Navigating Through a SACS Candidacy Application and Accreditation Review

1. Navigating Through a SACS Candidacy Application and Accreditation Review A Model for Crafting a Successful Compliance Certification Report

2. Agenda • Introduction and Overview • Accreditation Overview • Compliance Certification • Assessment Basics • Strategies for Success • Questions, Comments, Conversation

3. Questions What is Accreditation? Who is SACS?

4. Basic Purposes of Accreditation • Improve the quality of education • Student learning • The student experience • Institutional effectiveness • Effective use of resources • Provide accountability • Students (current and perspective) • Employers • Parents • External funding sources • Board of Trustees • Transfer institutions • Accrediting agencies

5. The overall goal of the review is to ADD VALUE to the institution Student Benefits: • Ease of transfer • Financial aid

6. Quality OUTPUTS/OUTCOMES PROCESSES GOALS INPUTS Efficiency Effectiveness

7. Enrollmentand Accreditation

8. What would you do with $10,000,000?

9. SACS Accreditation Outline • Compliance Certification • Integrity • Core Requirements • Comprehensive Standards • Federal Requirements • Quality Enhancement Plan • Commission Policies

10. Compliance Certification • Integrity: 1 • Core Requirements: 12(16) • Comprehensive Standards: 14(67) • Federal Requirements: 9(11) • 95 Standards • 92 Standards to respond to in CC • Evidence (meeting minimum standards) • Signed by President and Accreditation Officer

11. Compliance CertificationAchieving widespread institutional participation for the compliance review is not a goal.

12. All Compliance Standards Are Not Created Equally Core Requirements have a heightened level of importance.

13. Compliance Certification Tools • Master Calendar • Responsibility Matrix • Communications Plan • Support from Leadership

14. Leadership and Division of Responsibility • Compliance Certification • Small (influential) group • Administrative exercise • QEP • Faculty led • Representation from all parts of the campus community

15. The Reaffirmation Process • Orientation by SACSCOC • Optional Advisory Visit • Submission of Compliance Certification • Off-Site Peer Review • Submission of Focused Report • Submission of QEP • On-Site Peer Review • Submission of Response Report • Review by COC

16. Offsite review is preliminary/advisory.You get three chances to get it right.

17. Student success is the highest priority.

18. The “Dirty Dozen” Standards/Requirements Most Often Cited • CS 3.7.1 Faculty Competence • CS 3.5.1 College-Level Competencies • CS 3.4.1 Academic Program Approval • CR 2.11.1 Financial Resources • CS 3.3.1 Effectiveness – Expected Outcomes • CS 3.2.10 Administrative Staff Evaluations • CS 3.4.7 Consortia/Contractual Relationships • CR 2.5 Institutional Effectiveness • CS 3.7.2 Faculty Evaluations • CS 3.11.3 Physical Facilities • CS 3.10.1 Financial Stability • CS 3.2.13 Foundation Governance

19. Comprehensive Standard 3.7.1Faculty Competence • General policy (must adopt your own) • Exception policy • Documentation for exceptions • Need original transcripts • Must provide two terms of data • Applies to all FT and adjunct faculty • See SACS’ “Guidelines”

20. Core Requirement 2.5Institutional Effectiveness The institution engages in ongoing, integrated, and institution-wide research-based planning and evaluation processes.

21. “The goal of institutional effectiveness planning is not to create more work for everyone but to ensure that the work being done is the best it can be.”

22. IE Basics • Strategic Plan • Annual Goals • IE Plan • KPIs • Tracking Documents • Unit Notebooks • Program Notebooks • Documentation of Use of Results • At least two cycles of evidence

23. TSC Institutional Goals/Priorities • Pathways • Success • Community Engagement • Institutional Effectiveness

24. Institutional Effectiveness:The comparison of results achieved to goals intended.

25. Planning and Evaluation is required in ALL areas. This is not stated but it is necessary.Need to provide evidence that you use results to make continuous improvements on every level (institutional, program, course, student).

26. Administrator Dean Chair Program Coordinator Director Faculty Academic Support Staff Student Services Support Staff Administrative Services Support Staff

27. Comprehensive Standard 3.3.1Institutional Effectiveness The institution identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which it achieves these outcomes, and provides evidence of improvement based on analysis of the results.

28. The 3.3.1 Series • Educational Programs • Administrative Support Services • Academic and Student Support Services • Research • Community/Public Service

29. Percentage of institutions cited for non-compliance on CS 3.3.1? • 66% • 56% • 46% • 36%

30. 3.3.1.1

31. 3.3.1.1

32. 3.3.1.2-5

34. Avoid the use of “Generic” Success Targets • Increase • Improve • Strengthen • Enhance • Heighten • Elevate

35. Alignment

36. Academic Outcomes: Program Reviews (not SLOs) • Program Goals • Enrollment • Macro Indicators: retention rates, placement rates, transfer rates, licensure, graduates, employer/student/faculty satisfaction, advisory committee notes, etc. • Student profile • Program demand • Cost-benefit analysis • Credit and contact hours generated • Productivity measures

37. Student and Administrative Affairs Program Review • Unit mission and goal statements • Student profile • Measures of demand/traffic/utilization • Efficiency • Effectiveness • Contribution and impact • Satisfaction measures • Cost-benefit analysis • End-of-year Report • Peer Reviews • Performance/quality indicators • Evidence of continuous improvement

38. “Sure, the students like your programs and services, but what evidence do you have that what you are doing is making a difference?”

39. Comprehensive Standard 3.5.1College-Level Competencies The institution identifies college-level general education competencies and the extent to which students have attained them.

40. TSC General Education Requirements • Communication I (6 hours) • Communication II (6 hours) • Mathematics (3 hours) • Natural Science (8 hours) • Humanities/ Visual & Performing Arts (6 hours) • History (6 hours) • Government (6 hours) • Social & Behavioral Sciences (3 hours) • Physical Education (4 hours) 48 Total Credit Hours

41. “Products” of Higher Education • Cognitive Development • Behavioral Development • Affective Development

42. Knowledge • Skills • Abilities • Attitudes • Values • Behaviors

43. SLO = ? Slovenia Student Life Organization Sore Losers Organization Special Liquor Order Student Learning Outcomes

44. Student Learning Outcomes defined: The knowledge, skills and abilities a student has attained at the end (or as a result) of his or her engagement in a particular set of higher education experiences.

45. Good learning outcomes are: • Learner-centered • Key to the course/program mission • Meaningful (to students and faculty) • Measurable

46. Remember, student achievement is not the same as student learning.

47. Tips on Writing SLOs • Identify what the student should learn: • What should the student be expected to know? • What should the student be expected to be able to do? • How is a student expected to be able to think? • Try to keep the outcomes to a simple sentence. • Be as specific as possible. • Use active verbs that describe an observable or identifiable action. • Identify success criteria (proficiency expected). • Think about how you will measure (documentation, artifacts, evidence).

48. Phrases to Avoid • Appreciation for… • Acquainted with… • Awareness of… • Capable of… • Comprehension of… • Conscious of… • Familiar with… • Interested in… • Knowledge of… • Knowledgeable about… • Understanding of…

49. Comprehensive Standard 3.4.1Academic Program Approval The institution demonstrates that each educational program for which academic credit is awarded is approved by the faculty and the administration.

50. Core Requirement 2.11.1Financial Resources • Institutional audit • Management letter • Statement of financial position of unrestricted net assets • Annual approved budget