Preliminary Outline (11-2-00)
NCA Criterion 3
“the institution is achieving its purposes”
Historical Narrative: This portion of the report will take a narrative form. Included here will be
a description of where VCSU was in 1992 and how it arrived at that point. Next, a description
where the University was during the 1995-96 focused visit. Finally, this section will conclude
with an overview of what VCSU has done since the last focused visit. Cornerstones
How we are assessing the accomplishment of each of those purposes? How do you find out how
the partnerships are working? Are they working to accomplish goals within the framework of
the mission?
Since the 1995-1996 focused visit to Valley City State University, a number of changes, some
anticipated others not, have occurred.
The faculty / staff are still overworked and stressed in meeting the challenges of the times.
The university community does believe that VCSU is accomplishing its educational and other
purposes as defined by the SBHE, NDUS, and the university's mission statement. The
university’s strategic plan identifies the educational and other goals. The degree to which these
goals are achieved is demonstrated through various assessment tools including employer
satisfaction surveys, graduate surveys, student satisfaction surveys, standardized test results, and
the student CD-ROM portfolios.
Since the 1995-96 focused visit, a number of major changes have occurred in the positions
shared between Valley City State and Mayville State. In 1996 the following university positions
were shared: president, vice president for academic affairs, vice president for business affairs,
comptroller, financial aid director, director of physical plant, grants and contracts officer,
director of cooperative education, and the human resources administrator. Since 1996 some
changes have occurred, perhaps the most significant of which is the fact that Valley City State
University and Mayville State University each have a full-time vice president for academic
affairs. In the fall of 1998, following the resignation of Dr. Ray C. Brown, Vice President for
Academic Affairs for both VCSU and MaSU, each campus appointed an acting academic dean.
Valley City State University appointed Mr. Dwight Crabtree, Chair, Division of Business and
Technology, to the position of acting academic dean. In the fall of 1999 Valley City State
University hired Dr. Leslie Wong as full-time vice president for academic affairs.
Other positions, once shared with MaSU have been redesigned to provide a full-time position at
each campus. These include the following: director of physical plant (date?) and the human
resources administrator (date?). In addition, changes have occurred with the positions of grants
and contracts officer and the director of cooperative education (get dates and verification).
The workload and stress levels among the faculty and staff noted as "Concerns" at the end of the
1996 visit document are still present
Another significant change since the 1995-96 focused visit is that the mission statement of
VCSU has been approved by the NDUS and the SBHE as it was proposed at the time of the
1995-96 visit. [insert mission here]
As VCSU reaches the beginning of a new strategic planning cycle, the university is faced with a
new SBHE directive. During the academic year 1999-2000 a group of professionals representing
a wide variety of interests in North Dakota met and held forums across the state. The intent of
the meetings was to gather input related to economic development across the state. The resulting
report, The Roundtable Report, includes a set of goals and accountability measures called the
“cornerstones.” The university’s strategic plan for 2001-2007 is currently being developed and
must be directly related to the cornerstones. The accountability measures included in the new
strategic plan will become an integral part of the university’s on-going assessment plan. [The
strategic plan must again be re-examined because the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE)
has adopted a new set of strategic planning criteria for the new century called the six
cornerstones. [see Roundtable Report] The methodology for assessing and evaluating the
success or failure of such a strategic plan has yet to be developed. The draft of the new strategic
plan is due December 2000 and will include benchmarks as well as accountability measures.
[Baselines, Report to Investors, Roundtable] [December 2000 draft]
** request (2000-2001 Strategic Plan and 1999-2000 Strategic Plan Progress Report in
digital format) **]
The university has identified eight abilities as measures for successful accomplishment of
educational purposes for each student. The primary assessment tool VCSU intends to utilize to
determine whether our academic program goals are reached for each student is the required CDROM portfolio that must be completed by the end of the senior year. The CD-ROM portfolio is
the demonstration of these abilities and their related skills. The methods for assessing and
evaluating the CD-ROM for each student are in the process of development and testing by each
academic department. Since this testing process will take several graduating classes, we assume
that a follow-up focus visit will be needed to examine this on-going activity. Other more
traditional assessment methods will also be used to determine the success rate of our
departmental programs and the students enrolled in them, and are developed in the sections of
the discussion of Criterion 3 below. In brief, VCSU will have an effective design for ensuring
that the educational purposes defined in its mission statement are being attained by 2002. [see
university bulletin]
The assessment of other purposes is developed below using more traditional measures.
