Response Report to the Visiting Committee (Web)

TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY DENTON – DALLAS – HOUSTON Response to the 2013 Report of the Reaffirmation Committee Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Response to the SACSCOC 2013 Report of the Reaffirmation Committee On-site Committee Visit April – 11, 2013 Texas Woman’s University 304 Administration Drive Denton, TX 76204 Submitted by: Dr Barbara D’Auria Lerner, TWU SACSCOC Liaison Table of Contents Introduction ii Instructions for Electronic Viewing ii Response to the SACSCOC 2013 Report of the Reaffirmation Committee Recommendation 3.3.1.1 Institutional Effectiveness - Educational Programs Recommendation 3.3.1.2 Institutional Effectiveness - Administrative Support Services Recommendation 3.3.1.3 Institutional Effectiveness - Academic and Student Support Services Recommendation 3.3.1.5 Institutional Effectiveness - Community and Public Service within its Mission Recommendation 10 3.3.2 Quality Enhancement Plan 10 Recommendation 12 3.3.2 Quality Enhancement Plan 12 Recommendation 16 3.7.1 Faculty Competence 16 i Introduction TWU provides this response to the SACSCOC 2013 Report of the Reaffirmation Committee to address the seven recommendations that were identified The hardcopy of TWU’s response does not include the supporting documentation; however, the electronic version provided with this document includes hyperlinks to all supporting materials Instructions for Electronic Viewing TWU wants your review to go as smoothly as possible The following instructions will make navigating and viewing files much easier All of the documents have been provided in electronic format on a USB drive, which contains the following documents: • • • Response to the SACSCOC 2013 Report of the Reaffirmation Committee TWU’s original Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Supporting Documentation Once you have inserted the USB drive into your computer, the supporting document folders will normally be displayed be first, so it may be necessary to scroll down to find the 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disable these alerts, you will need to modify your Adobe Preferences (see instruction B) Finally, to avoid damaging the files on the TWU-provided USB drive, use the eject feature of your operating system before removing the drive (see instruction C) A Open Links in New Window Navigate to Edit > “Preferences” ii Select “Documents” and uncheck box for “Open cross-document links in same window” Click “OK” located in the bottom right hand corner of the Preferences window B To Disable Security Alert from Prompting with Each Link Navigate to Edit > “Preferences” Select “Security (Enhanced)” and then click “Add Folder Path” iii Navigate to the provided flash drive, E:\ for example, and click “OK” Click OK located in the bottom right hand corner of the Preferences window C Ejecting USB for Mac Ejecting USB for Windows iv Response to the SACSCOC 2013 Report of the Reaffirmation Committee Recommendation 3.3.1.1 Institutional Effectiveness - Educational Programs The institution identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which it achieves these outcomes, and provides evidence of improvement based on analysis of the results in educational programs, to include student learning outcomes Findings of the On-Site Reaffirmation Committee TWU provided the On-Site Reaffirmation Committee with 2011 reports of all programs, with the exception of certificate programs In addition, TWU provided a sample of reports from its former Academic Institutional Effectiveness System (AIES) With the exception of certificate programs, the reports provided were sampled in such a way as to represent all degree levels and all of TWU’s colleges The relative newness of TWU’s Academic Institutional Improvement System (AIIS), does not yet allow for the documentation of evidence of improvement However, when considered in conjunction with the AIES, TWU is able to document the on-going nature of TWU’s assessment of educational programs, including student learning outcomes The On-Site Reaffirmation Committee recognizes that the new AIIS represents an attempt by TWU to implement a more effective assessment documentation process The On-Site Reaffirmation Committee also acknowledges that TWU has a plan to begin to assess its certificate programs; however, this process has not yet been fully implemented and no reports of results or use of results are yet available The Committee recommends that the institution document that it assesses the extent to which it achieves outcomes in its certificate programs and provide evidence of improvement of its certificate programs based on analysis of the results, to include student learning outcomes (Recommendation 1) TWU Response TWU’s response addresses two areas specific to the Comprehensive Standard 3.3.1.1 recommendation: (1) actions taken since receipt of the Report of the Reaffirmation Committee and (2) an action plan that will ensure the standard is met Actions Taken TWU offers 27 certificate programs and enrolled a total of 88 “certificate only” students in Spring 2013 To implement student learning outcomes (SLOs) assessment of these