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Standards for Accreditation: Bullet Points

1. Mission and Purpose (click here to comment)

Our mission is articulated in Wesleyan 2020, introduced in the mission statement and further elucidated

through the discussion of Wesleyan's Values and Culture (with relevant sections quoted)

A description of the process by which Wesleyan 2020 and the mission statement were formulated,

disseminated, discussed, and debated;

2. Planning and Evaluation (click here to comment)

Planning

Strategic plans, Engaged with the World and Wesleyan 2020 o how Wes 2020 came about o how Wes 2020 is employed: examples of initiatives supported that suit Wes 2020 include COE, Wes

Media Project, Making Excellence Inclusive, Civic Engagement Certificate AA responses to main issues in previous review

o how course access issue was addressed by EPC and Registrar o how educational outcomes issue is being addressed: Review of Pilot Project on

assessment 2/18/2010 (memo from Joe Bruno & Andy Szegedy-Maszak) Facilities planning

o Work of Facilities Committee, Master Plan, o Decisions re feasibility of science building, museum

Responses to contingencies o Planning re Public Safety and Wes response to emergencies o Review of Dept expenditures in response to fall in endowment

Financial Planning o Hire of new CIO and team o UR use of Wes 2020, capital campaign

Admissions response to need for more students interested in science

Evaluation

We will discuss the plans, process, and outcomes of our evaluation efforts, including:

Master and Major Planning initiatives, including: o Wesleyan 2020 (& Engaged with the World 2005-2010 too) o Facilities Master Plan (e.g., Sightlines) o Academic Plans (academic “evaluation” will be discussed in Standard 4)

E.g., Review of Pilot Project on Assessment 2/18/2010 memo from Joe Bruno & Andy Szegedy-Maszak

o Enrollment Plans: Admissions goals and data, including ASQ and COFHE Redbook and Supplement Enrollment Management Group

o Development Plan: Capital Campaign o Making Excellence Inclusive o Plans for major units

College of the Environment Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life New Certificate Programs Academic Program reviews

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Science Center plan: change from new building to modernization Wesleyan Media Project

The institutional research program, with a small number of examples taken from the following list: o Teaching evaluations (standard 4) o New media metrics to measure media outreach, website effectiveness, etc. o Ad hoc committees and evaluations: e.g., Sexual Violence Task Force, evaluation of Behavioral

Health Office o COFHE Suite of Surveys – increasing alignment of surveys; track student careers from arrival to

post-graduation. o Internal Surveys, e.g.,

Dining – used in contract with food service provider Usdan Center – measure use of Center as a “Campus Center” as requested in last NEASC

letter Orientation (annual) Alcohol & Drugs/Health (biennial) Community Service Essential Capabilities Office of Behavioral Health Survey – informed changes made to this office

o Data sharing EFFORTS (E.G., COFHE, HEDS, AAUP) o Internal “assessment” efforts (e.g., iPad Study, Weir Biology work, etc.) o Collaborative Studies such as the College Sports Project

Financial and Human Capital o Financial Plan: TBD, including budgeting (10-year forecast) o Development Plan: Capital Campaign o President Cabinet member’s annual goals (see Sept. 2010 Board Documents) o Staffing

COFHE group report annual affirmative action plan Budget working group

o Affirmative Action Plans (2010 & 2011)

o Compensation practices – CUPA HR Survey, Western Management Group EduComp Survey, Department of Labor data, Custom surveys for peer schools

o Performance management process – Annual performance review and goal attainment process for staff, annual merit review for faculty

o Payroll and finance - regular external audits o Voluntary Separation Program (VSP) Feedback Form

3. Organization and Governance (click here to comment)

The Governing Board By-laws

University by-laws prescribe the responsibilities of the officers of the university (president, treasurer, and secretary). These responsibilities include the authority to make and execute agreements and other commitments on behalf of the University, pursuant to policies adopted by the board or an appropriate committee of the board.

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The members of the President’s Cabinet bear significant responsibility for the working order of the institution and provide leadership to staff, and where appropriate, faculty, with respect to the structure, decision-making, policy development and implementation, and are accountable for the evaluation of the administrative areas of the university. Members of the Cabinet report regularly at committee meetings of the board.

Each semester, the president addresses the staff of the university and reports on the “state of the university” and quarterly, the president meets with the senior administrative staff (also invited are the faculty representatives to the board of trustees). Administrative staff serve on a number of committee’s that directly impact the decision-making processes of the university. (Can provide examples or complete list in appendices)

Goal-setting for all administrative staff members is required, and these goals are in alignment with Wesleyan 2020: A Framework for Planning, and are also associated with the university’s annual performance review process. The board and administration periodically review and revise the university’s goals.

The by-laws afford members of the faculty and the student body the right and responsibility to serve as representatives to the board. All student and faculty representatives to the board are assigned to the standing committees of the board with voice and voting privileges, except with respect to personnel matters. Faculty and student representatives to the board have voice, but not vote, at the board level.

The participation of faculty and student representatives to the board at all board meetings provides for consistent communication between the board and university stakeholders. In addition, regularly scheduled gatherings of trustees in the company of faculty and students are a component of the fall and spring board meetings. Faculty and student representatives are also participants at the board’s annual retreat.

Increased, customary, and more productive communication and consultation among the administration, and faculty and student is a goal of the administration.

Constitution of the Board

The university’s charter clearly articulates the establishment of Wesleyan University, in 1831, under the Special Laws of Connecticut, as a corporation that shall not have or issues shares of stock or make distributions. The special corporation shall not have any members, and all corporate powers shall be exercised by or under the authority of the Board of Trustees.

The board is constituted through provisions in the charter and by-laws for the sole and exclusive purpose of establishing, maintaining, and conducting a university in the City of Middletown.

The board is comprised of not less than 29 nor more than 33 members, however, the number of trustees may equal 34 if the current chair has been elected as such, but is not currently serving a trustee term. In this circumstance, the board chair serves ex officio.

Nine members of the board are elected by the alumni/ae and members of the senior class, and serve three year terms. The remaining trustees are elected by the board and serve a six year term. Re-election to a second term is based on the needs of the university at the time a vacancy occurs.

The participants at board meetings include trustees, trustees emeriti, alumni leaders, faculty and student representatives to the board, and administrators, each of whom participate in committee and board meetings and as required, on special working groups appointed by the Chair of the Board.

The by-laws of the university (Chapter I, Section 5) as well as the University’s Conflict of Interest Policy outline the University’s policy regarding actual or potential conflicts of interest. All trustees, faculty and staff are annually provided with the policy and an opportunity to review, comment and report items of concern or offer questions. Trustees complete an annual written form to the same effect.

Identification, cultivation and election of trustees by the board include a review of a candidate’s competencies with respect to the professional and substantive needs of the board. The Governance Committee reviews myriad professional and demographic elements in the consideration process.

Newly elected trustees participate in an intensive, one-day orientation program designed to educate each board member as to their role and responsibilities. The President and Chair of the Board participate in this

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program. The board receives regular updates on the university budget, long range planning and the endowment in order to support the board’s fiduciary responsibilities.

Adoption of policies relating to endowment management, capital expenditures for the construction of facilities, and by-laws that prescribe the development of the capital and operating budgets result in transparent reporting and oversight of the finances of the university. The Audit Committee is responsible for the oversight of the university’s internal control and auditing functions, risk management policies and profile, and the adequacy and effectiveness of the university’s risk management policies, accounting procedures, systems and controls.

Authority and responsibilities of the Board

Strategic planning is undertaken by the board with input from faculty, students and staff. The board acts upon resolutions in furtherance of the mission and goals of the university.