Introduction Part II: The identification of the educational and other purposes.
I.
NDUS System and SBHE purposes
A. Role within the System
1. Mission Statement: Valley City State University is a learner centered
community dedicated to continuing improvement in meeting student
needs. Preparing individuals to serve in a changing world, the institution
provides a quality educational experience in an innovative culture and a
technologically enhanced environment. A leader in the effective use of
technologies, Valley City State University is a member of the North
Dakota State University System and offers baccalaureate degrees in
education, business, and liberal arts.
2.
B. Partnership with Mayville State University
II.
Community of Valley City purposes (public and community)
A. Economic Impact
B. Educational Impact
C. Cultural Impact
1. Barnes County Historical Society Lecture Series
2. Planetarium Shows
3. Medicine Wheel Programs
4. Fiesta Mexicana
5. Concerts
6. Public Lectures
7. Theatre and Musical Productions
III.
Regional Purposes: How do we demonstrate that these efforts are successful? (public
and community)
A. Distance Education
1. IVN courses
a. Individual Courses
b. Library Media Minor w/MaSU
2. NDSU Elementary Education
3. Jamestown Courses
4. On-Line Courses (Blackboard)
5. Technology Education Program
B. Corporate Partnerships
1. Great Plains Software
During the summer of 1999, six interns were enrolled at Great Plains. Five of those interns were
in the above-described Customer Service internship while one was enrolled in a Development
internship. The Development internship expired at the end of the summer while the remaining
five students continued their internships for the Fall Semester of 1999. Upon successful
completion, four of these students continued part-time employment during the spring of 2000.
These four were, at time of graduation, offered full-time positions at Great Plains. For the
summer of 2000, we have four students enrolled. The students are enrolled in Customer Service
and eProcurement.
2. Regional Technology Center
The Regional Technology Center is an exciting new partnership between the Valley City-Barnes
County Development Corporation and Valley City State University providing a vital link
between higher education and the private sector.
The goal is to develop and support information technology (IT) professionals and companies to
revitalize and link Valley City and this rural region to the global marketplace. Nationally, the
telecommunications industry confronts a significant labor force shortage. To attract new
businesses and industries, this region must diversify its economic base into the information
technology sector. The Regional Technology Center will stimulate diversification by generating
a ready workforce, a higher level of technology services, training and education, and new job
opportunities. The economy will be strengthened by the information technology companies
recruited to locate in the business incubator or in Valley City-Barnes County that will need the
technical services, training and telecommunication infrastructure available through the Center.
3. Network Center
The Network Center is an approved off-campus site offering credits in the Computer Information
Systems-Networking Concentration Major. State Board of Higher Education Policy 404.1
Distance Learning Credit Activities states, "A distance learning credit activity is a Boardapproved academic program or institutional-approved credit course received by students at a
geographical location other than or in addition to the principal campus of the institution/branch
which has the program/course authority." The relationship with the Network Center has received
such Board approval. In order to assure quality of instruction and content, a full-time campus
faculty person has been assigned to oversee the curriculum and act as liaison. Part of the
assignment is a weekly physical presence at this off-campus site. A grading is done in
consultation with this faculty member.
C. Public Schools
1. Dual Credit
2. other?
D. International Relationships
1. Universidad Autónima de Baja California Sur
2. Universidad Regional de Sureste
3. Brandon University
International Partners
Valley City State University has formed partnerships with universities in Mexico and Canada in
order to prepare its students to live and work in a global environment.
Formal partnership agreements have been signed with:
Canada
Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba
Mexico
Univeridad Autónoma de Baja California, La Paz, BCS
Universidad Regional del Sureste, Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca
Since 1995 there have been 25 student exchanges and five faculty exchanges.
