The Accreditation Team Experience: Ten Steps for Team Success

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The Accreditation Team Experience Ten Steps
for Team Success

• Middle States Workshop for New Team Chairs and
  Evaluators
• October 4, 2006
• Patricia A. McGuire
• President, Trinity (Washington) University

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WHATS IT LIKE TO SERVE ON A MIDDLE STATES
ACCREDITATION TEAM?IN FIVE WORDS OR LESS!

• INTENSE
• TEAMWORK
• STIMULATING
• INTELLECTUAL
• COLLEGIAL

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TEN STEPS TO TEAM SUCCESS

• Know Accreditation
• Know the Process
• Be Insightful About Institutional Needs and
  Expectations
• Know Your Characteristics!
• Know Your Role and Play It Well

• Analyze Self-Study and Prepare Field Work Based
  on Analysis
• Interview, Observe, Review
• Write a Great Report
• Know Your MSA Resources
• Good Home Training

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STEP ONE KNOW WHAT ACCREDITATION MEANS
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Accreditation

• Characteristics of Excellence
• Accreditation is the means of self-regulation
  and peer review adopted by the educational
  community.
• The accrediting process is intended to
  strengthen and sustain the quality and integrity
  of higher education, making it worthy of public
  confidence and minimizing the scope of external
  control.
• The extent to which each educational institution
  accepts and fulfills the responsibilities
  inherent in the process is a measure of its
  concern for freedom and quality in higher
  education and its commitment to striving for and
  achieving excellence in its endeavors. (p. iv)

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STEP TWOKNOW HOW ACCREDITATIONIS DONE
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ACCREDITATION AND PLANNING CONCEPTUAL
TIMETABLE TWO-YEAR PROCESS
PRIOR YEAR PLANNING ASSESSMENT DATA
COLLECTION ANALYSIS OF CHARACTERISTICS
FALL YEAR TWO SELF STUDY CIRCULATED FOR
COMMENT AND REVISED
SUMMER YEAR TWO SELF STUDY DRAFTED
WINTER YR TWO SELF-STUDY SUBMITTED TO MSA
AUGUST YEAR ONE OUTLINE STEERING CMTE DATA
COLLECTION DOCUMENTATION
SPRING YR ONE SPRING 05 COMMITTEES DEVELOP
REPORTS
SPRING YEAR TWO TEAM VISIT TEAM REPORT TO MSA
SEPT YR ONE STAFF VISIT
FALL YR TWO PRELIM VISIT TEAM CHAIR
OCTOBER YR ONE DESIGN FOR SS SUBMITTED COMMITTEE
S UNDERWAY
END YR ONE BY END OF YR ALL COMMITTEE REPORTS DUE
COMMISSION ACTION ON ACCREDITATION
AC YR ONE_________________________________________
__________________AC YR TWO_______________________
_ _____________________ AUG SEP OCT
NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY
JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE
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STEP THREEBE INSIGHTFULABOUT
INSTITUTIONALNEEDS ANDEXPECTATIONS
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What Do Institutions Expect of Teams and Chairs?

• Respect for Time and Effort in Self-Study
  Respect for the Institutions expertise about
  itself
• Collegiality with appropriate professional
  distance
• Fairness and Integrity
• Compassionate Rigor
• Expertise in Applying Standards and Interpreting
  Institutional Conditions
• Thorough Preparation and Earnest Interest in the
  Story of the Institution
• Consistency with Role Expectations and Conduct of
  the Visit

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STEP FOURKNOW YOUR CHARACTERISTICS!
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TEAM ANALYSIS OF THECHARACTERISTICS OF EXCELLENCE

• ALL TEAM MEMBERS SHOULD READ THE CHARACTERISTICS
  THOROUGHLY AND FLAG ISSUES PARTICULARLY RELEVANT
  TO THE AREA EACH MEMBER WILL REVIEW AT THE
  INSTITUTION UNDER STUDY
• ANALYZE SELF-STUDY IN LIGHT OF THE
  CHARACTERISTICS
• PREPARE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS DRAWN FROM THIS
  ANALYSIS

