2013 ACCREDITATION SELF STUDY KICKOFF
MAY 2, 2011
Presented by
Chairs:
Aimee Myers, Faculty Chair
Laurie Thiers, Classified Chair
Brian Haley, Management Chair
Accreditation Liaison Officer:
Rachel Rosenthal
1
OVERVIEW Purposes of accreditation What’s WASC and ACCJC? The Standards It’s all about evidence Institutional Resources Steps for Preparing the Self Study Timeline Organization and Committees Next Steps
2
THE PURPOSES OF ACCREDITATION ARE:
To provide assurance to the public that education provided by institutions meets acceptable levels of quality
To promote continuous institutional improvement
To raise the quality of higher educational institutions in the region/nation
To assure accuracy in institutional reports Buffer political forces
3
ACCREDITATION IS: Voluntary A peer review process Nongovernmental Continuous in a six-year cycle
Annual ReportAnnual Fiscal ReportMidterm ReportSelf StudyTeam Visit 4
WESTERN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES
(WASC)
One of six regional associations that accredit public and private schools, colleges and universities in the United States
CommissionsAccrediting Commission for SchoolsAccrediting Commission for Community
and Junior Colleges (ACCJC)Accrediting Commission for Senior
Colleges and Universities
5
ACCJC ACCJC is authorized by the United States
Department of Education and recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
The membership of the ACCJC includes California, Hawaii and six Pacific Islands; public and private institutions; secular and religious-based; non-profit and for profit.
Has 19 commissioners6
GOAL:INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
THROUGH
Establishing standards of quality based upon excellent practices in higher education
Evaluating institutions with these standards using a three-part process Institutional Self StudyPeer Review Commission Review
ACCJC Bylaws, Accreditation Reference Handbook, p. 145
7
THE ACCJC STANDARDS
Standard I: Institutional Mission and Effectiveness
Standard II: Student Learning Programs and Services
Standard III: Resources
Standard IV: Leadership and Governance
8
THE STANDARDS:
Are necessary conditions for high - quality education
Reflect best practice in higher education, not common practice
Apply to diverse institutions
9
STANDARDS ARE NOT:
Inclusive of every good practice in higher education
Representative of state or system regulations or requirements or used to enforce those regulations or requirements
Meant to represent the “standards” of other groups that purport to establish best practice or quality
10
STANDARD IA:INSTITUTIONAL MISSION
The institution: Defines its purpose Defines its intended population Defines its commitment to student
learning
12
STANDARD IB:INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS
The institution provides evidence that it: Collects and uses student achievement
and student learning outcomes data Conducts program review and other
ongoing, systematic evaluation Uses systematic assessment and
planning to improve educational effectiveness and institutional quality
13
STANDARD IIA: INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMSThe institution: Offers high quality instructional
programs wherever and however they are offered
Identifies student learning outcomes and evaluates how well students are learning
Assesses student achievement Assesses programs systematically Assures quality and improvement of
all programs including distance and off campus 15
STANDARD IIB: STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
The institution: Researches and identifies the learning
support needs of its students Provides appropriate, comprehensive
learning support services to its students regardless of location or delivery method
Provides precise and accurate information about the institution to students and the public
continued…16
STANDARD IIB CONT.
Assesses the quality of those services by evaluating student achievement and
student learning outcomes as appropriate Uses the results of evaluation to plan and implement improvements to student
support services
17
STANDARD IIC: LIBRARY AND LEARNING SUPPORT SERVICESThe institution: Offers sufficient services to support the
quality of its instructional programs Includes library, tutoring, technology
and other learning support services Trains students and staff to use these
services Assesses services systematically using
SLOs as appropriate Assures quality and improvement of
services18
STANDARD IIIA: HUMAN RESOURCESThe institution:
Employs qualified personnel Evaluates all personnel Ensures professional development of
personnel Assesses its performance in
employment equity and diversity Uses human resources to support
student learning Integrates human resource planning
with institutional planning20
STANDARD IIIB: PHYSICAL RESOURCES
The institution:Provides safe and sufficient facilities and
equipmentEvaluates the quality of its physical
resources on a regular basisEnsures physical resources support
student learning Integrates physical resource planning
with institutional planning 21
STANDARD IIIC: TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES
The institution:Ensures its technology supports facilities,
research and college-wide communication
Provides training to students and personnel in the use of technology
Ensures that technology supports student learning programs and services
Integrates technology planning with institutional planning
22
STANDARD IIID: FINANCIAL RESOURCESThe institution:
Ensures fiscal stability and integrityPlans for short-term and long-term
financial needsEnsures that financial resources are
sufficient to support student learning programs and services and to improve institutional effectiveness
Integrates financial planning with institutional planning 23
STANDARD IVA: DECISION-MAKING ROLES AND PROCESSES
The institution: Uses ethical and effective leadership that
enables it to identify values, set and achieve goals, learn, and improve
Provides for staff, faculty, administrator, and student involvement in governance
Establishes and evaluates the effectiveness of governance structures and processes
Ensures that governance supports student learning and improves institutional effectiveness
25
STANDARD IVB: BOARD AND ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATIONThe institution: Has an independent governing board that sets
policy, assures quality and integrity of student learning programs and services and financial stability
Has a chief administrator that provides leadership for institutional quality and improvement
Has clearly defined and effective lines of authority and responsibility between colleges and the district/system in a multi-college system.
