Transcript Middle States Reaccreditation Process at The Catholic

Middle States Reaccreditation
Process at
The Catholic University of America
Comprehensive Design with Selected
Emphases from CUA’s Strategic Plan
 Undergraduate Retention
 New Applied Masters’ Initiatives
 Enhanced Extramural Research
Support
 Increased Graduate Student
Support
Purpose of a University Self Study
 Examines the mission and goals of the university
 Examines the educational programs of the
university
 Examines services and the infrastructure that
supports the programs
 Determines how well these programs and services
accomplish the university's goals, fulfills its
mission and meets the Middle States Commission
(MSCHE) standards for accreditation
 Produce a written report that serves as the basis
for evaluation by the MSCHE for accreditation
Adapted from Self Study – Creating A Useful
Process and Report (MSCHE, 2007)
Characteristics of a Good Self Study
Should be evidence-based
 Should not be too general and defensive
 Recognizes that it has two audiences – the
primary audience is the university’s own
community; the secondary is MSCHE
 Where it identifies weaknesses, it should offer
specific solutions
 Should be open to identifying new opportunities
 Should be forward-looking

Advances institutional self-understanding and
advancement while presenting evidence for fulfilling
standards for accreditation
Adapted from Self Study – Creating A Useful
Process and Report (MSCHE, 2007)
1.
CUA Task Forces & Middle States
Standards
Catholic Identity, Mission, Goals, and Objectives

2.
Leadership, Governance and Administration


3.
Standard 1: Mission & Goals
Standard 4: Leadership & Governance
Standard 5: Administration
Institutional Planning, Resources and Renewal
Work Group A: Human Resources, Infrastructure & Physical Plant
Work Group B: University Finances, Development, & Capital
Funding
Work Group C: Comprehensive Strategic Planning
 Standard 2: Planning, Resource Allocation, and Institutional
Renewal
 Standard 3: Institutional Resources
 Standard 6: Integrity
CUA Task Forces &
Middle States Standards (cont.)
4.
Student Admissions and Retention

5.
Faculty Scholarship & Research



6.
Standard 8: Student Admissions and Retention
Standard 10: Faculty
Standard 11: Educational Offerings
Standard 6: Integrity
Graduate and Professional Education


Standard 11: Educational Offerings
Standard 6: Integrity
CUA Task Forces &
Middle States Standards (cont.)
7.
Undergraduate Education
 Standard 11: Educational Offerings
 Standard 12: General Education
 Standard 6: Integrity
8.
Learning Resources and Student Life
 Standard 9: Student Support Services
9.
Related Educational Programs & Activities
 Standard 13: Related Educational Activities
10.
Assessment
Work Group A: Institutional Assessment
 Standard 7: Institutional Assessment
Work Group B: Student Learning Assessment
 Standard 14:Assessment of Student Learning
Role of the Committees
Steering Committee
 Principal administrative body of the self study
 Formulates the charges given to the Task Forces
 Prepares the draft and final copies of the self-study
report.
Coordinating Committee
 Facilitates the work of the Steering Committee and
Task forces
 Provides documentation, research and editing
Assessment and Self-Study: a
Continual Process
 Institution-wide comprehensive assessments and
self-study have traditionally been done to prepare for
accreditation.
 Making it a continual process, integrating it into the
CUA culture will improve the university and its ability
to meet its mission.
 CUA must nurture good assessment practices and
demonstrate that decisions are based on evidence.
Assessment and Self-Study: a Continual
Process (continued)

The Provost’s Office can serve to consolidate and
coordinate this process.
 The Middle States Accreditation website serves as
the central repository of assessment and self-study
data, facilitating the work of the Task Forces as well
as the MSCHE Accreditation Team.
 By informing the university community about the
progress of the self-study, it will make it a
transparent process as well as inviting feedback to
make the self-study more inclusive
The address for the site is:
http://provost.cua.edu/msa/
Key Milestones in the Self-Study Process
The First Months
Jan 2008
Feb 2008
Construct
Dedicated
Self-Study
Web Site
Select Cochairs
Prepare
Self-Study
Design
Constitute
Steering
Committee
and Task
Forces
Key Milestones in the Self-Study Process
Completing the Design of the Self-Study
Mar 2008
Steering
Committee
formulates
charges for
Task Forces
Coordinating
Committee
collects
documentation
Task Forces
devise
specific
questions for
study and
methodology
to address
questions
Apr 2008
Steering and
Coordinating
committees
prepare self-study
design document
Task Forces
begin
detailed selfstudy
process
Key Milestones in the Self-Study Process
Conducting the Self-Study
--1-year---
Apr 2008
Jun 2008
Preliminary
Visit by
MSCHE
liaison
May-Aug 2009
Task Forces work
on conclusions
and
recommendations
Sep-Oct 2009
Steering
Committee
prepares
draft of selfstudy
Key Milestones in the Self-Study Process
Finishing the Self-Study, Preparing for the Site Visit
Nov 2009
Draft SelfStudy
finished and
distributed to
university
community
for comment
Dec 2009
Final version of
Self-Study
finished and
submitted to
MSCHE
Mar-Apr 2010
MSCHE site
visit
Clarity of Direction for the Task Forces
Steering Committee provides the
principal charges to the Task Force
 This approach provides a
Task Force meets and devises
specific questions to address
the charges
clear vision of the mission of the
Task Forces
 Avoids ambiguity
 Provides direction on how to
proceed
Task Forces then devises
specific methodology to
answer the questions
 Participation in formulating
questions and methods gives
“ownership” of the Task Force
to its members