From Application to Accreditation: A Journey through the Candidacy Process

1. 2009 SACS Annual Meeting December 7, 2009 Soup to Nuts: A "Course by Course" Examination of One School's Journey through the Application and Candidacy Process Presenters: Dr. Juliana Lancaster, Director of Institutional Effectiveness Ms. Ellen Cox, Special Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives Dr. Kristine Nagel, Associate Vice President, Educational Technology Development and Evaluation Ms. Cathy Hakes, Director of Accreditation and Certification Activities

2. Georgia Gwinnett College • The 35th member of the University System of Georgia • Opened its doors to an inaugural junior class of 120 students in fall 2006 • The first freshmen class of 337 was admitted fall 2007 with total enrollment of 787. • First graduation was held on June 28, 2008 • Enrollment has grown to 3000 students as of Fall 2009.

3. Mission & Majors • GGC’s mission supports access to baccalaureate degrees that meet the economic development needs of the growing and diverse population of the northeast Atlanta metropolitan region. • GGC offers majors in: Biology Psychology Information Technology Business Administration • 8 new majors have been submitted as a Substantive Change for implementation in January 2010

4. Session Overview Following the timeline and path from application to accreditation, session presenters will explain the process from four perspectives: 1) Project management 2) Writing the application and report for the standards required for the candidacy submission and the full compliance certification report for the accreditation committee 3) Preparing the materials and supporting documentation for electronic submission 4) Preparation for and management of each committee visit.

5. Session Objectives • Understand the overall process for seeking accreditation through SACS • Understand the experience of one institution recently engaged in the process • Gain successful strategies and benefit from lessons learned • Become aware of opportunities to improve your institution’s efforts as you begin or continue on your own path toward accreditation

6. Tasks, Timeline and Team

7. Project Management • The expertise needed on the project management team, • The essential level of collaboration and communication required to keep the process moving smoothly, and • The tools and techniques used for tracking progress and activity.

8. Project Management Tasks • Review and analyze all standards • Identify writers for each phase, • Assign specific standard(s) to writer(s), • Track and report on progress of each narrative, • Maintain master document for each narrative, • Identify areas within the College that required action to achieve compliance, • Track and report on actions to achieve compliance, and • Review all narratives for accuracy and consistency.

9. Application and Compliance Report Preparation • The advantages and disadvantages of collaborative writing • The value of writing as a tool for conducting a compliance audit of the institution • The timing and mechanics of our review process • The use of collaborative technology to support this process.

10. Application and Compliance Report Preparation Process • Used an iterative and collaborative writing process for both the candidacy submission and the full compliance certification report. • Each standard assigned to a primary writer but, most were actually written jointly by small groups of individuals representing the areas of functionality related to each standard. • As narratives neared completion, all were reviewed in a multi-step process for completion, coherence, and consistency with related narratives, and were then proofread by a new set of readers.

11. The Process: Writing the Application • Start with a basic template that includes the text and standard for each criterion • Develop a narrative that supports the rational for compliance • Indicate supporting documents in the narrative AND in a table at the end of each narrative • Review, proof and do it again!

12. Materials Preparation • Review the technical requirements • Developer skills required • Time demand • Communication needs.

13. Materials Prepared Electronically • Developed an internal website for each phase of the application process. • All materials were submitted electronically • Clear and careful communication between the program management team and the website development team was a critical component of success

14. Why Use an Electronic Format? • Developing the Application: • Provides accessibility to all those working collaboratively on document development. • Ease in updating and correcting documents. • Maintains version control • Central repository of referenced documents and materials

15. More reasons why… • Delivering the Application: • Eliminates the need for massive hard copy documents. • Manuals, handbooks and catalogs are easily accessible • Significantly decreases mailing costs to SACS and Committee members. • On-line electronic documents allow for 24/7 accessibility by reviewers using multiple ISPs, platforms and/or browsers • Use of CD or flash drive permits portability for access at any point in time

16. Binders of Every Size…

17. Or, more visually

18. Cost Comparison

19. Resources Needed • Technology to support document development • Lead person to coordinate documents • Software to support a shared file program to allow access to multiple users (helpful but not required) • In-house website design and building • Graphic and web development support to design site, post documents, and establish links • Readers to check all links in/to all documents • Technology assistance with creating pdf documents and burning CDs and/or flash drives

20. The Process: Building the Website • Establish the basic layout and navigation plan • Convert all narratives and internal supporting documents to pdf format • Convert long documents from external sources to pdf format • Create master list of all referenced documentation • Write user guide/tutorial for reviewers

21. The Process: Linking Documents Electronically • Establish links to: • Governing agency rules/regulations/procedures pages that are referenced • Scanned original documents • Faculty manuals, college catalogues, student handbooks, and policy & procedures manuals • Link to page in each document being referenced • Check and double check links

22. Our Timeline for Development Writing and Revising the Application Developing the Website

23. Common Pitfalls To Avoid • Make sure all links go to specific page referenced so reader does not have to scroll for the reference in lengthy documents. • Documents that are not authored by your institution should be made into a pdf to preserve their initial appearance and to ensure ability to locate them at a later date as web addresses get changed.

24. User Considerations • Provide a user-friendly introduction that may include a tutorial that shows how to navigate through the application and documents. • Include instructions for use including minimum requirements for hardware, software and Internet accessibility. • Provide a link to the free Adobe Acrobat Reader • Provide phone numbers and email addresses for tech support and navigation assistance. • If accessing password-protected sites, be sure to provide log on information and passwords for all users • Keep the navigation simple.

25. On-site Visit Preparation and Management • Advance preparation of the institutional players • Planning for the committee’s needs • Management of the actual visit.

26. On-site Visit Preparation and Management • A well-written compliance certification must be paired with a well-run committee visit for success. • Internal preparation involved the entire campus community • Management of the visit began with clear and regular communication with the committee chair and continued with a well-scheduled and orderly agenda.

27. Preparing the Entire Campus For The Visit

28. Communicating With The Team

29. The Logistics of the Logistics

30. Keys To A successful On-site Visit

31. Presenter Contact Information Dr. Juliana Lancaster jlancaster@ggc.usg.edu Ms. Ellen Cox ecox@ggc.usg.edu Dr. Kristine Nagelknagel@ggc.usg.edu Ms. Cathy Hakes chakes@ggc.usg.edu Georgia Gwinnett College www.ggc.usg.edu 1000 University Center Lane Lawrenceville, GA 30043 Phone: 678-407-5834