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STEP FIVEKNOW YOUR ROLEAND PLAY IT WELL!
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Role of the Team Chair
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Role of the Team Chair
LEADER Team and Institution look to YOU as the
embodiment of the Middle States system and
arbiter of the ethics of peer review
FACILITATOR/COACH Develop Strategy for the Team
Visit Review with Team the Role of Team Members
and Ground Rules for Visits Review with Team
Characteristics of Evidence and related
accreditation materials
ORGANIZER Set Dates for Visits Conduct
Preliminary Visit Manage Communications
Final Report Review Visit Arrangements
Review Documents Make Team Assignments
Chairs Brief Analyze SS
Oral Exit Interview Eval. Cmte.
Meeting
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When Team Chairs Go Bad

• Runaway Team Chair Loses Control of Team
  Direction
• Bully on the Team Chair Fails to
  Confront/Resolve
• Institutional Hide n Seek Chair Ignores
  Reality
• Scrooge Chair Keeps Team Working Past
  Reasonable Hour
• Leviathan Chair As Control Freak
• Terminator Chair Bullies/Threatens Institution

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Role of An Evaluator

• You are Invited because of your expertise, but
  remember the peer in peer review
• Expected to be thoroughly prepared in advance of
  the visit
• KNOW Characteristics thoroughly and other MSACHE
  documents
• ANALYZE Self-Study (see Handbook pp. 24-26)
• BE READY to engage the interview process
  appropriately
• Cooperate with Team Chair in Site Visit
  Assignments, and maintain collegiality with team
  members
• Prepare each interview with care, and record
  notes carefully
• INTERVIEW, do not monologue!
• (If you hear yourself talking for more than 3
  minutes, stop! Ask questions, dont make
  speeches.)
• Refrain from making statements comparing this
  institution to yours
• Avoid Prescriptive Pronouncements
• Make Every Effort to Understand the Institutional
  Mission, Goals and Strategies

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When Good Teams Go Bad

• The Inspector General Persona and Gotcha! Games
• Well, at MY Institution heres how its done.
• I am the Great Oz and I know what you need to be
  doing
• Lets slam them on this
• Could You Believe That President??
• Ive arranged a small meeting with a few
  disaffected faculty to hear whats REALLY going
  on at this place.
• Forget the Characteristics, this place is a mess
  and we need to fix it or shut it down.
• Theyre lying.

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STEP SIXANALYZE THE SELF-STUDYAND PREPARE
FIELD WORKBASED ON THIS ANALYSIS
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PRIOR TO THE VISIT TEAM ASSIGNMENTS

• Chair Establish a pre-visit work plan for the
  team to guide members in preparation
• Identify key areas for each team member to
  review, but stress that all team members must
  read the entire self-study and participate in the
  full review
• Ask team members to prepare written outline of
  the issues and questions they are likely to
  review on the campus visit
• Review the team outlines and questions to be sure
  that all team members understand their roles and
  are heading in the right direction prior to the
  visit
• Team
• Study Characteristics and Designs to create
  mental framework for analysis
• Read and Analyze Self-Study
• Prepare written outline of issues to probe during
  campus visit and likely questions to ask
• Identify relationship to Characteristics for
  issues
• Communicate with team chair about any
  questions/concerns regarding role, issues,
  preparation

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Sample Matrix for Team Assignments
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Understanding the Self-Study

• Designs The self-study process enables the
  campus community to examine the institutions
  strengths and challenges relative to
  accreditation standards. The process also
  enables each institution to develop solutions to
  problems, and to identify opportunities for
  growth and development. The aim is to
  understand, evaluate and improve, not simply to
  describe or defend.
• (emphasis added) (p. 3)

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Understanding the Self-Study

• Designs
• Self-Study
• Continuous Process in Planning Cycle
• Accountability to Constituencies
• Measurements of Goal Achievements
• Meet Accreditation Standards
• Fulfill Institutional Mission

