Fort Lewis College

SURVIVING AND THRIVING INTO

THE NEW MILLENIUM!

Self-Study Plan for Re-Accreditation

Self-Study Steering Committee

Bill Bolden, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs

Gary Gianniny, Associate Professor of Geosciences and Chair of General Education Council

Laura Godfrey, Director of Assessment

Melissa Knight-Maloney, Associate Professor of Exercise Science and Chair of Curriculum Committee

Sue Kraus, Visiting Associate Professor of Psychology

Page Lindsey, Professor of Biology

Doug Lyon, Assistant Professor of Management

Susan Moss, Professor of Art and Women’s Studies and Coordinator of General Education

Stephen Roderick, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Carol Smith, Dean of General and Exploratory Studies

Celestine Woo, Assistant Professor of English

Craig Young, Director of Computing and Telecommunications

Steering Committee Coordinators

Susan Moss Laura Godfrey

970-247-7340970-247-7615

Submitted to

The Higher Learning Commission

A Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

June 2004

Table of Contents

Preface

Goals for Self-Study

Anticipated Issues

Organization

Timeline

Campus and Community Involvement and Information Plan

Master List of Campus Units

Proposed Table of Contents for Self-Study Report

PREFACE

Fort Lewis College received a ten-year continuing accreditation in 1996 from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. This document describes the structure and process necessary to conduct a re-accreditation self-study in preparation for our next accreditation visit.

We anticipate that the self-study will provide us with a framework for engaging the campus and community in an ongoing evaluation process that will increase understanding of our strengths, challenges, and mission. This will enable strategic planning consistent with our mission and will prepare us to successfully address future challenges.

GOALS FOR SELF-STUDY PROCESS

Fort Lewis College will engage the entire college community in a comprehensive self-study to ensure that the institution is a distinctive, future-oriented, learning-focused organization connected with the larger community. The following goals will guide this effort.

Guiding Principle

As much as possible use existing committees, groups, administrative units, and campus initiatives to conduct self-study work.

Goals

  1. The self-study report will meet HLC criteria for accreditation.
  2. Document that the college’s operations and decision making processes are mission-driven
  3. Document that the college actively prepares for the future
  4. Document that the college values student learning and effective teaching
  5. Document that the college promotes a life of learning for its faculty, administration, staff and students
  6. Document that the college identifies and serves its constituencies in ways both value
  1. Through the self-study process the college will identify its strengths and understand and analyze them vis-à-vis the criteria.
  2. Highlight strengths
  3. Build processes during the self-study to sustain improvement
  1. Through the self-study process the college will identify challenges and understand them.
  2. Identify critical challenges
  3. Create action plans to address challenges, wherever possible
  4. Build processes during the self-study to sustain improvement
  1. Assure that the re-accreditation process contributes to the long-term continuous improvement of the college.
  2. Engage the entire community in the self-study process
  3. Bring various college constituencies (internal and external) to greater understanding and appreciation of each other’s roles
  4. Focus campus discussion on key challenges identified during the self-study
  5. Use processes, documents, strategies and resources developed during the self-study to build and sustain campus communication and engagement in ongoing improvement
  6. Integrate follow-up of self-study recommendations with institutional decision making through planning, budgeting and action.

ANTICIPATED ISSUES

  • Retention of students – An institutional priority is improvement in student retention and we have made progress in this area. However, we are challenged by new state policies that encourage transfer. For the long term vitality of the institution, both retention and transfer must be addressed.
  • Budget– We have had significant budget cuts and anticipate further state reductions. As we move from being a state supported school to a state assisted school, we will be challenged to find innovative way to maintain and improve the quality of our educational offerings.
  • Morale – Like many other public institutions, we face a changed political and budgetary environment. A combination of factors – uncertainty about the budget, layoffs, new state rules (at times, contradictory), a sense of loss of institutional and professional autonomy – contribute to pockets of low morale.We plan to use the self-study process in ways that will identify and address such concerns.
  • Change – We recently separated from the Colorado State University system and have a new, independent governing board. Our new president began June 1, 2004, after a 2 year interim president. An administrative reorganization this past academic year has restructured administrative and academic units. Legislative and political involvement in higher education in Colorado has increased dramatically in the past three years. For some faculty and staff these changes contribute to a sense of discomfort and uncertain work environment, while for others many of these changes represent dynamic new ways of defining our focus and promise to contribute to a stronger institution in the future.
  • Mission and long term planning – With a new president and governing board in place, we anticipate a review of the college mission and the development of new decision making processes that are more clearly driven by mission along with long term planning that is focused on institutional effectiveness.
  • Concerns from last accreditation visit – We have made tremendous strides in addressing concerns about general education and assessment of student learning. We expect continued improvement in these areas to emerge from the self-study process.

ORGANIZATION

Fort Lewis College proposes to organize the self-study into four phases.

  • Preparation
  • Study and Action
  • Consolidation and Report
  • Visit and Follow-up

The principal tasks for each phase are detailed below.
Preparation

The Governing Board and President set the self-study process as a top institutional priority. A self-study steering committee is appointed and a plan for the self-study is developed.

Study and Action

The self-study steering committee engages the entire campus and community constituents in the self-study process and discussion of significant institutional issues via a survey, luncheon discussions, and on-line threaded discussions. Survey questions and discussion issues are keyed to HLC criteria. Information from the survey and follow-up discussions provide a big-picture backdrop for closer investigation of how well the college addresses accreditation criteria.

