incorporating student engagement into the accreditation process april 11, 2010
TRANSCRIPT
Incorporating Student Engagement into the Accreditation Process
April 11, 2010
Courtney Adkins, Survey Operations CoordinatorCenter for Community College Student Engagement [email protected]
April Juarez, College LiaisonCenter for Community College Student Engagement [email protected] Kristin Mallory, Vice President of Academic and Student AffairsBridgemont Community and Technical College (WV)[email protected]
Session Agenda Talk about student engagement
Share learning from a decade of research
Discuss preparing for the Self-Study within a culture of evidence
Highlight the CCSSE and SENSE Accreditation Toolkits
Hear one college’s story
What is Student Engagement?
…the amount of time and energy students invest in meaningful educational practices
…the institutional practices and student behaviors that are highly correlated with student learning and retention
Why focus on Student Engagement?
Decades of research on undergraduate student learning, persistence, and success (Tinto, Astin, McClenney, et al.)
CCSSE Validation Study
Qualitative research
INSTITUTIONS can use student engagement strategies to improve student retention and learning.
Students are more likely to persist and learn if they…
Establish meaningful relationships with faculty, staff, and peers
Feel connected to the college
Successfully navigate through college systems, processes, and procedures
Students are more likely to persist and learn if they…
Make a connection between now and their future (setting goals)
Are active & engaged learners
Are challenged to do their best work
One thing we KNOW about community college student engagement…
It’s unlikely to happen by accident.
It has to happen
by design.
Center for Community College Student Engagement
Quantitative
CCSSE
CCFSSE
SENSE
Qualitative
Initiative on Student Success / Starting Right
CCSSE
Piloted in 2001.
National admin since 2003.
CCSSE data analyses include a three-year cohort of participating colleges.
The 2009 CCSSE cohort includes more than 400,000 students from community and technical colleges in 48 states, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and the Marshall Islands.
These are tools to help colleges
Assess the quality of their work
Identify and grow successful educational practices
Identify areas in which to improve
Shift the focus to institutional locus of control
Also…
Publicly reports data
Opposes ranking of community colleges
ranking
Building a Culture of Evidence with CCSSE and SENSE…
…understand the facts
…share the facts
…act on the facts
…the courage to see
What does the Commission expect?
• Use of information and data to support the Self-Study
• Thoughtful analysis of evidence
• Easily identified and clearly stated priorities for improvement
• An honest evaluation
How can we prepare for an HLC Review
within a culture of evidence?
Study and understand Criteria for Accreditation
Ensure that mission and goals are measurable
Engage faculty, staff & trustees in understanding accreditation process
Ratchet up IR function for data gathering
Remember: Assessment plan must be “in action,” not “planning to plan”
HLC PEAQ Standards
Criterion 1: Mission and Integrity The organization operates with integrity to ensure the fulfillment of its mission through structures and processes that involve the board, administration, faculty, staff, and students.
Criterion 2: Preparing for the Future The organization’s allocation of resources and its processes for evaluation and planning demonstrate its capacity to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its education, and respond to future challenges and opportunities.
Criterion 3: Student Learning and Effective Teaching The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission.
Criterion 4: Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of KnowledgeThe organization promotes a life of learning for its faculty, administration, staff, and students by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity, practice, and social responsibility in ways consistent with its mission.
Criterion 5: Engagement and Service As called for by its mission, the organization identifies its constituencies and serves them in ways both value.
Which does
CCSSE/SENSE
support?
The CCSSE / SENSE Accreditation Toolkits
• Intended to be utilized as an approach to mapping CCSSE and SENSE data to accreditation standards
Accreditation Maps
• Maps available for all six regions
• Maps align survey items with accreditation standards
HLC Accreditation Maps align with PEAQ accreditation standards
Accreditation Item Key
• Displays the full text of the survey items
• Highlights key concepts
• Shows items mapped to standards for all regions
• Items are organized by benchmarks
• Items not associated with benchmarks appear at end
• Shaded items appear on both CCSSE and SENSE
Mapping the criteriaCriterion 3: Student Learning and Effective Teaching
The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission.
3c. The organization creates effective learning environments.
Evidence: The organization provides an environment that supports all learners and the diversity they bring.
4t. Had serious conversations with students who differ from you in terms of their religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values
9b. Providing the support you need to help you succeed at this college
(formerly the Community and Technical College at WVU Tech)
History
Bridgemont is a result of years of multiple institutional change
Previously a college within a baccalaureate institution
Initially accredited by HLC in 2004
Comprehensive visit for continued accreditation in 2009
Institutional Focus
Multiple accreditation agencies: TAC-ABET, ADA, CARC- hosting 4 accreditation teams over last 5 years
Technical programs
Multiple laboratory courses
Active department and college student organizations
CCSSE
Initially administered 2005 through state-wide initiative
Administered again in 2008
CCSSE Results
2005 CCSSE results indicated high level of student engagement in areas of
Active and Collaborative Learning
Student-Faculty Interaction
2005 CCSSE results identified areas for continuous improvement
Student Services
Financial aid
Actions from 2005
Hired Director for Student Services
Address issues regarding financial aid, registration, and other processes
Affirmed the value of activities to promote student engagement
2008 Results
Maintained high levels in
Active and Collaborative Learning
Student-Faculty Interaction
Dramatically increased performance in Support for Learners
Results in Action
Successes celebrated
Areas of improvement identified
Actions to address needed improvements
Results demonstrated efforts as successful
Successes celebrated
Continued monitoring
Continuous improvement
CCSSE as Evidence
Criterion 3, Student Learning and Effective Teaching
Criterion 5, Engagement and Service
Evaluator Comments
“The CTC is justifiably proud of the 2005 and 2008 results from the CCSSE (Community College Survey of Student Engagement). The institution analyzes CCSSE results and makes changes based upon this analysis. The survey revealed that student and faculty interaction is a major strength of the institution, with CTC ranking among the highest community colleges in the nation on interaction with instructors outside of class, in both class-related discussions as well as activities other than coursework. Several measurements from 2008 showed significant improvement over the 2005 survey.”