The academic core is considered fundamental in all actions taken by the board. The Department of Academic Affairs (academic deans, associate provost) as well as the faculty and student representatives to the board advise and consult with the trustees as major initiatives are considered by the board.

Trustees are working with the president to enhance opportunities for engagement with students and faculty during both board-meeting weekends and between board meetings.

The development of the university’s Mission Statement was the result of collaboration with faculty, students, staff, alumni, and trustees. The board adopted the Mission Statement as a component of Wesleyan 2020: A Framework for Planning, which is the university’s foundation for strategic decision making.

Communication, consultation, and transparency issues. Faculty portfolios, ATR roundtable etc.

Evaluation of its effectiveness of the Board

Approximately every three to four years, the board conducts an assessment survey designed to evaluate trustee engagement, the structure and functioning of the board and its committees, communications, and leadership. The survey is created, implemented and analyzed by the Governance Committee with the support of the Office of Institutional Research. The Governance Committee reports to the board on the survey data compiled and submits recommendations to enhance performance.

Every other year, the Governance Committee undertakes a board leadership development process through which the officers of the board, the committee chairs, and Governance Committee members are elected. This process provides yet another opportunity for assessment of individual trustees with respect to their engagement and leadership potential. Prior to electing or renewing the term of a Chair of the Board, trustees are asked to participate in a survey to identify the needs of the board, the qualities required of a strong Chair of the Board, and the most important issues facing the university and the board at the time. This information is shared with the incoming Chair in order to inform his/her leadership of the board.

Committees, meetings, communication among Board members and with the institutional community

Regular communication is scheduled through the use of committee and board meetings/retreats, faculty dinners and student gatherings with trustees, telephonic committee calls and board working groups, and monthly telephonic conference calls with the trustees and trustees emeriti during months in which the board does not meet. The President and members of his Cabinet speak individually with trustees on a regular basis. Visits with trustees are scheduled during periods of travel by the President or his Cabinet.

Trustees are invited to attend classes and meet with faculty and students beyond the regular boundaries of the board meeting weekend. Trustees, faculty and students often meet on the basis of affinity interests.

The university has developed an electronic portfolio to provide board meeting materials and other relevant information to all board meeting participants. The trustee and emeriti have additional board and university related information available to them on an ongoing basis through their portfolios. Archival information on policies and decisions enacted previously, board and committee minutes and resolutions,

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and general information about the role and responsibilities of a trustee is provided through a secure server at the university. All board meeting documents are distributed electronically and are available through the university electronic portfolio resource.

Appointment, review of, and delegation of authority to the President by the Board

The board is empowered by the by-laws to elect the president of the university, upon the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the trustees then in office.

The board conducts performance evaluations of the CEO by a special committee of trustees as defined in the university’s by-laws. A report of the special committee is presented for consideration to the full board in executive session upon completion.

Delegation of university management authority to the president and others is outlined in Chapter II of the by-laws and, in turn, the University Contract and Delegation of Authority policy. The by-laws also provide for the creation of specific board authorized policies to guide the officers of the university and their designees in the execution of their duties.

The President

The President’s governing structure and process

The President’s Cabinet is comprised of senior advisors (list all) and meet regularly with the President and weekly as a cohort. Goals for each of the major areas of the university are developed and tracked annually. These goals are presented to the board of trustees each fall and progress on the goals at the annual meeting of the board each May.

The President’s Cabinet employs evaluative tools such as a metrics dashboard and annual assessments to measure performance and outcomes. The University maintains organizational charts by Cabinet member, publishes and updates employee handbooks for represented staff, administrators, and faculty.

With the Vice President for Finance and Administration, the President presents a budget for consideration and adoption, as required in the university’s by-laws, to the Board of Trustees each May. An annual endowment performance report is made to the Board of Trustees and interim reports are presented at each of the board’s meetings.

The President and his Cabinet attend monthly faculty meetings. The President also meets monthly with the Faculty Executive Committee and with the Chair of the Faculty.

The leadership of the Wesleyan Student Assembly meet monthly with the President and the President attends the Assembly meeting following each board meeting and when invited upon other occasions.

Committees such as the Budget Priorities Committee, the Enrollment Management Group, (other committees can be listed as well – these are included as examples) also meet periodically with the President and with members of his Cabinet.

Open fora for faculty, students, and staff are held when there are significant issues affecting the academic core or the institution are being considered, i.e., Wesleyan 2020.

Task forces of faculty, staff and/or students are appointed when campus issues would benefit, i.e., Making Excellence Inclusive, Sexual Violence Task Force, current example of the many faculty task forces working this semester. Reports of such task forces are made to the President and appropriate Cabinet members.

Faculty, students and staff also consult directly, and on committees, with members of the Cabinet, i.e., Educational Policy Committee, Student Life Committee.

Faculty Governance

The faculty has an organization of governance that supports its academic and institutional missions. It is designed to implement effectively its teaching and scholarship activities and to play a critical role in the faculty appointment, tenure and promotion process. The governance structure is also designed to consult and advise the university administration.

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The faculty has four standing committees responsible for educational policy, honors, rights and responsibilities, and compensation and benefits. In addition there is an executive committee chaired by the Chair of the Faculty. The faculty meets as a whole regularly, voting on motions brought forward by faculty and standing committees. The Academic Council consisting of the president, all tenured faculty and three untenured faculty, one from each division. The Academic Council establishes guidelines and policy for faculty appointments, reappointments, promotions and tenure. The Academic Council has two standing committees. The Advisory Committee advises the president on appointments, reappointments, promotions and tenure and crafts legislation for Academic Council approval. The Review and Appeals Board receives recommendations from the Advisory Committee on tenure and promotion cases and can hear appeals. The Review and Appeals Board advises the president. Faculty membership on these committees is implemented through a series of elections held each year in the spring. 1. Evaluate success of faculty governance changes that took place about ten years ago. Look at performance, record and role of Review and Appeals Board and Faculty Executive Committee. Also look at the new composition of Advisory Committee and the role of the Academic Council. Has the consistency and quality of the tenure and promotion process been improved?

Establishment of RAB and FEC. RAB replaces role that Academic Council had in tenure and promotion cases. Composition change in Advisory to all tenured members.

Establishment of budget priorities committee

List faculty governance changes since 2002. List faculty motions passed. List Academic Council motions passed.

What effect have changes had? Use two case studies to show impact of RAB. Enhanced deliberation and

analysis of tenure and promotion cases now in place compared to 2002. Higher outcome quality and consistency achieved.

2. Evaluate and understand the nature and importance of elected/appointed ad hoc committees and task forces involved in faculty governance. It is clear that these faculty activities are important to governance, and are effective vehicles for change. They are an informal but important part of faculty organization and governance.

List of all ad hoc committees and task forces last ten year. What effect have they had? What recommendations from these bodies have been implemented? Examples can

be cited from recommendations of above two Reviews. 3. Evaluate the leadership role of Department and Program Chairs and Chair of the Faculty.

Chairs are typically elected for three-year terms. Departmental governance is collaborative: colleagues build consensus. Technological support for chair governance (eportfolio applications) Chairs are responsible for a wide range of activities: curriculum development, promotion and tenure cases,

appointment of visitors, management of leave/sabbatical schedule and supervision of staff. How to identify time and resources to develop leadership role of Chair.