certificate programs, the Director of Academic Assessment (DAA) briefed the TWU Council of Chairs [1 - see item 9] on the certificate assessment process and introduced the Academic Institutional Improvement Assessment Plan – Certificate Programs (AIIAP-CP) template [2] and a timeline for implementation [3] Subsequently, the Academic Council, chairs, directors, and certificate program faculty coordinators received two communications detailing certificate program SLOs assessment at TWU [4] [5], accompanied by copies of the assessment plan template [2], timeline for implementation [3], and a Guidelines for Preparing the TWU AIIAP-CP [6] resource for development of the assessment plans The DAA conducted orientation sessions on the development of the assessment plans [7] for chairs, directors, and/or certificate program faculty coordinators in May 2013 to outline expectations, provide clarification of the assessment plan sections, and recommend potential strategies to use in development and implementation of the plans Program faculty developed certificate program SLOs assessment plans during Summer 2013 The DAA provided feedback on initial plan drafts and met with individual faculty and/or academic units to clarify expectations and assist in the development of the plans Certificate program faculty coordinators submitted assessment plans at the beginning of the Fall 2013 semester The TWU Academic Institutional Improvement – Certificate Program Audit Spreadsheet [8] identifies the (a) responsible academic unit, (b) certificate program level, (c) certificate name, and (d) direct access link to each assessment plan Action Plan To ensure accomplishment of the CS 3.3.1.1 recommendation, TWU developed an action plan [9] that delineates steps to be taken and a schedule for achieving the plan The first Academic Institutional Improvement Reports will be submitted in Spring 2014 Certificate program SLOs assessment at TWU is now comprehensive, systematic, and fully integrated into the Institutional Improvement assessment system Supporting Documentation [1] Council of Chairs Minutes – April 19, 2013 [2] Academic Institutional Improvement Assessment Plan – Certificate Programs [3] Timeline for Certificate Program SLOs Assessment Implementation [4] Email – Student Learning Outcomes Assessment of Certificate Programs [5] Academic Assessment Official Roll-Out Letter [6] Guidelines for Preparing the TWU AIIAP-CP [7] AIIAP-CP Orientation Session PowerPoint [8] Certificate Program Audit Spreadsheet [9] Action Plan to Accomplish SACS-COC CS 3.3.1.1 Recommendation Recommendation 3.3.1.2 Institutional Effectiveness - Administrative Support Services The institution identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which it achieves these outcomes, and provides evidence of improvement based on analysis of the results in administrative support services Findings of the On-Site Reaffirmation Committee The Off-Site Reaffirmation Committee reviewed the document provided for assessment of administrative support serves and was unable to clearly identify the on-going assessment and use of results The institution provided several examples of annual assessment reports dated March 2013, but did not provide evidence of an assessment process that documents annual goals, the extent to which these goals are achieved and evidence of improvement based on results There were no prior assessment reports available to evaluate progress TWU provided the On-Site Reaffirmation Committee with a sample of assessment reports The reports provided are from March 2012 and January 2013 While the evidence provided demonstrates the wide-spread implementation of the new assessment process, the majority of the improvements documented in the March 2012 and January 2013 reports are presented in future tense, indicating the improvements are yet to be implemented In addition, little evidence is provided to support the evaluation and use of results prior to the implementation of the new process Only a few reports from the previous system were provided as part of the Focused Report and most of those reports dated back to 2003-2004 Interviews conducted with the Associate Provost for Institutional Improvement and Vice President of Student Life indicated that while reports had not been centrally collected, many of the units were engaged in ongoing improvement, planning and assessment In an effort to document this, the on-site team requested previous reports from units specifically selected to cut across TWU divisions While TWU did provide reports, the majority of the reports did not sufficiently document the use of results for improvement Furthermore, several units did not document that they have a systematic assessment process in place The Committee recommends that the institution provide evidence of the use of assessment results for improvements in its administrative support services units (Recommendation 2) TWU Response TWU introduced a new integrated and comprehensive assessment program for monitoring the effectiveness of administrative service units in Fall 2011 This program, overseen by the Associate Provost for Institutional Improvement, has produced widespread participation among the 20 administrative