The Periodic Review The Periodic Review Report and Report and

Middle States Middle States AccreditationAccreditation

PRR WorkshopPRR WorkshopApril 9, 2008April 9, 2008

The Context of the PRRThe Context of the PRR

Regional accreditationRegional accreditation

Voluntary peer reviewVoluntary peer review

The Middle States Commission on The Middle States Commission on Higher EducationHigher Education

The Accreditation CycleThe Accreditation Cycle Annual Institutional ProfileAnnual Institutional Profile

– Data submitted each springData submitted each spring

Decennial evaluationDecennial evaluation– Before initial accreditation, then…Before initial accreditation, then…– Five years after initial accreditation, then…Five years after initial accreditation, then…– Every ten years after thatEvery ten years after that– Involves a significant institutional self-studyInvolves a significant institutional self-study– And a team visit by external peer evaluatorsAnd a team visit by external peer evaluators

The Accreditation Cycle, The Accreditation Cycle, Cont.Cont.

The Periodic Review ReportThe Periodic Review Report

– Is submitted at the five-year point between Is submitted at the five-year point between decennial evaluationsdecennial evaluations

– Is not a full self-study reportIs not a full self-study report

– Has a different format from a self-study reportHas a different format from a self-study report

– But includes a follow-up report on the But includes a follow-up report on the institution’s responses to the recommendations institution’s responses to the recommendations in its previous self-study and team reportin its previous self-study and team report

The Accreditation Cycle, The Accreditation Cycle, Cont.Cont.

The Periodic Review Report…The Periodic Review Report…

– Does not involve a team visitDoes not involve a team visit

– Is reviewed by two peer evaluators, the Is reviewed by two peer evaluators, the Committee on Periodic Review Reports, and the Committee on Periodic Review Reports, and the CommissionCommission

– Is necessary for maintaining an institution’s Is necessary for maintaining an institution’s accreditation—the Commission acts on it in the accreditation—the Commission acts on it in the same ways that it acts on a decennial evaluationsame ways that it acts on a decennial evaluation

The Accreditation Cycle, The Accreditation Cycle, Cont.Cont.

Follow-Up ReportsFollow-Up Reports

– Progress letters, monitoring reports, and special Progress letters, monitoring reports, and special team visits can be requested by the Commission team visits can be requested by the Commission as the result of a decennial evaluation, a PRR, or a as the result of a decennial evaluation, a PRR, or a previous follow-up reportprevious follow-up report

– Should be mentioned but do not need to be Should be mentioned but do not need to be addressed in detail in the PRR (addressed in detail in the PRR (PRR HandbookPRR Handbook, p. , p. 6)6)

Resources for the PRRResources for the PRR

Characteristics of ExcellenceCharacteristics of Excellence

Handbook for Periodic Review Handbook for Periodic Review ReportsReports

Characteristics of ExcellenceCharacteristics of Excellence

1212thth ed., 2006 ed., 2006

Contains the Commission’s Contains the Commission’s – Eligibility RequirementsEligibility Requirements– Accreditation StandardsAccreditation Standards

Handbook for Periodic Review Handbook for Periodic Review ReportsReports

Tenth Edition, 2007Tenth Edition, 2007

Revised to emphasize to institutions… Revised to emphasize to institutions…

– The importance of including all the sections described in The importance of including all the sections described in the handbookthe handbook

– The importance of providing relevant evidenceThe importance of providing relevant evidence

– The importance of documenting and analyzing The importance of documenting and analyzing assessment activitiesassessment activities

Handbook for Periodic Review Handbook for Periodic Review Reports, cont.Reports, cont.

Also revised to provide PRR Also revised to provide PRR reviewers with…reviewers with…

– Clearer guidance for evaluating the PRRClearer guidance for evaluating the PRR

– A template for their reportA template for their report

Handbook for Periodic Review Handbook for Periodic Review Reports, cont.Reports, cont.

