WASC Accreditation Overview

1
WASC Accreditation Overview

• Cal Poly
• Institutional Proposal Consultative Committee
• May 24, 2007
• 900 - 1030 am, Fisher 285

2
Meeting Agenda

• I. Welcome Introductions
• II. Discussion of Accreditation Process
• Outcome Identification of process principles
• III. Discussion of our values, issues,
  challenges, assumptions and aspirations
• Outcome Identification of possible Self
  Study themes

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WIP Committee Role

• To participate in framing the first stage of Cal
  Polys WASC accreditation review
• To provide input and feedback on the development
  of Cal Polys WASC self study themes to a smaller
  working group who will write the Institutional
  Proposal
• Help engage and communicate with the campus
  community

4
Questions about Accreditation
5
Focus on Educational Effectiveness
6
Learning Organizations
A Transformative Model
Culture of Evidence-based Learning
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Learning Organizations

• Some Laws of Learning Organizations
• Today's problems come from yesterday's
  "solutions.
• The harder you push, the harder the system pushes
  back.
• The easy way out usually leads back in.
• The cure can be worse than the disease.
• Faster is slower.
• Small changes can produce big results...but the
  areas of highest leverage are often the least
  obvious.
• You can have your cake and eat it too --- but not
  all at once.
• Dividing an elephant in half does not produce two
  small elephants.
• There is no blame.

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Mental Models of Accreditation
Group Discussion

• How do we view accreditation?
• How should we view accreditation?

Outcome Process Principles
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WASC Process
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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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Stage I Institutional Proposal
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Stage I Institutional Proposal

• Establish the context for accreditation review
• Define goals and outcomes for the review
• In light of institutions planning and
  development processes
• Emerging from the institutions examination of
  itself under the new accreditation Standards, and
• Raised by the Commission as a result of the last
  institutional review
• Outline study objectives, methodology, and data
  presentation for CPR and EER

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WASC Standards
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Stage II Capacity and Preparatory Review

• Audit and verify the information provided in the
  Institutional Proposal
• Evaluate key institutional resources, structures,
  and processes
• Identify any capacity-related issues that need to
  be carried forward in the Educational
  Effectiveness Review
• Assess the institutions preparedness to
  undertake the Educational Effectiveness Review

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Stage III Educational Effectiveness Review

• Review the design and results of self study
• Examine institutional practices for evaluating
  student learning and improving the process of
  teaching and learning
• Examine alignment of institutional resources with
  activities designed to achieve the institutions
  educational objectives
• Promote sustained engagement with selected issues
  from Institutional Proposal

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Possible Self Study Themes
Small Group Discussions

• 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?

Outcomes Identify at least two for each
question. Record results on
flip chart for report out.
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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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WIP Strategy