and continue to be) engaging and talented educators. Even today, the curriculum is paying dividends. Whether it is Dr. Wheeland’s teachings on building coalitions and principled negotiation tactics, Dr. Kelley’s tools for program evaluation and strategic planning, or Dr. Trainer’s lessons on descriptive and inferential statistics, I use my MPA every day. This leads me to what I’m doing now. In 2007, I got a tip that the Office of Planning, Training, and Institutional Research was adding an Assistant Director. The position reported to Drs. Kelley and Trainer, two MPA professors that I knew well from the program and through working at Villanova. I must have made a good impression because they gave me a shot. Now 13 years later, I’m still working with Dr. Trainer in the same department, now known as the Office for Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (OSPIE). The work we do in OSPIE helps the University chart a course for our future and ensure we’re meeting its goals and promises for its students. It’s very important and rewarding work.