4. Communication, consultation, and transparency issues.

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Examples of increased transparency and consultation since 2002

Faculty portfolio ATR roundtable Periodic meetings of President with FEC Periodic meetings of VP for Finance with CBC Budget Priority Committee-President, Provost, Chair/Vice Chair of faculty, faculty rep to Board, students Periodic meetings of Provost and VPAA with Department and Program Chairs Weekly meetings of Provost and VPAA with EPC Provost meets annually with tenure track faculty to explain tenure process Provost meets annually with departments with upcoming tenure cases to review process Faculty portfolio governance bucket, Chairs bucket, University Reports bucket Agenda of EPC and FEC etc available on line Annual reports of EPC on line President reports to Senior Admin. and faculty after each Board of Trustee meeting

5. Evaluate faculty engagement in governance and the election process.

List election process Provide statistics on voting Provide statistics on number of faculty involved in governance committees etc

Engagement of students in University governance

The Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) is composed of 36 undergraduate student representatives serving on six

standing committees and multiple ad hoc committees. These representatives are elected by the student body, and

are led by an executive committee consisting of a president, vice president, treasurer, coordinator and the four

standing committee chairs.

The WSA interacts with faculty, trustees and administrators on a regular basis, notably, through student

representation on the faculty’s Education Policy Committee, via student representation on the Wesleyan Board of

Trustees and through meetings with President Michael Roth. Currently, President Roth meets with the WSA

Executive Committee prior to meetings of the Board of Trustees and appears in front of the entire student

assembly at the subsequent WSA meeting.

The WSA oversees the allocation of the Student Activities Fee Budget ($135/student, $375,000/semester) to

student groups on campus by means of the WSA’s Student Budget Committee. There are currently 288-registered

student groups on campus. Unrequested funds are transferred to the WSA’s Endowment at the conclusion of the

spring semester.

Institutional Effectiveness

Periodic and systematic review

Approximately every five years, the Board of Trustees undertakes a thorough review of the university’s charter and by-laws and enacts amendments as are advisable. The board appoints a special committee to lead this review. The process includes significant interaction with the President’s Cabinet and the university’s general counsel.

Identify process through which the university assesses the effectiveness of its organizational structure.

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4. The Academic Program (click here to comment)

1. Description

o Undergraduate program Basic Data: number of students, degrees offered Majors & certificates offered Collaborations and distinctive programs (QAC, SCIC, Science across the curriculum, Creative

Campus, CCR, Feet to the Fire) Study abroad Academic standing (minimum GPA and credit progress to avoid academic probation) Degree requirements, open curriculum, curricular coherence Support for student learning: faculty advising, independent study opportunities, programs

offering support for writing, math, and other academic skills; deans office workshops on skills

Athletics Arts programming, community outreach

o Graduate program Degree programs Size and purpose of the graduate program Collaborations and distinctive programs Graduate training Graduate life and learning

o Continuing Studies Degree, certificate, non-degree programs Size and purpose of programs Degree & certificate requirements

2. Appraisal o Core values of a Wesleyan education: the engaged University o Science o Writing o Internationalization o The majors: ongoing curricular renewal o Certificates: proliferation in last ten years o Teaching and learning

Assessing student learning outcomes Direct assessment Indirect assessment Essential capabilities

First year Initiative seminars Learning & living seminars Writing intensive seminars

Service learning Opportunities for students to conduct research with faculty members: Hughes, QAC,

Allbritton, McNair Senior opportunities: capstones, essays, projects, and honors theses

Faculty Advising o online registration

--good for course access & prioritizing additional courses --loss of face-to-face contact

o online declaration of major --good for efficiency & departmental tracking --loss of welcoming moment into major

o online major certification—work in progress

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--good for student planning & advising --greater efficiency, ease of certification & departmental tracking --much less running around for student

o online faculty advisor evaluation o New advising model: from 10 to 5 advisees o Academic program governance, review, and planning

Annual departmental reviews External reviews Ad hoc committees Internal review of graduate programs Adapting to reduced resources

3. Projection

o Institutional effectiveness Centralization and departmental autonomy -- how to create efficiencies while preserving

academic autonomy? Pre-major curricular coherence

5. Faculty (click here to comment)

Teaching

o Teaching load o Advising o Graduate TAs o Innovation & technological support

Scholarship o Support for research o Faculty-student collaborations on research o Grants – internal and external

Faculty evaluation o Report from ad hoc committee on tenure; changes made in response

Publication of tenure standards by departments/programs o Report from ad hoc committee on teaching evaluation o Ad hoc committee on non-traditional scholarship o Assessment up to tenure o Assessment after tenure o Mentoring & Center for Faculty Career Development o Sabbatical o Chair evaluation of faculty for: merit, grants in support of scholarship

Faculty compensation o Intergenerational equity o Salary & benefits o Faculty compensation & benefits committee

Faculty service o Committee work o Task forces o Balance between service, teaching, scholarship (& equity across the faculty) o Chairing o Governance – Council, chair of faculty, standing committees o Transparency

Hiring & Retention o Diversity, role of office of Diversity and Strategic Partnerships

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o Climate for pre-tenure faculty – COACHE survey o Composition (demographic, age, categories of faculty) o Retirement process, numbers, projection o No hiring freeze during 2008, 9, 10 o Burden of the hiring process; innovation of online process o Career development

Responsibilities of the Faculty o Faculty handbook o Faculty oversight of curriculum and faculty instruction (EPC) o Academic freedom o Code of conduct, research integrity o Departmental self-governance, curriculum assessment

6. Students (click here to comment)

Subject Data Source(s)

Usdan Center Myers-Brown report

Dining Services Annual survey

Allbritton Center o -impact on student life

Class Deans and Class Unity

o –New model: each Dean tracks class for four years o -class councils # and type of events, attendance o -class blogs # of hits o -celebrating students # of hits

Honor Board, Student Judicial Board, Graduate Judicial Board Student/Faculty Interaction Outside the Classroom

o -Faculty Fellows Program End-of-year Evaluations o -Free Lunch Vouchers Program Usage figures o -Faculty in residence halls Res Life reports o -Faculty participation in Usdan programming Myers-Brown report o -Writing Hall Anne Greene o - Learning and Living Seminars focus groups/survey

Campus Climate

o -Dean for Diversity o -Campus climate log o -Diversity initiatives

Health Services

o -reorganization of medical and counseling Patient satisfaction data/senior survey staff

o -re-envisioning/naming Counseling office

Admissions & Financial Aid

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o -challenge of need blind budget constraints o -increasing visibility & recognition application numbers o -increasing & maintaining diversity statistics of all class years, Questbridge

students o -new scholarships Questbridge, veterans, families under

$40,000 o -increased number of students interested

in the sciences o Athletic recruitment & NESCAC reforms o Transfer students & January transfer program

Student Support Services

o -Academic Skills Assessment Survey Survey o -peer advisors & online resources Usage figures o -disability services Usage figures

Student Affairs Learning Outcomes Development of assessment in process o -critical thinking o -diversity o -civic engagement o -communication

Sexual Violence

o -Sexual Assault Response Team o -updated website o -revamped sexual assault policy o -new position in counseling center

Greening of Wes

o -Wesleyan Student Assembly Green Fund o -bike rentals o -new composting initiative

Civic Engagement

o Center for community partnerships o Green Street Arts Center, Traverse Square Mentoring Program o CFA community outreach (4th grade art exhibit, etc.)

Res Life o -fraternities, program housing and community-based living o -Campus emergency response o -spaces created in Butterfield by move of COL, etc. to squash courts o -graduate student housing

Wes Student Assembly

o -involvement in campus governance o -annual budget going unspent

Study Abroad

o -student experience abroad o student experience of re-entry & ensuing experience

Orientation

o -shortened to a 5 day program Orientation survey

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Athletics

Overall program utilized by large segment of Wesleyan students, faculty, staff, families, and greater Middletown community.

Approximately 75 % of the Wesleyan students utilize the physical education and athletic facilities.