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Problem Set Self-Study Meltdowns and Team
Response Strategies
PROBLEM
ACTION STEP

• Self-Study lacks the basics
• SS is disorganized and badly written
• Gaps in Data
• Too superficial/too self-congratulatory without
  analysis/too descriptive without analysis
• Overly self-critical where data and information
  suggests otherwise
• Political tensions on campus come through in
  report and create analytical skews in the
  narrative and data
• Self-study is not truthful in part, fact only
  discovered through the team visit

• Chair discuss with MSA staff
• Chair Discuss with MSA staff and Institution
  prior to the visit, correct as possible in
  advance
• Be prepared to identify what data sets are
  necessary for the team visit to be successful and
  request the data
• Team must probe beneath the writing to get the
  insightful analysis that the document may lack.
  Need to distinguish between writing style
  preferences of team members and real problems
  with the self-study
• Chair and team discuss gaps between reality and
  statements in the report and reasons
• Team cannot get drawn into campus political
  issues need to pierce through the tension to get
  at facts and analysis of performance and outcomes
• Chair must discuss issues with the institutional
  president as soon as the facts are in hand
  consult with MSA staff if necessary
• Problems of collegiality in the self-study
  process can be addressed in the team report.

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Problem Set Self-Study Meltdowns and Team
Response Strategies
PROBLEM
ACTION STEP

• Institution plans a selected topics self-study
  but needs a comprehensive review

• As Designs makes clear, this kind of problem
  should be addressed in the early stages of
  self-study preparation, see pp. 10-11.
• Institution should submit proposal for selected
  topics 24 months in advance
• Commission staff evaluate proposal and compliance
  with all accreditation standards
• (Option 1) Chairs Preliminary Visit should
  review the plan and the documentation supporting
  compliance with standards NOT addressed in the
  selected topics self-study
• Chair and Generalist Evaluator write a report,
  see p. 11
• (Option 2) Chair and Generalist Evaluator review
  the comprehensive compliance documentation during
  the regular visit, with team focused on special
  topics, and Chair/Evaluator write report on
  compliance with other standards
• In all events, the Chair should consult as early
  as possible with the MSA staff if there are
  questions, differences of opinion, or new data on
  this topic

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Problem Set Self-Study Meltdowns and Team
Response Strategies
PROBLEM
ACTION STEP

• Institution chose a selected topics model of
  self-study and the report seems fine, but during
  the team visit it becomes clear that there are
  major problems at the institution that a focused
  self-study ignored, whereas a comprehensive
  self-study would have addressed the problems
• Team member(s) ignore selected topics and insist
  on pursuing other avenues of inquiry

• Chair should seek guidance from MSA staff. Might
  be appropriate to address the problem in the team
  report. Campus visit should ensue on the basis
  of the report given, and that report should be
  addressed, but the gaps should also be
  illuminated and addressed for further action.
• Chair is in charge of the team and responsible to
  ensure that the team stays focused

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STEP SEVENINTERVIEW, OBSERVE, REVIEW MAKE
GOOD USE OF TIME ON CAMPUS
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MAXIMIZING TIME ON THE CAMPUS VISITINTERVIEWS,
OBSERVATIONS, REVIEWS

• Chair Prepare interview list and schedule well
  in advance in consultation with the institution
  and the team changes can and will occur during
  the visit, but have a game plan in advance and
  change strategically
• Team All members should have a prepared set of
  issues and interview questions for the
  appointments
• Observe An important part of the campus visit
  is observation of the environment, facilities,
  availability of services, general conditions
• Review A large part of time on campus is also
  spent reviewing source documents that support
  assertions in the self-study the team should
  come prepared with a list of topics that bear
  additional research time when on campus

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How to Conduct an InterviewDuring a Team Visit