And to include the Commission’s And to include the Commission’s publication, “Assessing Student publication, “Assessing Student Learning and Institutional Learning and Institutional Effectiveness” (Appendix 2), to provide Effectiveness” (Appendix 2), to provide guidance to institutions and evaluators guidance to institutions and evaluators with regard to the Commission’s with regard to the Commission’s expectations for assessmentexpectations for assessment

Contents of the Periodic Contents of the Periodic Review ReportReview Report ((PRR HandbookPRR Handbook, pp. 4-7), pp. 4-7)

1) Executive Summary1) Executive Summary

PRR Contents, cont.PRR Contents, cont.

Attach to the Executive Summary the Attach to the Executive Summary the Certification Statement of Certification Statement of Compliance with MSCHE Eligibility Compliance with MSCHE Eligibility Requirements and Federal Title IV Requirements and Federal Title IV Requirements Requirements (Appendix 1, (Appendix 1, PRR HandbookPRR Handbook, p. 22), p. 22)

Eligibility RequirementsEligibility Requirements

In In Characteristics of ExcellenceCharacteristics of Excellence, pp. xii-xiv, pp. xii-xiv

All institutions submitting a PRR must certify All institutions submitting a PRR must certify that they continue to meet the Commission’s that they continue to meet the Commission’s Eligibility Requirements Eligibility Requirements

Attach the Eligibility Certification Statement Attach the Eligibility Certification Statement to the Executive Summary of the PRRto the Executive Summary of the PRR

The other sections of the PRR The other sections of the PRR reflect the objectives of the reflect the objectives of the

PRR.PRR.2) A summary of the institution’s responses 2) A summary of the institution’s responses

to recommendations from the previous to recommendations from the previous team report and self-studyteam report and self-study

– Account for all recommendations (but not Account for all recommendations (but not suggestions)suggestions)

– Recommendations can be grouped, if necessaryRecommendations can be grouped, if necessary

PRR Contents, cont.PRR Contents, cont.

3) A narrative identifying major 3) A narrative identifying major challenges and/or opportunitieschallenges and/or opportunities

PRR Contents, cont.PRR Contents, cont.

4) Evidence and analysis of enrollment 4) Evidence and analysis of enrollment and finance trends and projectionsand finance trends and projections

PRR Contents, cont.PRR Contents, cont.

5) Description and analysis of 5) Description and analysis of assessment processes and plansassessment processes and plans

PRR Contents, cont.PRR Contents, cont.

6) Description and analysis of the links 6) Description and analysis of the links between institutional planning and between institutional planning and budgeting processesbudgeting processes

The PRR is an accreditation The PRR is an accreditation event.event.

Although the formats differ from that Although the formats differ from that of the decennial self-study and team of the decennial self-study and team report, the PRR and reviewer’s report report, the PRR and reviewer’s report are as important as the decennial are as important as the decennial evaluation for an institution’s evaluation for an institution’s accreditationaccreditation

How does the PRR relate to theHow does the PRR relate to theCommission’s accreditation Commission’s accreditation

standards?standards?

The PRR and the StandardsThe PRR and the Standards

Section 2 of the PRR addresses the Section 2 of the PRR addresses the institution’s institution’s responses to the responses to the recommendationsrecommendations included in its included in its previous self-study and team report…previous self-study and team report…

Those recommendations are usually Those recommendations are usually tied to particular Standards…tied to particular Standards…

So the relevant Standards should be So the relevant Standards should be identified in this section of the PRRidentified in this section of the PRR

The PRR and the Standards, The PRR and the Standards, Cont.Cont.

Section 3 on Section 3 on major challenges and/or major challenges and/or opportunitiesopportunities can be framed in terms of can be framed in terms of the Standardsthe Standards

– Institutions should take the opportunity to Institutions should take the opportunity to comment on as many Standards as possiblecomment on as many Standards as possible

Sections 2 and 3 will be the focus of this Sections 2 and 3 will be the focus of this morning’s break-out discussion sessionmorning’s break-out discussion session

The PRR and the Standards, The PRR and the Standards, Cont.Cont.

