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The Search for Quality in Higher Education Accreditation--the WASC Model

The Search for Quality in Higher Education Accreditation--the WASC Model. Deane Neubauer Senior Advisor East-West Center IFE 2020. Search for a New Paradigm in Quality Assurance. The WASC Story Six Regional Accreditation Bodies Tradition of voluntary, associational accreditation

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The Search for Quality in Higher Education Accreditation--the WASC Model

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  1. The Search for Quality in Higher Education Accreditation--the WASC Model Deane Neubauer Senior Advisor East-West Center IFE 2020

  2. Search for a New Paradigm in Quality Assurance • The WASC Story • Six Regional Accreditation Bodies • Tradition of voluntary, associational accreditation • The Western Region (From Stanford and Berkeley to Southern California Bible Institute) • The establishment of a federal presence in the Higher Education Act (1965) • 1988 Amendments--impact for accreditation; five year reauthorization cycle

  3. The Old Handbook • 1990 Version • Nine standards • Highly Stipulative • 256 sub-standards • One visit, ten year cycle

  4. Problems with the Old Model • Assessment supplement--move toward a culture of evidence • Unsatisfactory results (too many special visits) • Disconnect with the nature of institutions and accreditation process and instrument • Absence of value-added elements for institutions, especially highly statused ones • Increasingly inability to justify audit method • Difficulty in recruitment and training of teams

  5. The Approach to a “New” Model • The Federal Department of Education Requirement • Commission and staff decision to pursue new model • Key elements to process: • Search widely for examples and models • Interview key people in region and involve them in process • Align with changing institution realities • Meet federal requirements

  6. The Three Year Process • Commission retreats • Experimental Visits over four year period • Obtain external support (PEW and Irvine Foundations) • Concept development days: involve over 250 people • Regional sessions • Assembling new handbook from complex-interrelated elements

  7. The Paradigmatic Breakthrough • From inputs to a linkage between inputs and outputs • The core commitments: institutional capacity and educational effectiveness • Central focus on quality • From stipulation to inquiry • Three step visit model • Strong linkage to value added components • Twelve-year cycle • Team training

  8. Elements of the New Model • Core Commitments • 4 Standards • Criteria for Review • Questions for Institutional Engagement

  9. Four Standards • Standard 1: Defining Institutional Purposes and Ensuring Educational Objectives • Standard 2: Achieving Educational Objectives Through Core Functions • Standard 3: Developing and Applying Resources and Organizational Structures to Ensure Sustainability • Standard 4: Creating an Organization Committed to Learning and Improvement

  10. What does WASC mean by capacity? Capacity is an institutional attribute that emerges from alignment of resources, organizational structures, and values around educational objectives Capacity for sustaining student and organizational learning is intentional, holistic, & aligned with institutional purposes Capacity is to be used for improvement & transformation within institutional context

  11. Capacity for program and institutional assessment, engagement, improvement= Core Commitment to EEOrganizational learningLearning and success of all students

  12. Institutional Review Timetable Stage 1 Proposal 2 years tosite visit Stage 2 PreparatoryReview 1 year tosite visit Stage 3 EducationalEffectiveness

  13. 12 weeks 1-2 months 1-2 months Educational Off-site Site Visit Institutional Commission ActionEffectiveness Review of (2-3 Days Response (Summative Action for Report Material by on Campus) Entire Institutional Submitted Team Team Report Presentation) Timeline for the Educational Effectiveness Review

  14. What does WASC mean by Educational Effectiveness? A system of quality assurance for student and organizational learning that demonstrates (selected sample CFRs) Institutional & leadership focus (CFR 1.1, 1.3, 4.6) Appropriate educational objectives for degree programs and institution (CFR 1.1, 1.2, 1.6, 2.4) Learning outcomes are widely shared and reflected in academic programs and policies (CFR 1.7, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4) Faculty takes collective responsibility for demonstrating and reviewing attainment of those expectations (CFR 2.4, 2.6) A culture of inquiry and evidence is well established and evidence is used regularly for improvement (CFR 4.1, 4.4, 4.5, 4.7)

  15. One Set of Standards/Two Reviews

  16. Models for the Educational Effectiveness Report • Special Themes • Strategic Planning-Based • Comprehensive • Audit-Based

  17. One Set of Standards/Two Reviews

  18. One Set of Standards/Two Reviews

  19. Framework for Evaluating Educational Effectivness • Capacity and Effectiveness as they Relate to Student and Institutional Learning • (Handout)

  20. The Complete WASC Handbook The complete WASC Handbook may be found at: www.wascsenior.org

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