Tongshan Chang

Tongshan Chang is a Senior Researcher at the SERU Consortium within the Center for Studies in Higher Education at UC Berkeley and an Adjunct Professor at Tongji University and Xi’an Foreign Language Studies University in China. He holds dual roles as Director of Institutional Research and Academic Planning at the University of California Office of the President and Consultant to UC Systemwide Academic Senate Committees. His work focuses on undergraduate admissions, student experience, and higher education data systems.

Education:

• Bachelor’s in English Language and Literature (Shaanxi Normal University)
• Three Master’s Degrees: Educational Psychology (Shaanxi Normal University), Higher Education Administration (West Virginia University), and Computer Science (West Virginia University)
• PhD in Educational Leadership with a minor in Statistics (West Virginia University)

Research Interests:

• Student learning outcomes assessment
• Diversity and equity in admissions
• Graduate student well-being
• Data-driven institutional planning

Key Contributions: His 2017 study on pre-college extracurricular activities’ impact on college success revealed correlations between early engagement and academic persistence, influencing admissions policy and outreach strategies. He advises Peking University’s College Entrance Examination Research Board and China’s Ministry of Education on quality review frameworks.

Professional Activities: Former Chair of the Overseas Chinese Association for Institutional Research and Treasurer of the California Association for Institutional Research. He previously managed World Bank-funded educational projects in Shaanxi Province and taught in high schools.