Transcript The Role of IR in Supporting the Accreditation Process: A Chair’s Perspective Dr.

The Role of IR in Supporting the
Accreditation Process:
A Chair’s Perspective
Dr. Barbara R. Sadowski
Chief Planning Officer
Marywood University
http://www.marywood.edu
NEAIR November 2005
Two Distinct Roles for IR
 Support for the self-study process
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Preparing for the self-study (Year 1)
During the self-study (Year 2)
Preparing for the campus visit (Year 3)
 Documenting Institutional
Effectiveness
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Critical Success Factors/benchmarks
Developing a plan
NEAIR November 2005
Preparing for the Self-study
 Start early – at least three years
before expected visit (2003 summer
for spring 2006 visit)
 Activities: (Year 1)
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Determine what accreditation process and
standards require as evidence – MSA Website
Inventory current survey coverage
 Conduct surveys where necessary – plan for
funding
 Sign up for surveys where needed, e.g.,
faculty, CLA, alumni
Scan important documents, e.g., accreditation
reports
NEAIR November 2005
Preparing for the Self-Study
 Make survey data readily accessible to
campus users
 Provide campus with organized and
easily interpreted data
 Suggestions that worked:
 Intranet
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IR site for campus users
Scanned documents as PDF files
Survey reports across years
Survey data in easily interpreted format, e.g,
Excel files with multiple years, use conditional
formatting for significant differences
NEAIR November 2005
Preparing for the Self-Study
 Link accreditation standards to survey results
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Cross-walk between MSA elements and NSSE items
Organize list of IR resources by MSA standards
 Table of Resources for Self-study Design
 Organize resources by study group
Relate items from surveys, e.g., SSI, CSS to MSA
elements
 Special topics self-study requires a roadmap
relating documentation evidence to elements
of MSA standards
NEAIR November 2005
Example of Cross-walk between
Survey data and Standards
NSSE Item
 Worked on a research
project with faculty
outside of course…
 Quality of relationships
w/ faculty
 Community Service
 Attending campus events
and activities
MSA Standards
10, 13, 14
6, 9, 10
6, 13, 14
1, 11
NEAIR November 2005
During the Self-Study
 Use on-line surveys to handle ad hoc
requests for data, e.g., Survey Monkey
 Refer requests for survey data to website
with resources for self-study accreditation
 Check initial drafts of self-study for correct
interpretation of survey data
 IR staff serve on relevant study groups as
resource person(s)
NEAIR November 2005
Preparing for the Team Visit
 Two distinct aspects to supporting evidence:
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Charts and graphs in appendices to self-study document
Evidence for documentation room
 Assemble the documentation room evidence
 Create a CD with self-study text and links to
supporting material
 If a special topics self-study, then a roadmap
linking elements and evidence needs to be
developed
NEAIR November 2005
Documenting Institutional
Effectiveness
 MSA standard on assessment of institutional
effectiveness
 Role of IR is not as support for accreditation
process but rather as the primary source for
documentation of institutional effectiveness
 Mission statement including goals and
objectives determines what needs to be
documented as evidence of institutional
effectiveness
NEAIR November 2005
Documenting Institutional
Effectiveness
 Institutional Assessment is more
comprehensive than Student Learning
Outcomes Assessment
 A distinction between direct and indirect
evidence of outcomes needs to be clear
 NSSE data provide direct evidence of
institutional environment for learning, not
evidence of learning outcomes.
NEAIR November 2005
Documenting Institutional
Effectiveness
 Benchmarks comparing institution
indicators against a peer group
 Dashboard indicators track self-referenced
critical success factors
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Selection of no more than 10 indicators - very
important
Across institution finance, enrollment, quality,
advancement
Relate to both institutional goals and strategic
goals
NEAIR November 2005
Documenting Institutional
Effectiveness
 Dashboard indicators
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Provide 5 years worth of data (hidden
graph)
Indicate high and low points
Indicate current year’s value and
assessment of change from previous
year (color-coded)
 Positive
 Negative
 Stable
NEAIR November 2005