2012 Middle States AccreditationReport Review

Chapter 6: Intellectual RigorStandards 11 & 13

Chapter 7: An Education for the 21st CenturyStandard 12

MSCHE Accreditation

Mission-based Decennial self-study

• Compliance and improvement• 14 Standards• Characteristics of Excellence

• Emphasis on results instead of processes

2011-2012 Timeline Fall 2011

• Campus comment on self-study draft• Evaluation team Chair reviews draft

• Dr. Javier Cevallos• President, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

• November 2nd - 4th: Dr. Cevallos makes preliminary campus visit

• Final self-study report prepared• Preparation of electronic document repository

Spring 2012• Final report sent to team (6 wks. prior to visit)• April 1st – 4th : Team visit and report• Institution response

Organization of Self-Study

Comprehensive Model 14 Standards grouped into 8 chapters

• Chapter 1: Institutional Excellence• Chapter 2: Institutional Vitality• Chapter 3: Institutional Leadership and Governance• Chapter 4: A Learner-Centered Campus• Chapter 5: A Vibrant Faculty• Chapter 6: Intellectual Rigor• Chapter 7: An Education for the 21st Century• Chapter 8: A Culture of Continuous Improvement

Intellectual RigorStandard DescriptionStandard 11: Educational Offerings The institution’s educational offerings display academic

content, rigor, and coherence appropriate to its higher education mission. The institution identifies student learning goals and objectives for its educational offerings.

 

Standard 13: Related Educational Activities The institution’s programs or activities that are

characterized by particular content, focus, location, mode of delivery, or sponsorship meet appropriate standards.

Work Group Members

Frank Byrne (Chair)

Susan Camp

Fehmi Damkaci

Jennifer Kagan

Raihan Khan

Fritz Messere

 Jim Nichols

Jerry Oberst

Yvonne Petrella

David Vampola

Nicolas Treviso

Input/Data Sources Reviewed

• Academic Affairs annual reports• Undergraduate and graduate catalogs• Program accreditation reports• Program self study reports• SQL final report• General Education task force reports• International education reports• Carnegie Community Engagement Classification application• Library usage data• McNair Scholar reports

General Findings

SUNY Oswego boasts a distinctive curriculum borne out of our mission• Expansion over the past several years to meet the

changing needs and demands of our students. The growing curriculum offered through Extended

Learning, the Office of International Education, and other related educational offerings largely reflects our Engaging Challenge: Sesquicentennial Plan and thus far seems to be serving the future needs of our students and the broader community as well.

General Findings

Assessment of our curriculum has been greatly enhanced over the past five years. A culture of continuous assessment exists across most of the campus.

Recommendations

Evaluate the suitability and viability of our current mix of majors/programs: • majors/programs• general education requirements • other programs such as experiential and distance

learning

Recommendations

Develop more comprehensive and ongoing assessment practices in the Division of Graduate Studies. • Mission, programs, curriculum• Retention and placement

Implement richer assessment of the placement of our graduates.

Questions or Comments?

An Education for the 21st CenturyStandard Description

Standard 12 The institution’s curricula are designed so that students

acquire and demonstrate college-level proficiency in general education and essential skills, including at least oral and written communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical analysis and reasoning, and technological competency.

Work Group Members

Jessica Hester (Chair)

Michelle Bandla

Mary Beth Bell

Bob Casper

Mark Cole

 Tom Ingram

Chris LaLonde

Josh McKeown

Rhonda Mandel

Cathy Santos

Input/Data Sources Reviewed• Undergraduate catalog• General Education web site• General Education assessment reports• SQL task force report• Task Force on Re-creating General Education• GE21 Task Force initial report and survey summary• Library annual reports• Academic Affairs annual reports• Carnegie Community Engagement Classification application

General Findings

General Education at Oswego speaks to the strategic directions that help shape the institution.• vitality in the range of offerings• rigor in upper-level course work• seeking solutions with a multi-disciplinary perspective• a commitment to diversity and global awareness. • mastery of basic skills and exposure to a breadth of

intellectual experiences.

General Findings

We have seen improvements in the GE curriculum, due to assessment, but still have areas that need improvement, such as SQL.

We need better communication and focus on the findings and recommendations of GE assessments.

SUNY Oswego has adopted a reflective and inclusive process for general education design that incorporates best practices and the assessment results of our current General Education program.

Recommendations

Integrate the SQL committee recommendations into long term planning discussions.

Incorporate the work done by the Task Force on Re-creating General Education into future assessments and restructurings of local General Education requirements.

Improve the communication of assessment results back to the departments and instructors.

Recommendations

Make transparent the logic of general education to faculty and students alike. For a general education curriculum to be effective, students need to understand the value of it, rather than see these courses as a burden.

Encourage efforts to expand General Education course offerings related to civic engagement, sustainability and the arts.

Questions or Comments?