SACS: Gatekeeper to the Flow of Federal Aid

1. SACS:Gatekeeper to the Flow of Federal Aid

2. UK’s Accrediting Body The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), Commission on Colleges, is the regional body for accreditation of higher education institutions in the southern states. http://www.sacscoc.org/

3. Kentucky Delegation • William T. Luckey, Jr., President, Lindsey Wilson College, Columbia • Wayne D. Andrews, President, Morehead State University, Morehead • James S. Klauber, President, Owensboro Community and Technical College, Owensboro • Wilson Stone, House Representative, Scottsville (Public Representative)

4. The Process of Accreditation • Compliance Certification Report • Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) • Off-site Peer Review • On-site Peer Review • Commission Review

5. The Principle of Integrity • 1.1 The institution operates with integrity in all matters. • Examples of failure to demonstrate integrity: • withholding information • providing inaccurate information • not conducting candid self-assessment

6. Selected Core Requirements • Degree-granting Authority • Institutional Mission • Institutional Effectiveness • Program Length • Program Content • General Education • Faculty • Quality Enhancement Plan

7. Core Requirement 2.5:Institutional Effectiveness • Ongoing, integrated, university-wide, research-based, planning and evaluation • Systematic review of mission, goals, and outcomes • Results in continuous quality improvement • Demonstrates mission accomplished

8. Core Requirement 2.12: Quality Enhancement Plan • Broad-based process • Key issues emerge from institutional assessment • Focus on student learning • Capability for implementation and completion • Broad-based involvement of institutional constituencies • Goals and plans for assessment

9. Comprehensive Standards • Institutional Mission • Governance and Administration • Institutional Effectiveness • All Educational Programs • Undergraduate Programs • Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Professional Programs (Cont’d next slide)

10. Comprehensive Standards • Library and Other Learning Resources • Student Affairs and Services • Financial Resources • Physical Resources • Institutional Responsibility for Commission Policies

11. Federal Requirements • Student Achievement • Program Curriculum and Program Length • Publication of Policies • Student Complaints • Recruitment Materials • Title IV Program Responsibilities • Distance and Correspondence Education • Definition of Credit Hours

12. Comprehensive Standards Each standard that mandates a policy or procedure must be • In writing • Approved through appropriate institutional processes • Published in appropriate documents • Accessible to those affected • Implemented and enforced

13. Comprehensive Standard 3.3Institutional Effectiveness  The institution • identifies expected outcomes for its educational programs (including student learning outcomes for educational program) and its administrative and educational support services • assesses whether it achieves these outcomes • provides evidence of improvement based on analysis of those results

14. Comprehensive Standards in Program Area • Educational Program (3.4) • Undergraduate Program (3.5) • Graduate and Professional (3.6) • Faculty (3.7) • Library and Other Learning Resources (3.8) • Student Affairs and Services (3.9)

15. Comprehensive Standard 3.4.7Consortia Relationships/Contracts  The institution: • ensures the quality of educational programs and courses offered through consortia relationships or contractual agreements • ensures ongoing compliance with the comprehensive requirements • evaluates the consortial relationship and/or agreement against the purpose of the institution

16. Comprehensive Standard 3.4.10Responsibility for Curriculum The institution places primary responsibility for the content, quality, and effectiveness of the curriculum with its faculty.

17. Comprehensive Standard 3.5.4Terminal Degrees of Faculty  At least 25 percent of the discipline course hours in each major at the baccalaureate level are taught by faculty members holding the terminal degree—usually the earned doctorate— in the discipline, or the equivalent of the terminal degree.

18. Comprehensive Standard 3.7.1Faculty Competence  The institution: • employs competent, qualified faculty • gives primary consideration to highest earned degree in discipline • also considers competence, effectiveness, and capacity -- undergraduate and graduate degrees, related work experiences, professional licensure, awards, continuous documented excellence in teaching, or other demonstrated competencies that contribute to effective student learning • is responsible for justifying and documenting faculty qualifications

19. Comprehensive Standard 3.12Substantive Change  • The institution notifies the Commission of changes in accordance with the substantive change policy and, when required, seeks approval prior to the initiation of changes. • Such changes include • significantly modifies or expands its scope • changes the nature of its affiliation or its ownership • merges with another institution

20. Comprehensive Standard 3.14Representation of Status The institution publishes the name of its primary accreditor and its address and phone number in accordance with federal requirements. (Name of member institution) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award (name specific degree levels, such as associate, baccalaureate, masters, doctorate). Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of (name of member institution).

21. Federal Requirements • Evaluates student success • Curriculum appropriate for mission • Publication of calendars and policies • Appropriate program length • Procedures for addressing written student complaints • Accurate recruitment materials • Compliance with Title IV of the 1998 Higher Education Amendment (student aid, such as Pell Grants)

22. History of Federal Negotiations “We have slipped to 12th in higher education attainment and 16th in high school graduation rates.” • Re-authorization of Higher Education Act is in progress • Spelling Commission Report released • Federal Negotiated Rulemaking stalled • Probable Outcome is more federal interference

23. Spelling Commission Report

24. Spelling Commission Report • Higher education institutions should measure student learning using instruments such as the CLA. • Results of student learning assessments, including value-added measurements that indicate how students’ skills have improved over time, should be made available to students and reported in the aggregate publicly.

25. Spelling Commission Report Accreditation agencies should • make performance outcomes, including completion rates and student learning, the core of their assessment process • expand existing standards to • allow comparisons among institutions on learning outcomes • encourage innovation and continuous improvement • require institutions to report measurable progress in relationship to their national and international peers.

26. Bringing it Home:Implications for UK Begin now to address national concerns and also ensure compliance with areas of high risk: • student learning assessment • faculty credentials • consortia/contractual relationships • substantive change

27. Student Learning Assessment:Desired Outcomes • University-wide acceptance of program level assessment as key process in improving teaching and learning • Regular assessment of program level student learning that results in continuous improvement • Body of evidence easily accessible to internal and external stakeholders

28. Student Learning Assessment:Suggested Steps Faculty-driven activities to achieve desired outcomes: • Review and update key learning goals for degree programs • Identify the courses in which key learning goals are introduced, emphasized, applied and possibly integrated (i.e. curriculum mapping) • Design and carry out plans to assess learning goals at most appropriate point • Discuss assessment results and implement curricular improvements, if necessary • Document improvements and sustain ongoing process

29. HOW? Assessment Committee Recommendations: • Adopt university-wide philosophy and commitment to student learning assessment • Institutionalize assigned responsibility for assessment at appropriate unit levels • Provide resources needed to manage assessment activities, such as user-friendly, flexible software systems Or adopt other strategies?