Wesleyan sponsors 29 varsity teams with 700 students participating 9 teams and 1 individual intramural sport 14 club sport teams 7 local high schools teams regularly practice and play in Wesleyan’s facilities Over 10,000 individuals from throughout Connecticut and the New England region

utilize Wesleyan’s athletic facilities Surveys and Assessments determine user interest that affects management of the facility

and new programs. Annual student survey determines student interest and needs for equipment

upgrades and determining facility hours of operation. Equipment – Need to continually purchase worn and outdated equipment in fitness

center. Used by large percentage of student body as well as faculty and staff. Physical Education curriculum and Adult Fitness programming determined by student

interest and national trends in health, fitness and recreation. Student input important in designing physical education curriculum. Class enrollment trends/data used to assess curriculum choices. Faculty staff wellness program driven by participant surveys.

Intercollegiate athletics mission supports the goals of a liberal education. Wesleyan teams involved in community service projects. Wes A+ program arranges for alumni mentoring of players, job shadowing

opportunities, internships, and career choice speakers (usually former athletes). Extended Athletics Facility hours (night time)

CRC

o -Internships o -move to center of campus

Language Lab

Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD)

o -policy changes o -Alcohol.EDU o -Learning Collaborative on High Risk Drinking

Graduate Student Services

o -student experience of orientation o -cultivating relationships between science & music students o -student involvement in Center for Community Partnerships

7. Library and Other Information Resources (click here to comment)

Mission; vision

The library regularly reviews its operations and staff and makes adjustments to take advantage of new

technologies, improve services, and enhance access to resources. For example, in response to a 2007 R2

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Consulting report on library operations, the library converted the vacant position of Collection

Development Librarian into a Systems/Discovery Librarian to move forward with technology initiatives.

Wesleyan remains the managing partner of the CTW Consortium (consisting of Connecticut College, Trinity

College and Wesleyan). CTW is stronger than ever, and will soon complete a Mellon-funded collaborative

collection development project. As part of this project, CTW is piloting a consortial ebook purchase-on-

demand program with Coutts Information Systems.

In recent years, library-ITS collaboration has increased significantly on such projects as WesScholar

(Wesleyan’s institutional repository), the Media Database, the Departmental Collections Catalog, the iPad

project and the intellectual property website. A committee of faculty, ITS and library staff is currently

(spring 2011) considering alternative models for Library-ITS organization and collaboration, with the goal

of having the best model to support the teaching and learning environment at Wesleyan.

Divisional computing committees collect faculty and staff input on academic computing issues and

initiatives in each division. The Academic Technology Advisory Committee, composed of faculty, library

staff, Academic Affairs, and ITS, provide oversight on larger initiatives, such as budget cuts, the recent

course management system migration, academic website redesign planning, and the implementation of the

campus institutional repository, WesScholar. These are not standing committees of the faculty and so

gaining full participation by faculty is often the biggest challenge for sustaining the committees’ influence

and guidance. For example, Division I (Arts & Humanities) was at one time represented by two separate

committees, but there has been no Humanities committee for many years. Only the Social Sciences

committee has continued to meet regularly.

The Electronic Portfolio system represents the ongoing close collaboration between ITS and nearly every

other administrative department on campus. It continues to be core infrastructure on which all members of

the campus community depend for access to applications critical to their particular role or roles, whether

student, faculty, or staff. The system is aging, however, and the need to update it is looming. Doing so will

be a delicate and costly venture given how critically important it is to the daily business of the campus.

Planning, financial support

In response to the economic downturn in 2008 and subsequent budget reductions, the library has analyzed

spending and made adjustments to both operations and acquisitions processes to stay within budget while

continuing to provide excellent service and resources for Wesleyan students and faculty.

The new financial system has been valuable in tracking and planning ITS budgets. The 2008 budget cuts

included lengthening equipment replacement cycles in labs and classrooms and greater scrutiny of

requests for new software and additional or updates to some public service points (e.g., the digital media

labs). Overall, however, the budgets for classroom computing and digital media audio-video hardware have

been spared from extreme cuts.

Wesleyan librarians have successfully pursued grants and other outside funding to improve and expand

our services. Examples include the expansion and upgrade of the Preservation Services area, processing

and exhibiting the William Manchester Papers, the NEH-funded grant for a preservation assessment of the

Henry Bacon Papers, and the upcoming upgrade of the exhibition area, funded by the Jewett Foundation.

Instructional technology

ITS provides a rich technology infrastructure in classrooms, ranging from complex installations of

computers and audio-video delivery systems to smaller, cart-based installations. All rooms and equipment

are on a scheduled replacement cycle. In the past three years, ITS has been concentrating on improving

projection quality in classrooms used by Art Historians, including high-definition projectors in Davison Art

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Center and a full HD theater projector in CFA Hall. The challenges include keeping up with the rapid

development of high-definition projection and maintaining faculty satisfaction with the equipment as each

year’s installations surpass the quality of last year’s.

During summer 2010, ITS migrated the campus to the free, open source Moodle platform from the

commercial platform Blackboard. In addition to being open source, Moodle is a more flexible and efficient

course management system. Students and faculty express satisfaction with the new platform, and usage is

now over 50% of all courses, up from 40% when we used Blackboard. Academic Computing Services is

continually expanding the functionality of Moodle but challenges include retaining staff with the

appropriate programming expertise to keep development in-house, rapid, and fully reflecting the needs of

Wesleyan.

ITS licenses and supports Echo360, a classroom lecture recording system used heavily by large sciences

classes. Student report high satisfaction with the service. The Turningpoint personal response system

(“clickers”) is used in several large sciences classes, providing a greater level of interaction than normally

available in large lectures. The system has also been used by courses in Music and Government.

The use of electronic reserves is steadily increasing. In 2003-04, when the library introduced electronic

reserves, they were used 79,000 times, versus 26,370 for print reserves. In 2009-10, electronic reserves

were used 131,600 times, versus 15,500 for print reserves. A faculty member reports that for teaching,

electronic reserves has proven increasingly essential. The library and ITS are working together to evaluate

alternatives to the current Docutek ERes system.

The Wesleyan Media Database, developed by ITS in consultation with the Art & Art History Department and

the library, has proven itself to be a very useful repository for faculty and staff to store digital images and

time-based media. Often faculty supplement this collection with library-funded subscription-based image

databases such as ARTstor. Faculty primarily use the Media Database for storing images used in teaching,

while ITS and Communications store time-based media files also served out by iTunesU and YouTube.

A variety of social media platforms (blogs, wikis) are provided by ITS and used by several instructors on

campus. FERPA issues are often raised by faculty and administration regarding the use of some social

media (esp. blogs) for student work, but service-learning and other outreach-related course activities have

proven excellent candidates for these forms of communication.

WesFiles, introduced since the last reaccreditation, has also proven to be enormously helpful in both

teaching and research, as a shared digital platform for importing images from a range of outside archival

sources and libraries that prefer this method of transfer, and for making image and document files

available to individual students for make-up exams and other situations.

Staffing

Vacant positions in the library are routinely reviewed and changed to respond to the changes in library

systems and services. For example, in 2008 the library upgraded the vacant Library Assistant V cataloger

position to a professional Cataloging Librarian position with responsibilities for specialized, complex

cataloging, including Special Collections and music.

In the past five years, the library has lost 7.2 FTE positions—5.5 of these in the past two years. In response,

the library did a careful analysis of library functions and services and made changes to cover essential

services with remaining staff. Almost everyone in the library was affected to some degree by these

changes, and they have done a magnificent job of adapting while minimizing the impact on library services

and access. But library staffing levels are very lean when compared other Oberlin Group of 17 institutions

(seventeen liberal arts institutions in the Northeast), with the second highest student-to-staff ratio in the

group.

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Librarians have completed, and the administration is in the process of reviewing and approving, the

librarians’ status documents that were mentioned in the 2007 mid-cycle reaccreditation review. These

describe the unique status that librarians have at Wesleyan, in recognition of their important roles in the

academic and the administrative work of the University.

