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NCA Retreat #2

Meeting Notes

July 20 , 2005
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m
St. Cloud State University Miller Center

Members Present : Diana Burlison, Budget; Lisa Foss, Mission and Integrity; Odadele Gazal - Governance and Administrative Services; Kurt Helgeson, Program Review; Lin Holder - NCA Consultant; Christine Imbra - Resource Room/Web; Chris Inkster - Engagement and Service; Balsy Kasi - Teaching Effectiveness; Mark Nook, General Education; Kate Steffens, NCA Co-Chair; JC Turner - Planning. Anne Zemek, Ethical Conduct

 

Guest: Michael Spitzer, Provost

• Introductions
• Announcements: New Faculty Co-Chair - Kurt Helgeson
                                  New NCA Support Staff - Holly Evers
• Updates: Technology - J.C. Turner
                    NCA Website - Christine Imbra
                   Communications Committee - Lisa Foss / Kate Steffens
• Retreat Goals - Inquiry questions for Criterion 3, 4, 5.
• Next Steps - Retreat #3

NCA Accreditation (Retreat #3)

Questions

Criterion Three: Student Learning and Effective Teaching

The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission .

Component 3A: The organization's goals for student learning outcomes are clearly stated for each educational program and make effective assessment possible.

1. What departments/programs have established learning goals for undergraduate and graduate programs?

2. What departments/programs have assessments aligned with learning goals?

3. Are departments/programs using multiple assessments using indirect and direct measures?

4. How do we know?

5. What do we expect students to know and be able to do when they complete the program?

6. What data are collected at the program level to ensure that assessments are effective in measuring learning goals?

7. In what ways are data reported to the campus community (institutional, college, program)?

8. What evidence demonstrates the extent to which faculty and administrators are involved in the assessment process?

9. How does the institution evaluate its system of assessment?

10. What is the evidence that there is a link between assessment results and budgeting priorities?

11. Does the university have a system of assessment? Is it aligned with the mission of the institution?

Component 3B: The organization values and supports effective teaching.

1. How does the university define "effective teaching" and what are the expectations for faculty?

2. What opportunities does the university provide to faculty to support effective teaching (professional development)?

3. Are faculty current in their field, and how do faculty acquire new knowledge to impart their students?

4. What technology is available to faculty to support effective teaching and how are faculty taught about the technology?

5. Does the university value and support diverse and innovative teaching and practices that enhance learning?

6. How does the university evaluate effective teaching? (Provide evidence of direct and indirect measures.)

7. What process does the university have in place to support new curriculum development, revisions in curriculum, and strategies for instruction?

8. How does the university support faculty participation in professional associations?

9. What resources (inside and outside of classroom) does the university provide to students to support their learning (for example, Write Place, advising)?

10. How are we preparing our students in terms of knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed in the world of work and continued lifelong learning?

11. How do we use the assessment of teaching to improve the effectiveness of our teaching?

Component 3C: The organization creates effective learning environments.

1. What assessments have been done, the results of which are used to change/improve the learning environments?

2. What technologies are available in classrooms? What evidence exists that the facilities contribute to teaching and learning?

3. What are different learning environments offered by the university (classrooms, internships, service learning, online, labs, seminars, study abroad, performance spaces, off-campus, clinical sites, portal programs, i.e., Anoka-Ramsey)?

4. Does evidence show that the advising system impacts student learning?

5. What data do we have from students that shows how the learning environments impact their learning?

6. What resources/support are available for students to be successful (physical adaptations, tutoring centers, study skills, Write Place, ALC, needs of international students)?

7. What resources are available to faculty to help them understand/use changing learning environments?

8. How effective are our student services in mentoring/advising/student learning?

9. How has the university planned for changing learning environments of the future?

10. What active learning strategies are used?

11. How does service learning impact the curriculum?

12. What percentage of students is involved in various learning environments?

13. What "quality assurance" for student learning processes is used? How is information gathered and sent back to faculty (# of graduates, # of students certified, etc., comprehensive exams)?

