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SCU’s WASC Reaccreditation Diane Jonte-Pace, Self Study

Steering Committee Chair Don Dodson, Academic Liaison

Officer Winter 2007

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What is WASC? Western Association of Schools and

Colleges One of 7 regional accrediting

commissions recognized by federal government

Responsible for 157 institutions of higher education in California and Hawaii

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What is WASC? Regional accreditation required for

Title IV eligibility Federal grants Transferability of credit Recognition of degrees

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New WASC Process Four standards including 42 Criteria for

Review, compared with about 150 standards previously

Collegial process: Aimed at promoting improvement rather than at looking for failure

Focus on evidence of actual student learning

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WASC’s Concerns What is our capacity to educate

students well? How effective are we in doing this? How can we improve student learning

and institutional learning?

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Step 1: Institutional Proposal Due May 15, 2007

Presents preliminary self-review under standards

Proposes plan of work for self-study

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Step 2: Capacity and Preparatory Review Fall 2009 Site visit Focus:

Resources, structures, processes Infrastructure to support educational

effectiveness Status of preparations for Educational

Effectiveness Review

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Step 3: Educational Effectiveness Review Spring 2011 Site visit Focus:

Learning environment Student learning outcomes Effectiveness of quality assurance

processes How we use evidence for improvement

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What does WASC want from us?

Identify our most important issues Examine each as an “action research

project” Gather and interpret evidence Make improvements Increase effectiveness

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Fall 2006 Survey Purpose

How Santa Clara is doing on the WASC criteria for review

Possible themes for WASC review Response Rate

Full-time faculty: 45% Staff: 33% Students: 14% Board members: 29%

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Fall 2006 Survey (cont.) Findings

Majority of all four groups think Santa Clara meets all the WASC criteria

Board members most positive, followed by students, then staff, then faculty

However: >25% of at least one group rated performance negatively on 15 criteria

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Areas of Some Concern Diversity Leadership; structures; processes Staffing levels or qualifications Information Resources Alignment of Priorities Student Advising Stakeholder Involvement

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Themes Proposed in Survey Respondents rated importance of six

possible themes.

A majority of all four groups rated all six as very important or important.

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Themes Proposed in Survey Competence, Conscience, and Compassion Teaching Scholar Model Processes to Improve Academic Quality and Student

Learning Implementation of Core Curriculum Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Role of Graduate Programs

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Principles for Selecting Themes Important to University Relevant to Strategic Plan Relevant to student learning Relevant to WASC Criteria for Review Suitable for action research Something SCU needs to do anyway

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Proposed Themes for WASC Self Study Educating for Competence, Conscience

and Compassion Strengthening the Santa Clara Teaching

Scholar Model Promoting a Community of Inclusive

Excellence

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Questions, Evidence, Decisions: ECCC

What do we mean by “educating for competence, conscience, and compassion”?

ECCC learning outcomes for undergrads? For graduate students?

Evidence? Becoming more effective?

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Questions, Evidence, Decisions: SCTSM What is the Santa Clara Teaching

Scholar Model (SCTSM)? How is it different from other models of

faculty roles? Faculty concerns about TSM? Connection to SCU’s commitment to a

community of inclusive excellence?

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Questions, Evidence, Decisions: SCTSM Connection to goal of educating for

competence, conscience, and compassion?

Can TSM be more effective in serving faculty and students in the context of Santa Clara’s distinctiveness as a Jesuit university?

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Questions, Evidence, Decisions: COIE What do we mean by a “community of

inclusive excellence”? Diversity and inclusive excellence

Among faculty? In the administration? Among staff? In the student body?

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Questions, Evidence, Decisions: COIE (cont.) Diversity and inclusive excellence in

Policies? Practices? Campus climate?

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Questions, Evidence, Decisions: COIE (cont.) Diversity and inclusiveness in

curriculum?

Improving as community of inclusive excellence, based on evidence collected?

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WASC Reaccreditation Burden or Opportunity?

Report Writers or Change Agents?

Compliance or Engagement?

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Previous WASC recommendations Library/CIO Counseling Psych/Ed Diversity Program Review Centralize Faculty Development

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Communication with University Community Self-Study Committee of faculty & staff Website with SCU’s WASC data

Coming soon Draft documents shared Comments and feedback welcome