Accreditation Standards

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Accreditation Standards

• An Overview
• With
• Action Points for MJC
• By
• Bill Scroggins
• July 31, 2003

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Major Areas

• IA Mission
• IB Institutional Effectiveness
• IIA Instructional Programs
• IIB Student Support Services
• IIC Library/Learning Resources
• IIIA Human Resources
• IIIB Physical Resources
• IIIC Technology Resources
• IIID Financial Resources
• IVA Decision-Making Roles Processes
• IVB Board Administrative Organization

Implications for Organizing Self-Study Groups
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Themes

• Institutional Commitment
• providing high quality education congruent with
  institutional mission
• Evaluation, Planning Improvement
• ongoing and systematic cycle of evaluation,
  integrated planning, implementation, and
  re-evaluation
• Student Learning Outcomes
• requires that learning outcomes be measured and
  assessed

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• Organization
• identify and make public the learning outcomes,
  to evaluate the effectiveness of programs in
  producing those outcomes, and to make
  improvements
• Dialog
• inclusive, informed, and intentional dialogue
  about institutional quality and improvement
• Institutional Integrity
• institutions concern with honesty,
  truthfulness, and the manner it which it
  represents itself to all stakeholders, internal
  and external

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Standard IA Mission
Review MJC Mission

• Defines our purpose
• Defines our student population
• States our commitment to student learning
• Drives instructional student services
• Is approved by the Board of Trustees
• Is reviewed and revised regularly
• Is the basis for planning decision making

Have a clear planning decision making process
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Typical Questions

• What does the institutions mission statement say
  about its educational purposes?
• Who are the colleges intended students?
• What processes does the institution use to foster
  college-wide commitment to student learning?
• Does the mission statement express this
  commitment?

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IB Institutional Effectiveness

• Strategic Planning
• Cycle of PRIE planning, resource allocation,
  implementation, evaluation
• Evaluation based on research, both qualitative
  quantitative, widely communicated
• Well articulated goals and measurable objectives
• PRIE is broad-based,
• reviewed and improved regularly

This is the MJC Strategic Planning Process
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Typical Questions

• What criteria does the college use to determine
  its priorities (set goals)?
• How well does the college implement its goals?
• To what extent does the institution understand
  and embrace the notion of ongoing planning?
• How does college budgeting of resources follow
  planning?

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IIA Instructional Programs

• Meet community needs as identified by research,
  in breadth, depth, rigor, sequencing, and
  measurable SLOs
• Have a curriculum that meets program needs and
  reflects students initial abilities
• Pedagogy reflects student learning styles
• Reviewed regularly for currency, relevance,
  appropriateness, improvement of
  teaching/learning, achievement of student
  learning outcomes, future needs and plans
• Rely on faculty in this process

Program Review
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IIA Instructional Programs
Establish Assess General Education SLOs

• General Education
• Based on well articulated philosophy
• Courses selected for appropriate SLOs
• Content methodology of

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IIA Instructional Programs

• General Education educates the whole person
• Ethics
• People Skills
• Appreciation of Diversity
• Aesthetics
• Citizenship

Establish Through Curriculum Standards (as
with Multiculturalism)
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IIA Instructional Programs

• Program Course Descriptions
• Purpose
• Content
• Requirements
• Expected SLOs
• All reflected in both course outlines and syllabi

Course Outlines do this for Courses
Program Review must do this for Programs
Now syllabi must contain this information
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IIA Instructional Programs

• Academic Freedom and Responsibility
• Clear policy, widely known used
• Faculty distinguish between personal and
  professional views
• Clear policy on student academic honesty

Review and expand policies on academic
freedom and student honesty
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Typical Questions

• What student learning outcomes has the
  institution identified for its courses, its
  programs, its certificates, its degrees?
• What dialogues have occurred about using
  assessment results to guide improvements to
  courses, programs, etc.?
• By what means does the institution ensure that
  all of its instructional courses and programs are
  of high quality?
• Do students have a clear path to achieving the
  student learning outcomes required of a course,
  program degree, certificate?