A matrix that crosses HLC criteria and core components with potential sources of evidence is created and developed through out the self-study process. Investigations are conducted using standard forms. Administrative units, college organizations and committees, and faculty and staff provide or develop information. Findings, recommendations, and action plans are processed through the criterion and steering committees and appropriate administrative units. Formal input from the community is sought.
Consolidation and Report

The final draft aggregation of findings and recommendations is determined by the steering committee. The President’s Cabinet, administrative units, and college organizations and committees comment on and review these. A final evaluative analysis of findings, along with descriptive information, is woven into a self-study report narrative. The steering committee presents and distributes the report to campus and community.
Visiting Team/Follow-up Phase
The college hosts the visiting team. College administration and steering committee respond to visiting team questions, recommendations, and suggestions.

TIMELINE

Date / Who / Task
Feb. 2004 / Fort Lewis College / Appoint Self-study steering committee
Begin planning process
Mar. 2004 / Fort Lewis College / Notify HLC-NCA of date preferences
Mar. 2004 / Fort Lewis College / Steering Committee members attend HLC-NCA Annual Meeting
Apr.-May / Fort Lewis College / Steering Committee drafts self-study plan
June 1 / Fort Lewis College / President, board and faculty senate review
self study plan
June 28 2004 / Fort Lewis College / Submit self-study plan to NCA staff liaison
Aug. 2004 / Fort Lewis College / Revise self-study plan,
organize subcommittees
Aug. 2004 / Fort Lewis College / Create self-study website
Sept. 2004 / Fort Lewis College / Begin engagement of faculty/staff/community via survey and follow-up discussions
Sept.-Nov. 2004 / Fort Lewis College / Criterion subcommittees gather data
Sept.-Nov. 2004 / Fort Lewis College / Academic and administrative departments and college organizations provide data to criterion subcommittee.
Jan. 2005 / Fort Lewis College / Criterion subcommittees report to steering committee
Jan.-Mar. 2005 / Fort Lewis College / Draft self-study written
Jan. 2005 / HLC-NCA / Confirm visitation dates
Jan. 2005 / Fort Lewis College / Suggest team competencies
Mar. 2005 / Fort Lewis College / Draft self-study circulated
Sept.-Oct. 2005 / Fort Lewis College / Self-study finalized
Oct. 15 2005 / Fort Lewis College / Self-study sent to HLC-NCA liaison for comment
Nov. 2005 / Fort Lewis College / Preparation for consultant/evaluator visit
Dec. 2005 / Fort Lewis College / Mock visit
Dec. 1, 2005 / Fort Lewis College / Materials sent to evaluation team and HLC-NCA staff
Jan. 23 – 25, 2006 / All / Evaluation visit
Mar. 2006 / HLC-NCA / Draft report sent to FLC
Mar. 2006 / Fort Lewis College / Respond to draft report
Apr. 2006 / Fort Lewis College / Send response to finalized team report to HLC-NCA
Apr. 2006 / Fort Lewis College / Send self-study report to Readers Panel
June/July 2006 / HLC-NCA / Commission acts
July 2006 / Fort Lewis College / Share results with college & community
Follow-up action plans developed if required
Follow-up reports to HLC-NCA if required

CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND INFORMATION PLAN

The Steering Committee is dedicated to keeping the college and community involved and informed during all phases of this self-study process. To accomplish this, several actions are planned:

  • Representatives of the Steering Committee will meet with each campus organizational unit.
  • Steering committee will create a website for documents and data.
  • A resource/documents room will be created.
  • Input from community members will be solicited via surveys and invitations to campus forums.
  • Email updates regarding the self-study process will be provided regularly to the campus community.
  • Representatives of the Steering Committee and FLC Administration will meet with key community leaders and organizations.
  • HLC-NCA Liaison will be invited to address the college community.
  • Board of Trustees will be regularly updated and consulted. Board will provide guidance as they see fit.
  • President Bartel will emphasize the self-study process as a major campus priority at 2004 Fall Conference and throughout the next 2 years.

MASTER LIST OF CAMPUS UNITS

See also Organizational Chart (attached)

Board of Trustees

President/Administration

Foundation Board

Alumni Association Board

External Affairs

Legal

Center of Southwest Studies

Athletics

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dean of the School of Behavioral & Natural Sciences/Associated Programs and Units

Dean of the School of Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences/Associated Programs and Units

Dean of the School of Business Administration/Associated Programs and Units

Dean of General & Exploratory Studies/Associated Programs and Units

Campus Committees

Vice President for Finance and Administration

Audit

Auxiliary Services

Budgets

Computing and Telecommunications

Concert Hall

Controller

Hazardous Materials

Human Resources

Physical Plant

Purchasing

Vice President for Student Affairs

Student Leadership/Associated Students of FLC

Housing

Recreational Services

International Programs

El Centro

Native American Center

Admissions

Financial Aid

Judicial Affairs

Police and Parking

Health Center

Counseling Center

Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs

Library

Teacher Education

Assessment

Records

Extended Studies

Community Services

Institutional Research

Grants and Contracts

Faculty Senate

Faculty Committees

PROPOSED TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR SELF-STUDY REPORT

Chap. 1: Overview

Chap. 2: General Institutional Requirements

Chap. 3: Response to 1995 NCA Report

Chap. 4: Changes

Chap. 5: Criterion 1—Mission and Integrity

Chap. 6: Criterion 2—Preparing for Future

Chap. 7: Criterion 3—Student Learning and Effective Teaching

Chap. 8: Criterion 4—Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge

Chap. 9: Criterion 5—Engagement and Service

Chap. 10: Summary and Future Applications of Self-Study Findings

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