support units involved At the time of the on-site visit of the Reaffirmation Committee, the first two cycles of reports had been received and were presented as evidence for ongoing assessment Since then, a third cycle of reports has been received with full participation, illustrating the maturation of a robust process [1] Ongoing Process At the macro level, all units submit progress reports and dashboards twice yearly, in January and in July These reports and dashboards are collected centrally in the Office of Institutional Improvement and are reviewed for broad-scale progress on stated goals At the micro level, each unit determines its own process for regularly reviewing assessment data and the use of results to manage improvement For example, Institutional Development [2] tracks and reports four meaningful measures to the Chancellor and President on a monthly basis and to the Board of Regents every quarter Development staff record fundraising requests and gifts received, entering information into a database to facilitate analysis and reporting These data are reviewed at monthly staff meetings and are used to measure the effectiveness of TWU’s fundraising strategies while providing constant feedback about progress towards goals As a second example, Technology Service Desk staff track four meaningful measures [3] These measures are used to compare TWU’s performance with industry standards The staff collaborate regularly (weekly at the work group level and biweekly at the department level) with immediate and senior leadership, with other Office of Technology work groups, and with members of the university community to evaluate performance and steer the Service Desk in a direction of continuous improvement and customer satisfaction Use of Results for Improvement As a result of these macro and micro processes, which involved making tactical and strategic decisions during the past six months, both units reported improvements on their meaningful measures during the July 2013 reporting cycle For instance, in Institutional Development, both the number of gifts and donors, that had fallen to all-time lows during 2011-2012, showed increases in response to the strategy of engaging and targeting younger alumni in fundraising efforts In the example of the Technology Service Desk, both the call abandonment rate and the first contact resolution rate improved as a result of the strategic decision to implement Footprints, a new information technology services management system that has empowered service agents to be more efficient The attached table summarizes the processes and use of results for improvement in these units, as well as all other units featured in the Focused Report [4] Sample reports from July 2013 detail the full processes, actions, and results of ongoing monitoring and improvement activities in Facilities Management and Construction, Enterprise Programming and Reporting, and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs [5] Sample reports from March 2012 and January 2013 are included from the Focused Report as a point of reference [6] Supporting Documentation [1] I2 Activity Update July 2013 [2] I2 Development Report July 2013 [3] I2 Technology Service Desk Report July 2013 [4] I2 Sample Processes and Use of Results for Improvement [5] I2 Sample Reports July 2013 [6] I2 Sample Reports March 2012 and January 2013 Recommendation 3.3.1.3 Institutional Effectiveness - Academic and Student Support Services The institution identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which it achieves these outcomes, and provides evidence of improvement based on analysis of the results in academic and student support services Findings of the On-Site Reaffirmation Committee The Off-Site Reaffirmation Committee reviewed the document provided for assessment of academic and student support services and was unable to clearly identify the on-going assessment and use of results The institution provided several examples of annual assessment reports dated march 2012, but did not provide evidence of an assessment process that documents annual goals, the extent to which these goals are achieved and evidence of improvement based on results There were no prior assessment reports available to evaluate a cyclical process of institutional effectiveness or clear documentation of sampling strategies The annual reports document prior year performance but it was not described within a process of continuous improvement TWU provided the On-Site Reaffirmation Committee with a sample of assessment reports The reports provided are from March 2012 and January 2013 While the evidence provided demonstrates the wide-spread implementation of the new assessment process, the majority of the improvements documented in the March 2012 and January 2013 reports are presented in future tense, indicating the improvements are yet to be implemented In addition, little evidence is provided to support the evaluation and use of results prior to the implementation of the new process Only a few reports from the previous system were provided as part of the Focused Report and most of those reports dated back to 2003-2004 Interviews conducted with the Associate Provost for Institutional