The Role of Faculty During the Self-Study Process Ensuring Success at Cedar Crest LaMont Rouse Executive Director of Assessment, Accreditation & Compliance

Goals of the Presentation Provide an overview of the Self- Study process Discuss the time lines of the self- study The role of faculty during the self- study process.

Middle States MSCHE is Cedar Crest’s accrediting body. Cedar Crest has been a member of MSCHE since the 1940s. MSCHE covers accredited institutions from New York to D.C. (along with Puerto Rico and other location)

Middle States MSCHE requires a self-study decennial review The review is based on the 14 Standards of Excellence Cedar Crest must demonstrate compliance with these 14 standards. MSCHE has openly talked about “raising the bar” when it comes to judging compliance with the standards.

Goals of the Self-Study Process To demonstrate compliance with Middle State’s Standards of Excellence To provide a process whereby Cedar Crest can make recommendations for improvement To determine how to improve enrollment through new markets and educational offerings

End of Part I

Cedar Crest Self-Study Team Steering Committee Janet Baker Kathleen Boland Gaetan Giannini Christine Nowik Jenny Weatherford

Cedar Crest Self-Study Team Six Working Groups WG1: Institutional Stewardship WG2: Integrity, Governance & Administration WG3: Student Admissions & Support WG4: Faculty WG5: Educational Offerings WG6: Assessment

Cedar Crest Self-Study Team Tasks of the Working Groups Develop questions related to the Standards of Excellence Answer the questions Use the answers to write a chapter based on the evidence All chapters will be merged to create the self-study report The final report will be approximately 100 pages. I anticipate hundreds of pages in supporting documents.

The Self-Study Time Line Fall 2012: Working groups will seek to gather evidence in order to answer the research questions Spring 2013: Working groups submit their draft chapter to the steering committee -- The steering committee then produces the self-study report The End of Phase I

The Self-Study Time Line Public Phase Fall 2013: Campus reviews the document and suggests changes and modifications. -- CCC sends the draft report to evaluation team chair (S/he may also make suggestions and changes) -- Team chair makes a preliminary visit

The Self-Study Time Line Team Visit Phase Spring 2014: There is a team visit -- A preliminary report will be issued -- There is an institutional response Summer 2014: Middle States meets and acts

End of Part II

The Role of Faculty MSCHE views faculty as vital to the assessment of student learning. MSCHE also wants to see evidence of shared governance MSCHE wants institutions to define and measure teaching effectiveness

The Role of Faculty Faculty maintain the ongoing assessment cycle -- Faculty will play an important role in periodic program review cycle -- Cedar Crest must gather clear and compelling evidence that students are learning.

The Role of The Program Level -- Actively participate in your periodic program review process. Affirming the degree’s mission statement (Ensure the degree is aligned to the College’s mission statement) Affirming (achieving consensus on) the primary student learning outcomes (only need 4 to 6) Affirming the curriculum map Ensuring that all courses are aligned to the SLOs of the program (and these are explicitly stated in all course syllabi)

The Role of The Course Level -- Ensure that all courses are aligned to the program -- Ensure that the syllabus has explicitly stated student learning outcomes -- Ensure that major measuring units (exams, written works, creative works, etc) are closely aligned to an SLO in the course -- Gather direct evidence of student learning (keep samples of student works) -- I encourage the use of rubrics as a tool -- Save blank copies of sample exams

The Role of Faculty The Course & Gen Ed -- MSCHE wants clear and compelling evidence that students can do the following 1.Write effectively 2.Efficient oral communication skills 3.Critical thinking skills 4.Quantitative reasoning skills 5.Information literacy -- Please help the Office of Assessment where possible by using these rubrics on certain projects.

The Role of Faculty Cedar Crest’s Broad Principles -- Seek alignment with the Broad Principles where possible… 1 Civic Engagement 2. Global Connectivity 3. Health and Wellness 4. Women’s Leadership

The Role of Faculty Specific Tasks -- Participate on some level I can’t successfully complete this process if you are sitting on the sidelines. -- Engage the process Be active members in the strengthening of your major. -- Help Gather Evidence I ask that each faculty member participate in at least one GE skills study per semester. Of course, you can always do more (and I’ll buy you lunch!)