Transcript Conquering Criterion 3: One University’s Strategy Mrs. Susan Carr Dr. Mark Hall Oral Roberts University Oklahoma Association for Institutional Research and Planning 2006 Spring Conference March 10, 2006

Conquering Criterion 3:
One University’s Strategy
Mrs. Susan Carr
Dr. Mark Hall
Oral Roberts University
Oklahoma Association for Institutional
Research and Planning
2006 Spring Conference
March 10, 2006
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Oral Roberts University
Self-Study Steering
Committee
● Co-chairs of Committee 3:
Learning & Teaching
● Responsible for Criterion 3
■ Gather evidence.
■ Evaluate evidence.
■ Write one section of the report.
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Goals
1. Understand the underlying
guidelines and principles
for accreditation.
2. Understand the scope of Criterion
Three.
3. Convert from descriptive to
evaluative statements.
4. Interpret Criterion 3 in light of the
Cross-Cutting Themes.
5. Organize the committee.
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Goal 1
Understand the underlying
guidelines and principles for
accreditation.
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Higher Learning Commission
Criteria for Accreditation
Criterion 1: Mission and Integrity
Criterion 2: Preparing for the Future
Criterion 3: Student Learning and
Effective Teaching
Criterion 4: Acquisition, Discovery, and
Application of Knowledge
Criterion 5: Engagement and Service
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4 Cross-Cutting Themes
● The Future-Oriented Organization
● The Learning-Focused Organization
● The Connected Organization
● The Distinctive Organization
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What should we do?
● Be evaluative, not just descriptive.
■ Ask, “So what?” about each
piece of evidence.
■ Present data, then analyze it.
■ State the evidence in a
declarative sentence.
• ORU is committed to facilitating the
spiritual, mental, and social growth
and physical well-being of its
students.
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What should we do?
● Emphasize honesty.
■ Recognize areas of weakness as
well as strengths.
● Emphasize our distinctive mission.
● Emphasize assessment.
● Emphasize improvement and growth.
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What should we do?
● Avoid compliance thinking.
■ How are we fulfilling the criteria?
■ How have we grown since the last
self-study?
■ Are we excelling in any area? How
do we know this?
■ Are we falling short in any area?
What are we going to do about it?
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The Report: A Coherent
Presentation of our University
● What story do we want to tell?
● How do we want to tell it?
The Process
(1) Self-reflection
■ How do we know that we are
who we say we are?
■ How do we know that we are
doing what we say we are doing?
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The Report Writing Process
(2) Priorities
■ What is important to us?
■ Rank areas in order of
importance.
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The Report Writing Process
(3) Interpretation
■ Are we focusing resources,
money, and personnel in the
areas of top priority?
■ Are we planning for future growth
in these areas?
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The Report Writing Process
(4) Evaluation
■ In Area X we are doing what we
intended to do.
■ In Area Y we are not doing what
we intended to do, so here is our
action plan.
• Add to it.
• Change it.
• Discard it.
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Goal 2
Understand the scope of
Criterion Three.
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Criterion 3 in Official Terms
The organization
provides evidence of
student learning
and teaching
effectiveness that
demonstrates it is
fulfilling its
educational mission.
The Handbook of Accreditation
NCA Higher Learning Commission
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Criterion 3 in Everyday
Language
● Our university is a great place
to learn, and we can prove it!
● We are fulfilling the first half of
President Roberts’ statement to
the students, "Here you will get
your learning…and keep your
burning!"
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Core Component 3A
Goals & Assessment
● Formal Language
The organization's goals for student
learning outcomes are clearly
stated for each educational
program and make effective
assessment possible.
● Everyday Language
We are able to assess what our
students learn because we know
what we want them to learn. CC3B
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Core Component 3A Evidence
● Do we know what we want our
students to know?
● Do our students learn what we
teach them? Can we prove it?
● Do we assess what our students
learn in hundreds of thousands of
ways? What are they?
● Are we accountable to the whole
world by sharing what our
assessments tell us?
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Goal 3
Convert from
descriptive to
evaluative statements.
Goal 4
Interpret Criterion 3 in light of
the Cross-Cutting Themes.
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Descriptive Evidence for CC 3A
● The university has 4 outcomes
and 16 proficiencies and
capacities.
● All departments have outcomes.
● ORU has an Assessment
Catalog.
● We conduct program reviews.
● We have student ePortfolios.