Improvement and Vice President for Student Life indicated that while reports had not been centrally collected, many of the units were engaged in ongoing improvement planning and assessment In an effort to document this, the on-site team requested previous reports from units specifically selected to cut across TWU divisions While TWU did provide reports, the majority of the reports did not sufficiently document the use of results for improvement Furthermore, several units did not document that they have a systematic assessment process in place The Committee recommends that the institution provide evidence of the use of assessment results for improvements in its academic and student support units (Recommendation 3) TWU Response TWU utilizes the same new, integrated, and comprehensive program introduced in Fall 2011 for monitoring the effectiveness of academic and student support service units as for administrative support units This program, overseen by the Associate Provost for Institutional Improvement, has produced widespread participation among the 22 academic and student support units involved At the time of the on-site visit of the Reaffirmation Committee, the first two cycles of reports had been received and were presented as evidence for ongoing assessment Since then, a third cycle of reports has been received with full participation, illustrating the continued maturation of the process [1] Ongoing Process In the same manner as the administrative support units, all academic and student support services units submit progress reports and dashboards twice yearly in January and in July These reports and dashboards are collected centrally in the Office of Institutional Improvement and are reviewed for broad-scale progress on stated goals At the local level, each unit determines its own process for regularly reviewing assessment data and using results to manage improvement For example, University Housing [2] reviews and discusses meaningful measures at weekly coordinating team meetings, monthly department meetings, periodic workshops, and an annual department staff planning retreat Student staff members and the Residence Hall Association are frequently consulted to ensure that students and staff at all levels are involved in the decision-making process to promote continuous improvement In Disability Support Services (DSS), staff members document student contacts in an electronic log, which is reviewed on a daily basis to ensure a prompt response to inquiries and requests for services [3] All data collected on meaningful measures are reviewed at daily staff meetings and used during an annual summer meeting to plan for future services, staffing needs, and equipment purchases Use of Results for Improvement As a result of these centralized and local processes, both units reported in the July 2013 cycle how improvements resulted from past actions and/or how past results were used to affect continuous improvement efforts For instance, in University Housing, where past assessment results showed that Living Learning Communities (LLC) were effective at increasing undergraduate student retention levels, a number of steps were taken this summer to broaden and extend the impact of these communities A new LLC Review Committee was established to include a wider cross-section of campus constituencies and increase the number of courses offered for LLC students Also, direct supervision of Peer Advisors who support the LLCs shifted to the Assistant Director for Student Development Both actions were taken in response to positive assessment data and illustrate ongoing use of results for improvement In Disability Support Services, past actions yielded considerable improvement in the number of students who apply for services and the number of students registered with DSS These actions included efforts to publicize services using syllabus statements, the TWU catalog and website, the student newspaper, and North Texas area events for prospective students The attached table summarizes the processes and use of results for improvement in these units, as well as other units featured in the Focused Report [4] Sample reports from July 2013 detail the full processes, actions, and results of ongoing monitoring and improvement activities in TWU Libraries, Fitness and Recreation, Commuter and Nontraditional Student Services, Student Health Services, and Career Services [5] Sample reports from March 2012 and January 2013 are included from the Focused Report as a point of reference [6] Supporting Documentation [1] I2 Activity Update July 2013 [2] I2 Housing Report July 2013 [3] I2 DSS Report July 2013 [4] I2 Sample Processes and Use of Results for Improvement [5] I2 Sample Reports July 2013 [6] I2 Sample Reports March 2012 and January 2013 Recommendation 3.3.1.5 Institutional Effectiveness - Community and Public Service within its Mission The institution identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which it achieves these outcomes, and provides evidence of improvement based on analysis of the results in community and public service within its mission Findings of the On-Site Reaffirmation Committee The Off-Site Reaffirmation Committee was unable to verify through the