Comprehensive Guide to COSMA Accreditation Process

1. SPORT MANAGEMENT ACCREDITATION ACCREDITATION PROCESS OVERVIEW FEBRUARY 9, 2018 4th Annual COSMA Conference Jacksonville, Florida

2. Philosophy of the COSMA Accreditation Model • Outcomes based/Mission driven • Accreditation principles based on best practices in SM education • Developmental – annual reporting focused on continuous improvement • Flexible – accommodates various institutional models and innovative approaches

3. Benefits of Accreditation • Dedicated staff, training/assistance • Leveraging resources • Best practices - templates, rubrics • External accountability, assurance of quality • Enhanced reputation • Effective mechanism for continuous improvement • Mechanism for program advocacy

4. Includes both undergrad (20% SM content) and graduate programs (50% SM content) Typical disciplinary areas e.g., sport management, sport administration, etc. Academic unit should be an identifiable entity and led by a doctorally- or professionally-qualified educator While normally offered through the SM department, some SM programs housed in other areas All modes of delivery and locations (off-campus) should be included (online, distance learning, adult degree, accelerated) Eligibility for COSMA Accreditation

5. Notify COSMA if a new program is created/added Program must provide rationale for what is included and what is not included in accreditation process Course content Operational control Distinguish and differentiate programs Cooperative/partnership arrangements Marketing: “appearance” of being accredited Eligibility for COSMA Accreditation

6. Steps to Accreditation Membership application & fee Attain Candidacy Status (CS) Collect data and begin writing Self Study Establish timeline for site visit Complete Self Study (at least 90 days prior to site visit) Site visit (2 days) Decision by Board of Commissioners (February/September of each year)

7. Annual Membership Dues • $1,800/year for Program Membership • Covers all degree programs • Pro-rated quarterly • for $30/year for Individual Membership • Eligible to vote in elections • May serve as site reviewer, BOC/BOD member

8. Step One: Membership • Apply online (http://www.cosmaweb.org/membership-forms.html) or download the form to mail in. • Pay annual dues • Show proof of regional/national accreditation (U.S. institutions) or entity that authorizes degree granting (non-U.S. institutions) • Provide basic enrollment information on programs • Signature of CEO • BOC member assignment

9. Step Two: Candidacy Status • Purpose: To provide your academic unit/sport management program an opportunity to prepare itself for the development of a Self Study and have a site visit • Build overall confidence and understanding in the accreditation process – BOC member assigned • Normally will not exceed five years • Submit: Program overview, outcomes assessment plan (use template), links to industry, letter of support from administration, catalog, organizational chart

10. Step Three: Self Study/Documentation of Accreditation Principles • Outcomes Assessment • Strategic Planning • Curriculum • Faculty • Scholarly & Professional Activities • Resources • Internal & External Relationships • Educational Innovation

11. Self Study Organization Volume 1 – Documentation of Accreditation Principles Title Page Table of Contents Background Information Documentation of Principles 1-8 Volume 2 – Appendices Catalog (URL okay) Abbreviated Syllabi Faculty CVs (full- and part-time) Outcomes Assessment Plan, Results, and Actions Strategic Plan Faculty Handbook

12. Step Four: Site Visit • Costs • Scheduling • Site Visit Team Assignments; BOC Observer • Campus Coordinator role • Schedule • Materials • Evaluation and Follow-up

13. Cost of a Site Visit Estimated total cost for two days/ two site reviewers - $3,800 Fixed costs: Application fee: $1,200 Honorarium: $1,000 Variable costs: Travel: $1,000 Food & Lodging: $600

14. Purpose of the COSMA Site Visit • Validates Self-Study • Peer review • Assistance in program improvement • “Outside” perspective • Foster reasonable consistency of reviews

15. Site Visit Assignments • Scheduled 3-4 months in advance • COSMA staff, BOC assign two person team • BOC observer (no cost to program) • Conditions • Avoid conflicts of interest • Balance and representation • Costs

16. Expectations of Site Reviewers • The site visit will be conducted in strict accordance with all of the current COSMA published guidelines. • Confidentiality • The site visit team will not express any opinions as to whether accreditation will be granted. • The site visit team’s report will contain sufficient information to allow the BOC to make a fair and informed accreditation decision.