• Preparation Interviews test and illuminate the
  self-study. Good interviews start with thorough
  knowledge of the self-study and institutional
  materials. Chair makes interview assignments
  according to the expertise of the team, but team
  members also identify potential interviews, and
  the final schedule reflects dialogue between team
  chair and members about assignments.
• Develop Interview Objectives and Questions For
  each interview, the team member should know the
  objectives of the interview, develop clear
  questions, and be sure those questions relate to
  the self-study and accreditation criteria.
• Seek Dialogue, NOT Cross-Examination Questions
  should be designed to evoke analysis and
  dialogue. This is not a cross-examination or
  interrogation, and questions that make the
  interviewee feel put on the spot are generally
  not helpful.
• Set the Context and Explain the Objectives At
  the outset of the interview, be sure to get the
  names and positions of everyone in the room.
  Greet the individual or group in a friendly way,
  and remind all of the purpose of accreditation.
  Frame the objectives of the interview and general
  topics under review in this session. Set the
  time limit as well.
• Avoid Monologue and Prescription Team members
  must not use interview times to lecture the
  interviewee, monologue about your opinions, or
  offer prescriptions about what the institution
  should do. You are there to learn, test
  assertions constructively and push analysis by
  institutional participants.
• Take Careful Notes Interviews form an important
  part of the background for the team report, and
  often a statement in an interview can shape the
  teams understanding of some dimension of the
  self-study. Notes taken during the interview
  facilitate accuracy and completeness.

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STEP EIGHTWRITING A GREAT TEAM REPORT
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TEMPLATE FOR TEAM REPORTS(See pp. 32-38
Chairing and Hosting)

• Context and Nature of the Visit
• a) Institutional Overview
• b) Scope of Institution
• c) Self-Study Process
• Affirmation of Continued Compliance With
  Eligibility Requirements
• Compliance with Federal/State/Other
  Regulatory/Other Accreditation
• Compliance with Accreditation Standards
• For each standard (or by major heading in the
  self-study, with standards identified) the report
  should follow this outline
• a) Summary of Evidence and Findings
• b) Significant accomplishments/progress/exemplary
  practices
• c) Suggestions for Improvement
• d) Recommendations
• e) Requirements
• Summary of Team Recommendations and Requirements
• Standard Recommendation Requirement

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Suggestions, Recommendations, Requirements
Whats the Difference?

• SUGGESTIONS
• may reflect ideas for improvement in performance
  within accreditation standards based on the
  professional experience of team members or the
  guidance of CHE publications
• RECOMMENDATIONS
• identify areas where the institution needs
  improvement in order to continue to meet
  accreditation standards
• must state specifically how the institution might
  be at risk of non-compliance
• team report must be specific about the standard
  and how the institution needs to improve
• note that a recommendation warrants Commission
  follow-up with a progress letter or monitoring
  report
• REQUIREMENTS
• address specific points where the institution
  fails to meet the accreditation standards
• and set forth steps the institution should take
  to comply

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STEP NINEKNOW YOUR MSA RESOURCES!
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Resources for Team Support

• All of the Middle States Documents
• Middle States Staff
• Experienced Evaluators
• Team Chair

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STEP TENGOOD HOME TRAINING
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Good Home Training

• Things that shouldnt need to be said, but
  sometimes have to be
• Leave your biases at home.
• If you have a conflict of interest, reveal it
  before the visit.
• Respect the privacy and reputation of the
  institution. Do not share what you have
  learned about the institution when you get home.
• Keep your sense of humor apparent, but mild.
  This is not the time to try out for Second City.
• Do not be dour, or angry, or difficult, this is a
  TEAM and we all need to get along.
• Bar bills should not be necessary at all, but pay
  for your drinks personally if you choose to have
  a drink.
• Same for movies and personal phone bills.
• There are no job opportunities for you at this
  school.
• If you hate the experience, do not volunteer for
  this gig again.
• If you love the experience definitely sign-up
  again.
• Be open to learning new things you didnt
  anticipate.
• Get to bed at a reasonable time each night.