documents provided TWU’s ongoing assessment of community service activities The documentation provided states that the institutional mission supports ongoing community and public service However, the documentation did not make a clear case for how the institution identifies specific outcomes, assesses these goals, works to achieve them, and how improvements are made to meet specific outcomes There seems to be no clearly defined set of objectives/outcomes, how they are achieved, and how changes are made to improve the quality of services In documentation provided to the On-Site Committee, TWU states that the institution supports on-going community and public service TWU expects its community and public service activities to achieve one or more of the four specific outcomes identified by the University The documentation provides examples of community and public service in the five categories established by TWU The documentation also links a sample of community service programs to the goals outlined by the University, as well as to assessment measures, findings and use of results The majority of actions reported are presented in past tense, indicating actions based on assessment findings have taken place The documentation does not indicate, however, a timeline for the assessments, findings or use of results Given the manner with which TWU summarizes this information, the On-Site Reaffirmation Committee was unable to verify that TWU assesses the extent to which it achieves community and public service outcomes on an ongoing basis The Committee recommends that the institution provide evidence of on-going assessment of community and public service within its mission (Recommendation 4) TWU Response TWU has utilized a decentralized process for assessing its community and public service As recognized by the Reaffirmation Committee, each unit responsible for community and public service activities assesses its activities, determines results, and utilizes the results on a timetable matching the scheduling of the activities Although the Reaffirmation Committee found that Texas Woman’s University (TWU) assesses its community and public service activities, the Committee indicated that TWU failed to provide a timeline for its community and public service assessments, findings, or use of results Without a timeline, the Committee was unable to determine that the assessments would continue on an ongoing basis To ensure the ongoing assessment of community and public service activities, these activities are now being assessed annually on the same timetable and process as TWU’s administrative support services and academic and student support services (Table 3.3.1.5.A) In addition, the assessments are submitted to the Office of Institutional Improvement, which oversees all institutional effectiveness activities of the university Table 3.3.1.5.A - Institutional Improvement Annual Timeline Date Document Due January 31 Administrative Support Services Institutional Improvement Plans due to the Office of Institutional Improvement Academic and Student Support Services Institutional Improvement Plans due to the Office of Institutional Improvement Community and Public Service Institutional Improvement Plans due to the Office of Institutional Improvement March 15 Certificate Program Institutional Improvement Reports due to the Director of Academic Assessment July 31 Administrative Support Services Institutional Improvement Plans due to the Office of Institutional Improvement Academic and Student Support Services Institutional Improvement Plans due to the Office of Institutional Improvement November Academic Degree Program Institutional Improvement Reports due to the Director of Academic Assessment Note: Dates above will move forward to the following Monday should the date fall on a holiday or weekend in a specific year Recommendation 3.3.2 Quality Enhancement Plan The institution has developed a Quality Enhancement Plan that (1) demonstrates institutional capability for the initiation, implementation, and completion of the QEP; (2) includes broadbased involvement of institutional constituencies in the development and proposed implementation of the QEP; and (3) identifies goals and a plan to assess their achievement Findings of the On-Site Reaffirmation Committee The QEP topic is clearly related to TWU's mission and connected to its strategic plan TWU did an excellent job of casting a wide net, getting the campus involved, and then narrowing their QEP options down to a few, and finally to one topic of experiential learning In that sense it was a focused process Their ultimate choice is also quite focused, in the sense that it is "all" about experiential learning TWU's unique student population and institutional focus on student success and persistence and retention is also well connected to and supported in experiential learning literature However, the plan as submitted was still broad and in many ways lacked specificity An effort appeared to have been made to try to include all forms of experiential learning Following discussions with the Interim Director, the Executive Committee, and the Advisory Council we would advise that the institution to consider narrowing the focus to