UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND

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UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND

• Teaching, Faith, Service
• Michael Connolly, D.M.A.
• Workshop on Institutional Self-Study 2008

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RelevanceValue, self-interest, and buy-in
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Value

• Academics

Accreditation
Good news Most academics value the peer review
process.
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Making visible the value

• Commitment
• Seriousness
• Ownership

• President
• Board of Regents
• Faculty Leadership
• Classified Leadership
• Student Leadership
• Others

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Self Interest
Natural Curiosity
Meaningful engagement

• Academics

Show casing good stuff
Work through problems
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Buy In

• Understand and recognize the culture of the
  institution
• Thoughtful and deliberate pre self study
  communication process

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University of Portland as an example
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Principles that guided the process

• Specific goals and values were not articulated
  publicly at UP during the self-study. However,
  these principles directed the work

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• To complete the self-study and report in a way
  that recognized the good work at UP and received
  outside validation.
• To be honest, finding areas of concern and
  addressing them, essentially writing the
  evaluators report.
• To be inclusive, but not so much that the work
  cannot be completed.

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• To have the process be as transparent as
  possible. No hidden agendas!
• To use the self-study as a continuation of the
  universitys regular planning and a springboard
  to new growth.

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ENGAGEMENT

• This process is primarily for us.
• Cite examples of positive change from previous
  planning, especially to skeptics.
• Keep the campus informed.
• Creative ideas songs, art, joke emails
• Letters of appointment
• From the president Steering Committee
• From the chair Committee Members

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COMMUNICATION

• faculty/staff newsletter
• computer mailing lists
• web site(s)
• student newspaper
• meetings with senate(s), departments
• letters to committee members
• workshop for all faculty and staff to study first
  full draft (all comments were typed and posted on
  web.). Make this fun!

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EMPOWERMENT

• Committees given clear tasks and allowed to
  complete them.
• Clear understanding that all drafts will be
  edited for final document. No surprises!
• Take input seriously, but be clear about what
  applies to the standards.
• A faculty comment after the workshop with the
  draft This is the most Ive ever known about
  the university in my 17 years here.

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APPRECIATION

• Can people ever be thanked too much?
• Letters to committee members after completion of
  first draft with CHOCOLATE.
• Public recognition all names included in draft
  and report.
• Dinner for the Executive Committee
• Forty personal thank you letters upon completion
• Home made cookies for the Print Shop and Computer
  Services