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.227-7497/3019/3018burton@email.wcu.edustonesifer@email.wcu.edu