1

Preparing your Library for Preparing your Library for NEASC AccreditationNEASC Accreditation

NELINET WorkshopNELINET WorkshopMarch 20, 2009March 20, 2009

Patricia O’Brien, NEASC-CIHEPatricia O’Brien, NEASC-CIHEGai Carpenter, Hampshire CollegeGai Carpenter, Hampshire College

2

Topics for today’s workshopTopics for today’s workshop

• Overview of the accreditation process

• Heightened emphases in the Standards for Accreditation

• The Commission’s new data forms

• Preparing for the visit

3

• a status granted to an educational institution or a program that has been found to meet or exceed stated criteria of educational quality

• voluntary

• non-governmental

• self-regulatory

• institutional or specialized

Accreditation isAccreditation is

4

Dual purposes of Dual purposes of accreditation:accreditation:

““public” and “private”public” and “private”Assure quality

Foster improvement

Accreditation certifies that an institution:

• Has appropriate purposes

• Has the resources needed to accomplish its purposes

• Demonstrates that it is accomplishing its purposes

• Has the ability continue to accomplish its purposes

5

New England

Middle States

Southern

North Central (Higher Learning Commission)

North Western

Western

Six regional accrediting associations in Six regional accrediting associations in the United Statesthe United States

6

New England Association of New England Association of Schools and CollegesSchools and Colleges

Commission on Institutions of Commission on Institutions of Higher EducationHigher Education

• Accredits 245 colleges and universities in New England and six countries abroad

• 23 commissioners; 9 staff members; hundreds of volunteers

• Compact geography; wide institutional diversity; preponderance of independent institutions

7

Standards for AccreditationStandards for Accreditation form the basis form the basis for the evaluationfor the evaluation

• Mission and Purposes

• Planning and Evaluation

• Organization and Governance

• The Academic Program

• Faculty

• Students

• Library & Other Information Resources

• Physical Resources

• Financial Resources

• Public Disclosure

• Integrity

Accreditation = Standards + MissionAccreditation = Standards + Mission

8

• Full self-study for re-accreditation every 10 years

• Interim report every 5 years

• Special reports and/or focused visits as recommended by Commission

• Annual report

• Substantive changes

Accreditation is an “ongoing relationship” that Accreditation is an “ongoing relationship” that involves periodic review of institutions:involves periodic review of institutions:

9

Three part process:Three part process:

• Self-study

• Site Visit

• Commission action

10

Process• 18 – 24 months• Steering

Committee• Widespread

participation• A candid

evaluation of the institution

Product• About 100 pages• One chapter for

each standard• Three-part analytic

framework: description, appraisal, projection

• Data forms

Step 1: Self Study … a process and a productStep 1: Self Study … a process and a product

11

Step 2: Site visitStep 2: Site visit

• Sunday afternoon - Wednesday morning

• 6-10 team members, from peer institutions, knowledgeable about the Standards

• Meetings with administrators, faculty members, students, trustees, alumni

• Visits to branch campuses, as appropriate

• Document room

• Exit report

12

Step 3: Commission ActionStep 3: Commission Action

• Semester following site visit

• Commission reviews self-study, Team report and confidential recommendation, institutional response to Team report

• President and Team Chair attend Commission meeting

• Letter to President

13

Range of Commission ActionsRange of Commission Actions

• Granting or denial of candidacy status

• Granting or denial of initial accreditation

• Continued accreditation

• Focused report or visit

• Formal notice of concern

• Probation

• Termination of accreditation

14

Heightened emphases in the StandardsHeightened emphases in the Standards

• Institutional capacityCan the institution do and do well all that it proposes to do?

• Public disclosure What does Aunt Miriam want to know?

• Institutional effectiveness and assessment

• Educational quality and student success

• Use of evidence

15

Mission & Standards

Institutional Effectiveness

Assessment*

*What and how students are learning

Heightened emphasis on assessment and institutional Heightened emphasis on assessment and institutional effectivenesseffectiveness

16

Clearer expectations regarding assessment Clearer expectations regarding assessment and institutional effectivenessand institutional effectiveness

• Engagement (“It’s always on our agenda”)o campus communityo external community

• Mission-appropriate approach

• Evidence of what students know and can do

• Broad support from administration, faculty

• Use of assessment results for improvement

• Ongoing commitment, integrated into campus culture

17

Educational QualityEducational QualityIn light of the institution’s mission, teams evaluate the quality of:

