Austin Peay
State
University
Understanding and
Adapting to the New
SACS/COC Process:
The APSU Accreditation
Review Project
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
SACS/COC 2004 Reaffirmation of APSU
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
Presentation to
Western Carolina University
September 23, 2004
Facts About APSU
• Member of the 2004 Cohort
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
– Compliance Audit, August 2003
– Quality Enhancement Plan, January 2004
– On-site Review, April 2004
• Public, Comprehensive University
• Headcount = 8,000
• Located in Northern Middle
Tennessee (40 miles NW of Nashville)
• Governed by the Tennessee Board
of Regents (nation’s 6th largest system)
President’s Perspective
• President’s past experience
with SACS/COC
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
– Commission member and
Executive Council member
– Visiting Team Committee Chair
– President of institution that
successfully completed an
alternate self-study
– HIGH expectations
Process - Initial Concerns
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
• Senior executive team and academic
leadership’s limited direct experience with
SACS process
• Institutional effectiveness
– Lack of centralized documentation
• Credentials of selected faculty
– Decentralized adjunct file locations
– Lack of standardized process for
exceptions
• Library resources
• Documentation, Documentation,
Documentation
At the December 2001 SACS/COC Annual Meeting…
SHOCK
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
ANGER
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
DISMAY
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
Academic VP
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
I’ve been on the job for less than a year. . .
Faculty Co-chair
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
What have I gotten myself into?
SACS Liaison
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
I’d better think of a way to get this done right!
Process
Rethinking Our Strategy
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
• Scrapping of old process and team
structure
• New team leadership
• Attend orientation and training
sessions
• Speed up the redesign of IE
program & documentation
• Organizing for dual processes
– Compliance Audit
• Web-based Reporting
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
– Pluses and minuses
– Quality Enhancement Plan
IETS
Documenting Existing Activities
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
• Over 20 yrs of Performance
Funding in Tennessee
• Program accreditation or 5-yr
program reviews
• General education testing
• Major field testing
• Student, Alumni, and Employer
surveys at institutional level and
some disciplines
• Strategic planning process up-todate
• Department annual reports
IETS
Documenting Existing Activities
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
• APSU was failing to
document assessment and
results
• APSU was failing to meet
the spirit and intent of
institutional effectiveness
– “Closing the loop” at all
levels of the institution
IETS
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Detailed Information for Each Unit
Objective
Objective
Implementation Strategy
Assessment Criteria
Actual results
Action taken
Barriers to Achievement
Need for further action
Further resources needed
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
Access to sample IETS pages through
http://www.apsu.edu/sacs/iets.htm
IETS
Observations After Three Cycles
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
• System can be and is very
flexible and constantly
“tweaked”
• University has managed to
take the potentially abstract
concept of IE down to a
process that incorporates dayto-day activities of units …
rather than the opposite
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
Organizing and
Completing the
Compliance Audit
Compliance Audit
Human Side
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
• “Streamlined” Internal
Review
– 1993 APSU Self-Study
• 48 members in 8 committees
– 2003 APSU Comp. Audit
• 19 members in 9
subcommittees
Compliance Audit
Human Side
• Subcommittees
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
– Core Req.; CS on Mission,
Governance, and Admin
– Institutional Effectiveness
– Educational Programs
• Advising
– Faculty
– Library & Learning Resources
– Student Affairs and Services
– Financial and Physical
Resources
– Federal Mandates
Compliance Audit
The Essentials
• Each Core Requirement and
Comprehensive Standard
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
– Statement of requirement/standard
– Judgment of compliance (Yes,
Partial, No)
– Proof/Explanation
– Plans for compliance
– Documentation
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
Done Twice: “Dry-run” and “Official”
Compliance Audit
Human Side
• Timeline and Process
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Inst. Orientation w SACS (Spring ’02)