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Evaluative Evidence for CC 3A
Each general education course
addresses at least one of the 16
proficiencies and capacities. In order to
see how effectively students are
meeting these proficiencies, a wide
variety of artifacts have been identified
and rubrics developed. The results the
assessments of each artifact are
collected and the data is aggregated
and disaggregated.
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Evaluative Evidence for CC 3A
The aggregated and disaggregated
data is then analyzed according to
demographic information to show
patterns that demonstrate student
success or failure in the attainment of
university goals. The results will be
used to implement curricular changes
at multiple levels including teaching
methodologies, program refinement,
and curriculum mapping.
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Evaluative Evidence for CC 3A
Additional data will then be collected so
that the effectiveness of these changes
can be determined. When combined
with other assessment results, high
levels of student achievement are
continually promoted.
Learning-Focused
Future-Oriented
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Core Component 3B
Effective Teaching
● Formal Language
The organization values and
supports effective teaching.
● Everyday Language
Our university employees have
access to professional development
and resources so they can provide
the best learning in the universe,
and they have the freedom to use
those resources so that students
are successful.
CC3A CC3C
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Core Component 3B Evidence
● What are some examples of
innovation?
● Do faculty members keep abreast
of research on teaching and
learning? Does the university
support them in this?
● What professional opportunities and
resources are available to
employees to make them more
effective?
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Descriptive Evidence for CC 3B
● Many of the faculty and staff are 8th
Floor Lead & Master Trainers. and/or
have taken Intel Teach-to-the-Future
training and coupon classes there.
● We played a major role in launching
The Journal of Scholarship of Teaching
and Learning for Christians in Higher
Education (SoTL-CHEd).
● Many of the faculty and staff have gone
to the Leadership Development Institute
and participate in the peer mentoring
program.
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Evaluative Evidence for CC 3B
Faculty members from various
disciplines within ORU were discussing
the need for current research in
learning and teaching aligned with
Biblical principles and put into practice
by Christians in higher education. This
discussion led to the creation of a peerreviewed, online periodical devoted to
this cause. The journal committee
invited other CCCU schools to join
ORU in this endeavor.
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Evaluative Evidence for CC 3B
The widespread support that this
project has received from faculty and
administration from all schools within
ORU and the inclusion of member
institutions demonstrates that effective
teaching leading to student learning is
highly valued and supported.
Learning-Focused
Distinctive
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Core Component 3C
Learning Environments
● Formal Language
The organization creates effective
learning environments.
● Everyday Language
We fully support our students. We
have student advisement,
development, and services that
help them be effective learners. We
also continually look for ways to
improve our instruction.
CC3B CC3D
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Core Component 3C Evidence
● Do we use the results of our
student assessments to change the
curriculum?
● Do we regularly review our teaching
strategies, advisement procedures,
activities, processes, and
technologies to see if they are
actually enhancing student
learning?
● What are examples that our
university respects student
diversity?
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Descriptive Evidence for CC 3C
● Faculty now advise freshmen within
the individual departments
● We host the annual Conference on
Christianity, Culture, and Diversity in
America.
● All freshmen take the Career Direct
Assessment and are taught how to
interpret the results.
● All students receive technology
training that enables them to create
and maintain their ePortfolio.
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Evaluative Evidence for CC 3C
Budget constraints led to the
movement of freshmen advisement
from a centralized location back into
the individual departments. In addition
to providing knowledgeable academic
advise, departments embraced this
opportunity by having receptions,
hosting dinners, decorating the
department space, and finding other
ways to welcome their freshmen.
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Evaluative Evidence for CC 3C
Data should be collected to determine if
these students feel more closely connected
to their majors and instructors, thereby
improving retention and more effectively
inculcating departmental and university
outcomes. Based on the data analysis,
changes should be made within various
departments to strengthen faculty-student
and student-student relationships.
Future-Oriented
Connected
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Core Component 3D
Learning Resources
● Formal Language
The organization's learning
resources support student learning
and effective teaching.
● Everyday Language
Our students have an amazing
amount and variety of resources at
their disposal.
CC3C
Next
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Core Component 3D Evidence
● What types of resources, funding,
and technology are available to
support student learning?
● How do we evaluate the
effectiveness of these resources in
promoting student learning?
● Do students know how to use the
resources? What training and
assistance do we give them?
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Descriptive Evidence for CC 3D
● The library continually adds and updates
resources such as databases, e-books,
online journals.
● Our Honors Program provides crossdisciplinary courses taught by two or more
co-operative instructors.
● We have many university and
departmental computer labs.
