Incorporating Student Engagement into the Accreditation Process

April 11, 2010

Courtney Adkins, Survey Operations CoordinatorCenter for Community College Student Engagement 512-475-6142adkins@ccsse.org

April Juarez, College LiaisonCenter for Community College Student Engagement 512-232-3744juarez@ccsse.org  Kristin Mallory, Vice President of Academic and Student AffairsBridgemont Community and Technical College (WV)304-734-6605kmallory@bridgemont.edu

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.”