Criterion 4 Subcommittee Report

The Highfalutenist – Rootentootenist Criterion

Group You Ever Saw!

Component 4a

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

Faculty Encouraged to Seek Terminal Degrees

• 1995 – 1997• Full-Time Faculty with TD – 12 (39%)• F-T Faculty Without TD – 19 (61%)• F-T Admin Faculty with TD – 9 (64%)• F-T Admin Faculty Without TD – 5

(79%)

• 2006 – 2008• F-T Faculty with TD – 24 (64%)• F-T Faculty without TD – 16 (40%)• F-T Admin Faculty with TD – 6 (67%)• F-T Admin Faculty without TD – 3

(33%)• F-T Faculty in TD programs – 4 (10%)

• 64% of full-time faculty hold terminal degrees compared to 39% ten years ago

Benefits that Promote Criterion 4a• Employee Tuition Benefit Discount• Tuition Benefit Discount for

AGTS/NCU Master’s Program• Campus-Based Faculty

Development• John Phillipps Scholarship Grant

Benefits Con’t.

• In-Service Stipends• Sabbatical Leaves• Faculty Discount

Training Seminars Attended by NCU Staff• 1-1-98 through 12-12-05

• 94 staff members attended a total of 481 conferences (273 unique)

• Average of 5 conferences per staff member

• Nearly $100,000 spent on staff development

• All staff attend all day staff in-service twice each year

Strengths

• Strong funding for staff development• Wide variety of personnel attend

training• Staff meet regularly for staff

development• NCU committed to building a FT

teaching faculty with terminal degrees with excellent progress toward this goal in last 10 years

Weaknesses

• NCU does not have a formal means of tracking staff development

• NCU needs to increase funding and opportunities for staff and faculty professional development

• NCU relies too heavily on Part-Time Adjunct Faculty

Board of Regents Support

• Budget line for professional development

• Leave of absence • Assessment of administrators

includes literature read and professional and personal development activities

• Sabbatical leave and Promotions• 20 sabbatical requests approved from

1997-1998 through 2006-2007 academic years

• 16 faculty promotions granted from Sept. 1997 to Sept. 2005

• New majors approved – 9 from 1997 to spring 2006

• New supporting programs added

Weaknesses

• Concern over hiring “specialists” bringing into question pay equity

• Little evidence demonstrating how the Board values a life of learning for itself

• Board Minutes/Dockets contain no evidence of information provided in this report

Student Commitment to a Life of Learning

• Number of students earning ministry credits• 2003-2004 total – 302• 2004-2005 total – 529• 95% of Freshmen in ministry activities• Department specific requirements

• Youth majors have participated in ministry projects 1700 times from Fall 2001 through Fall 2005

• 88.7% graduating seniors participated in volunteer work

• 100% graduating seniors participated in local church activities

• General student population• 98.3% attend religious services• 60% participated in organized

demonstrations• 90% performed volunteer work• 60% performed community service as

part of a class• 8.3% participated in political

campaigns

Srengths

• Many requirements and opportunities for community involvement

• 90% of students regularly involved in church services

• Over 50% regularly involved in community activities

Weakness

• No not have one all inclusive measuring tool for overall community involvement

Student Internships

• All majors include a student internship requirement – serves as bridge between academic and real-life experience

• All graduating seniors must participate• Includes 120 hours of field work plus

journaling, readings, and reporting

Leadership Mentoring

• Two strong foci at NCU• 230 formal leadership positions on

campus• Minor in Leadership Studies• Male and female Mentor Communities

offered• 27 – 30% students report having been

mentored• Results of two surveys indicate students

value mentoring (60%/96%)

Publications

• Student Newspaper “Northern Light” and alternative newspapers led by students published 73 articles supporting a life of learning from 1982 – 2005

• Quarterly “Friends” and “NCU Magazine” published 20 and 23 articles respectively in support of life of learning.

Srength

• Both alumni and student publications regularly feature articles reflecting importance of “life of learning”

Weaknesses

• Both types of publications have relatively infrequent publication schedules and emphasis on “life of learning” changes from year to year

• NCU does not adequately track students attending graduate school. Number cannot be determined

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

IRC

• Comprehensive program of library instruction that meets the needs of any student interested in library research• IRC not proactive because of shortage

of staff and resources• Students must request

Strength

• Comprehensive seven-part strategy for meeting student research needs

Weakness

• IRC lacks adequate professional staff to undertake a library instruction program

• The IRC (through no fault of their own) does not meet the requirements of this section of the criterion

SIFE

• Nonprofit organization that gives students the tools to learn the free enterprise system

• Teaches students the value of teaching others throughout a lifetime

English 124 Rhetoric and Resaerch• Strategies for critical reading• Learn and apply stages of the writing

process• Learn to use a variety of sources• Research a specific topic and write

original persuasive paper• Develop fluency in Standard Written

English• Learn to make well-reasoned responses

to others’ ideas

Senior Project

• Culminating experience for most majors

• Projects differ• Intellectual inquiry integral to NCU

programs• Research, writing, performance,

speaking, and teaching skills needed throughout a lifetime

Component 4c

• The organization assesses the usefulness of its curricula to students who will live and work in a global, diverse, and technological society

Program Self Assessment Survey (PSAS)

• Subjects• Questions• Indicators• Recommendations

Technology

• This is a weakness

Component 4d

• The organization provides support to ensure that faculty, students, and staff acquire, discover, and apply knowledge responsibly

Faculty Survey

• Description• Questions• Representative responses• Summary