developing new academic experiential learning activities, and excluding various forms of volunteerism TWU has assigned qualified individuals to administer and oversee the QEP’s implementation In fact, the Committee was impressed by the enthusiasm and commitment of the Interim QEP Director, as well as the structure and involvement of the Advisory Committee However, given the broad-based scope of the QEP, the On-Site Committee feels that TWU has not provided evidence for sufficient financial and personnel resources to initiate, implement, sustain, and complete the QEP Additionally, the timeline does not include enough details due to the lack of benchmarks and specificity in the implementation plan The Committee recommends that the institution demonstrate institutional capability for the initiation, implementation, and completion of the QEP (Recommendation 5) TWU Response In response to the recommendations of the Reaffirmation Committee, TWU modified the QEP in two ways: Narrowed the focus to the development of QEP-designated courses Added $20,000 to the budget for use at the discretion of the QEP Director In the original plan, faculty, staff, and student organizations were eligible to develop experiential learning projects The Reaffirmation Committee recommended narrowing the plan’s focus to new experiential learning activities within credit-bearing courses Therefore, 10 the central element of the plan shifted from development of QEP enhanced projects to the development of QEP-designated courses [1] QEP-designated courses (a) ensure students earn course credit for experiential learning activities, b) establish a foundation of core courses from which to continuously expand experiential learning opportunities for students, (c) align with the National Society for Experiential Education’s (NSEE) eight principles of good practice [2], and (d) provide a manageable and sustainable means for assessment of QEP goals and student learning outcomes In addition to narrowing the focus, TWU increased the overall QEP operating budget [3] and included in-kind support for personnel The in-kind personnel contribute to implementation, maintenance, and assessment of the plan A new timeline was developed [4] The focus on QEP-designated courses, combined with the increased financial resources and inclusion of dedicated personnel in support of the QEP, demonstrate sufficient resources to implement, sustain, and complete the plan Faculty developing QEP-designated courses and serving as Experiential Faculty Fellows will devote approximately 25% of their time in support of QEP implementation This contribution of a portion of faculty salaries is presented in the revised QEP budget In addition to faculty, several individuals collaborate with the QEP Director in direct support of QEP implementation and assessment These personnel and the salary contribution [5] of each are also noted in the revised QEP operating budget The Reaffirmation Committee provided numerous suggestions for strengthening the QEP Many of these suggestions were incorporated into the narrowed focus and are detailed in the supporting documentation [6] Gradual growth, increased faculty development, and alignment with NSEE’s eight principles of good practice are key elements to maintaining quality experiences for students Supporting Documentation [1] QEP-designated Courses [2] NSEE Eight Principles of Good Practice [3] QEP Budget [4] Implementation Timeline [5] In-Kind Personnel [6] TWU Actions to Visiting Committee Suggestions 11 Recommendation 3.3.2 Quality Enhancement Plan The institution has developed a Quality Enhancement Plan that (1) demonstrates institutional capability for the initiation, implementation, and completion of the QEP; (2) includes broadbased involvement of institutional constituencies in the development and proposed implementation of the QEP; and (3) identifies goals and a plan to assess their achievement Findings of the On-Site Reaffirmation Committee The Quality Enhancement Plan as originally provided to the On-site Committee, identified three student learning outcomes and two institutional outcomes The Committee was initially concerned about the nature of the student learning objectives and the manner set forth to assess the outcomes The original objectives appeared broad and focused on process as opposed to student learning outcomes Given that objectives drive the assessment plan, the assessment plan also appeared to be broad in scope and to lack specificity However, the OnSite Reaffirmation Committee was excited to hear members of the TWU community discussing possible revisions to the objectives that would narrow the focus of the QEP and also more clearly communicate the intended student learning outcomes as opposed to the original objectives’ focus on process Upon review of the original document, the Committee was also concerned regarding the sustainability of the proposed assessment plan given the heavy human resource costs associated with the proposed methods and the oversight of experiential learning courses that could undermine instructional goals in individual courses Again, the Committee believes that the proposed revisions to the objectives will provide an opportunity for the