● We have many departmental simulation
and learning labs (nursing, engineering,
biology, art, modern language, music,…)
● We offer interdisciplinary majors.
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Evaluative Evidence for CC 3D
With the launch of the Honors Program,
several interdisciplinary courses have
been developed such as Science and
the Imagination, the History of
Quantitative Thought, and Principles of
Leadership. These courses are taught
by a pair or team of instructors from
various departments who work
cooperatively to design, integrate, and
deliver the instruction.
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Evaluative Evidence for CC 3D
This cross-pollination demonstrates to
students how the seemingly different
disciplines actually affect each other, and
how principles learned in one can be applied
in another. Course papers, presentations,
research projects, and ePortfolio artifacts
show that student awareness of knowledge
as an interactive whole rather than as a
collection of independent subjects is
increasing.
Distinctive
Connected
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Goal 5
Organize the committee.
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Committee Members
● Committed workers
● From a variety of areas
■ Faculty/Staff
■ New/Long-term employees
■ Graduate/Undergraduate faculty
● Core-Component Sub-committees
● We have 13 members.
■ 2 co-chair
■ 1 administrative advisor
■ 10 committed workers
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Notebook – Cover
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Notebook - Cover
● Member name
● Committee name & symbol
● Co-chair names
● North Central Association
● Higher Learning Committee
● Oral Roberts University
● Re-Accreditation Self-Study
● Years of the study
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Member List
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Member List
● Names
● Roles in the committee
● Departments
● Phone numbers
● E-mail addresses
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Other Preliminary Pages
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Other Preliminary Pages
● PowerPoint notes explaining
purpose
● Committee Responsibilities
● Committee Member
Responsibilities
● Symbol Key
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Notebook Sections
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Criteria Section
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Criteria Section
● One-page summary
● The Handbook of Accreditation,
Pages 3.1-1 through 3.1-6
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Cross-Cutting Themes
Section
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Cross-Cutting Themes
Section
● One-page summary
● The Handbook of Accreditation,
Pages 3.3-1 through 3.1-5
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Criterion 3 & Examples of
Evidence Section
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Criterion 3 & Examples of
Evidence Section
● Statement of Criterion 3 in formal
and everyday languages.
● The Handbook of Accreditation,
Page 3.1-4
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Criterion 3 & Examples of
Evidence Section
● Core Component Sheets
■ Statement of core component in
formal and everyday languages.
■ Examples of evidence in the form of
questions
● The Handbook of Accreditation,
Page 3.2-8 through 3.2-12
● Criteria 3 results of deans and
chairs accreditation workshop
report from the prior summer
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Appendix Section
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Appendix Section
● Steering Committee members and
areas
● Self-Study timeline
● ORU document list
● Websites
■ NCA & HLC
■ Example self-study reports
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Meeting Agendas & Minutes
Section
● Meeting handouts are 3-hole
punched.
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Other Procedures & Forms
● Committee Member Tasks
● Guidelines for Data Collection
● Evidence Evaluation Form
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Committee Member Tasks
● Month 1
■ Understand committee’s purpose.
■ Read the notebook.
■ Brainstorm for questions & evidence.
● Month 2
■ Form core-component subcommittees.
■ Brainstorm survey questions.
■ Identify evidence from deans & chairs list
and ORU documents list.
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Committee Member Tasks
● Months 3-9
■ In sub-committees, identify more
questions & evidence.
■ Report on sub-committee meetings.
■ Gather & evaluate evidence.
■ Exchange ideas with Committee 4.
● Months 10 & 11
■ Review report section after co-chairs
write it.
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Guidelines for Data Collection
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Guidelines for Data Collection
● Be polite and professional.
● Emphasize accreditation…this
benefits them, their department,
and the university.
● Emphasize the value of their
contribution.
● Minimize frustration.
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Evidence Evaluation Form
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Evidence Evaluation Form
● Rank (check boxes)
● Key for rank (scale)
● Name or description
(1 sentence or less)
● Core Component (check boxes)
● Support of core component
(1 sentence)
● Evaluation (2 sentences)
● Evaluator name
● Date
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Reference
The Higher Learning Commission. (2003).
The handbook of accreditation
(3rd ed.). Chicago, IL. Retrieved
March 7, 2006, from
http://www.ncahigherlearningcommis
sion.org/index.php?option=com_cont
ent&task=view&id=37&Itemid=116
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Thank you!
● Mrs. Susan R. Carr
■ [email protected]
● Dr. Mark Hall
■ [email protected]
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