“Quality Without Compromise”Where’s the Quality at PVAMU?

Reaffirmation of SACS Accreditation: Our Time to Tell and Show

Presented at the

2008 Faculty and Staff ConferenceAugust 21-22, 2008

Houston Marriott Westchase

Presented by Dr. E. Joahanne Thomas-Smith,

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dr. Michael L. McFrazier, Associate Provost and Associate

Vice President for Academic Affairs

When You Wish To Instruct, Be Brief, That Men’s Minds Take In Quickly What You Say, Learn Lessons, And Retain Lessons Faithfully. Every Word That Is Unnecessary Only Pours Over The Side Of The Brimming Mind.

Cicero

MISSION POSSIBLE

PVAMU: IT ALL BEGAN THEN ,CONTINUES NOW AND GOES BEYOND WITH MISSION

• TEACHING, RESEARCH, SERVICE• 1890 Land Grant University• Target Population: Unserved and

Underserved• Level V (four doctoral programs)

Institution• One of Texas’ Three “Institutions of

the first class”

PVAMU Vision

• A sustained commitment to educate for professional practice and meaningful societal participation, students of diverse backgrounds, many of whom are first generation college students, from educationally and economically unserved and underserved families. Traditional and honors programs as well as graduate study through the doctorate will be the conduits to achieving the mission.

PVAMU Vision

A heightened commitment to service by providing the mechanism through which persons whose educational promise and career aspirations make them eligible candidates for leadership development through, a service learning and community outreach agenda. An expanded commitment to a research agenda that includes the creation, dissemination and assessment of new knowledge and practice in the basic and applied fields of agriculture, architecture, business, education, engineering, environmental science, food science, juvenile justice, nursing as well as selected focus areas in the human, natural, and social sciences

INSTITUTIONAL GOALS2005-2010

1. Strengthen the Quality of Academic Programs (TEACHING/LEARNING)

2. Promote Programs that Contribute to Student Success (TEACHING/LEARNING)

3. Increase Applied and Basic Research (RESEARCH/DISCOVERY)

4. Improve the Academic Indicators of the Student Body (SERVICE/ENGAGEMENT

INSTITUTIONAL GOALS

5. Strengthen University Advancement Programs, including fund-raising. (SERVICE/ENGAGEMENT)

6. Increase and Enhance the Visibility and Awareness of the University to the Community at Large/all Stakeholders. (SERVICE/ENGAGEMENT)

7. Strengthen Environmental Health and Safety Programs on the Campus (MANAGEMENT)

INSTITUTIONAL GOALS8. Achieve (and maintain) Financial

Stability (MANAGEMENT)9. Increase the Efficiency of

University Operations (MANAGEMENT)

10. Strengthen the Quality of the Athletic Program

What Is Quality?

• The perception of ‘quality’ is almost impossible to define.

INSTITUTIONAL IMPACTORS: QUALITY PROMOTERS

• Trend Toward Building a More Positive Institutional Image

• Consistent Rise of Alumni to Places of Distinction and Prominence

• Maintenance of Accreditation in 85% of Programs for Which Accreditation Available

• Strengthening of Academic Program Infrastructure

The University’s Vision for Graduates

Educate to Produce

• Expert professional practitioners• Informed, involved societal

change agents• Committed community leaders• Subcribers to and purveyors of

the institution’s core values

Steady Is The Way

Feel the Fire

WHERE QUALITY IS CHALLENGED: IMPACTORS

• Why an HBCU in 2008?• Why invest good money into

students who need remediation?• Why not invest more money in the

academically talented student?• Why should students attend PVAMU

which has fewer bells and whistles than many larger, better advanced universities?

WHERE QUALITY IS CHALLENGED: IMPACTORS

• What is unique about the PVAMU Experience?

• Education! Sounds good but financial aid sounds better. Right?

WHERE QUALITY IS CHALLENGED: IMPACTORS

• Won’t just having been at PVAMU ten years or longer keep me there?