development of a more sustainable assessment plan The Committee recommends that the institution identifies a plan to assess its achievement of the goals of the QEP (Recommendation 6) TWU Response The Reaffirmation Committee provided sound guidance and consultations regarding QEP assessment procedures TWU narrowed the primary focus to the development of QEPdesignated courses [1] that align with NSEE’s eight principles of good practice [2] The development of QEP-designated courses provides a streamlined and sustainable means for assessment of QEP goals and student learning outcomes (SLOs) In narrowing the QEP’s focus, the goals, SLOs, and assessment procedures were modified QEP Goals Guided by the TWU mission and strategic plan, Pioneering Pathways: Learn by Doing centers on two revised goals Goal Integrate into the curriculum practical experiences that focus on preparing students to live, work, and lead in a diverse and complex world 12 To facilitate meeting Goal 1, TWU provides funds for development of QEP-designated courses and for kick-start projects To provide quality experiences, QEP-designated courses align with NSEE’s eight principles of good practice Experiential Faculty Fellows complete NSEE’s three-day experiential education academy and serve as mentors for other faculty in developing experiential learning opportunities for students Progress toward Goal will be measured by two direct methods and one indirect method (Table 3.3.2.A) The number of QEP-designated courses will be tabulated annually Nine statements on the student course evaluation that align with NSEE’s eight principles are used in comparing students’ learning experiences in QEP-designated courses to non QEPdesignated courses In addition, three statements derived from NSEE’s principles were added to the student course evaluation for each QEP-designated course [3] Data from all twelve statements will be aggregated to assess the quality and alignment of QEP-designated courses with NSEE’s eight principles of good practice Additionally, the data will be used to identify areas in need of improvement and to formulate strategies for strengthening alignment with the eight principles The number of first-time-in-college (FTIC) and at-risk students engaging in experiential learning projects will also be determined annually Goal Cultivate and strengthen institutional, civic, and/or business partnerships that increase opportunities for experiential learning TWU will determine progress toward Goal by use of two direct measures (Table 3.3.2.A) the number of approved interdisciplinary projects and course-embedded experiential learning projects with civic and/or business partners The approved projects will adhere to NSEE’s principles of good practice [2] Student Learning Outcomes TWU revised the QEP SLOs to more clearly communicate the desired outcomes (Table 3.3.2.A) Through participation in a QEP-designated course, students will: SLO Effectively connect classroom theories to real-world experiences through practical application of knowledge SLO Accurately assess knowledge and skills related to personal or professional goals including collaboration, application, and problem-solving Assessments In all QEP-designated courses, faculty perform at least one direct assessment of SLO Faculty report the results of the assessment in aggregate form at the conclusion of the course All students in QEP-designated courses complete the QEP Student Self-Assessment of Collaboration, Application, and Problem-Solving Skills (S-CAPS) [4] The student selfassessment functions as an indirect assessment for both SLO and SLO Data for each 13 construct will be disaggregated in the analysis to identify areas in need of improvement The Application section of the S-CAPS assesses student application of course theories to practical experiences The results, in conjunction with the course-embedded direct assessment, will measure student progress toward achievement of SLO Faculty assess students on the same constructs utilizing the QEP Faculty Assessment of Collaboration, Application, and Problem-Solving Skills (F-CAPS) [5] Data for each construct will be disaggregated in the analysis to identify areas in need of improvement The faculty assessment serves as a direct measure for both SLO and SLO The Application section of the F-CAPS is a second direct measure of SLO Table 3.3.2.A - QEP Goals and Student Learning Outcomes Assessment QEP Goal/SLO Required Assessment Measure Assessment Type Goal 1: Integrate into the curriculum quality practical experiences that focus on preparing students to live, work, and lead in a diverse and complex world Number of QEP-designated courses Number of FTIC and at-risk students enrolled in QEP-designated courses Direct Goal 2: Cultivate and strengthen institutional, civic, and/or business partnerships that increase opportunities for experiential learning Number of Co-Curricular and Interdisciplinary Projects Direct Number of QEP-designated courses with civic or business partnerships Direct SLO 1: Effectively connect classroom theories to real-world experiences through practical application of knowledge Faculty course-embedded assessment Direct F-CAPS Assessment – Application section only Direct