Ensures that board and administrative organization supports student learning and improves institutional effectiveness
26
IT’S ALL ABOUT EVIDENCE
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMESADEQUATE RESOURCES
INTEGRITYEVALUATION AND PLANNING CYCLE
INVOLVEMENT OF ALL CONSTITUENCIES
27
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
The standards place student learning outcomes (SLO’s) at center of accreditation review process.
Institutions must identify SLO’s at course, program and degree level, and measure their achievement
These standards build on the continued requirement of good processes, resources and institutional goals.
28
THE BOTTOM LINE…
What should students learn?How well are they learning it?What evidence exists that students are learning?
How can the evidence gathered best be analyzed and then used to improve learning and teaching?
29
RESOURCES Have in place the organizational
means to identify and make public learning outcomes, to evaluate the effectiveness of programs in producing those outcomes, and to make improvements
Have adequate staff, resources and organizational structure (communication and decision making structures) oriented to produce and support student learning
31
INTEGRITY
Institutional concern with honesty, truthfulness, and the manner in which it represents itself to all stakeholders, internal and external
Integrity of its policies, practices, and procedures and how students, employees, and the public are regarded
Clarity, understandability, accessibility, and appropriateness of publications
Open inquiry in classes as well as student grades that reflect an honest appraisal of student performance against faculty standards 32
EVALUATION, PLANNING, AND IMPROVEMENT CYCLE
Evaluation of student needs, college programs and services
Goal setting
Resource distribution
Implementation
33
INSTITUTIONAL RESOURCES Previous Self Study Report Team Report Commission Action Letters Follow Up Reports Midterm Report Technology Editor (s) Accreditation Liaison Officer
35
STEPS College prepares Self Study Peer team selected by ACCJC visits the
collegeConfirms statements in Self StudyConfirms alignment with Standards
Team prepares report and recommends action
Self Study and Team Report submitted to ACCJC
ACCJC votes 36
POSSIBLE ACCJC ACTIONS
Reaffirmation Reaffirm accreditation Reaffirm accreditation and Focused Midterm Report Reaffirm accreditation and Focused Midterm and Visit Reaffirm accreditation and Progress Report Reaffirm accreditation and Progress Report and Visit
Defer decision Sanction
Issue Warning Impose Probation Order Show Cause
Terminate Accreditation
37
TIMELINESpring 11 Identify Self Study Chairs,
writing team chairs, and members
Fall 11 Training, evidence gathering, writing begins
Spring 12 Writing, first draft due by May 1
Fall 12 Second draft due by October 1 First compiled draft complete by December 15
Spring 13 Review by shared governance groupsApproval by Board by May
Fall 13 Self Study submitted to ACCJC in AugustTeam visit in October
Spring 14 ACCJC takes action38
ORGANIZATION:SELF STUDY STEERING COMMITTEE Accreditation Liaison Standard I
Faculty Chair Standard II
Management Chair Standard III
Classified Chair Standard IV
Dean, Research Planning and Resource Development
Administrative Assistant39
SELF STUDY WRITING TEAMS (AS OF 5/2/11)
STD CHAIR
IA Mission
IB Institutional Effectiveness
IIA Instructional Program
IIB Student Support
IIC Library
IIIA Human Resources Cameron Abbott
IIIB Physical Resources Laura Doty
IIIC Technology
IIID Financial Resources Kerri Hester
IVA Decision Making
IVB Board and Administration 40
NEXT STEPS
Identify writing team members and chairs
Training session(s) for Steering Committee and Writing Team Chairs
Establish detailed tasks, responsibilities and schedule for 2011-2012
41