14. How do extra-curricular opportunities and activities contribute to student learning (intramural sports, student organizations, residence halls, FYE)?

Component 3D: The organization's learning resources support student learning and effective teaching.

1. What resources are available to provide support, including content, facilities, services, technologies, and training to use these technologies?

2. How are these resources assessed? Are these results used in budgeting priorities?

3. How are assessments of resources used to adjust services/training, etc. to improve learning and teaching?

4. What evidence demonstrates that these resources contribute to effective teaching and learning?

5. What long-term planning takes place related to learning and teaching resources, and how often are these plans reviewed/revised?

6. What partnerships in learning resources exist that enhance student learning and strengthen teaching effectiveness?

7. How are new innovative resources evaluated and disseminated to faculty and students?

8. How do student services - residential life, Atwood, etc. contribute to student growth?

Criterion Four: Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge  

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.

Component 4A: The organization demonstrates, through the actions of its board, administrators, students, faculty, and staff, that it values a life of learning.

1. What evidence exists that the board supports freedom of expression and freedom of inquiry?

2. How do budget allocations demonstrate that SCSU values a life of learning?

3. What support does the university provide for professional development at all levels?

4. How many faculty/staff/administrators use their tuition waiver to take classes for their own development?

5. How do we publicly acknowledge achievements of individuals at all levels?

6. What evidence exists that faculty and students produce scholarship in basic and applied research?

7. How does scholarship produced by faculty and students change and improve the university?

8. How does SCSU's actions align with MnSCU's focus on lifelong learning?

Component 4B: The organization demonstrates that acquisition of a breadth of knowledge and skills and the exercise of intellectual inquiry are integral to its educational programs.

1. What evidence shows that our general education curriculum presents a broad approach to knowledge and learning and not an entrance to majors?

2. How is the general education curriculum assessed?

3. How is the assessment of the general education curriculum used to make improvements to the general education curriculum?

4. What is the mission of the general education curriculum and what are its goals?

5. What variations to our general education curriculum exist in various programs?

6. What is the level of participation of faculty in the delivery of the general education curriculum (what is the rank distribution)?

7. What are the goals for the revision of the general education curriculum? What is the history of general education curriculum revision?

8. What is the process for the revision of the general education curriculum?

9. To what extent is the general education curriculum connected to majors?

10. What is the impact of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum on our general education mission and goals?

11. What percentage of students completes the GECC, MNTC?

12. Are the goals for the individual general education courses congruent with the general education curriculum goals, and both with the university mission and goals?

13. To what extent are the mission and goals communicated to and understood by faculty and students?

14. Note: Need to address graduate programs, student services dimension.

Component 4C: The organization assesses the usefulness of its curricula to students who will live and work in a global, diverse, and technological society.

1. How do faculty stay current in their field (for example, scholarship, curricula)?

2. What evidence supports the fact that our programs are current and relevant in terms of our program review process?

3. What evidence is there that our general education program (and other programs as well) prepares students to live in a global and diverse society?

4. What evidence demonstrates that the institution supports scholarship by students as defined by the institution?

5. How do we know that our learning goals and outcomes include skills and professional competency for employment?

6. What evidence exists to support that the university community values ethical behavior in development and implementation of curricula?

7. What knowledge and skills do faculty expect of students in programs of applied practices that are needed to live and work in a global, diverse, technological society?

8. What demonstrated evidence exists that our curricula includes interactions with external constituents (practitioners in the field) to keep curricula current and diverse?

9. What student services at the university foster an atmosphere of inquiry, creativity, practice, and social responsibility (Women's Center, GLBT office, Disability Services)?

10. What changes have been made to the curricula to reflect feedback from employers and alumni?

11. How do we create a diverse learning environment (3C)? (Diversity of faculty and staff and what they bring to curricula; study abroad programs, international students).

Component 4D: The organization provides support to ensure that faculty, students and staff acquire, discover, and apply knowledge responsibly.

1. What policies and enforcement exist regarding the use of human and animal subjects (committee structure, approval process)?