ITS funding is comprised of operational and capital expenditures. The largest impacts of the recent

recession was a significant reduction in ITS's capital allotment from the University and staff reductions.

However, through careful budget planning, major initiatives such as a significant SAN upgrade as well as a

planned core network refresh are still taking place. The computing labs and classrooms technology budgets

have been maintained, but expenditures have been reduced through lengthening of equipment

replacement cycles and cuts in student staffing. Annually, there is a separate capital budget for

administrative department capital refresh. Desktops for administrative offices are now replaced on a 4

year replacement cycle to align with academic departments. Administrative offices had lagged significantly

behind and are now catching up after several years.

While maintenance and support for hardware and software have continued uninterrupted, all contracts

have been re-evaluated for relevance and cuts have been made for non-essential hardware support. The

largest operational budget impact has been for professional development and training. In order to keep

technical staff current, staff have been using online training and demonstrating direct results from that

training in order to receive funding in the following budget year.

In response to the recession, staff reductions were achieved through attrition plus one layoff. These

reductions have produced some strain in classroom and special events support and desktop support.

However, remaining staff have worked hard to cover all services without affecting the community’s

satisfaction with IT services.

Faculty, staff training, support

Faculty IT support consists of one-on-one, just-in-time training by an Academic Computing Manager (ACM)

in the requesting faculty member’s office. Topics covered with faculty include a range of instructional and

general productivity applications such as Moodle, Microsoft Office products, Adobe products, multimedia

production and authoring, blogs and wikis, and some discipline-specific applications.

Administrative staff can attend free classes provided by ITS on subjects such as web editing (Cascade or

FrontPage), Windows 7, Microsoft Office products, the campus file-sharing solution, and WesFiles.

Upon request from instructors, Academic Computing Services staff provide in-class software

demonstrations and hands-on lab sessions for applications or hardware using in assignments, for example,

Excel, PowerPoint, Audacity, iMovie, Garage Band

Reference and Special Collections librarians and archivists offer workshops on library resources and

research skills within classes on faculty request. Students can also get one-on-one help from a librarian on

their assignments or research needs. Ideally, all students entering the university would go through such

training, but this is not possible with current levels of library staffing.

In the wake of the reduction in the number of librarians, the library has realigned our already successful

faculty liaison program. As a result librarians now have collection development responsibilities that match

their liaison assignments and provide more seamless service to faculty.

Security

In the summer of 2008 a security breach was discovered in the server that housed the CTW Consortium

catalog. The library, ITS, Academic Affairs and CTW worked quickly to close the breach, delete personal

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information in the database, and notify patrons whose data may have been exposed. Although the incident

was regrettable, the problem was acknowledged and resolved in an exemplary manner.

Materials are put on physical or electronic reserve and provided through interlibrary loan in accordance

with copyright and the principal of fair use. Permissions are obtained for reserve and interlibrary loan

materials that fall outside fair use guidelines.

All faculty and staff are required to read and acknowledge via the electronic portfolio login that they have

been advised of campus policies and procedures, including policies governing contracting, conflict of

interest, EEO/Harassment, record retention. All Information Technology Services staff are also required to

sign a confidentiality agreement to protect the privacy and personally identifiable data of all campus

constituents. Every fall semester, students are required to read and acknowledge the Digital Millennium

Copyright Act via the electronic portfolio login. The campus web and computer-use policies are available

online and in the student handbook. In the alumni system, WesNet, users are presented with the WesNet

Privacy Policy as part of the sign-up procedures. In all cases, community members have the opportunity to

ask questions to clarify their understanding of any of the policies.

Resources

Library

Great progress has been made in expanding access to many of Wesleyan’s “hidden collections,”

including adding catalog records for individual items in large sets, cataloging special collections such as

the Nathan Comfort Starr Collection of Arthuriana, and making over 100 online finding aids for archival

collections using EAD (Encoded Archival Description).

Numerous projects have been undertaken to make the online catalog more complete and accurate.

Future steps in this direction will include improved tools for finding and evaluating sources, reducing

the number of separate silos of information, and digitizing unique or scarce materials to help make

them more accessible.

The library has greatly expanded the availability of electronic resources to support teaching and

research across the disciplines, including small departments. The library has added extensive

resources for many for new areas of teaching such as Middle Eastern Studies, College of the

Environment, and numerous new, interdisciplinary certificate programs, all without additional funding

for acquisitions.

The CTW Consortium now has a dual focus on a shared online system and collaborative collection

development, including, through a Mellon grant, shared funds to purchase expensive materials to be

shared by the three institutions. CTW now finances link resolvers and similar software in addition to

the ILS.

As part of revamping collection development, CTW has a pilot “patron driven acquisitions” program,

through which we consortially purchase ebooks on the second use by someone on any of the three

campuses. This program ensures that we are purchasing ebooks that are actually being used, and

works on a “just in time” acquisitions model.

Wesleyan University Library has extraordinarily broad and deep collections of monographs and older

periodicals for a liberal arts library system. The core of its continued strength is monographs, acquired

as both print and e-books. This is a tribute to the continuing commitment of library selectors to acquire

or provide access to monographs that support Wesleyan’s academic program, in the format that is most

usable, and in a cost-effective way. Although the monograph budget was cut by 47% in 2010 in

response to the economic downturn, the library remains committed to continuing to provide this

support.

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The scholarly databases that we now have and continue to acquire are essential for both faculty and

student research. In the past 10 years the number of journals and database subscriptions the library

subscribes to has increased over 300%, from 3,483 to 10,883. 89% of these are electronic, and they

now include new kinds of material such as images and data sets. However, the number of available

journals and databases has increased far more in this time, and our journal holdings are not

comparable to those of major research institutions.

In 2007 the library cut to a minimum the number of journals received in both print and electronic

formats by cancelling print subscriptions when possible. We continue to cut print subscriptions that

duplicate electronic holding when the electronic subscription is comparable in content and usability.

The library continues to provide access to material we do not own through the Interlibrary Loan Office.

The expert ILL staff use a variety of systems to quickly provide most material requested by students

and faculty. In the past 10 years the number of ILL items received has increased 181%, from 6,095 in

2000 to 11,054 in 2010, with no increase in staff.

The library’s Conservation Lab was renovated and enlarged in 2009, and continues to repair, conserve

and preserve Wesleyan’s collections. The Conservator of Collections is internationally known and has

recently conducted workshops in Nigeria on preserving Islamic manuscripts using materials available

locally. In the lab, she selects and carefully trains the students working with her, and they have

independently formed a Book Arts Club to share conservation knowledge and skills. Several have gone

on to internships at the Smithsonian and elsewhere.

Librarians and ITS Academic Computing Managers jointly manage the University’s institutional

repository, WesScholar, through which undergraduate theses and faculty publications are accessible

electronically. Archiving other types of electronic documents poses serious challenges: at this point we

have no mechanism to ensure historical continuity for the University’s data sets, electronic archival

records, or faculty data. For electronic journals, we participate in LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keeps Stuff

Safe).

Information Technology Services

ITS maintains 7 computing labs for the campus community. The hardware in the labs includes 171

computers (Mac/PC 1:2), scanners, black & white and color printers. All computers use the same hard

drive image (per platform), providing students and faculty with access to approximately 200 discipline-

specific, general productivity and design applications. Multi-media digitization and editing hardware

are available in several of these locations, and an additional faculty/staff digitization lab was created in

Allbritton Center in 2010.