• Would PVAMU change if it won football and basketball national championships back –to-back?

QUALITY: TELL AND SHOW THE SACS-COC WAY

• SACS- COC Overview • Accreditation in the United States is a

voluntary and self-regulatory mechanism of the higher education community.

• It plays a significant role in fostering public confidence in the educational enterprise, in maintaining standards, in enhancing institutional effectiveness, and in improving higher education.

QUALITY: TELL AND SHOW THE SACS-COC WAY

• Accreditation provides the basis on which all publics can be assured that academic institutions have complied with a common set of requirements and standards.

• More information can be found at the COC:SACS Web-site

http://www.sacs.org/

PVAMU Accreditation Status • In 1934 Prairie View Normal and

Industrial College was first approved for membership in the Commission on Colleges

• Since its accreditation through the self-study process in 1959, Prairie View A&M University has maintained accreditation through the COC:SACS reaffirmation process.

PVAMU Accreditation Status • 2010 PVAMU will reaffirm its regional

accreditation under the new principles (no more “must” statements)

• The process will involve everyone:– Students– Faculty– Staff– Administrators – Alumni– Community/Corporate and Educational

Agencies

Process for Institutions Seeking Reaffirmation of

Accreditation.

Compliance Certification• Compliance Certification (Due Sept. 10,

2009)

– The Compliance Certification, submitted approximately fifteen months in advance of an institution’s reaffirmation, is to demonstrate its judgment of the extent of its compliance with Institutional Integrity, Core Requirements, Comprehensive Standards, and Federal Requirements.

CONFERENCE FOCUS

• CORE REQUIREMENTS( an institution has to meet all Core Requirements)

• 2.5 Planning• 2.12 Quality Enhancement Plan– Strategies: Plenary Presentations – Stakeholders Workshop Sessions

Quality Enhancement Plan(Comprehensive Standard 2.12)

• Quality Enhancement Plan (Due: Jan. 25, 2010)

– The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), submitted four to six weeks in advance of the on-site review by the Commission, is a document developed by the institution that:• (1) includes a broad-based institutional process

identifying key issues emerging from institutional assessment,

• (2) focuses on learning outcomes and/or the environment supporting student learning and accomplishing the mission of the institution,

Quality Enhancement Plan

• (3) demonstrates institutional capability for the initiation, implementation, and completion of the QEP, • (4) includes broadbased involvement

of institutional constituencies in the development and proposed implementation of the QEP, and • (5) identifies goals and a plan to

assess their achievement.

Quality Enhancement Plan

– The QEP should be focused and succinct (no more than seventy-five pages of narrative text and no more than twenty-five pages of supporting documentation or charts, graphs, and tables).

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?Spring – Summer 2008

• Fully implemented True Outcomes, an electronic assessment system

• Conducted Pre-Audit of Faculty Credentials • President , Provost, Associate Provost, VP

Business Affairs, Math Professor (Foster) completed required orientation at SACS-COC in Atlanta

• Set up SACS-COC project headquarters –Juvenile Justice and Psychology Bldg.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?Spring – Summer 2008

• Developed Organizational Structure• Established Compliance Certification

Committees• Systematized Institutional

Assessment Data Analysis• Administered Assessment

Instruments to Freshmen as Scheduled in the Assessment Plan

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?Fall 2008

• Continue to analyze data from stakeholders (alumni, faculty, staff, students, employers of graduates)

• Intensify training on True Outcomes• Ensure all Student Learning Outcomes for

all courses on syllabi• Review and update all assessment plans

for academic and support units• Complete Draft of the Compliance

Certification

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?Spring – Summer 2008

• Repeat student-led town hall meetings begun Spring 2008

• Complete Strategic Plan within TAMUS Guidelines

• Commit to QEP Focus• Activate Refinement of QEP Concept • Draft QEP Plan

Celebration Time…Come on!