In October of 1999, Valley City State University, in cooperation with the Valley City Chamber
of Commerce and the city of Valley City, hosted Fiesta Mexicana, a commercial and cultural
event featuring folk art, dancing and music from Oaxaca and La Paz.
IV.
Educational Purposes: mission statement, vision statement, roundtable report,
cornerstones, abilities / skills / levels
A. Academic Programs
B. Registrar / Transcripts
C. Student Services
D. Faculty Development
V.
Research and Development Purposes
A. Instructional Technology Mandate
1. CII
2. PT3 grant
3. Title III Technology Education grant
B. Faculty Accomplishments:
Faculty at VCSU are hired to teach courses for which they are well qualified. For the academic
year 1999-2000, 51% of full-time VCSU faculty members possessed terminal degrees. Fortyfour percent of the full-time faculty1 have earned doctorates. Of those with doctorates, 58% are
PhDs. Forty-two percent of the faculty teach with a master’s degree; 5% are ABD; 3% are
MBAs; 3% have a bachelor’s degree; 2% have an MFA; and, 2% have a JD. The concentration
of people with a master’s degree occurs in divisions where other degree options (like an MBA)
are more common. For example, the Divisions of Science and Math (78%), Communication
Arts and Social Sciences (55%), and Education and Psychology (55%) have a majority of faculty
members with doctorates. Furthermore, two of the three ABDs are housed in those divisions.
Divisions with fewer than 50% of faculty members holding a doctorate are Fine Arts (43%),
Health and Physical Education (13%), and Business and Technology (11%). In recent years,
there has been an effort to increase the number of people on faculty with doctorates. To that end,
the Faculty Development Committee is creating a broad faculty development policy that will
include a few paid sabbaticals. People with the highest priority for sabbaticals will be those
individuals pursuing a doctorate.
Despite the lack of time and money, VCSU faculty have actively engaged themselves in the
pursuit of scholarly activities. In recent years,2 one faculty member has published a book and
has another book forthcoming. Fourteen different faculty members have published articles in
refereed, academic journals or conference proceedings. Faculty articles have appeared in
journals like The Prairie Naturalist, Paideuma: A Journal dedicated to Ezra Pound Scholarship,
and The American Music Teacher. Published articles in conference proceedings include, the
Canadian Mathematical Society, the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education
(a number of articles), and the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education.
Twenty faculty members have presented papers at academic conferences; most faculty members
attended a conference during the period surveyed. Many more speak to local groups and provide
expertise at area workshops. A number of faculty members give lectures for the Barnes County
Historical Society Lecture series, and faculty often serve as experts for K-12 in-services. Two
faculty members have conducted seminars in Mexico at VCSU’s sister university in La Paz.
VCSU faculty members have also received grant money to facilitate research opportunities and
enhance programs offered on campus. In 2000, one faculty member received a Fulbright grant
for the 2000-2001 academic year. Faculty research on campus includes work on learning styles,
Included in the number for faculty are four members who are tenured, but no longer teach.
They have been included in all numbers for this section. The total percentage adds up to 101%
because of rounding.
2 Information has been compiled for the years 1997 though 2000.
1
Eurasian Watermilfoil (a VCSU faculty member first documented Eurasian Watermilfoil in
North Dakota), Sheyenne River invertebrates, Norwegian immigrant women, the Cold War
West, Ezra Pound, Lewis and Clark’s celestial navigation, the impact of notebook computers on
learning, and a variety of math and computer projects. The art and music faculty exhibit their
work and perform at concerts.
C.
[Notes: Documents academic achievements of students: portfolio and everything that
contributes toward the development of the portfolio, a program that leads toward a degree,
systematic assessment: grades, recommendations, analyses of student capabilities
These are all of the things we have identified as our educational and other purposes.
The next step has to be for each of these purposes, how do we propose to assess what we’re
doing?]
