12/08/2014. Successfully complying with C.R. 2.8: The importance of knowing where you stand through an effective use of benchmarking with Peers

Transcription

1 Successfully complying with C.R. 2.8: The importance of knowing where you stand through an effective use of benchmarking with Peers Annual Meeting 2014 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Enrique Silva Juan Carlos Ley Abstract As part of its continuous enhancement process, UDLAP has implemented a series of self-evaluations over the last years in order to assess how its actions and plans have supported the accomplishment of the institution s mission and vision. Such assessment has allowed an effective measurement of specific indicators that have sustained the compliance of our national and international accreditors. Specifically for, when it came to justify the compliance of Core Requirement 2.8 regarding Full-Time Faculty adequacy, we ran into difficulties to set an adequate and objective level of accomplishment that effectively sustained our compliance affirmation. After an interestingwork of research,discussions and support from our Commission s Liaison, we found a way to establish an adequate compliance threshold through the selection of equivalent peer institutions to carry out an exercise of benchmarking that would allow us to confirm compliance, justify faculty adequacy and identify areas of opportunity as well. About UDLAP Founded in Located in San Andrés Cholula, Puebla, Mexico. Private, co-ed, non-religious, not-for-profit institution. Offering over 80 programs (undergraduate and graduate). Accredited by since Currently a Level VI institution. Serving over 7,000 Mexican and foreign students in a single Campus. 1

2 Dealing with Accreditation at HEI Usual Questions: What determines the quality and integrity of an institution? What elements should be taken into consideration as indicators and parameters of quality? How to set adequate thresholds for these indicators? What does adequate mean? How to determine it? Setting thresholds Institutional thresholds are easy to set, yet: Who determines them? What is the rationale to establish them? How to validate them? What is everyone else doing? Let s take a look at what others are doing What we did: Benchmarking on performance levels. First steps: What to compare? How to compare? With whom to compare? 2

3 Selecting the right Institutions Peer Institutions > Compare Aspirational Institutions > Aim Competitor Institutions > Analyze Our first steps First Problem: Secrecy and lack of information in Mexico. Preliminary search: International resources. One USA University providing data. Again a problem: The institution was way too different to UDLAP. Mexico and USA are different. Next step: Research on benchmarking. Peer selection Information Sources. Comparison criteria. Definition of Peers Similarities with UDLAP: Private. Co-Ed. Not-for-Profit. Accredited in the U.S. Ranked nationally or internationally. Exceptions. 3

4 Where to find information? The IPEDS (nces.ed.gov/ipeds); College Results Online ( Common Data Set ( Carnegie Classifications (classifications.carnegiefoundation.org); The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Ranking ( The US News Rankings ( The College Board (bigfuture.collegeboard.org). The search for specific data Sources do not always provide full information. Search for additional information sources. The Delaware Study ( Comparison tool of Faculty teaching workloads and direct instructional costs. Useful when peers are well defined. Comparison criteria Similar Academic Offering. Similar Size (within reasonable variations). Student-to-Faculty Ratios: Between 10 and 30. Class Size Ratios: Between 15 and 30. 4

5 Revision of the Delaware Study Revision of indicators. Conclusion: it was feasible to compare our numbers. Restrictions: only comparable disciplines and only certain institutions. Flexibility on our indicators. Equivalence on indicators from both sides. The results Selected institutions Avila University - Kansas, MO Baylor University - Waco, TX Belmont University - Nashville, TN Bethel University - St. Paul, MN Cabrini College - Radnor, PA Creighton University - Omaha, NE DePaul University - Chicago, IL Florida I. of Technology - Melbourne, FL Lynn University - Boca Raton, FL Fordham University - New York, NY Gonzaga University - Spokane, WA Loyola University Chicago - Chicago, IL Nazareth College - Rochester, NY The American University in Cairo - Cairo, Egypt 5

6 Benchmarking Results US Ranking (National Academic Students per Average Institution s Name Type of Institution Accredited by Other Rakings Size or Regional) Offerings Faculty Class Size Avila University Private, Religious, CoEd, Not for Profit Higher Learning Commission 98 NA B-M Small Kansas, MO (Midwest) Baylor University, Private, Religious, CoEd, Not for Profit 77 Kiplinger (48), B-M-D Large Waco, TX (National) QS (601+) Belmont University, Private, Religious, CoEd, Not for Profit 7 Kiplinger (Top 100) B-M-D Medium Nashville, TN (South) Bethel University, Private, Religious, CoEd, Not for Profit Higher Learning Commission 24 (Midwest) NA B-M-D Medium St. Paul, MN Cabrini College, Private, Religious, CoEd, Not for Profit Middle States Association of 133 NA B-M-D Small Radnor, PA (North) Creighton University, Private, Religious, CoEd, Not for Profit Higher Learning Commission 1 Kiplinger (42) B-M-D Medium Omaha, NE (Midwest) DePaul University, Private, Religious, CoEd, Not for Profit Higher Learning Commission 134 (National) NA B-M-D Large Chicago, IL Florida I. of Technology, Private, CoEd, Not for Profit 160 (National) Times HE B-M-D Medium 9 23 Melbourne, FL ( ) Lynn University, Private, CoEd, Not for Profit Top 270 (National) NA B-M-D Small Boca Raton, FL (Level V) Fordham University, Private, Religious, CoEd, Not for Profit Middle States Association of 58 (National) Kiplinger (61), B-M-D Large New York, NY QS (601+) Gonzaga University, Private, Religious, CoEd, Not for Profit Northwest Commission on 4 Kiplinger (32), B-M-D Medium Spokane, WA Colleges / Universities (NCCU) (West) Loyola U. Chicago, Private, Religious, CoEd, Not for Profit Chicago, IL Nazareth College, Private, CoEd, Not for Profit Rochester, NY The American University Private, CoEd, Not for Profit in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt Universidad de las Private, CoEd, Not for Profit Américas Puebla, Puebla, Mexico Higher Learning Commission Middle States Association of Middle States Association of 106 (National) QS B-M-D Large ( ) 33 (North) NA B-M-D Small Unranked QS B-M-D Medium (392) Unranked QS (601+), B-M-D Medium Latin QS (32) Semester Credit Hours ratios for FTE Faculty Academic Programs Peers UDLAP AVG 1 Communication Sciences Computer Systems Engineering Education Biology Mathematics Chemistry Physics Psychology Political Science Arts Music Nursing Language Studies Humanities Theater Business Administration Accounting Medical Surgeon Marketing Art History Literature Cultural Anthropology Banking and Investments L Results of our Benchmarking Conclusions on this excercise respecting our peers. Revision of institutional thresholds (lower and upper levels). Periodical revisions and information update. Use of information for other comparisons. Compliance with the Commission s Standards. Now we know how to defend our concept of adequate. 6

7 Questions? Thank You Muchas Gracias Enrique Silva Director of Institutional Effectiveness ext Juan Carlos Ley Head of International Accreditations ext