WHAT A TRUSTEE SHOULD KNOW

Transcription

1 REGIONAL ACCREDITATION WHAT A TRUSTEE SHOULD KNOW Stephen RiCharde, Ph.D. Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment February 18, 2010

2 Acronyms and Definitions USDE: United States Department of Education CHEA: Council for Higher Education Accreditation A national organization of over 3,000 colleges and universities that recognizes accreditors. HEA: Higher Education Act Periodically re-authorized by congress usually with new requirements that impact accrediting bodies. Page 1

3 Acronyms and Definitions SACS-COC: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Regional accreditor for universities in the southeast Reaffirmation: Process of becoming re-accredited for an accreditation cycle (5-10 years) QEP: Quality Enhancement Plan Requirement 2.12 of the SACS regulations requiring institutions to develop a broad-based institutional process identifying key issues emerging from institutional assessment. Page 2

4 USF Tampa QEP All four USF System institutions will have QEP s For 5 th Year Interim Report the Tampa QEP is emphasized Focus on: Enhancing General Education and expanding undergraduate student involvement in research

5 What is Accreditation? The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC) is USF s regional accrediting agency. Accreditation is a self-regulatory, self-reflective process signifying that an institution has achieved the following: A mission appropriate to higher education Resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish that mission Clearly specified educational objectives consistent with the mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers. Page 3

6 Consequences of Losing Accreditation Reasons an institution should maintain accreditation. Accreditation is the symbol of legitimacy in higher education. Accreditation is required for student access federal and state grants and loans. Accreditation is required for access to other federal funds for research and programs as well as state funds for operating. Accreditation is required to obtain private foundation support and corporate gifts, research, and tuition assistance. Accreditation is the primary defense against degree mills and accreditation mills. An institution without accreditation stands outside this defense. Page 7

7 Requirements of SACS Accreditation Part 1 - Reaffirmation SACS requirements Core Requirements: Requirements beginning with a 2, ( ) Requirements without which an institution cannot be accredited. Comprehensive Standards: Requirements beginning with a 3, ( ). Requirements that represent good practice in higher education, and establish a level of accomplishment expected of member institutions. Federal Requirements: Requirements beginning with a 4, ( ). Established by the U.S. Secretary of Education as the eligibility requirements for an institution to participate in Title IV of the 1998 Higher Education Amendments and other federal programs. Page 4

8 Requirements of SACS Accreditation Part 2 - Quality Enhancement Plan - CR 2.12 Includes a broad-based institutional process identifying key issues emerging from institutional assessment. Focus on learning outcomes and/or the environment supporting student learning. Demonstrates institutional capability for the initiation, implementation, and completion of the QEP. Includes broad-based involvement of institutional constituencies in the development of the QEP. Must identify goals and a plan to assess their achievement. Page 5

9 Why Should Trustees Become More Involved in Accreditation Formerly SACS operated on a decennial basis USDE forced SACS to place greater emphasis on mid-term review Five-year interim report has become a mini-reaffirmation Quality Enhancement Plan is a recent addition to SACS requirements SACS has committed to involving Boards of Trustees more in the development of the QEP CHEA has encouraged all accrediting bodies to include Board members more in the accreditation process SACS requirements address board roles and responsibilities for oversight and accountability (2.2, 3.2.2, 3.2.3, 3.2.4, 3.2.5, 3.2.6) Page 6

10 Causes for Losing Accreditation 10 most frequent non-compliance items from off-site reviews (N=70) Item Brief Description Rank % non-compliance Faculty competence 1 89% College-level competencies 2 72% Academic program approval 3 67% Adequate financial resources 4 66% Institutional effectiveness 5 63% Administrative staff evaluations 6 54% Consortia relationships/contractual agreements 7 42% 2.5 Institutional effectiveness 8 40% Faculty evaluation 9 37% Physical facilities 10 36% Page 8

11 Why Increased Regulation Catch words of regulation: Transparency: an effort to render the workings of and expectations for higher education open and clear to all constituencies. Accountability: an effort to make institutions responsible for actions related to access, public funding, and the outcomes of higher education. Comparability or the ability of the public to compare institutional performance on the basis of the many measures Page 9

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