S-CAPS Assessment – Application section only Indirect F-CAPS Assessment – All sections Direct S-CAPS Assessment – All sections Indirect SLO 2: Accurately assess knowledge and skills related to personal or professional goals to include collaboration, application, and problem-solving Student Course Evaluation and Alignment with NSEE Principles Supporting Documentation [1] QEP-designated courses [2] Eight Principles of good practice for experiential learning 14 Direct Indirect [3] QEP-designated course evaluation statements [4] QEP S-CAPS [5] QEP F-CAPS 15 Recommendation 3.7.1 Faculty Competence The institution employs competent faculty members qualified to accomplish the mission and goals of the institution When determining acceptable qualifications of its faculty, an institution gives primary consideration to the highest earned degree in the discipline The institution also considers competence, effectiveness, and capacity, including, as appropriate, undergraduate and graduate degrees, related work experiences in the field, professional licensure and certifications, honors and awards, continuous documented excellence in teaching, or other demonstrated competencies and achievements that contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes For all cases, the institution is responsible for justifying and documenting the qualifications of its faculty Findings of the On-Site Reaffirmation Committee TWU uses CIP codes to match the professor’s degree in a discipline with the courses they are teaching At TWU, the Associate Provost for Institutional Improvement is responsible for monitoring faculty credentials An approval process that determines the acceptability of faculty credentials begins with the hiring of new full-time and part-time faculty and ends with qualified faculty appearing on the list of approved CIP relationships TWU uses CIP codes to match the professor’s degree in a discipline with the courses they are teaching At TWU, the Associate Provost for Institutional Improvement is responsible for monitoring faculty credentials An approval process that determines the acceptability of faculty credentials begins with the hiring of new full-time and part-time faculty and ends with qualified faculty appearing on the list of approved CIP relationships The Off-Site Reaffirmation Committee sampled a significant number of faculty from the Faculty Roster of the institution The sample was representative of all curricular areas and levels The On-Site Reaffirmation Committee reviewed additional documentation provided by the institution for all faculty for whom qualifications were questioned by the Off-Site Committee Additionally, the On-Site Committee reviewed the qualifications of another sample of the faculty listed on the SACS Faculty Roster Form and requested additional information to support a careful analysis of the faculty qualification in relation to the courses being taught The institution has not sufficiently justified the qualifications of several faculty members to teach the courses assigned (see attached Faculty Roster) The institution is not in compliance on this standard The Committee recommends that the institution employ competent faculty members qualified to accomplish the mission and goals of the institution in the postbaccalaureate areas of Kinesiology, Music, and Management (see attached Faculty Roster) (Recommendation 7) 16 TWU Response The expectation for faculty members teaching graduate courses at TWU is that they hold either a terminal degree in the teaching discipline or a master’s degree in the teaching discipline with a terminal degree in a related field Historically, as allowed by disciplinary accrediting bodies, faculty members lacking terminal degrees have also been credentialed to teach graduate courses on the basis of their exceptional professional and/or research experience in the teaching discipline The ten faculty members whose credentials were cited by the Reaffirmation Committee as insufficiently justified were previously assigned to teach graduate courses without having an earned terminal degree in the teaching discipline However, for Fall Semester 2013 and subsequent semesters, these faculty members have been reassigned to teach only undergraduate courses for which they are appropriately qualified In their place, at the graduate level, only faculty members who possess an earned terminal degree in the teaching discipline, or a master’s degree in the teaching discipline plus a terminal degree in a related field, are assigned Staffing changes were made in response to the concerns of the Reaffirmation Committee 17 ... provides this response to the SACSCOC 2013 Report of the Reaffirmation Committee to address the seven recommendations that were identified The hardcopy of TWU’s response does not include the supporting... trying to connect to? ??” You may click the Allow button; or, if you would like to disable these alerts, you will need to modify your Adobe Preferences (see instruction B) Finally, to avoid damaging the. .. results prior to the implementation of the new process Only a few reports from the previous system were provided as part of the Focused Report and most of those reports dated back to 2003-2004