Incorporating Student Engagement into the Accreditation Process April 11, 2010

Courtney Adkins, Survey Operations Coordinator Center for Community College Student Engagement April Juarez, College Liaison Center for Community College Student Engagement Kristin Mallory, Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Bridgemont Community and Technical College (WV)

Session Agenda  Talk about student engagement  Share learning from a decade of research  Discuss preparing for the Self-Study within a culture of evidence  Highlight the CCSSE and SENSE Accreditation Toolkits  Hear one college’s story

What is Student Engagement? …the amount of time and energy students invest in meaningful educational practices …the institutional practices and student behaviors that are highly correlated with student learning and retention

Why focus on Student Engagement?  Decades of research on undergraduate student learning, persistence, and success (Tinto, Astin, McClenney, et al.)  CCSSE Validation Study  Qualitative research INSTITUTIONS can use student engagement strategies to improve student retention and learning.

Students are more likely to persist and learn if they… Establish meaningful relationships with faculty, staff, and peers Feel connected to the college Successfully navigate through college systems, processes, and procedures

Students are more likely to persist and learn if they… Make a connection between now and their future (setting goals) Are active & engaged learners Are challenged to do their best work

One thing we KNOW about community college student engagement… It’s unlikely to happen by accident. It has to happen by design.

Center for Community College Student Engagement  Quantitative  CCSSE  CCFSSE  SENSE  Qualitative  Initiative on Student Success / Starting Right

CCSSE Piloted in National admin since CCSSE data analyses include a three-year cohort of participating colleges. The 2009 CCSSE cohort includes more than 400,000 students from community and technical colleges in 48 states, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and the Marshall Islands.

These are tools to help colleges  Assess the quality of their work  Identify and grow successful educational practices  Identify areas in which to improve  Shift the focus to institutional locus of control Also…  Publicly reports data  Opposes ranking of community colleges ranking

Building a Culture of Evidence with CCSSE and SENSE… …understand the facts …share the facts …act on the facts …the courage to see

What does the Commission expect? Use of information and data to support the Self- Study Thoughtful analysis of evidence Easily identified and clearly stated priorities for improvement An honest evaluation

How can we prepare for an HLC Review within a culture of evidence?  Study and understand Criteria for Accreditation  Ensure that mission and goals are measurable  Engage faculty, staff & trustees in understanding accreditation process  Ratchet up IR function for data gathering  Remember: Assessment plan must be “in action,” not “planning to plan”

HLC PEAQ Standards Criterion 1: Mission and Integrity The organization operates with integrity to ensure the fulfillment of its mission through structures and processes that involve the board, administration, faculty, staff, and students. Criterion 2: Preparing for the Future The organization’s allocation of resources and its processes for evaluation and planning demonstrate its capacity to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its education, and respond to future challenges and opportunities. Criterion 3: Student Learning and Effective Teaching The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission. Criterion 4: Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge The organization promotes a life of learning for its faculty, administration, staff, and students by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity, practice, and social responsibility in ways consistent with its mission. Criterion 5: Engagement and Service As called for by its mission, the organization identifies its constituencies and serves them in ways both value. Which does CCSSE/SENSE support?

The CCSSE / SENSE Accreditation Toolkits Intended to be utilized as an approach to mapping CCSSE and SENSE data to accreditation standards

Accreditation Maps Maps available for all six regions Maps align survey items with accreditation standards HLC Accreditation Maps align with PEAQ accreditation standards

Accreditation Item Key Displays the full text of the survey items Highlights key concepts Shows items mapped to standards for all regions Items are organized by benchmarks Items not associated with benchmarks appear at end Shaded items appear on both CCSSE and SENSE

Mapping the criteria Criterion 3: Student Learning and Effective Teaching The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission. 3c. The organization creates effective learning environments. Evidence: The organization provides an environment that supports all learners and the diversity they bring. 4t. Had serious conversations with students who differ from you in terms of their religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values 9b. Providing the support you need to help you succeed at this college

(formerly the Community and Technical College at WVU Tech)

History Bridgemont is a result of years of multiple institutional change Previously a college within a baccalaureate institution Initially accredited by HLC in 2004 Comprehensive visit for continued accreditation in 2009

Institutional Focus Multiple accreditation agencies: TAC-ABET, ADA, CARC- hosting 4 accreditation teams over last 5 years Technical programs Multiple laboratory courses Active department and college student organizations

CCSSE Initially administered 2005 through state-wide initiative Administered again in 2008

CCSSE Results 2005 CCSSE results indicated high level of student engagement in areas of  Active and Collaborative Learning  Student-Faculty Interaction 2005 CCSSE results identified areas for continuous improvement  Student Services  Financial aid

Actions from 2005 Hired Director for Student Services  Address issues regarding financial aid, registration, and other processes Affirmed the value of activities to promote student engagement

2008 Results Maintained high levels in  Active and Collaborative Learning  Student-Faculty Interaction Dramatically increased performance in Support for Learners

Results in Action Successes celebrated Areas of improvement identified Actions to address needed improvements Results demonstrated efforts as successful Successes celebrated Continued monitoring Continuous improvement

CCSSE as Evidence Criterion 3, Student Learning and Effective Teaching Criterion 5, Engagement and Service

Evaluator Comments “The CTC is justifiably proud of the 2005 and 2008 results from the CCSSE (Community College Survey of Student Engagement). The institution analyzes CCSSE results and makes changes based upon this analysis. The survey revealed that student and faculty interaction is a major strength of the institution, with CTC ranking among the highest community colleges in the nation on interaction with instructors outside of class, in both class-related discussions as well as activities other than coursework. Several measurements from 2008 showed significant improvement over the 2005 survey.”