ITS licenses and funds a very large and diverse set of discipline-specific software applications used by

faculty in teaching and research across campus which are available to the Wesleyan community in the

academic computing labs and classrooms. Software applications include digital movie editing,

screenwriting, graphical illustration and design, CAD, font design, quantitative and qualitative analysis,

gene sequencing, molecular modeling, and mathematical notation and calculation. Several

computationally-intensive software applications are available on our central compute servers for

remote use with Xwindows.

A number of campus-wide software licenses provide several important and widely used applications to

the Wesleyan community for little or no personal cost, including Microsoft Office, EndNote, ESET

Antivirus, JMP (statistical analysis), Mathematica.

The use of centrally-controlled software licenses is monitored by ITS to ensure that we maintain

adequate numbers of concurrent seats for research and instructional purposes.

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ITS maintains 3 high-end central high-performance computing (HPC) clusters for computationally

intensive research applications. The clusters are used most heavily by Astronomy, Chemistry and

Physics faculty and students. Two other stand-alone compute-servers provide access to high-end

statistical and computational programs not requiring the parallel computing power of the HPC clusters.

A new central file-sharing system by Xythos (WesFiles) was implemented in 2008 and in addition to

providing home directory space for all users on campus, it is now widely used by departments,

committees, groups, courses, research labs, and for interdepartmental projects. This webDAV system

provides an easy-to-use web-based interface as well as clients for both Mac and Windows operating

systems.

ITS maintains approximately 50 TB of disk space for direct file storage by campus community

members.

Student instruction

In March 2005, the faculty added “information literacy” to the list of essential capabilities for Wesleyan

students. See: http://www.wesleyan.edu/capabilities/ Librarians work closely with faculty to design and

support instruction that includes information literacy. Many of the FYI (First Year Initiative) courses for

Wesleyan first-year students now include library instruction and assignments that draw on library

holdings and build information literacy skills.

The library’s extensive and effective programs of Personal Research Sessions (one-on-one appointments in

which a student meets with a librarian for research guidance) and class instruction continues to grow;

challenges brought on by these programs include the sheer volume of requests, especially in some

disciplines, and the need to develop some form of assessment to measure the effectiveness of instruction.

Faculty value librarian colleagues for these and other services directly related to teaching.

ITS licenses over 100 discipline-specific applications for use by students across campus. Most of the these

applications are only available to students in our academic computing labs. The STLab is open 24x7

throughout the year so that students and other campus users have continual access to the software. ITS is

collaborating with several other schools on a project called LabSTOR, in which we are prototyping a shared

computing cluster for remote desktop virtualization. We expect that this technology and support model will

provide users with access to some of these high-end discipline-specific applications through their own

laptop or desktop systems regardless of location. A major challenge in this endeavor is gaining cooperation

from software vendors to support software leasing.

Academic Computing Services staff provide, upon request of instructor, in-class demonstrations and

tutorials of a limited set of common software applications.

Access

We have installed the ez proxy software to allow the Wesleyan community to have easy access to our

electronic resources without having to come to the library. Chat reference continues but more cost-

effectively than before by using an almost-free application, Meebo.

ITS and the library worked together to provide a stand-alone workstation at Cheshire Correctional

Institution for off-line access to the library’s catalog and JSTOR index. These are used by students who are

inmates enrolled in Wesleyan’s Center for Prison Education. They identify the material they need and

request it via Center staff, who retrieve it from the library and deliver it to the students. The library is

working with Center staff to begin providing library instruction for the Center’s students.

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The library has a variety of equipment with which to read microform, and play video and audio recordings.

However, the equipment is older and does not link to computers or other devices that would make it

possible to access the material in digital form.

STLab, one of the 7 computer labs run by ITS is available 24x7 throughout the year, except during

maintenance windows, providing the campus community access to the broad range of software we license

for teaching and research.

All of the ITS systems central to teaching and research (e.g., email, WesFiles, Moodle, the high-performance

computing cluster, compute servers, Keyserver license management) are considered high-availability

systems. Regular maintenance (e.g., cold backups) is scheduled for early mornings and these times are

advertised to users of the systems. Other required downtimes, when possible, are scheduled for off-times,

such as Sunday morning, and widely announced prior to the event.

Facilities

The Quantitative Analysis Center (QAC) and Scientific Computing and Informatics Center (SCIC) provide

specialized curricular and research support open to the entire campus. The QAC primarily provides

statistics training and consulting; the SCIC primarily provides support for the High-Performance

Computing Clusters and courses that are computationally intensive.

Space issues for the library’s physical collections continue to be a challenge. In the past several years the

library has installed compact shelving in the Science Library, weeded many print volumes of journals

available in JSTOR, culled multiple copies of books, and reduced the Olin reference collection by a third.

With budget reductions and the growing availability of books in electronic format, the library now adds

about 13,000 print books a year as opposed to 17,000 ten years ago. Despite all this, the library is now

faced with a severe space shortage and is planning a major weeding project.

In 2005 the library, ITS, and the Student Academic Resources Network (SARN) opened the Information

Commons, an innovative study space and help center adjacent to the Olin Library reference desk. Students

use the Info Commons for easy access to computers, scanners, and printers, and get technology help from

student technology consultants on-site.

The library’s virtual spaces have been revised as well. In 2009, the library used ethnographic techniques to

determine how students navigate the library’s website and those of other academic libraries. The findings

were used to design a new library website that better meet the needs of our undergraduates. In 2010, the

library began using LibGuides for online finding aids and research guides, and this has been very successful

and well-received.

ITS maintains 7 computing labs for the campus community. The hardware in the labs includes 171

computers (Mac/PC 1:2), scanners, black and white and color printers. All computers use the same hard

drive image (per platform), providing students and faculty with access to approximately 200 discipline-

specific, general productivity and design applications. The Language Resource Center (LRC) provides

headphones and mics for students needing to complete online audio-based language assignments, and it

also serves as a service point for campus members to borrow digital cameras, tripods, and MP3 recorders.

Multi-media digitization and editing hardware are available in several of these locations, including 3

private editing suites in Art Workshop, a lab in Fisk Hall, and an additional faculty/staff digitization lab was

created in Allbritton Hall in 2010. Some departments (e.g., Film Studies) maintain their own computing

labs.

Internal systems

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The CTW Consortium successfully migrated to Voyager ILS in 2003-04 from Sirsi. In 2008 CTW

decided to outsource the hosting of the ILS server to ExLibris, which produces Voyager. Although ITS

had done an excellent job of managing the server, we determined that ExLibris hosting would be more

efficient and cost-effective.

The library has not yet implemented an electronic resource management system, but is beginning to

evaluate systems to help in managing the thousands of electronic resources the library provides access

to.

Institutional Effectiveness

Assessment

While the library continues to receive more than 95% approval rates in Wesleyan’s senior survey, and we

collect extensive amounts of data about the uses of our collections, we have not yet found an effective way

to assess students’ learning outcomes vis-à-vis library instruction. For a program of this kind of

assessment to be successful, we will need to work closely with the faculty and administration.

The library provides annual statistical data on budget, staffing and collections to the Oberlin Group, and

uses this data to evaluate the effect of trends such as the move to electronic from print collections and

recent staff and budget reductions. We annually review and adjust budget allocations using data from the

University’s financial system.

In 2007 the library conducted a serials cancellation review, relying heavily on usage data to determine

which electronic resources might be cancelled. The Collection Development Coordinator restructured

monographic fund allocations based on circulation and expenditures over a 5-period, combined with

publication data by classification provided by our primary monograph vendor.

ITS regularly reviews software usage data from the Keyserver license management system to evaluate the

adequacy of our software license seat counts. Also, logs for the high-performance computing cluster are

evaluated to ensure proper sizing of the CPUs, memory, and file storage. Through input from divisional

computing committees, the Academic Technology Advisory Committee, and the Classrooms Committee, the

availability and quality of classroom-technology is evaluated on a regular basis.

