Phoenix College

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Phoenix College

• 2005-2006 Self-Study for
• Higher Learning Commission of
• NCA

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What is Accreditation

• Voluntary self-study
• Non-governmental agency
• Quality control measure

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Purposes

• Quality assurance
• Institutional and program improvement

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Who Reviews

• Team of evaluators from the Higher Learning
  Commission of North Central
• Called Peer Review Corps
• 8-10 individuals who become familiar with the
  college
• Will arrive in Spring of 2006

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Evaluation Design

• Three positions that underlie the background and
  premises of the criteria
• Four cross-cutting themes that must be present in
  the evaluation
• Five comprehensive criteria on which college is
  evaluated

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Positions

• Diversity is represented in many forms
• Assessment of student learning is fundamental
• General education must be valued and owned.

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Cross-cutting Themes

• Future oriented
• Engages in planning
• Is mission driven
• Understands social and economic change
• Focuses on the future of its constitutencies
• Integrates new technology

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Cross-cutting Themes

• Learning Focused
• Assesses student learning
• Supports learning
• Supports scholarship
• Creates capacity for life-long learning
• Strengthens organizational learning

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Cross-cutting Themes

• Connected
• Serves the common good
• Serves constituents
• Creates a culture of service
• Collaborates
• Engages in healthy internal communication

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Cross-cutting Themes

• Distinctive
• Has an unambiguous mission
• Appreciates diversity
• Is accountable
• Is self-reflective
• Is committed to improvement

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Criterion One

• The organization operates with integrity to
  ensure the fulfillment of its mission through
  structures and processes that involve the board,
  administration, faculty staff, and students
• The college has a mission and operates with
  integrity
• The college does what it says it does and
  communicates this clearly

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Criterion Two

• The organizations allocation of resources and
  its processes for evaluation and planning
  demonstrate its capacity to fulfill its mission,
  improve the quality of its education, and respond
  to future challenges and opportunities.
• The college is prepared for the future
• The college has the money and budgeting processes
  to operate

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Criterion Three

• The organization provides evidence of student
  learning and teaching effectiveness that
  demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational
  mission.
• Teaching and learning is demonstrated to be
  effective.
• The curriculum has quality and students are
  learning it.

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Criterion Four

• The organization promotes a life of learning for
  its faculty, administration, staff, and students
  by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity,
  practice, and social responsibility in ways
  consistent with its mission.
• There are opportunities for acquisition,
  discovery , and application of knowledge.
• The college promotes academic activities in
  addition to the actual classes.

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Criterion Five

• As called for by its mission, the organization
  identifies its constituencies and serves them in
  ways both value.
• The college communicates with and provides for
  all members of its community, inside and out.
• The college is sensitive to outside people and
  issues.

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Mission at Phoenix College

• In support of its primary purpose -student
  learning Phoenix College will use this
  self-study to prepare for continuing
  accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission
  of the North Central Association of Colleges and
  Schools, to evaluate strengths and opportunities
  for improvement in accordance with the college
  mission statement, and as a guiding document for
  continuing educational and institutional
  improvement.

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Self-study Goals

• Accreditation
• Achieve a ten-year accreditation from the Higher
  Learning Commission of the North Central
  Association of Colleges and Schools.
• Engage all college constituencies in the
  self-study and publicize the results.
• Evaluation
• Demonstrate responses to concerns from the last
  self-study.
• Provide evidence that practices and processes are
  aligned with the college vision, mission, and
  goals.

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Self-study Goals

• Improvement
• Evaluate the viability of college practices and
  processes.
• Utilize outcomes of the self-study as a guide to
  improvement.
• Leadership
• Provide learning opportunities for faculty
  leaders in preparation for accreditation effort
  beyond 2006

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Committees

• Steering Committeegives overall direction to the
  self-study process. Makes decisions based on
  input from other groups.
• Self-study Executive GroupClarifies direction
  and priorities of self-study. Supports criterion
  committees and makes recommendations to steering
  committee.

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Committees

• Criterion Chair Groupidentifies, coordinates,
  and implements data collection process.
  Determines chapter content for writers.
• Criterion Committeesidentify and interpret
  components for the criterion. Determines content
  for the chapter.
• Writers Groupsuggests outline, writes up
  findings of committees, writes final document
  with input from other committees.

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What Has Happened
Date Activity
Mar 03 Self-Study Committees Appointed
Sept 03 Writers and Editors Appointed
Oct 03 Request Dates for Visit
Oct 03 Committees Begin to Meet
Apr 04 Submit Study Design to HLC
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More. . .
Apr 04 Self-Study Open House
2004 All Committees Continue to Meet
June 04 Criterion Chairs Retreat
June 04 Criterion Chairs Begin Writing

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Still to Do
Date Activity
Fall 04 Committees Continue to Meet
Fall 04 Team Competencies to HLC
Fall 04 Second Open House
Spring 05 Self-Study Draft Complete
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And Still More. . .
Summer 05 Collect Input on Draft
Fall 05 Final Report Compiled
April 10-12 Commission Visit
May 05 PC Gets 10 Year Accreditation
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What You Can Do

• Read materials--website and newsletters
• Send questions and comments to chairs
• http//www.pc.maricopa.edu/NCA/index.htm
• Or access from PC home page

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More Information

• http//www.pc.maricopa.edu/NCA/index.htm
• www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org