WASC Accreditation Review Theme Development

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WASC Accreditation Review Theme Development

• Cal Poly
• WASC Institutional Proposal Consultative
  Committee
• June 11, 2007
• 1 - 3 pm, Fisher 285

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Meeting Agenda

• I. Agenda and Minutes
• II. Progress since last WASC review
• Outcome Insight into campus progress
• III. Emerging themes discussion
• Outcome Further identification and
• development of possible Self Study themes
• IV. Report out and sharing

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Since WASC 2000

• Toward Cal Poly as a Learning Community.
  establish a culture of inquiry with respect to
  learning, strengthen accountability with respect
  to learning, and establish mechanisms for
  continuous improvement of student learning.
• Revised program review process
• Learning outcomes defined and assessed at the
  program level
• Infrastructure to support assessment (e.g.,
  assessment council, CPART, workshops, etc.)
• Council on Student Success
• Bok Colloquia

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Since WASC 2000, continued

• Financial Support for High Cost Fields
• Legislative initiatives
• Capital campaign
• College-based fees

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Since WASC 2000, continued

• Campus Climate, Diversity and Excellence
• Recruitment efforts focused largely on Partner
  Schools (e.g., outreach, scholarships, housing,
  college programs)
• Climate initiatives (e.g., 1st Generation panels,
  LGBT committee, Pride Center coordinator
  position, Status of Women committee, Provocative
  Perspectives, Privilege discussions, etc.)
• Retention/success efforts include expanded SAS
  programs, First and Sophomore Year Experience
  programs, CLA scholarships for continuing 1st Gen
  students

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Since WASC 2000, continued

• From Analysis to Action
• Programs required to close the loop (e.g.,
  assessment, action plans)

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Accreditation Triangle
Institutional Proposal(Thematic Conception)
Campus engagement In self study
CPR (Reality Check)
EER (Study Results)
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Previous Small Group Discussion

• Regarding our educational mission
• What do we value?
• What issues have emerged recently?
• What are our current challenges?
• What assumptions need examining?
• What aspirations do/should we have?

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Common Group Responses

• What do we value?
• Learning/Learn by doing
• Student success
• Quality students faculty
• Reputation
• Mission/Polytechnic focus

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Common Group Responses

• Recent issues?
• Diversity
• Achievement of learning outcomes
• Teaching learning/teach to the future, not the
  past
• Scholarship and teaching
• Student pipeline
• Resources/fundraising
• ATE

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Common Group Responses

• Current challenges?
• Diversity, access STEM pipeline
• Time to degree
• Silo mentality
• Many, many others
• Workloads and budget research and teaching
• Old ways of teaching provinciality
• Short-term thinking
• Believe in the WASC process
• Morale
• Changing demographics

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Common Group Responses

• Assumptions to examine?
• Polytechnic nature
• Learn by doing
• Willingness to change
• How we know our value

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Common Group Responses

• Aspirations?
• Measurement and continuous improvement
• Action
• Improved diversity

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Themes from other campuses

• Re-orient academic program review to reinforce
  values and principles of CSU, Chico
• Strengthen our performance measurement systems
  and promote use in decision making
• Foster the synergy between teaching, scholarship,
  creative activities and practice
• Demonstrate growth as an outstanding learning
  institution in an urban environment
• Create a diverse learning environment

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WASC Standards
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What is a highly developed proposal?

• Solid foundation for choice of specific issues
  and approaches
• Persuasive description of development of proposal
  design and engagement of campus with the
  development process
• Coherent vision for the review process
• Contains specific and substantive outcomes
• Presents entire review as a single,
  interconnected process

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What is a highly developed proposal?

• Detailed plan for process leads to outcomes
• Plan is not overly or under ambitious
• Plan is organized as an inquiry
• Appropriate methodologies chosen and enjoy strong
  faculty buy-in
• Plan include reviews and improvement of student
  and organizational learning
• Review of actual student work is integral

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What is a highly developed proposal?

• A culture of evidence is demonstrated
• Descriptive and survey data compliment findings
  of direct assessment
• Data gathering and analysis systems in place, or
  efforts to create them are underway
• Data in holistic and disaggregated form supports
  planning
• Institutional resources in place, linked to goals
  and outcomes of the self-review process
• Resources are understood broadly to include
  financial, human, technological, etc.

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Todays Discussion

• Four groups
• Based on all information presented so far,
  complete theme development worksheet
• Report out (approx. 245pm)

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Next Steps

• Summer
• Write draft proposal, consult w/ campus
  leadership (Working group)
• Develop campus engagement plan (Working group)
• Updates to WIP Consultative Cmte
• September
• Reconvene WIP Consultative Cmte
• Hold Academic Senate retreat focused on proposal
• Engage campus community
• October
• Finalize themes and submit proposal

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WASC Process
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Enjoy your summer

• Thanks for participating in the WIP committee,
  and have a great summer!