Rejected!
Rebounding From and Moving
Forward Following a Monitoring
Report Requirement
Presenters
Lisa Rainey
Assistant to the Vice President for Instruction
Harford Community College
Lrainey@harford.edu
443-412-2158
Deborah Cruise, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Development and
Institutional Effectiveness
Harford Community College
Dcruise@harford.edu
443-412-2233
2
Shock – Rebound – Clarity
2007
Accreditation
Reaffirmed;
Monitoring Report
In Shock!
2008
Attended P.D.
sessions; moving
forward
Rebound
and Get to
Work!
2009
Implemented
changes; Wrote
Monitoring Report
Strengthen
and Clarify!
3
SHOCK! What happened?
JUNE 2007 –
PRR (Periodic Review Report) due to MSCHE
NOVEMBER 2007 –
Accreditation reaffirmed through PRR, but,
MSCHE requests Monitoring Report . . .
4
SHOCK! What were we required to do?
Document progress in the implementation of –
(1) Standard 2 – a comprehensive institutional strategic
plan, which links long-range planning with decision
making and budgeting
(2) Standards 7 & 14 – an organized, comprehensive, and
sustained process for the assessment of institutional
effectiveness and student learning outcomes, including
the use of direct measures and evidence that
assessment information is linked to strategic planning
and used to improve teaching and learning
5
SHOCK! Recent Accreditation Actions
NOVEMBER 2007 – 41 Actions
• 22 Required no follow-up (9 were commended
for quality)
• 18 Required Progress Letters
• 11 Required Monitoring Report (3 with visits)
• Standard 14 = 25
• Standard 7 = 20
• Standard 3 = 10
• Standard 2 = 6
6
Rebound! Keep Moving Forward
Attended P.D. Sessions:
• President and Executive Staff attended MSCHE
“Integrating Higher Education Planning & Assessment”
• HCC representatives attended
MSCHE “Addressing Public Needs” accreditation
update for Middle States member colleges
“MSCHE Annual Conference”
MSCHE “Fostering a Campus Culture of
Assessment”
• VP began “SCUP Planning Institute” certification
7
Rebound! Communication
• MSCHE Liaison/VP
• President
• VPs
Campus and Board of Trustees
Campus at Open Forum
Posted on internal network drive for campus
Faculty at Faculty P.D. Session
Students through S.G.A.
8
Rebound! Strengthening Learning
Outcomes Assessment - Standard 14
Assessment
Plan
Faculty
Professional
Development
 Updated in2008 and aligned
with the Middle States
Expectations for Assessing
Student Learning (Student
Learning Assessment- Options
and Resources, Chapter 4 )
 Breakout Sessions devoted to
Student Learning Assessment
and Program Goals
9
Rebound! Strengthening Learning
Outcomes Assessment - Standard 14
SLOA’s
End of Year
Reports/
Updates
• Student Learning Outcomes and
Assessment (SLOA)
• Tied to Academic Outcomes or
Program Goals.
• Evidence that assessment
information is shared and used to
improve teaching and learning
10
11
Rebound! Strengthening Learning
Outcomes Assessment - Standard 14
Program
Reviews
Curriculum
Work
• Program reviews are
completed in a 5 year cycle.
• Assessment processes are
ongoing, systematic and
sustainable.
• Course, certificate or
program creation or
modification.
12
Strategic Plan,
Academic
Outcomes,
Program Goals
Assessment
Plan
Program
Reviews
Faculty
Professional
Development
Curriculum
Work
End of Year
Reports/
Updates
SLOA’s
13
Rebound! Strengthening Standards 2 & 7
Implementation of new Strategic Plan
• Approved by Board of Trustees in August 2007
• Unveiled at College Convocation in August 2007
All employees received a 3-ring S.P. binder
College and community received slick S.P.
brochure
All new employees oriented to S.P.
• Strategic Planning Assessment Committee created
• Currently in 4th year of 5-year S.P.
14
15
Rebound! Strengthening
Standards 2 & 7
Rebound! Strengthening Standards 2 & 7
Planning – Budgeting – Assessing – Improving Time Line
16
Clarity! Writing the Report
Four main writers:
• Instruction – VP and Assistant VP
• Institutional Effectiveness – VP and Coord for
Assess
-
Coordinated the work
Created outline using MSCHE guidance
Clarified systems/processes
Strengthen systems/processes
Documented system/processes
17
Clarity! Writing the Report
Involved input from many areas:
• 27 appendices from Instruction
• Strategic Planning Committee, College Advisory
Council,
• Finance, Institutional Research, President’s
Executive Staff
• Academic Divisions
• Administrative and Service Units
18
Clarity! Writing the Report
19
Commendation from MSCHE
NOVEMBER 2009 – Monitoring Report accepted with commendation for progress:
Middle States Commission on Higher Education acted to accept
the monitoring report, to commend the institution for progress to
date, and to request that the self-study, in preparation for the
2011-2012 evaluation visit, document
(1) ongoing implementation of a comprehensive institutional
strategic plan that links long-range planning to decisionmaking and budgeting processes (Standard 2) and
(2) ongoing implementation of an organized and sustained
process to evaluate and improve student learning and
institutional effectiveness (Standards 7 & 14).
20
Recent Accreditation Actions
JUNE 2010 – 27 Actions
• 6 required no follow-up
 1 commended for quality
 2 received no comments
 3 had specific directions for PRR
78% Required Follow-Up:
• 16 required Progress Letters
• 5 required Monitoring Reports
• Standards 7 & 14 = most of them
21
Resources
Assessing Student Learning and Institutional Effectiveness: Understanding Middle
States Expectations
This brochure clarifies Middle States expectations regarding Standard 7: Institutional
Assessment and Standard 14: Assessment of Student Learning in Characteristics of
Excellence. (2005, 8 pgs).
Student Learning Assessment: Options and Resources (2nd Edition, 2007)
This handbook serves as a resource for institutions seeking a bridge between the
Commission’s standards for accreditation and the practical daily challenges of
assessment and continuous improvement.
Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education- 2009 Edition
Requirements of Affiliation and Standards of Accreditation [This edition applies to all
institutions being evaluated in academic year 2009-10 and thereafter]. This edition
contains the new Requirements of Affiliation that became effective March 1, 2009
(pages xii and xiii).
http://www.msche.org/myche/public/publications/publicationorderform.aspx
22
Presenter Contact
Lisa Rainey
Assistant to the Vice President for Instruction
Harford Community College
Lrainey@harford.edu
443-412-2158
Deborah Cruise, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Development and
Institutional Effectiveness
Harford Community College
Dcruise@harford.edu
443-412-2233
23