8. Physical and Technological Resources (click here to comment)

Sufficiency of buildings, materials, equipment, infrastructure, and their staffing and maintenance

Facilities Management/ Physical Plant Department led by degreed engineers Maintenance staff are properly licensed in their trades Technology

o Emergency broadcast systems (Connect Ed)

Bandwidth and I2 access

o Data including peer schools

o Challenges

Collaboration (standard 7?)

Data Center

o Environmental Challenges and initiatives

o Network infrastructure refresh

Web casting/streaming

o Moodle

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Technology Labs – availability and technology available

o Virtual lab participation (LabStor)

o AWKS 112

o Keck lab for multimedia

o Training initiatives for students and faculty on multimedia

Mobile applications

o Mobile app development-demand.

Wireless connectivity

o Data regarding campus saturation

o Dead spots, Ethernet ports (currently being worked on)

VoIP

o Plans for possible implementation in squash building renovation

Hardware refresh rate-budgetary challenges

Printer in each dorm common area (budgetary issues too?)

High Performance Compute Clusters for research

Classrooms and other facilities

Classroom Committee prioritizes annual maintenance/upgrades to all teaching spaces

o Classroom/study room access control issue at night

Classroom technology

o Multimedia classrooms and Echo 360 lecture capture system

Smart Boards – need for?

Enrollment Planning Committee

Bed Planning Committee

2011 Undergraduate Residential Life Plan

o Class appropriate housing

o Meeting campus residency goals

o Updated condition study

o Adequacy of amenities: cooking, common areas, laundry

Science –Goal to Expand Science Majors

o Lab utilization rates

o Fire safety improvements

o Molecular Life Science Building plans vs. short term strategy

o Research lab renovations and equipment maintenance

shared equipment facilities

start up funds for new faculty

solicitation of funding from federal Agencies for full or partial support of instrumentation, maintenance and replacement plans

Arts

o Demand for art facilities (small performance and print storage) exceed available campus space

o CFA buildings were built in 1973 with major maintenance needs that exceed funding.

Facility compliance with building codes, safety, accessibility, environmental soundness

Major capital projects are led by a project manager with a degree in engineering or architecture

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All projects designed by licensed architects and engineers with LEED certification Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability Director on staff to ensure safety and regulatory

compliance Certified Radiation Safety Officer on staff Laser Safety Officer on staff Chemical Hygiene Committee and Plan Animal Care and Use Committee per IACUC Employee Safety Committee as required by State Commission on Workers Comp 5 Licensed lead inspectors on staff including 1 State Certified Lead and Asbestos Professional All Facilities/Physical Plant staff are OSHA certified and receive annual training as required by law Fire safety enhancements in student residences-added fire sprinklers and fire alarms, and inspections

above and beyond code requirements, Fire Drills

Student safety in labs, shops, and studios

College of the Environment

Presidents Climate Commitment Pledge/employee commitment

Greenhouse gas reduction goals, progress

Recycling efforts

o RecycleMania

o Waste reduction initiatives

Energy Efficiency Initiatives

o Energy audits in all houses

o Comprehensive energy projects reduced consumption 22% since 2004

o Do It In The Dark Student Energy Project

o Student Green Fund

o Cogeneration Plant produces 85% of campus electricity on site

o Solar PV Buildings at Admission and Senior House

o Geothermal Houses

o Lighting surveys

Transportation Initiatives

o The Ride-free student transportation

Demand exceeds service

New GPS tracking of the Ride

o Zip Cars-2 cars sponsored by WSA

o Airport Shuttle available to students

o Ride Board for faculty, staff and student carpooling

o Student Bike Rental Program-200 bicycles in use

o Electric and Hybrid university vehicles and vendors

Planning in collaboration with academic leadership, student services, and financial staff

Facilities Planning Committee includes Faculty and Staff, meets monthly to oversee:

o ADA Project planning

o Major Maintenance planning process involves students, faculty and staff to identify needs and establish priorities

o Capital Project oversight

Project committees include faculty, staff and students

o Space management

Adaptive reuse of existing buildings-Squash, Butterfields

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Remote facilities: Radio Station, Green Street, Broad Street Books

o Facilities operations performance

Sightlines peer benchmarking

2011 Parking Masterplan update

o 2009 Rental Properties Plan for graduate students and faculty/staff housing

Revenue vs. expenses

Occupancy planning

Rental market study

Advanced Purchase Program for faculty and staff

Physical Education

o Description of facilities, new construction and renovation, maintenance

Integrity and reliability

Privacy Practices

Data privacy protection and challenges

Recent initiatives including privacy blog and education

Recent breaches and how handled

Institutional Effectiveness

Ongoing evaluation

Annual Peer Benchmarking by Sightlines Measures Facilities Performance

o Annual spending for facilities operations < peers

Wesleyan $4.23/GSF < Peer Average $4.80/GSF

o Utility consumption < peers

Wesleyan 109,439 BTU/GSF vs. Peer Average 114,022 BTU/GSF

o Annual stewardship (capital and major maintenance) spending < peers

Wesleyan $1.29/GSF < Peer Average $1.55/GSF

o Quality inspections scores for custodial, maintenance, & grounds vs. peers(5pt scale)

General Repair Wesleyan 3.8 > Peer Average 3.7

Cleanliness Wesleyan 3.7 < Peer Average 3.9

Grounds Wesleyan 4.2 > Peer Average 3.9

o Customer satisfaction levels from Wesleyan faculty, staff and students regarding physical plant vs. peers

Wesleyan 78% > Peer Average 70%

9. Financial Resources (click here to comment)

Wesleyan ended 2010 with total net assets of more than $600 million, an increase of over $30 million from 2009. Liquidity remains strong with over $300 million in assets that can be made available within thirty days. January 2011 endowment value of $551 million rebounded from a low of $442 million in March 2009. A new Chief Investment Officer started in August 2010 and is in the process of reviewing all Wesleyan investments and

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planning a new strategy for a staff-driven investment process. Reorganization of the Board of Trustee’s Investment Committee is also underway. Since 2009, the endowment draw is 5.5% of the trailing 12-quarter average market value of the endowment ending December 31 within Board of Trustee policy. This is a decrease from 7.4% in 2006. Wesleyan demonstrated its commitment to endowment preservation and growth by making strategic budget cuts that allowed it to reduce the Wesleyan Fund (annual unrestricted) goal from a high of $20 million in 2008 to $10 million in 2010, with gradual increases scheduled thereafter. Alumni have responded favorably to this shift in emphasis toward endowment, and in 2010 for the first time in recent memory Wesleyan raised more dollars for endowment than for the annual fund. To deal with economic downturn, Wesleyan cut $25 million from its budget and eliminated over 60 staff positions. Reductions included a salary freeze in 2010. Enrollment will increase by 120 students from 2010 to 2013 (30 more students each year) generating an additional $5 million in student charges revenue net of financial aid. Increased application growth by over 20% supported this enrollment growth. The process was aided by discussions with newly created Budget Priorities Committee made up of faculty, staff, and students and the Ad-Hoc Faculty Working Group. Funding for six new faculty positions were added in 2010 and 2011. Wesleyan did not stop or limit faculty searches during the economic downturn and has filled 74 tenure-track, tenured, adjunct, and artist-in-residence positions from FY 2008 through FY 2012. Between 2006-2008 we implemented a significant increase in the University Relations budget as recommended by the CORE Group, but as a result of university budget pressures we have since reversed that growth to return to 2007 staffing levels. The long-term impact of this decision is difficult to determine, but fundraising levels have remained relatively constant even during these last two difficult years and the outlook is bright for growth.