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IIB Student Support Services

• Address identified needs of students
• Support student learning and college mission in a
  demonstrable way
• Specific catalog information is provided

Research Student Support Services Needs
State how Services Support Learning Mission
Show how Services Support Learning Mission
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IIB Student Support Services

• Learning Support
• Based on need identified
• by research
• Accessible
• Includes counseling that is
• designed, maintained,
• evaluated to support
• student development
• Enhances student understanding
• appreciation of diversity

Research Learning Support Needs
Assess Accessibility of Learning Support
Evaluate Counseling on Support of Student
Development
Connect all to Diversity
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IIB Student Support Services

• Learning Support (continued)
• Includes placement process tests that are valid
  and minimize bias
• Is evaluated on adequacy to meet student needs
• Shows evidence of contribution to achievement of
  SLOs

Evidence ???
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Typical Questions

• What college-wide discussions have occurred about
  how student access, progress, learning, and
  success are consistently supported?
• How does the institution demonstrate that these
  services support student learning?
• What evidence is provided that the institution
  assesses student needs for services?
• How does the institution provide for systematic
  and regular review of its student support
  services?

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IIC Library/Learning Resources

• Sufficient in quantity, currency, depth and
  variety
• Accessible through instruction on their use
• Maintained and secure
• May be extended through agreements with other
  institutions following good practices
• Evaluated to show evidence of
• contribution to achievement of
• student learning objectives

Evidence ???
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IIIA. Human Resources

• Employees are
• Qualified
• Treated equitably
• Evaluated regularly on written criteria in a
  timely documented manner, encouraging
  improvement
• Provided professional development opportunities
• Selected by an open process, using relevant
  criteria, with faculty playing a significant role
  in hiring new faculty who have appropriate degrees

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IIIA. Human Resources

• Faculty and others directly responsible for
  student progress toward achieving stated student
  learning outcomes have, as a component of their
  evaluation, effectiveness in producing those
  learning outcomes.

Negotiable Appendix
D-1 1 Examples
Portfolios, Classroom
Assessment Techniques,
Course Embedded Assessment,
Industry Certification Exams
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IIIA. Human Resources

• The institution
• Upholds a written code of ethics
• Maintains a sufficient number of faculty
• Has personnel policies that ensure fairness and
  confidentiality
• Demonstrates concern for equity diversity
• Provides opportunities for professional
  development
• HR Planning is integrated with institutional
  planning

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IIIB Physical Resources

• Safe and sufficient
• Support quality of programs services
• Assured effective utilization continuing
  quality
• Assured access, safety, security, health
• Long-range plans support institutional goals
  are integrated with institutional plans

Planning!
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IIIC Technology Resources

• Support student learning programs
• Enhance effectiveness of the institution
• Include quality training
• Elements
• Planning assessment
• Acquisition
• Maintenance
• Upgrades/replacements

Technology Plan
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IIID Financial Resources

• Sufficient in amount and distributed
  appropriately to support programs services
• Managed with integrity
• Financial stability and solvency assured both
  short- and long-term
• Planning budgeting are
• integrated and collegial

Connect Planning and Budgeting
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IIID Financial Resources

• Financial Management System
• Appropriate control mechanisms
• Dependable and timely reports
• Responsive to external audits
• Includes all aspects financial aid, grants,
  contracts, foundations, and investments
• Assures integrity and alignment with mission
• Process is evaluated regularly

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IVA Decision-Making Overall

• Environment of empowerment, innovation
  institutional excellence
• Systematic participative processes used for
  discussion, planning implementation
• Written policy for participation in appropriate
  policy, planning, committees
• Faculty administrators substantial voice in
  policies, planning and budget based on their
  responsibility and expertise

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IVA Decision-Making Overall

• Students and staff established mechanisms for
  input
• Academic Senate recommendations about student
  learning programs and services
• Honesty and integrity with external agencies
• Compliance with ACCJC
• Governance structures and processes regularly
  evaluated

Compatible with Title 5 (which is stronger)
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IV Decision-Making CEO

• Responsible for administrative structure, with
  appropriate delegation
• Guides through research, planning, resource
  allocation, and evaluation
• Assures statues, regulations, and board policies
  are followed
• Controls budget and expenditures
• Communicates effectively with community

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IV Decision-Making Multicollege District

• Communicates expectation of excellence and
  integrity
• Assures fair and adequate support to colleges
• Clearly defines roles of authority and
  responsibility, with full responsibility,
  authority and accountability for presidents on
  delegated policies
• Acts as liaison between Board and colleges
• Evaluates the district/college roles