2. How do we ensure truth in research and publications by faculty?

3. What policies exist regarding ethical conduct and academic integrity for faculty, staff and undergraduate and graduate students? What processes are in place to ensure compliance with these policies?

4. How does the university educate faculty, staff and students on ethical conduct and academic integrity?

5. What policies govern intellectual property rights?

6. How have policies changed with the advent of new technology?

7. What opportunities exist within the institution for students, faculty and staff to acquire, discover and apply knowledge in a socially responsible way?

8. What resources are provided to student academic and support programs that contribute to the development of skills and attitudes critical to the responsible use of knowledge?

9. To what extent do our faculty present multiple viewpoints on societal issues?

Criterion Five: Engagement and Service

As called for by its mission, the organization identifies its constituencies and serves them in ways both value.

Component 5A: The organization learns from the constituencies it serves and analyzes its capacity to serve their needs and expectations.

1. Who do we identify as our constituency (internal and external), and how do we consider their diverse needs (for example: American Indian)? How does this relate to our mission?

2. How do we communicate with our constituency to identify their changing needs?

3. How do we set priorities for serving our constituencies in alignment with our resources?

4. As a comprehensive university, how do we set priorities to do things that support our mission?

5. How do we assess the needs of constituents and make changes to our programs based on the results?

6. How do we serve the needs of our constituents within the union contracts?

Component 5B: The organization has the capacity and the commitment to engage with its identified constituencies and communities.

1. What categories of constituencies exist that are or will be engaged at some level by SCSU?

2. What are the mechanisms, both formal and informal, for engaging the identified constituencies and communities?

3. What policies and procedures are in place to ensure sufficient resources are available to engage constituencies and communities?

4. What evidence is there for planning for ongoing engagement and service with constituencies and communities?

5. What resources are required to meet the needs of constituencies and communities?

6. How is the community involved through co-curricular activities of the university?

7. How does SCSU determine the limitation on capacity to engage constituencies and communities?

8. What evidence demonstrates that faculty, staff and students engage in service to constituencies and communities?

9. How does SCSU measure the effectiveness of service learning?

10. How are faculty, staff, and students recognized and rewarded for engagement with constituencies and communities?

Component 5C: The organization demonstrates its responsiveness to those constituencies that depend on it for service.

1. Have we identified our constituents who depend on us for service?

2. What collaborative ventures exist with other education organizations, businesses, and other constituents?

3. How do we respond to the specific educational needs of our community?

4. Do our transfer credit policies support the mobility of students and successful degree completion? Are they responsive to new types of learning opportunities external to higher education?

5. How do we respond to the shifting demographics of our community and its educational needs?

6. Do we involve our constituents in the evaluation of our services?

7. How does the institution seek and gather external information?

8. Is there evidence of organizational integrity with our external partnerships?

9. Do the organization's programs build effective bridges and how are they responsive to the needs of diverse communities?

10. What is the process to review external constituencies' needs?

11. Is this process tied to budget/resource allocation?

Component 5D: Internal and external constituencies value the services the organization provides .

1. What evidence exists to demonstrate that faculty and students are participating/engaged in the community (Economic survey, Chamber of Commerce investment, alumni survey, blood drive, math center, planetarium, Ritsche, Atwood, American Way Marathon, orchestra, Lemonade Art Fair, math/science camp, bioscience corridor, Bremer grants, City of St. Cloud)?

2. How does SCSU impact the community? What evidence is there for this impact?

3. What assessments exist to determine if constituents value services? What do assessments show?

4. What does the trend data indicate about the use of university facilities by community constituents?

5. What are curricular and programmatic linkages between the university and the community (internships, etc.)?

6. What evaluation is in place to evaluate our services to constituencies?

7. What evidence is there that the community seeks university ties (2-way grants)?

8. How does the university provide for continuing education needs of licensed professionals?

9. How are service learning activities viewed by the community? How effective are these?

St. Cloud State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity educator and employer.
St. Cloud State University is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
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