reaffirmation of accreditation @ wcu
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Reaffirmation of Accreditation @ WCU. General Orientation Wednesday, June 22, 2005 Carol Burton, Director, SACS Review. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools - SACS. 785 member institutions of higher education (includes private, public, junior colleges and universities) - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Reaffirmation of Accreditation @ WCU
General Orientation
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Carol Burton, Director, SACS Review
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools - SACS
785 member institutions of higher education
(includes private, public, junior colleges and universities)
Eleven southernmost states, Latin America and the Caribbean
Voluntary process/federal involvement Process AND product Integrity AND commitment Self-regulation AND self-government
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools - SACS
Commission on Colleges oversight Emphasis on institutional assessment of
effectiveness related to:~ Mission~ Compliance with common standards~ Enhancing quality of student learning~ Programs and services~ Evaluation and continuous
assessment Accountability to external and internal groups
SACS Overview
Review Process
Compliance Certification QEP
Off/On SiteTeams
SACS Resources
Handbook for Reaffirmation of Accreditation
and
Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality
Enhancement
Review Process - Compliance
Core requirements – institutional mission and effectiveness; educational programs; faculty.
Comprehensive Standards – governance; degree programs; faculty credentials; library and learning resources; student affairs; physical and financial resources.
Federal Requirements – HE Amendments, recruitment; academic policies; publications.
Compliance – Core Requirements
Twelve Basic Qualifications
Degree-granting power Governing Board CEO Mission Effectiveness General Education Quality Enhancement
(etc., see pp. 15-17)
Compliance Comprehensive Standards
Institutional mission Institutional
governance and effectiveness
Administration Assessment Educational programs graduate
undergraduate post-baccalaureate professional
Faculty (credentials) Library/learning
resources Student affairs Student services Distance education Resources physical financial
(see pp. 21-27)
Compliance – Federal Requirements(see p. 31)
Quality indicators (job placement, state licensing exam rates, course completion data)
Curriculum relevance Quality control of public
documents Student complaints Recruitment materials HE Amendments
Quality Enhancement Plan
Assessment Strategic Planning
University Mission
QEP
Quality Enhancement Plan cont’d
Complement strategic planning and institutional mission
Enhance student learning Focused and futuristic Reflect current best
practices Capitalize on university
strengths and weaknesses Engage university
community 75 (+25) Pages
SACS Review – Committees
SACS Review - Organization
Leadership Team
QEP Committee
Compliance Committee
Committee Co-Chairs - Compliance
Noelle Kehrberg Dean, Applied Sciences
Eloise Hitchcock Assistant Director Personnel and Planning, Hunter Library
Committee Co-Chairs - QEP
Brian Railsback Dean
Honors College
Scott Philyaw Associate Professor History
The Quality Enhancement Plan
Dr. Scott Philyaw, Co Chair
WCU’s QEP Committee
SACS Review - Current Issues
Institutional Strategic PlanAssessment (unit/university-wide)Employee Data base(s)Faculty Credentials
~ documentation ~ infrastructure/Banner
~ orientation for FT/PT
Faculty Credentials
1. Institution must authenticate degrees;
2. Institution must have international credentials evaluated for comparability;
3. Institution must justify and document qualifications of ALL faculty;
4. Institution must connect qualifications and course outcomes/descriptions;
5. Higher the degree expectation, more difficult it is to justify informal qualifications.
Faculty Credentials
1 2 3 4 5Name Courses Taught Course
DescriptionAcademic Degrees Earned
Other Qualifications/ Experiences
Making our case…
“it is the responsibility of the institution to establish its extent of compliance. It is the responsibility of peer reviewers to determine whether the institution has established compliance.”
(SACS Handbook for Reaffirmation of Accreditation, 2003, p. 18).
Abbreviated Timeline
June 13, 2005…SACS Orientation in Atlanta August 30, 2006…Compliance Certification due December 1, 2006…QEP due April 2, 3, 4, 2007…On-Site Team Visit
http://www.wcu.edu/sacs
Carol Burton, Director, SACS ReviewDarlene Stonesifer, Staff Assistant560 H. F. Robinson Administration
Bldg.227-7497/3019/[email protected]@email.wcu.edu