17. Campus Coordinator Role • Person responsible for accreditation process (not necessarily the department chair) • Helps team make travel plans, including transport to and from their hotel to your campus • Develops site visit schedule • Makes sure site visit stays on schedule • Organizes on campus meeting room for team

18. On-site Materials • Course syllabi • Institutional course catalog • Copy of last regional accreditation self-study report and findings • Faculty member vitae • Faculty handbook • O/A Plan • Summary of realized outcomes • Internship Manual

19. Site Visit - Day 1

20. Site Visit - Day 2

21. Site Visit Report • Each team member completes his/her own checklist • Team chair writes final report (from template) and sends to COSMA • Address findings related to areas of non-compliance • Include strengths and weaknesses in areas of compliance • The team keeps all materials until the BOC meets to make their accreditation decision

22. Program Response • Review the report from the site visit • Prepare a response and submit by the stated deadline • Work with Heather on your response • Provide explanations and timelines where necessary

23. What COSMA Does After the Site Visit • Program receives site visit report • May include request for additional information • All materials sent to Board of Commissioners – self-study, site visit team report, rejoinder, etc. • Subgroup of Commissioners – led by your BOC observer - reviews materials and prepares detailed presentation.

24. Commissioners’ Accreditation Decisions • Accreditation with Notes • Accreditation with Observations • Accreditation Deferred • Accreditation Denied

25. Annual Reports • All programs -- regardless of accreditation status -- submit an Annual Report • Respond to Notes • Provide Outcomes Assessment data – SLOs, OEGs, program information profile • Indicate program and administrative changes • Due by July 31 each year – website must be updated

26. Eight Principles of Accreditation • Outcomes Assessment • Strategic Planning • Curriculum • Faculty • Scholarly & Professional Activities • Resources • Internal & External Relationships • Educational Innovation

27. Principle 1: Outcomes Assessment It is essential that an institution and its academic unit/sport management program demonstrate evidence of effectiveness in educating sport management students and effectiveness in its operations and related outcomes. The outcomes assessment process, therefore, is the single most important component of the COSMA accreditation. The outcomes assessment process should also demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement using the results of the outcomes assessment process in strategic planning and budgeting.

28. Principle 1: Outcomes Assessment Five assessment areas addressed in the required (template) outcome assessment plan: Mission and Goals Student Learning Outcome Measures Basic Skills Development Personal Development Operational Outcomes Measures: Program outcomes may include, but not be limited to, the following: attrition rates, retention rates, graduation rates, job placement, acceptance to graduate programs, successful transfer of credit, etc.

29. Principle 1: Outcomes Assessment What to include in the self study document: Copy of your outcomes assessment plan Narrative describing the degree to which benchmarks were met in five O/A content areas Summary of changes and improvements needed and in what areas, including changes in strategic planning and budgeting Identify actions plans that target how changes and improvements will occur Summary of realized outcomes that resulted from the execution of the action plans, including changes in strategic planning and budgeting Describe general conclusions drawn from the self-study regarding the effectiveness of its outcomes assessment process and provide a narrative assessment of the extent you are accomplishing your mission and goals Master’s and doctoral programs: Separate section of goals, SLOs and measurement tools

30. Principle 2: Strategic Planning • COSMA does not prescribe any particular approach to strategic planning, but the process should include the following elements: • The mission of the program is consistent with the institution’s mission, and guides decision-making toward defined goals and outcomes. • The process includes processes for developing action items for continuous improvement in the program’s activities and operations. • The process includes methods for tracking the progress of action items and monitoring the extent to which the program’s goals and outcomes are being achieved. These methods include the process of outcomes assessment. • If possible, the strategic planning process should be connected to the institutional budgeting process. • The strategic planning process involves multiple stakeholders both inside and outside of the academic unit (e.g., faculty, staff, students, internship site coordinators, Advisory Board members, sport industry, etc.).