• Academic programs: curricula, degree objectives

• Student achievement

• Faculty

• Student support services

• Recruiting and admissions procedures

• Library and information resources

• Physical facilities and equipment

• Fiscal and administrative services

• Website, catalogs and other institutional “publications”

18

Shifts in approaches to understanding and Shifts in approaches to understanding and assessing qualityassessing quality

Inputs

There are sufficient, qualified faculty

There is appropriate access to adequate library resources

Processes

Students receive good academic advising

Students use library resources

Outcomes

Faculty are demonstrably effective

Students develop skills of information literacy

19

An appropriate level of student successAn appropriate level of student success

The Commission’s Standards expect that:

• Learning goals for each program include knowledge, intellectual and academic skills, and methods of inquiry and, if relevant, creative abilities and values and/or specific career-preparation practices

• Goals for student learning reflect the mission and character of the institution and general expectations of the larger academic community for the level of degree awarded and the field of study

• Goals for retention and graduation reflect institutional purposes

20

Measures of Student SuccessMeasures of Student Success

• Retention and graduation

• Other measures related to the institution’s mission, including:

• Pursuing higher degrees

• Pursuing mission-related paths

• Working in fields for which they were not explicitly prepared

• Pursuing other mission-explicit achievements

• Licensure passage rates

• Job placement rates

21

Heightened emphasis on evidenceHeightened emphasis on evidence

Evidence answers the question: “How do you know?”

• Enrollment data: admissions, retention, advising

• Publications: website, catalogs, factbooks

• Institutional work products: policy statements, program reviews, strategic plans, committee minutes, task force reports

• Assessment results: normed exams, portfolios, work samples, self-reported gains, external reviews of student work

• Surveys of faculty, students, staff, alumni, employers, community

22

Data forms to report on assessment and student success

The E-Series: Making Assessment More Explicit

Select and declare a basic approach to assessment and summarize the findings

The S-Series: Documenting Student Success

Report data on retention rates, graduation rates, and other measures of success appropriate to the

institution’s mission

23

Data First Forms

A series of forms (at least one for each Standard) designed to allow you to report key institutional data.

Many forms ask you to report trends over time.

New!

A few examples …

Std 3: Off-campus locations, distance education

Std 4: Enrollment at all levels & locations

Std 5: Faculty salaries & assignments

Std 6: Admissions, student debt

Std 7: Library collections, personnel, instruction, use

Std 10: Public disclosure

24

Library Data Form 3 yrs prior

2 yrs prior

Last year

Current year

Next yr goal

Expenditures/FTE student

Collections

Personnel (FTE)

Library Instruction

Reference & Reserves

Circulation

Availability/ attendance

URL of most recent library annual report

URL of Info Literacy reports

25

IT Data Form 3 yrs prior

2 yrs prior

Last year

Current year

Next yr goal

Number (percent) of students w/computers

Course management system

Bandwith

Network

Multimedia classrooms (percent)

IT Personnel (FTE)

Software systems and versions

26

Using the data forms in the self-study processUsing the data forms in the self-study process

• Start early so the data can be collected, analyzed, and used by those engaged in the self-study process.

• Appraisal provides an opportunity to reflect on the findings. How well has your institution developed the capacity to collect, analyze and use important institutional data, especially data about student achievement and success?

• Projection provides an opportunity to state commitments about improvements to institutional efforts to collect, analyze and use data – especially data about student achievement and success – for planning and decision making.

27

Exhibits for the team roomExhibits for the team room

• Strategic plan for library • Annual reports

• Collection development plans • Budgets for multiple years

• Lists of electronic resources • Consultant reports

• Consortial agreements • Usage statistics

• Information literacy outcomes • Reports & meeting minutes

• List of library liaisons • Surveys & survey results

• Library training schedules • Peer comparisons

• Technology plan IPEDS and ACRL surveys

• Technology policies

• Tech training schedules

• Technology learning outcomes

28

Your questions, comments, insights …

Patricia M. O'Brien, Deputy DirectorDirect phone line: 781-541-5412pobrien@neasc.org 

Commission on Institutions of Higher EducationNew England Association of Schools and Colleges209 Burlington Road, Suite 201Bedford, MA 01730-1433Phone: (781) 271-0022Fax: (781) 271-0950http:cihe.neasc.org

Thank you!Thank you!