1. 1 Making the MOST of the Accreditation Team Experience Jo Allen, Senior Vice President & Provost Widener University Based on remarks by Patricia A. McGuire, President Trinity University, Washington Middle States Workshop for New Team Chairs and Evaluators October 7, 2008

2. 2 SERVING on a Middle States Accreditation Team? …in Five Words or Less! Intense Teamwork Stimulating Intellectual Collegial

3. 3 What Do Institutions Expect of Teams & Chairs? Respect Collegiality Fairness and Integrity Compassionate Rigor Expertise Thorough Preparation Consistency

4. 4 Role of the Team Chair ORGANIZER Logistical details Team assignments & team report FACILITATOR/COACH Team visit strategy Team member roles Focus on MSCHE standards LEADER Arbiter of ethics

5. 5 When Team Chairs Go Bad… Runaway Team Bully on the Team Institutional Hide n Seek Scrooge Terminator

6. 6 Role of An Evaluator Be prepared Know Middle States standards Analyze and question the Self-Study Understand the Institutional Mission & Goals Remember the peer in peer review Cooperate and be collegial Root comments in Middle States standards. DONT… Compare this institution to yours Make prescriptive pronouncements

7. 7 When Evaluators Go Bad Too Flexible Too Rigid Too Narrow Discipline-bound Institution-bound Institution type-bound Too Arrogant

8. 8 When Good Teams Go Bad, Part 1 The Inspector General Persona and Gotcha! Games Well, at MY Institution heres how its done…. I am the Great Oz and I know what you need to be doing… Lets slam them on this …

9. 9 When Good Teams Go Bad, Part 2 Could you believe that president [provost? faculty member?]?? Ive arranged a small meeting with a few disaffected faculty to hear whats REALLY going on at this place. Forget the Characteristics, this place is a mess and we need to fix it or shut it down. Theyre lying.

10. 10 Preparing for an Interview During a Team Visit Prepare … To test and illuminate the self-study. To substantiate your thorough knowledge of the self-study and institutional materials. To identify potential interviews. Develop Interview Objectives and Questions … To know the objectives of the interview To relate questions to the self-study and accreditation criteria.

11. 11 Conducting an Interview During a Team Visit Set the Context Be friendly. Dialogue, not cross- examination. Explain interview purpose and topics. Set a time limit. Listen and Learn Test assertions constructively. Push for analysis by interviewees. Take Careful Notes Get names and positions of interviewees. DONT Lecture interviewees Monologue your opinions. Offer prescriptions.

12. 12 Resources for Team Support Middle States Documents Middle States Staff Experienced Evaluators Team Chair

13. 13 Some Reminders on Ethics Leave your biases at home. Reveal any conflicts of interest before the visit. Respect the privacy and reputation of the institution. Pay for bar drinks, movies, and personal phone bills personally.

14. 14 One Last Thing on Ethics…. …There are no job opportunities for you at this school..

15. 15 Some Reminders on Attitude Keep your sense of humor apparent, but mild. Do not be dour, or angry, or difficult. If you hate the experience, do not volunteer for this gig again. If you love the experience, definitely sign up again. Be open to learning new things you didnt anticipate.

16. 16 Questions? Comments? Concerns?