Section 4 on Section 4 on enrollment and finance enrollment and finance trends and projectionstrends and projections relates relates directly to Standard 2 on planning directly to Standard 2 on planning and to Standard 3 on resources.and to Standard 3 on resources.

The plenary speaker this afternoon The plenary speaker this afternoon will address this section.will address this section.

The PRR and the Standards, The PRR and the Standards, Cont.Cont.

Section 5 on Section 5 on assessment processes assessment processes and plansand plans relates directly to Standard relates directly to Standard 7 on the assessment of institutional 7 on the assessment of institutional effectiveness and Standard 14 on the effectiveness and Standard 14 on the assessment of student learningassessment of student learning

The plenary speaker this morning will The plenary speaker this morning will address this section.address this section.

The PRR and the Standards, The PRR and the Standards, Cont.Cont.

Section 6 on Section 6 on linked institutional planning and linked institutional planning and budgeting processesbudgeting processes relates directly to relates directly to Standard 2 on planning and Standard 3 on Standard 2 on planning and Standard 3 on resourcesresources

– A fundamental element of Standard 3 is that an A fundamental element of Standard 3 is that an accredited institution possesses “a financial planning accredited institution possesses “a financial planning and budgeting process aligned with the institution’s and budgeting process aligned with the institution’s mission, goals, and plan that provides for an annual mission, goals, and plan that provides for an annual budget and multi-year budget projections, both budget and multi-year budget projections, both institution-wide and among departments”institution-wide and among departments”

The PRR and the Standards, The PRR and the Standards, Cont.Cont.

The plenary speaker this afternoon The plenary speaker this afternoon will also address this sectionwill also address this section

The relationship of the PRR to the The relationship of the PRR to the Standards makes possible the second Standards makes possible the second goal of the PRR goal of the PRR (PRR Handbook(PRR Handbook, p. 4), p. 4)::

“ “To enable the Commission to assess To enable the Commission to assess the current status, as well as the future the current status, as well as the future prospects, of institutions, within the prospects, of institutions, within the framework of the Commission’s framework of the Commission’s eligibility requirements and eligibility requirements and accreditation standards”accreditation standards”

The other two goals of the PRR (p. 4) The other two goals of the PRR (p. 4) are equally important:are equally important:

– To help institutions gauge their progress in To help institutions gauge their progress in achieving their own goals and objectivesachieving their own goals and objectives

– To fulfill the Commission’s accountability To fulfill the Commission’s accountability to the public, the academic community at to the public, the academic community at large, and its member institutionslarge, and its member institutions

The second break-out session this The second break-out session this afternoon will focus on the afternoon will focus on the

process of producing a Periodic process of producing a Periodic Review Report.Review Report.

What happens after submission What happens after submission of the PRR?of the PRR?

The report is reviewed by…The report is reviewed by…– Two external peer reviewers who consult Two external peer reviewers who consult

with each other and prepare a joint reportwith each other and prepare a joint report– A finance reviewerA finance reviewer

The reviewers send their reports to The reviewers send their reports to the institution and the Commission by the institution and the Commission by August 1August 1

The institution prepares a formal response to the The institution prepares a formal response to the reports and sends it to the Commission by reports and sends it to the Commission by September 1September 1

The reviewers submit a confidential brief to the The reviewers submit a confidential brief to the Commission that includes their recommendation Commission that includes their recommendation for accreditation actionfor accreditation action

The PRR Committee meets in October to review The PRR Committee meets in October to review all relevant materials and recommend an action all relevant materials and recommend an action to the Commissionto the Commission

The Commission acts on the The Commission acts on the Committee’s recommendation at its Committee’s recommendation at its November meetingNovember meeting

The Commission informs the The Commission informs the institution of its action by letter institution of its action by letter immediately after the meetingimmediately after the meeting

The institution acts on its The institution acts on its recommendations in the PRR and recommendations in the PRR and those of its PRR reviewersthose of its PRR reviewers

The institution eagerly anticipates its The institution eagerly anticipates its next Middle States evaluationnext Middle States evaluation

Questions?Questions?