Countdown to Accreditation
“Accreditation provides external affirmation by trained and knowledgeable peer evaluators about the quality of education provided by an institution.” — Ann Hall, Assistant Provost
For Ann Hall, D-Day is almost here.
Alma College’s 10-year accreditation visit by a team representing the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools takes place Nov. 2-4. While the College has been accredited continuously since 1916, it must undergo a comprehensive review every 10 years to maintain its status as an accredited institution.
For the past two years, preparing for the accreditation review has been one of Hall’s top priorities, including the development of the College’s comprehensive self study report.
With the team visit just days away, Hall took a few moments to answer the following questions:
Who will be visiting Nov. 2-4?
“The visiting team will consist of senior officers and faculty from other liberal arts institutions, including Team Chair Dr. Ferol Menzel, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Warburg College in Waverly, Iowa; Dr. Barbara Andereck, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Ohio Wesleyan University; Dr. G. Blair Dowden, President of Huntington University; and Dr. William Flanagan, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Beloit College. “
Where will the visiting team be located during the visit?
“For the duration of the visit, the Reid Knox Conference Room will be set aside for the exclusive use of the team as an on-campus work and resource room. The set-up for the room will begin Monday, Oct. 26, therefore the conference room will be unavailable for campus meetings from Oct. 26 through Nov. 6.”
What exactly will happen Nov. 2-4?
“During their visit, the four team members will meet with various individuals and groups to learn more about Alma. Each team member will be given several aspects of the campus to evaluate. They have been provided with a copy of the Self Study Report as well as the Academic Catalog, Student Life Handbook, Manual of Organization and Operation, Support Staff Handbook, and two years of financial statements. They also will have access to a wide variety of documents from the past 10 years. The team members will spend a significant portion of their time reviewing the collected resources as well as talking with folks on campus.
“In addition to individual and committee meetings, there will be four open forums for different campus groups. Everyone is encouraged to attend the appropriate forum. Email reminders will be sent to each campus group.
• Student forum, 2:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, Dow L-4
• Support staff forum, 4:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, Van Dusen Commons
• Administrative staff forum, 4:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, SAC 109
• Faculty forum, 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, SAC 113
What are the visiting team members looking for?
“As they meet with the campus community and review the collected resources, team members will be evaluating the College with an eye toward the standards established in the Higher Learning Commission’s criteria for accreditation. They will be gathering evidence that the self-study is thorough and accurate. Although they will be looking for areas of concern, they will also look for areas of excellence that they will highlight in their report. While much of their role is evaluative, they also serve as consultants. Therefore, they will also be thinking about suggestions they can make for the College's consideration. “
How should I respond if a visiting team member requests to interview me?
“Say yes. The faculty, staff and students are essential to the evaluative process. Feel free to respond to their questions honestly and openly.”
What does the College hope to gain from the accreditation team visit?
“While a simple answer might be ‘re-accreditation for the next 10 years,’ we also hope to obtain an external perspective about the Alma College liberal arts education and our progress as a learning community, including classroom and student life experiences, curriculum, policies, practices, and resources. The recently completed self study will provide input into our ongoing planning efforts so this external perspective will add to our understanding and provide new insights as we develop the next strategic plan.”
Why is accreditation important?
“Accreditation provides external affirmation by trained and knowledgeable peer evaluators about the quality of education provided by an institution. It is a requirement for federal funding and for other essential sources of funding, and it is a basic expectation for the profession.”
How soon will we learn the outcome of the accreditation team visit?
“Before the team leaves, they will tell us what they will recommend to the Higher Learning Commission. However, the formal notification from the Commission of the approved outcome may take several months.”
Posted: Thu, October 22nd, 2009 at 10:03AM
