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Leanne Owen, Ph.D.
Holy Family University

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Identify relevant considerations in selecting Steering
Committee members;
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Discuss possible measures to minimize subjectivity and bias in reporting by groups; and
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Illustrate the benefits of using a “one voice” approach during the final editing process.

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Holy Family University is a private, Catholic, liberal arts institution in Northeast Philadelphia;
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Many members of the faculty, staff, and administration have been involved in previous self-study cycles and Periodic
Review Reports;
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As the institution transitioned from a college to a university, shifting expectations and perceptions became apparent, and the self-study was seized upon as a valuable opportunity to reflect on our strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.

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Constituting the Executive Committee;
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Selecting individuals to serve as co-chairs of the self-study subcommitees;
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Identifying appropriate subcommittee membership with a view toward representing a broad cross-section of the
University community;
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Aligning the self-study process with the concurrent institutional branding and strategic planning initiatives.

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Deciding on a comprehensive design;
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Grouping certain Standards together;
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Determining the most appropriate questions to ask:
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Evaluating rather than describing institutional processes;
Identifying “answerable” questions;
Considering existing sources of data and planning for additional data collection efforts;
Linking the Fundamental Elements to notions of institutional utility.

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Each subcommittee delegated responsibility among its membership along different lines;
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First drafts of each chapter (except for the introductory and concluding chapters, as well as the Executive Summary) were submitted to the Executive Committee;
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Feedback on first drafts was provided both in face-to-face consultations and in writing;
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Second drafts of each chapter were subsequently submitted to the Executive Committee;

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Emphasis was repeatedly placed on making the self-study as candid and frank as possible;
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Occasionally, subcommittee members had to be reminded that the self-study was intended to be factual rather than anecdotal;
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Everyone working on the self-study (as well as any other community member) was afforded the opportunity to share insights and concerns, although these were not always appropriate for inclusion in the final document.

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Self-study website on the University intranet;
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Preliminary community planning day to identify areas of concern, as well as possible charge and research questions;
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Second community planning day to solicit input about the design document and subsequent research goals;
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Third community planning day to invite reactions and responses to the completed self-study.

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The Executive Committee reviewed second drafts and designated chapters as needing to be entirely re-written, needing significant editing and revision, or needing minor proofreading and “cosmetic” revisions;
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Once each of the Executive Committee members submitted the revised chapters to the Chair, a final round of re-writes and edits needed to be undertaken (and the Executive
Summary, as well as the introductory and concluding chapters, were written);
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Having one individual responsible for assembling the final document resulted in fewer inconsistencies in both style and content, as well as in the identification of recurring themes that needed to be addressed in the future.

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Multiple subcommittee chairs and issues relating to “unity of command”;
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Adhering to timetables;
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Setting aside personal areas of concern;

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Transparency;
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Community inclusion and engagement;
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Candor and reflection;
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Ultimately, the process resulted in a self-study that would continue to serve as a “living document” for the next decade.

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Maximizing community input during the design and research/writing phases was key to ensuring that the selfstudy represented various constituencies and perspectives accurately and effectively;
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Adopting a “one voice” approach during the editing phase allowed for optimal levels of consistency in both tone and substance while serving to clarify those issues of greatest priority for future growth and improvement.