Part III: For each of the purposes, what are the means to assess the outcomes or fulfillment of
the purposes. This part other people have to provide the data. Every division will have to supply
the means of assessment for each of the educational and other purposes that it is involved in.
Every other agency in the university is going to have to provide the means of assessment and
degree of accomplishment that they’re involved in. Example: What does the records office do to
assess its contributions to the educational and other purposes? They collect data on student
credit hours earned, GPA’s, statistical studies to show that these are accurate measurements.
Financial Aid would also do something like this too. How do they assess the outcomes of their
activities? How do you know whether or not you’re doing what you’re saying you’re doing?
Questions:
1. Why is there a director of Enrollment Services under the Vice President for Student
Affairs and a Director Admission and Records under the Vice President for Academic
Affairs? (administrative organization chart Baselines)
2. Everybody (units): Take a look at the 1999-2000 strategic plan progress report. Where
do you fit in the strategies and in the accounting for how you are accomplishing these?
3. Everybody (units): 2000-2001 Strategic Plan: look at this and see where you are doing
something in it. Under each answer the following: what are we doing about this? How
are we involved in this?
4. Everybody (units): How do you assess what you’re doing? What are you using for
assessment?
5. How do the divisions measure students’ attainment of the abilities?
6. Maybe we could get a clearer definition of “assessment” so that we can build it into the
requesting process.
7. We have to know what Jay and Dale gathered.
8. How do the divisions know that the student learned?
Notes from Talking with Margaret 10-25-00
Under part IV academic programs we will have 6 parts, one for each division. Each divisional
part will include the goals and how the division assesses the goals and the students. Really, this
portion is a progress report. The divisional parts will also include a description of the formative
and summative measures or demonstrate progress in achieving formative and summative
measures. [Useful here will be parts of the divisional reports.] e-mail request sent 10-31-00
Assign Les Wong to write the introduction to the academic programs. How is the framework of
abilities and skills used for assessment at VCSU? This section will introduce how each division
is working with abilities and skills. sent e-mail request 10-27-00
Ask Gordon to determine the number of students (majors) being served by each program:
history, human resources, sociology. These numbers need to be forwarded to me as well as
incorporated into the program review. Also, Gordon should describe the formative and
summative programmatic assessment procedures. [Also, we need the abilities map for the social
science programs.] sent e-mail request 10-27-00
Look at section 2 of Chapter 2 for a description of outcome based assessment – how it grew from
foundation studies objectives as a result of the FIPSE grant.
In addition to the Les Wong Divisional piece, we need a section on general education. Check
with Larry Grooters about a piece that he is writing for NCATE. A description of the theoretical
underpinnings – and the shift to abilities is necessary. Make a chart of the foundations studies
objectives and then show how they became the general education abilities. [See 9-28-00
curriculum committee minutes.] [Also, see 95-96 report chart w/camera lens.] talked with
Larry about gen.ed. section 10-31-00 He will ask someone in his division to do it. Check
with him in a week or so.
Highlight the sections in the 95-96 report about general education requirements.
The general education abilities map is being developed and will be available in December.
Leave a spot for inserting the map of the general education courses.
Notes from 10-26-00
How do we know that students are learning?
How does that assessment affect decision making with regard to curriculum, faculty
development, and funding (budgeting)?
Ask for division / program abilities maps: include example from business and English. Send
message to Gordon, Diana, Sharon, Joe. sent e-mail request 10-27-00
The research portion of our institutional purposes is Board mandated to be instructional
technology. We are supposed to be leaders, share our knowledge with others, and impact
teaching and learning in ND. Documentation for this can be found in grant reports: Bush, first
Title III(training, course work, project development)
**Look at measures of student academic achievement in 1992 report page 205.
Send e-mail to division chairs asking for divisional narratives. sent 10-31-00
Ask Rhonda or Lois for digital versions of baselines and reports to investors. sent 10-31-00
Called Lois and requested electronic version of 95-96 self-study report. She will call Diana
Skroch and try to get it on the “k” drive for me. 11-1-00 (this report will have to be scanned)
Requested and received abilities map for Spanish. 11-1-00