ACCREDITATION Community Day February 1, 2011

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Significance of Accreditation

Accreditation – Allows the students at KC to apply for Federal

and/or State Financial aid Employers often require that its employees

graduate from accredited institutions States often require graduates who apply for

licenses to graduate from accredited institutions

A means of lessening the impact of cost and the burden of external controls on colleges

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What is Accreditation?

Accreditation is a process that allows a college to demonstrate that what it says it is doing--it is actually doing It gives the college the opportunity to examine

its own beliefs and how it lives them out It gives the college the opportunity to examine

itself to see where it is doing well, where it exceeds its beliefs, and where it can improve

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The Accreditation Process

The process involves the whole institution –faculty, administration, staff, students, and trustees

It involves writing a self-study which explores the college and presents the college’s story as compared to a set of criteria

It involves a visit from a an evaluation team to see if what was written is indeed what is found

It takes time and commitment

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Keuka’s ACCREDITATION

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is our accrediting body-- The last accreditation was 8 years ago and the

college was accredited for 10 years (2002-2012).

The college has to provide further evidence and reports during this time

Accreditation allows us to participate in many programs that support the college community

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REACCREDITATION

The ten years are almost up and now the college has to go through the reaccreditation process It involves the same groups

Administration, trustees, faculty, staff and students It requires an in-depth self study It will require a visit from a team

It validates what we have been doing and allows us to look to the future and prepare for what we can do

It provides insights into areas that we need to improve and gives the opportunity to be publically proud of what we do well

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WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Self-Regulation and Peer Review

Strengthen and sustain the quality and integrity of higher education

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WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Increase accountability to both internal and external constituents

• Review, evaluate, and strengthen the processes employed for annual and long-term planning and budgeting to ensure Keuka’s future

• Review our educational programs and services so as to enhance teaching, student learning and achievement

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WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

“Institutional improvement through self-analysis”

Key activities of the self-study process:

Analysis

Evaluation

Identifying strategies for continued improvement

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WHAT IS THE PROCESS?

1. The college establishes chair persons for the process Ann Tuttle and Tim Sellers were identified for KC

2. The Chairs identify a Steering Committee

3. The Steering Committee and Administration address key issues

4. Steering Committee works on study design

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WHAT IS THE PROCESS?

Charge for the Steering Committee Create research questions to be answered Identify “task forces” or “working groups” to answer

the questions Develop chapter drafts with working groups Communicate the goals of the self-study and

encourage broad participation in the self-study process

Arrange for institution –wide review of and responses to a draft of the self-study

Oversee the completion of the final self-study report and documents relevant to the self-study process and team visit

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WHAT IS THE PROCESS?

Charge for the Taskforces/Working Groups:

Address the research questions

Gather and analyze evidence, using existing documents or developing new documents

Produce outlines of drafts in collaboration with Steering Committee

Produce final drafts of reports

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WHAT IS THE PROCESS?

The entire institution will be needed to complete the self study Data will be sought from all members of the

community Many people not currently on a task force will be

asked to participate at some point The Steering Committee will also prepare for a

site visit A site visit occurs when several visitors come to

the campus – in this case the Main Campus, various sites for ASAP, and sites in China and Vietnam

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WHAT IS THE PROCESS?

The site visit (Spring 2013) The visitors will meet with various members of

the college community They will informally “chat” with various

community members They will review materials gathered by the

Steering Committee and the various task forces

The visitors are comparing what was said in the self study with what they find at the college.

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AFTER THE VISIT

After the site visitors leave, they will write a report and submit it to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education for a final determination.

Assessment remains embedded and evident in the institutional processes

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Outcomes of Self-Study

Celebration of institutional strengths

Development of action plans to address recommendations for improvement

An institution unified through involvement

Commitment to a shared understanding and vision of a Keuka education

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Keuka College