2005 SACS-COC Annual Meeting; December 3-6, 2005;
Atlanta, Georgia
Achieving Quality Enhancement
Through Institutional Effectiveness
in Changing Times
Ms. Phuong T. T. Nguyen, Dr. Diane E. Oliver, & Dr. T. Gilmour Reeve
Texas Tech University
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Co-authors
Moderator
– T. Gilmour Reeve, Ph.D.: Director of Strategic
Planning, President’s Office, Texas Tech University
Presenter
– Phuong T. T. Nguyen: Doctoral Candidate
(December 2005), Higher Education Program,
College of Education, Texas Tech University
Co-author
– Diane Oliver, Ph.D.: Visiting Assistant Professor,
College of Education, Texas Tech University
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Panelists
– Dr. Mary C. Jones, Jefferson Community &
Technical College
– Dr. A. Rebecca Owens, Texas Tech
University
– Dr. Teresa A. Summers, Louisiana State
University System
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Format
Research-Based Presentation
Interviews with higher education
professionals involved in institutional
effectiveness
Discussion by Panelists
The practice of institutional effectiveness
Audience Discussion, Questions, and
Answers
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Background
Two primary environmental challenges for higher
education institutions:
– a funding crisis (fiscal, human, and physical resources;
increased enrollments)
– increased accountability
How to retain core values and continuous quality
enhancement while coping with these
challenges
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Definitions
Quality
enhancement
Institutional
effectiveness
Comprehensive efforts to
improve the institution and
its programs
“Presumes that each institution is
engaged in an ongoing quest for
quality and can demonstrate how well
it fulfills its stated purpose” (SACSCOC, 1998, p. 17)
- Broad-based
- Planning and assessment
- A multi-layered system
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Institutional Effectiveness Paradigm
ADJUSTMENTS FOR IMPROVEMENT
PLANNING
ASSESSMENT
Use of
Assessment
Results
Purpose
Statement
SWOT analysis,
specific measurable
outcomes,
assessment
methods
Formative
& Summative
Assessment
& Evaluation
GOATs
(Goals,
Objectives,
Activities,
& Tasks)
IMPLEMENTATION OF PLANS
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Purposes
To identify how institutional effectiveness
benefits institutions in achieving quality
enhancement
To identify how institutional effectiveness not
only benefits the institution, departments, and
units, but also the work of faculty and staff
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Significance
To fill a void in the literature by considering
institutional effectiveness at each level of the
institution
Planning and assessment (critical components of
institutional effectiveness) help higher education
professionals to maintain core values by enhancing
their ability to anticipate and effectively address
environmental challenges in changing times
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Methods
Review of the literature on institutional
effectiveness
Interviews with professionals who are
knowledgeable concerning institutional
effectiveness practices at four institutions
in the SACS region
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Findings Regarding Benefits of
Institutional Effectiveness
For all levels (the institution, departments and
units, and the work of faculty and staff)
For the institution, departments, and
units
For the work of faculty and staff
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Findings Regarding Benefits of
Institutional Effectiveness
For all levels (the institution, departments and units, and the
work of faculty and staff), institutional effectiveness:
– Provides evaluative data analysis for
Decision making
Responding to unpredictable environmental challenges
Evaluating progress toward achieving the mission and goals
– Enables university-wide ongoing planning and
evaluation in breadth and depth, meeting external
accountability while maintaining unique identity and
core values
– Helps obtain resources from the state and
stakeholders
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Findings Regarding Benefits of
Institutional Effectiveness
For the institution, departments, and units,
institutional effectiveness:
– provides evidence and support for SACS-COC
reaffirmation as well as programmatic accreditation
– improves curriculum and instruction as well as
programs and services for students
– helps to strategically allocate resources
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Findings Regarding Benefits of
Institutional Effectiveness
For the work of faculty and staff, institutional
effectiveness:
– Leads to a more integrated overall effort, a stronger sense of
ownership of programs and services, and a clearer measure of
expected outcomes
– Gives faculty and staff a voice in planning and assessment
For faculty:
Helps the faculty members to move from only concentrating
on the individual class to an awareness of the need to
improve the quality of the overall academic program
Provides an opportunity for professional development
For staff:
Engages staff in the institution, department, and unit
missions
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Recommendations Regarding Good Practices
for Improving Institutional Effectiveness
Promote a culture of planning and assessment
Integrate institutional effectiveness with budgeting, and
resource allocation
Keep the process simple and minimize extra work
Provide training and one-on-one tutorials
Involve broad-based participation
Develop accessible assessment documentation
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Conclusions
Good practices can address some negative aspects of
institutional effectiveness (e.g., time-consuming, resistance to change)
Institutional Effectiveness:
– is an essential tool for achieving quality enhancement and
preserving core values
– helps to project environmental challenges, identify problems, and
make adjustments thus enabling quality enhancement
Ultimately institutional effectiveness benefits students by
improving the learning environment
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Panel Comments
MODERATOR
– Dr. T. Gilmour Reeve, Texas Tech University
PANELISTS
– Dr. Mary Jones, Jefferson Community & Technical
College
– Dr. Rebecca Owens, Texas Tech University
– Dr. Teresa A. Summers, Louisiana State University
System
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Dr. Mary C. Jones
Director
Institutional Effectiveness,
Research & Planning
Jefferson Community & Technical
College
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Dr. Rebecca Owens
Managing Director
Office of the Provost, Texas Tech University
Programs for Academic
Academic Testing Services
Support Services
National and State
Learning Center
Standardized Testing
– Admission Exams
Supplemental Instruction
– Certification Exams
XL: Strategies for
– CLEP (course credit)
Learning
Extended Studies and
Developmental Education
Outreach Examinations
Program
Make-up Examination
Testing Accommodations
Service
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Benefits of Institutional Effectiveness
Planning
– Provides a “map” for the upcoming year
– Increases awareness of each unit’s contributions
– Understanding of other’s job demands and
responsibilities
– Drawing upon each person’s expertise
Assessment
– Clarify what is important
– Opportunities for growth and development
– Curricular changes in programs
– Revise strategic plan
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Dr. Teresa A. Summers
Assistant Vice-President for
Academic Affairs
Louisiana State University System
Cliff & Nancy Spanier Alumni
Professor in Human Ecology
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Institutional Effectiveness at LSU
Used to develop QEP
Focused on issues/concerns revealed in:
– Institutional data
– Graduating Student surveys
– Longitudinal study of Gen Education
– Coop. Inst. Research Project (CIRP)
– Your First College Year (YFCY)
– National Survey of Student Engagement
(NSSE)
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Institutional Effectiveness at LSU
For example….
Comparisons of LSU results on NSSE:
– LSU seniors comparable to seniors at peer
institutions
– LSU freshmen lower on NSSE Benchmarks
than peer freshmen
Level of Academic Challenge
Active and Collaborative Learning
Student-Faculty Interaction
Enriching Educational Experiences
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Institutional Effectiveness at LSU
As part of QEP….
Implemented Summer Reading Program
– Introduces incoming freshmen to academic/
intellectual culture
– Fall semester begins with Academic Convocation
with Book author
– After Convocation, students meet and discuss
Book with faculty members and other students
– Book tied to other campus events, courses
throughout year
– (www.lsu.edu/srp)
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Questions
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Thank you!
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