Soup to Nuts: A "Course by Course" Examination of One School's Journey through the Application and

Candidacy Process

Presenters:

Dr. Juliana Lancaster, Director of Institutional Effectiveness

Ms. Ellen Cox, Special Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives

Dr. Kristine Nagel, Associate Vice President, Educational Technology Development and Evaluation

Ms. Cathy Hakes, Director of Accreditation and Certification Activities

2009 SACS Annual MeetingDecember 7, 2009

• The 35th member of the University System of Georgia

• Opened its doors to an inaugural junior class of 120 students in fall 2006

• The first freshmen class of 337 was admitted fall 2007 with total enrollment of 787.

• First graduation was held on June 28, 2008• Enrollment has grown to 3000 students

as of Fall 2009.

Georgia Gwinnett College

Mission & Majors• GGC’s mission supports access to baccalaureate degrees

that meet the economic development needs of the growing and diverse population of the northeast Atlanta metropolitan region.

• GGC offers majors in:

Biology

Psychology

Information Technology

Business Administration • 8 new majors have been submitted as a Substantive

Change for implementation in January 2010

Session OverviewFollowing the timeline and path from application to

accreditation, session presenters will explain the process from four perspectives:

1) Project management

2) Writing the application and report for the standards required for the candidacy submission and the full compliance certification report for the accreditation committee

3) Preparing the materials and supporting documentation for electronic submission

4) Preparation for and management of each

committee visit.

Session Objectives

1) Understand the overall process for seeking accreditation through SACS

2) Understand the experience of one institution recently engaged in the process

3) Gain successful strategies and benefit from lessons learned

4) Become aware of opportunities to improve your institution’s efforts as you begin or continue on your own path toward accreditation

Tasks, Timeline and TeamTask Time Line Leadersh

ip TeamWriting Team

Tech Team

Initial Application August 06 – October 07

4 15 1

Candidacy Visit December 07 - May 08

4 15 1 FT2 Support

Candidacy June 2008

Full Compliance Certification

November 07 - January 09

6 >25* 3 FT6 Support

Accreditation Committee Visit

December 08 - May 09

6 -

Committee Report and Response

May 09 - June 09 4 4

Accreditation June 2009

Project Management

• The expertise needed on the project management team,

• The essential level of collaboration and communication required to keep the process moving smoothly, and

• The tools and techniques used for tracking progress and activity.

Project Management Tasks• Review and analyze all standards• Identify writers for each phase, • Assign specific standard(s) to writer(s),• Track and report on progress of each narrative, • Maintain master document for each narrative, • Identify areas within the College that required action to

achieve compliance, • Track and report on actions to achieve compliance, and • Review all narratives for accuracy and consistency.

Application and Compliance Report Preparation

• The advantages and disadvantages of collaborative writing

• The value of writing as a tool for conducting a compliance audit of the institution

• The timing and mechanics of our review process• The use of collaborative technology to support

this process.

Application and Compliance Report Preparation Process

• Used an iterative and collaborative writing process for both the candidacy submission and the full compliance certification report.

• Each standard assigned to a primary writer but, most were actually written jointly by small groups of individuals representing the areas of functionality related to each standard.

• As narratives neared completion, all were reviewed in a multi-step process for completion, coherence, and consistency with related narratives, and were then proofread by a new set of readers.

The Process: Writing the Application

• Start with a basic template that includes the text and standard for each criterion

• Develop a narrative that supports the rational for compliance

• Indicate supporting documents in the narrative AND in a table at the end of each narrative

• Review, proof and do it again!

Materials Preparation

• Review the technical requirements

• Developer skills required

• Time demand

• Communication needs.

Materials Prepared Electronically

• Developed an internal website for each phase of the application process.

• All materials were submitted electronically

• Clear and careful communication between the program management team and the website development team was a critical component of success

Why Use an Electronic Format?

