General Administration

From August to October of 2020, a Self-Study Nomination survey was administered which allowed all employees of the College to either self-nominate or nominate others to serve on a Self-Study Working Group.  The nomination process and the nomination survey web address was announced at the fall 2020 Convocation in August, and emailed to all College employees by President Boakye, with a follow-up reminder from the Accreditation Liaison Officer, John Runfeldt.  All College employees were encouraged to nominate themselves regardless of area or title.  The form allowed each nominee to indicate up to three preferences regarding which Working Group they wished to serve on.  Further messaging was designed to reinforce the College’s commitment to a Self-Study that was open and inclusive of all voices at the College.

The nominations for Working Group membership officially closed in December 2020. 

Click here to view the nomination form  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MSCHE_nominations

 
Working Group Charge

The Self-Study process is designed to produce a comprehensive picture of the College, its achievements, the internal and external environments in which it functions, and its plans for the future.  The process examines its mission, goals, programs, services, governance structure, faculty, resources, and, most importantly, the students we serve.  Outcomes of the areas studied are evaluated and suggestions offered for improvement. 

Research Strategies

  • Recognize that the bulk of your report should be analytical, not merely descriptive. Wherever possible, provide evidence for your findings and conclusions.
  • Read the entire Middle States Commission on Higher Education Accreditation Standards and Requirements of Affiliation, paying particular attention to the area your team is investigating. Refer to the crosswalk relating the Standards and the Requirements of Affiliation.      
  • Be familiar with STUDENTS FIRST: Strategic Plan 2019-2024 and especially the Objectives and Key Performance Indicators as achieving them will be part of the analysis of many charges.
  • Review the charges from the Steering Committee. If any of the charges are unclear, ask for clarification from your liaison.
  • Develop an action plan – what is to be done, by whom, how, and when. Two or more members of the Working Group should be assigned to each Research Question.  Members will most like be working on more than one question.
  • Develop a timeline and remain on schedule. The timetable should include an anticipated schedule of meetings of the Working Group.  To the extent required, members must become familiar with the use of Zoom for meetings. 
  • Familiarize yourself with your identified sources of information. Sources of information/data may be individuals, committees, academic or administrative offices, documents, research studies, etc.  The Evidence Inventory Team will both assist the Working Group and gather documents from the Group.
  • Should additional data be necessary, consult with your liaison. The Steering Committee must approve all surveys and/or focus group efforts in advance. 
  • Certain issues, such as the mission, institutional integrity, the four institutional priorities, and diversity, should be considered by every Working Group in addressing its specific charges. Since the Standards are all related to College operations, each group should anticipate contacting other groups.
  • All documents consulted for your report should be catalogued in your Working Group’s Evidence Inventory in SPOL. Training will be provided by the Evidence Inventory Team.
  • The use of graphs and tables, where they will facilitate understanding, is encouraged.
  • Every Working Group will make recommendations in the final portion of its report. Recommendations must flow from the analysis done by the Working Group and supported by documentation. A few well-reasoned policy and significant operations recommendations are preferable to a long list of to-do items.
  • All the information gathered by the Working Groups is valuable in developing a comprehensive picture of the college, however not all of it will appear in the final report. Drafts and final Working Group will be available for review and comment by the campus community.  The task of the Steering Committee is to review and consolidate the team reports into a final Self-Study report that meets Middle States editorial and length guidelines.