Interpreting & Applying the Standards October 4, 2006 Dr. Luis J. Pedraja, Vice President Middle States Commission on Higher Education

OVERVIEW Guiding Principles Role of Mission Eligibility Requirements, Standards, and the Fundamental Elements How the standards are connected Planning, Resource Allocation, & Assessment Team Reports & Range of Action

Guiding Principles Greater flexibility More attention to important functions and less to specific structures Broadened definitions: governance/governing body, faculty, related educational activities Focus on assessment/results rather than inputs/processes Clearer format

Institutional MISSION and Accreditation STANDARDS

Eligibility Certification & Other Matters Institutions seeking candidacy, initial accreditation, or reaffirmation of accreditation must meet eligibility requirements Eligibility Certification Statement Third party comments

Overview of the Standards 14 Standards, in 2 sections: – Institutional Context (Standards 1 – 7) – Educational Effectiveness (Standards 8 – 14) Each section concludes with an assessment standard (7 & 14)

Institutional Context Standards Mission, Goals, and Objectives 2. Planning, Resource Allocation, and Institutional Renewal 3. Institutional Resources 4. Leadership and Governance 5. Administration 6. Integrity 7. Institutional Assessment

Educational Effectiveness Standards Student Admissions 9. Student Support Services 10. Faculty 11. Educational Offerings 12. General Education 13. Related Educational Activities 14. Assessment of Student Learning

Format: Each Standard Standard Context Fundamental Elements Optional Analysis and Evidence

Applying the Fundamental Elements > within the institutional self-study > during the evaluation team visit

Fundamental Elements & the Self-Study In conjunction with institutional mission & goals, fundamental elements help to frame self-study questions Elements guide institutions in demonstrating how they comply with the standards Elements help frame the self-study analysis and recommendations

Fundamental Elements & the Team Visit Help to frame the teams questions Must be viewed in the context of the institutions mission and its self-study design and report Together (not individually) the Fundamental Elements constitute and encompass the standard Elements are not a checklist

Fundamental Elements & the Team Visit, continued Fundamental elements are subordinate to the accreditation standard Elements are likely reference points for commendations, suggestions, recommendations, and/or requirements

Optional Analysis & Evidence Used by institution as part of its own self-study Not intended for use by the team for evaluation Information is optional for the institution and not required

The Standards: How is it all related?

Impact on Self-Study? Accreditation standards cannot be totally separated/isolated Need for collaboration and communication among work groups Likely overlap in analysis, findings, and recommendations

Impact on Evaluation Team? Need for collaboration among team members (key questions, interviews, document review) Need to assure consistency (& absence of unintended redundancy) in team findings, suggestions, and recommendations

Planning, Resource Allocation, and Assessment What is the relationship among these? How does the relationship affect the institutional self-study and the work of the evaluation team?

ASSESSMENT Q: What does Middle States expect/require? A: See Standard 7 & Standard 14

Applying the Standards & the Team Report

Report Templates & Self-Study Self-Study structure will affect how standards are covered in the report Comprehensive models – Structured according to standards – Grouping of Standards – Topical Approach Selected Topics model Collaborative model

Team Member Reports Significant accomplishments Suggestions Recommendations: – Addressed in PRR – Requiring follow-up (need more immediate attention) Requirements Additional Information: – General observations – Documents cited as justification for observations/recommendations – List of people interviewed

Team Report TEMPLATES Context & nature of visit Compliance w/ eligibility requirements Compliance w/ federal & other requirements Evaluation overview Compliance w/ accreditation standards Summary of recommendations/requirements

TEAM REPORT: Suggestions, Recommendations, or Requirements Suggestions = optional consultative advice Recommendations = actions needed to continue improvement or to assure continuing compliance Requirements = actions needed to achieve compliance

Levels of FOLLOW-UP Suggestions -> no follow-up Recommendations -> routinely addressed through PRR; team may request earlier follow-up through progress letter or monitoring report Requirements -> warning, probation, show cause (monitoring report) OR postponement (supplemental information report)

Standardized Language Allows for consistency in the actions Helps you formulate language They are guidelines

Questions?