• Developing the Application:– Provides accessibility to all those working

collaboratively on document development.– Ease in updating and correcting documents.– Maintains version control – Central repository of referenced documents and

materials

More reasons why…• Delivering the Application:

– Eliminates the need for massive hard copy documents.– Manuals, handbooks and catalogs are easily accessible– Significantly decreases mailing costs to SACS and

Committee members.– On-line electronic documents allow for 24/7 accessibility

by reviewers using multiple ISPs, platforms and/or browsers

– Use of CD or flash drive permits portability for access at any point in time

Binders of Every Size…

Or, more visually

Cost ComparisonHard Copy Submission Electronic Submission

Initial Application

2 copies of application and narratives 2 copies of application and narratives

2 copies of ALL catalogs, manuals, handbooks, audits, and other supporting documents

2 copies each of catalog, student handbook, and audits

Revised Application

7 copies of application and narratives (revised application)

7 copies of application and narratives (revised application)

7 copies of ALL catalogs, manuals, handbooks, audits, and other supporting documents

7 copies each of catalog, student handbook, and audits

Committee Materials

7-9 copies of application, narratives, and updated narratives (for committee members)

7-9 copies of application, narratives, and updated narratives (for committee members)

7-9 copies of ALL catalogs, manuals, handbooks, audits, and other supporting documents

7-9 copies each of catalog, student handbook, and audits

7-9 CDs

Resources Needed• Technology to support document development

– Lead person to coordinate documents– Software to support a shared file program to allow

access to multiple users (helpful but not required)

• In-house website design and building– Graphic and web development support to design site,

post documents, and establish links– Readers to check all links in/to all documents– Technology assistance with creating pdf documents

and burning CDs and/or flash drives

The Process: Building the Website

• Establish the basic layout and navigation plan• Convert all narratives and internal supporting

documents to pdf format• Convert long documents from external sources

to pdf format• Create master list of all referenced

documentation• Write user guide/tutorial for reviewers

The Process: Linking Documents Electronically

• Establish links to:– Governing agency

rules/regulations/procedures pages that are referenced

– Scanned original documents– Faculty manuals, college catalogues, student

handbooks, and policy & procedures manuals• Link to page in each document being referenced• Check and double check links

Our Timeline for Development

Writing and Revising the Application

Planning First Draft

Final Draft

First Delivery

SACS Read

Revise C&R Delivery

Update On-site Delivery

Sept 2006 Dec2006

Jan 2007

Feb2007

June2007

July-Sep2007

Oct2007

Jan2008

April2008

Design Load & Test

Live Access

Revise & Test

Live Access

Update Live Access

Developing the Website

Common Pitfalls To Avoid

• Make sure all links go to specific page referenced so reader does not have to scroll for the reference in lengthy documents.

• Documents that are not authored by your institution should be made into a pdf to preserve their initial appearance and to ensure ability to locate them at a later date as web addresses get changed.

User Considerations• Provide a user-friendly introduction that may include a

tutorial that shows how to navigate through the application and documents.

• Include instructions for use including minimum requirements for hardware, software and Internet accessibility.

• Provide a link to the free Adobe Acrobat Reader• Provide phone numbers and email addresses for tech

support and navigation assistance.• If accessing password-protected sites, be sure to provide

log on information and passwords for all users• Keep the navigation simple.

On-site Visit Preparation and Management

• Advance preparation of the institutional players

• Planning for the committee’s needs

• Management of the actual visit.

On-site Visit Preparation and Management

• A well-written compliance certification must be paired with a well-run committee visit for success.

• Internal preparation involved the entire campus community

• Management of the visit began with clear and regular communication with the committee chair and continued with a well-scheduled and orderly agenda.

Preparing the Entire Campus For The Visit

Communicating With The Team

The Logistics of the Logistics

Keys To A successful On-site Visit

Dr. Juliana Lancaster jlancaster@ggc.usg.edu Ms. Ellen Cox ecox@ggc.usg.eduDr. Kristine Nagel knagel@ggc.usg.eduMs. Cathy Hakes chakes@ggc.usg.edu

Georgia Gwinnett College www.ggc.usg.edu

1000 University Center LaneLawrenceville, GA 30043

Phone: 678-407-5834

Presenter Contact Information