Organizational Mtg. (Aug. ’02)
Progress Report Meetings (Nov. ’02)
Draft Deadline (Dec. ’02)
Proofing and Editing (Spring ’03)
Dry-run of CA (May ’03)
Final Edits (Summer ’03)
Submission of CA (Aug. ’03)
Off Site Review (Sept. ’03)
Conference Call (Oct. ’03)
Follow-up Reports on 16 Items (Feb. ’04)
On Site Visit (Apr. ’04)
Compliance Audit
Technical Details
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
• Web-based Reporting
• Standardized Template for
Compliance Audit
• Faculty Credentials System
• Institutional Effectiveness
Tracking System
Access to all info through
http://www.apsu.edu/sacs
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
Responding to the Off
Site Review of the
Compliance Audit
The “Optional” Focused
Report
Focused Report
The Essentials
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
• For Each Core Requirement and
Comprehensive Standard Judged as
“Not Compliant” or “Unable to
Determine Compliance” by the Off
Site Review Team
– Statement of
Requirement/Standard
– Institutional understanding of oral
report from SACS/COC staff
– Institutional response
– Supporting documents referenced
in response
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
The Quality
Enhancement Plan
Quality Enhancement Plan
Human Side
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
• Leadership Team
• QEP Planning Committees
– Freshman Course
– Advising
– Student Life & Support Services
– Data Analysis
– Early Alert
• Network of Support
Quality Enhancement Plan
Human Side
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
• “Broad-based” Planning
Committee
– 46 members in 5
subcommittees
– Administration, Faculty,
Staff, and Student
Representation
Quality Enhancement Plan
The Essentials
• Required of the entire plan and
reflected in all action items
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
– Widespread participation in development
– Increase the effectiveness of some
aspect of educational programming
relating to student learning
– Grounded in assessment and use of
empirical data and analysis
– Sufficiently broad in scope to be viewed
as significant to the institution
– Proof of resources to deliver on promise
– Detailed plan for assessment of the QEP
Quality Enhancement Plan
Human Side
• Timeline & Process
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
– Discussion of QEP w Campus
Constituents (Aug.-Sept. ’02)
– Organizational Meeting (Oct. ’02)
– Committee Work (Nov.-May ’03)
– Reports & Recommendations (May
’03)
– Drafting & Editing (June-Nov. ’03)
– Final Edits (Dec. ’03)
– Submission of QEP (Jan. ’04)
– Onsite Review and Approval (Apr. ’04)
– QEP Follow-up Report (2009)
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
Reflecting upon the
Experience
Major Changes to Day-to-Day
Campus Activities
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
• Centralization of Academic
Personnel Files
• Integration of Faculty Teaching
Credentials System
• Emphasis on Academic Audit
• Integration of the Institutional
Effectiveness Tracking System
• Documentation system to continue
through 2014
• Quality Enhancement Plan: 2006,
2009, 2014 (possibly)
In Reflection
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
• Started too late to prepare (only
2 years in advance of visit)
– As an institution, we had not consistently
monitored SACS compliance since the
last 10-year reaffirmation
• Failed to recognize that off-site
review team would not access all
electronic documents or could
not ask for hard copies
In Reflection
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
• Did not adequately monitor
the progress of the QEP and
CA committees to ensure that
all were on the right track
• QEP
– Made some assumptions in
advance of data analysis, thus
not achieving the full benefit of
the process and restricting the
outcome
In Reflection
• Take advantage of two key
publications
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
– Handbook for Reaffirmation of
Accreditation
• Matrix in the back serves as a
“cheat sheet” for reviewers on CA
• QEP “must statements” all are
found in the booklet as well
– Handbook for Review
Committees
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
Sadly…neither of these publications were available
during CA or QEP development for APSU
What We Did Right
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
• Selection of team leaders
– Commitment to quality report
– Writing ability
– Technological expertise
• Development of user-friendly IETS
• Selection of QEP topic that
addressed a major institutional
weakness
• Broad-based involvement in QEP
• Attention to Details
What We Did Right
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis
• APSU completed SACS
Reaffirmation on April 6-8
–Received ZERO
recommendations in
Compliance Audit and
Quality Enhancement
Plan
The Leadership Team
AFTER the SACS Visit
Austin Peay
State
University
SACS Accreditation
Review Project
September 2004
Dr. Houston D. Davis