31. Principle 3: Curriculum • 3.1 Program Design • 3.2 Common Professional Component • 3.3 General Education • 3.4 Breadth and Depth of Curriculum • 3.5 Curriculum Review and Improvement • 3.6 Master’s Degree Curriculum • 3.7 Doctoral Curriculum

32. Principle 3: Curriculum • 3.1 Program Design • Curricular requirements (link to catalog) • Methods of delivery (in-person, online, hybrid) • Contact hours, semester/quarter hours • 3.2 Common Professional Component • COSMA expects the curricula of accredited undergraduate sport management programs to provide a broadly based, functional education in sport management. The purpose of this principle is to ensure that the CPC topical areas are covered in undergraduate sport management programs. However, COSMA does not expect that all of the CPC topical areas will have equal contact hour coverage.

33. Principle 3: Curriculum A. Foundations of Sport: Historical, Sociological, and Psychological B. Foundations of Sport Management Management Concepts Governance & Policy International Sport C. Functions of Sport Management Sport Operations Sport Marketing Sport Communications Sport Finance and Economics D. Sport Management Environment Legal aspects of sport management Ethical aspects of sport management Diversity issues in sport management Technological advances in sport management E. Integrative Experiences & Career Planning Internship/Practical/Experiential Learning Capstone Experience

34. Principle 3: Curriculum • 3.3 General Education • 3.4 Breadth and Depth of Curriculum • 3.5 Curriculum Review and Improvement • Continuous review • Faculty involvement • Development of new programs, making curricular changes • 3.6 Master’s Degree Curriculum • 3.7 Doctoral Curriculum

35. Principle 4: Faculty 4.1 Faculty Qualifications 4.2 Faculty Load 4.3 Program Coverage 4.4 Faculty Evaluation 4.5 Faculty Development 4.6 Faculty Policies

36. Principle 4: Faculty • 4.1 Faculty Qualifications • Current vitae for all faculty (FT, PT, adjunct) • List terminal degree, area of study, assigned teaching areas • Teaching load table: FT and PT • Faculty coverage table – data from teaching load table • 4.2 Faculty Load • Teaching load policies and overloads • 4.3 Program Coverage • CPC coverage

37. Principle 4: Faculty 4.4 Faculty Evaluation 4.5 Faculty Development 4.6 Faculty Policies

38. Principle 5: Scholarly and Professional Activities Scholarship of: • Teaching • Discovery • Integration • Application Professional Activities

39. Principle 6: Resources • 6.1 Financial Resources • Budget development • Educational and General Expenditures table • Salary ranges by rank table • Extra pay, adjunct pay • 6.2 Facilities – Classrooms, offices, labs • 6.3 Learning Resources – library support • 6.4 Educational Technology and Support – in all locations for all students, faculty • 6.5 Locations – main campus, satellite locations (25%)

40. Principle 7: Internal and External Relationships • 7.1 Internal Relationships • 7.2 Admissions Processes • 7.3 Business and Industry Linkages/Internship • (e.g., Advisory boards, Executives-in-residence, Guest speakers, Institutional outreach programs, Partnerships and joint venture agreements with organizations, Professionally active student organizations in various sport management fields, Internship programs, Economic research bureaus) • Internship criteria: • a. Applies sport management core content and theory to hands-on practice. • b. Provides professional, trained supervision and guidance. • c. Enhances students’ understanding, ability and knowledge of the sport management industry to develop skills that directly translate to a future career in sport. • d. Clarifies students’ career goals. • e. Develops relationships with sport industry practitioners. • f. Provides students employment and networking opportunities.

41. Principle 7: Internal and External Relationships 7.4 External Cooperative Relationships and Oversight • University accreditation • Transfer students • Other institutional relationships 7.5 International Sport Management & 7.6 Diversity in Sport Management • Examples of curricular, co-curricular, operational activities 7.7 External Accountability • Program outcomes data (SLOs, OEGs) on website, updated annually

42. Principle 8: Educational Innovation • Evaluate the institution's support for innovation • Evaluate the process in the program for encouraging educational innovation • Review recent examples, including improvements

43. Wrap-up Accreditation process reviewed Site visit overview & purpose Costs/Resources needed Eight Principles of accreditation Training, support, guidance