The Role of Faculty During the Self-Study
ProcessEnsuring Success at
Cedar Crest
LaMont RouseExecutive Director of Assessment,
Accreditation & Compliance
Goals of the Presentation
Provide an overview of the Self- Study process
Discuss the time lines of the self-study
The role of faculty during the self-study process.
Middle States • MSCHE is Cedar Crest’s
accrediting body.
• Cedar Crest has been a member of MSCHE since the 1940s.
• MSCHE covers accredited institutions from New York to D.C. (along with Puerto Rico and other location)
Middle States • MSCHE requires a self-study
decennial review
• The review is based on the 14 Standards of Excellence
• Cedar Crest must demonstrate compliance with these 14 standards.
• MSCHE has openly talked about “raising the bar” when it comes to judging compliance with the standards.
Goals of the Self-Study Process
To demonstrate compliance with Middle State’s Standards of Excellence
To provide a process whereby Cedar Crest can make recommendations for improvement
To determine how to improve enrollment through new markets and educational offerings
End of Part I
Cedar Crest Self-Study Team
Steering Committee
Janet BakerKathleen BolandGaetan GianniniChristine Nowik
Jenny Weatherford
Cedar Crest Self-Study Team
Six Working Groups
WG1: Institutional Stewardship
WG2: Integrity, Governance & Administration
WG3: Student Admissions & Support
WG4: Faculty
WG5: Educational Offerings
WG6: Assessment
Cedar Crest Self-Study Team
Tasks of the Working Groups
Develop questions related to the Standards of Excellence
Answer the questions
Use the answers to write a chapter based on the evidence
All chapters will be merged to create the self-study report
The final report will be approximately 100 pages. I anticipate hundreds of pages in supporting documents.
The Self-Study Time Line
Fall 2012: Working groups will seek to gather evidence in order to answer the research questions
Spring 2013: Working groups submit their draft chapter to the steering committee
-- The steering committee then produces the self-study report
The End of Phase I
The Self-Study Time Line Public Phase
Fall 2013: Campus reviews the document and suggests changes and modifications.
-- CCC sends the draft report to evaluation team chair (S/he may also make suggestions and changes)
-- Team chair makes a preliminary visit
The Self-Study Time Line
Team Visit Phase
Spring 2014: There is a team visit
-- A preliminary report will be issued
-- There is an institutional response
Summer 2014: Middle States meets and acts
End of Part II
The Role of Faculty
MSCHE views faculty as vital to the assessment of student learning.
MSCHE also wants to see evidence of shared governance
MSCHE wants institutions to define and measure teaching effectiveness
The Role of Faculty Faculty maintain the ongoing assessment cycle
-- Faculty will play an important role in periodic program review cycle
-- Cedar Crest must gather clear and compelling evidence that students are learning.
The Role of Faculty @ The Program Level
-- Actively participate in your periodic program review process.
Affirming the degree’s mission statement (Ensure the degree is aligned to the College’s mission statement)
Affirming (achieving consensus on) the primary student learning outcomes (only need 4 to 6)
Affirming the curriculum map
Ensuring that all courses are aligned to the SLOs of the program (and these are explicitly stated in all course syllabi)
The Role of Faculty @ The Course Level
-- Ensure that all courses are aligned to the program
-- Ensure that the syllabus has explicitly stated student learning outcomes
-- Ensure that major measuring units (exams, written works, creative works, etc) are closely aligned to an SLO in the course
-- Gather direct evidence of student learning (keep samples of student works)
-- I encourage the use of rubrics as a tool
-- Save blank copies of sample exams
The Role of Faculty The Course & Gen Ed
-- MSCHE wants clear and compelling evidence that students can do the following
1. Write effectively2. Efficient oral communication skills3. Critical thinking skills 4. Quantitative reasoning skills 5. Information literacy
-- Please help the Office of Assessment where possible by using these rubrics on certain projects.
The Role of Faculty Cedar Crest’s Broad
Principles-- Seek alignment with the Broad Principles where possible…
1 Civic Engagement
2. Global Connectivity
3. Health and Wellness
4. Women’s Leadership
The Role of Faculty Specific Tasks
-- Participate on some level
I can’t successfully complete this process if you are sitting on the sidelines.
-- Engage the process
Be active members in the strengtheningof your major.
-- Help Gather Evidence
I ask that each faculty member participate in at least one GE skills study per semester. Of course, you can always do more (and I’ll buy you lunch!)