Wesleyan refinanced all of its long-term variable debt into 90% fixed ($186 million) and 10% variable ($20 million). All interest rate swaps were also terminated. These changes reduced risk from bondholders, counterparties, and banks and created budget certainty at an attractive cost (5.12% all in cost). Wesleyan maintains its strong Moody’s AA3 and Standard & Poor’s AA ratings. No/lower loan initiatives along with the economy has increased financial aid demand. The tuition discount rate increased from a low of 30% in 2009 to 32% in 2011. The percentage of undergraduates receiving Wesleyan aid also increased from 39.5% to 42%. Need-blind admission makes it difficult to project the financial aid budget and modify long-term needs. Projections Current budget is balanced, but future years will require $2-$3 million in additional cuts or new revenue. In 2023, annual $9 million debt principal payments will start. The budget must be balanced each year in order to receive Board of Trustee approval. Thus, further reduction requiring difficult choices lay ahead. To generate new revenue sources Wesleyan is focusing on its strength, providing quality educational experiences. An undergraduate summer session pilot is underway. Masters level programs are also under development and review. Endowment draw will be further reduced from 5.5% to 5.0% of the trailing 12-quarter average market value of the endowment ending December 31 over the next five years. Wesleyan’s student charges are high leaving limited fiscal flexibility and affordability concerns. Undergraduate financial aid increases cannot come at the expense of a reduction in educational quality. A determination must be made of how much of Wesleyan’s resources can be devoted to financial aid.

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Faculty salaries for assistant and associate professors should be more competitive and be at least at the median of the peers. Wesleyan is self-insured for health insurance and claim costs are rising steeply for both the university and its employees. New approaches to cost containment and employee premiums are being explored.

10. Public Disclosure (click here to comment)

Under the general rubric of public disclosure, we will review the effectiveness of Wesleyan’s

communication with its students, especially the use of email or alternatives. We will review Wesleyan’s

recent history in developing emergency notification procedures. We will examine whether the university

could improve the way it conveys significant institutional news to students.

We will examine the forthcoming online community as a means for improving communication with alumni

and informing them about institutional matters pertinent to their interests.

The information published by the institution on its website is sufficient to allow students and prospective

students to make decisions about their education. We will examine whether department website are

sometimes out of sync with other university sites; whether key sites are allowed to fall out of date; whether

Wesleyan encourages and enhances the development of faculty websites; and whether there is adequate

institutional support for website changes and development. We will assess the redesign of the Admission

site, in particular, and consider whether there might be untapped ways to improve institutional visibility,

especially in geographic areas where the university is not well known.

The institution informs the public of the information available about itself and how inquires can be

addressed. We will consider what financial information should be disclosed and whether Wesleyan is

sufficiently transparent in its disclosure practices.

The institution’s current catalog describes the institution consistent with its mission statement and sets

forth the obligations and responsibilities of both students and the institution. We will ask whether the

institution should maintain a print version of its catalog, and we will explore an electronic book version of

it. We will also determine whether the university needs a better process for “cleanup” to ensure timely and

accurate information in its print or electronic catalog.

The institution publishes its mission, objectives, and expected educational outcomes. We will review the

use of Wesleyan’s mission statement on its website and in print.

The institution publishes a description of the size and characteristics of the student body, the campus

setting, the range of co-curricular and non-academic opportunities available to students. We will evaluate

Wesleyan’s events calendar and compare it to those of peer institutions. We will examine problems in

accessing information about campus events and determine whether there may be ways to consolidate

calendars and/or improve completeness. We will determine if Wesleyan adequately publicizes disability

accommodations in residential facilities.

The institution publishes information about the total cost of education, including the availability of financial

aid. We will determine whether access to information related to the cost of education is as readily available

as possible.

We will verify compliance with any standards not specifically mentioned above.

11. Integrity (click here to comment)

1. Introduction

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Academic freedom o These principles are clearly articulated to members of the University community in the University’s

statements on academic freedom and the responsibilities of the University, and in other components of the Faculty Handbook, the Honor Code, the Code of Non-Academic Conduct, and the Joint Statement on Rights and Freedoms of Students.

Standards for ethical conduct o Students’ capability in ethical reasoning, and engagement with ethical issues across the university

curriculum, are also an explicit ongoing focus of curricular development. Self-assessment

o The University has endeavored to conduct regular and critical self- analysis, along with timely amendments and updates to ensure that its standards and policies remain appropriate and applicable.

2. Foundation

The University operates under a special Charter granted by the State of Connecticut and By-Laws last revised and amended by the Board of Trustees in May of 2011 (expected).

The University, while private, strives for transparency in its governance and operations. o Decisions by the Board of Trustees and the Administration are made with the participation of

students, faculty, staff and others through their own governance structures. o The University makes its Charter, By-Laws and key policies available to the University community

and the general public alike – encouraging education, questions, criticism, discussion and a spirit of cooperative compliance.

The University emphasizes integrity: the same standards and policies apply at all levels of the University. 3. Policies and Standards Concerning the Retention and Promotion of Faculty

The University’s Faculty is the principal vehicle for the fulfillment of the University’s core mission of scholarship and teaching.

Over the past decade, the University has systematically reviewed and revised its process for the reappointment, promotion and tenure of faculty, to improve transparency and uniformity of standards, to focus and clarify its appeal procedures, to ensure confidentiality, to provide a more appropriate role for tenure-track faculty in the tenure process and tenure policy, and to keep candidates appropriately informed of their standing in the process.

4. Policies and Standards Governing Student Integrity

Students’ academic integrity is governed by an Honor Code, enforced by a student Honor Board under the supervision of the University’s Vice President for Student Affairs.

o The Honor Code was recently reviewed systematically, revised to enhance its visibility and transparency, and re-affirmed by the Faculty, the administration, and the student government.

Students’ conduct in other aspects of their life at the University is governed by a Code of Non-Academic Conduct, enforced by a Student Judiciary Board under the supervision of the Office of Student Affairs.

o The Code of Non-Academic Conduct has recently been reviewed and revised in order to remove barriers to reporting sexual violence, and to enhance the visibility of the University’s resources and procedures for responding to such violence.

o The University is continuing to address other concerns with aspects of student conduct and culture, seeking both to enhance the visibility and recognition of the Code of Non-Academic Conduct, and to maintain clearer and more effective enforcement of its provisions.

5. Integrity in Intercollegiate Athletics

Consistent with the mission statement of the New England Small College Athletic Association, of which Wesleyan is a founding member, the University is committed to institutional control of its athletic programs to secure a proper balance in accord with its academic mission.

o The Athletic Department regularly reviews its policies and practices for compliance with the University’s core values, such as its upcoming review of the Athletic Department’s fulfillment of the University’s commitment to gender equity.

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6. Policies and Standards Governing Employee and Business Integrity Wesleyan places a high level of emphasis, headed by its Vice President for Diversity and Office of

Affirmative Action, on nondiscriminatory behavior and practices in all areas including recruitment, admissions, employment, disciplinary activities and community and business partner relationships.

o The University seeks to go beyond non-discrimination to create an institutional environment that welcomes and promotes diversity in its faculty and student body, and in all university operations.

The University is currently undertaking a new initiative to enhance awareness and understanding of what diversity should mean in an academic setting.

The University also expects behavior by all employees to be consistent with its key policies, and routinely enforces those policies.

o The University has recently created an online University Code of Conduct wherein all employees are required to review and acknowledge the University’s key policies and are afforded an opportunity to report issues, concerns or questions.

o The University includes a Whistleblower Policy in its Code of Conduct which is designed to afford concerned parties a safe method for reporting problems or concerns without fear of inappropriate retribution.

The University requires its business partners to agree to University terms and conditions including nondiscriminatory behavior, fair employment practices, avoidance of conflicts of interest and general compliance with law.