Reaffirmation of 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 Site Teams

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 )

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 )

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 QEP University Mission Strategic Planning Assessment

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 Plan Assessment (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 Name Courses TaughtCourse Description Academic 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

Carol Burton, Director, SACS Review Darlene Stonesifer, Staff Assistant 560 H. F. Robinson Administration Bldg /3019/3018