Accreditation is an important indicator of education quality. Since 1974, Rochester College has maintained

regional accreditation, the most highly regarded form, through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of

the North Central Association (NCA) of Colleges and Schools. All colleges and universities must periodically

renew their accreditation by completing a comprehensive evaluation to demonstrate their eligibility for

renewal. This evaluation process includes a self study documenting the state of the college, and a site visit

from the accrediting commission. Rochester College recently completed a self study and will be hosting the

HLC for a site visit on March 11-13 of 2013.

Rochester College began the self study in August 2010, involving the Board of Trustees,

administration, faculty, staff, and students in the process. Various committees were formed including

an Executive Committee, a Steering Committee, and five Criterion Committees. Each Criterion Committee

drafted a report analyzing Rochester College’s compliance with one of the HLC’s five criteria for continuing

accreditation. These criterion reports became chapters in the full self study document. The full and

complete document is now available online at WWW.ISSUU.COM/ROCHESTERCOLLEGE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE 2013 SELF-STUDY

Challenging Academics. Christian Community.

CRITERION ONE: MISSIONTHE INSTITUTION’S MISSION IS CLEAR AND ARTICULATED PUBLICALLY;

IT GUIDES THE INSTITUTION’S OPERATIONS.

Rochester College is a mission-centered institution. The Christian values articulated in the mission give the

institution a unique identity that guides all areas of the institution. The Rochester College mission statement

and supporting mission materials are widely known and broadly understood by the campus community,

and they provide the framework for all our activities, including curriculum development and instruction,

financial planning, and recruiting, and outreach.

• In2009,ourintegratedlearningacademicmodelwasdesignedandourgeneral

education program was revised. These changes strengthened the relationship

between academic programs and the institutional mission.

• Thecurrentmissionstatementistheresultofatwo-yearrevisionprocessthatbegan

inthefallof2008.Astrategicthinktankcommittee,theacademiccabinet,thefaculty

as a whole, and the Board of Trustees were involved in this revision.

• ManystudentsselectRochesterCollegebasedontheChristiancharacterofthe

institutional mission, and student extra-curricular activities naturally correlate with the

mission.

• Thecollege’scommitmentstoservantleadershipandglobalawareness,articulated

in the mission, guide our commitment to diversity and our interactions with the

broader community, making Rochester College a significant contributor to the

promotion of the public good.

CRITERION TWO: ETHICAL AND RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT THE INSTITUTION FULFILLS ITS MISSION ETHICALLY AND RESPONSIBLY.

Rochester College fulfills our mission in an ethical and responsible manner through our

processes of policy adoption and implementation, through comprehensive and continuing

communication, through the autonomy of the board, and through its commitments to ethical

teaching and learning.

• RochesterCollegeiscommittedtocomprehensiveandcontinuingcommunication

with employees, students, alumni, its donor base, and the public at large through

extensive print, online, and in-person methods.

• RochesterCollegehasestablishedfairandethicalpoliciesandprocessesthatare

clearly communicated in various Codes of Conduct, including the Student Handbook,

Faculty Handbook, Employee Handbook, Rochester College Gift Policies and

Guidelines,andtheCodeofAcademicIntegrity.

• TheBoardofTrusteesisfunctioningwithautonomyandintegrityasdemonstrated

bytheiradoptionofnewpoliciesandtheCarver’sPolicyGovernance®Modelin

Nonprofit Organizations.

• RochesterCollegeiscommittedtothefreedomofexpressionandthepursuitoftruth

in teaching and learning, as shown by student publications and by policies and

practices regarding research and teaching.

• RochesterCollegeensuresthatknowledgeisacquired,discovered,andapplied

responsibly through a variety of policies and practices including research with human

participants, plagiarism, and academic integrity.

CRITERION THREE: TEACHING AND LEARNING—QUALITY, RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT THE INSTITUTION PROVIDES HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION, WHEREVER AND HOWEVER ITS

OFFERINGS ARE DELIVERED

Rochester College provides students with a consistently high-quality education.

• Ouracademicorganizationensuresthatstudentsinallofourdelivery

models—traditional, online, Center for Extended Learning, and early

college—receive equitable academic support and are held to the same

academic standards.

• RochesterCollegeregularlyassessesandupdatesallacademicofferings.

• InstitutionalLearningGoalsandgeneraleducationrequirementshavebeen

carefully developed with academic quality in mind, and are consistently

applied to all programs.

• RochesterCollegehasthephysicalresources,faculty,andstaffnecessaryfor

delivering and supporting high-quality education.

• RochesterCollegeoffersanenrichededucationalenvironmentthroughourIntegrated

Learning approach and co-curricular offerings.

CRITERION FOUR: TEACHING AND LEARNING—EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT

THE INSTITUTION DEMONSTRATES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE QUALITY OF ITS

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, AND SUPPORT SERVICES, AND

EVALUATES THEIR EFFECTIVENESS FOR STUDENT LEARNING THROUGH PROCESSES

DESIGNED TO PROMOTE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.

Rochester College ensures the quality of its educational programs and environments and

evaluates their effectiveness for student learning through processes designed to foster

continuous improvement.

• TheCollegeengagesinregularprogramreviewatmultiplelevelsacrossthe

institution.

• Carefulreviewandevaluationoftransfercreditandcourseprerequisitesoccursona

continuing basis.

The mission not only guides

all decisions and activities,

but also defines the passion

of our people.

• Our commitment to effective student support services is manifested through our

Student Development initiatives, strong supplemental instruction and academic

support services, and careful integration of co-curricular programs such as athletics

with these services.

• TheCollegehasobtainedspecializedaccreditation(CCNE)foritsBSNprogramandis

pursuing specialized accreditation for other programs as appropriate.

• Ongoingassessmentofstudentlearningoccursinallacademicdepartments.

Additionally,theCollegehasdemonstrateditscommitmenttoassessmentofstudent

learningthroughthehiringofafull-timeDirectorofAssessmentanditscurrent

participationintheHLCAcademyfortheAssessmentofStudentLearning.

• RochesterCollegedemonstratesitscommitmenttoeducationalimprovement

through institution-wide interdepartmental retention efforts.

CRITERION FIVE: RESOURCES, PLANNING, AND INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESSTHE INSTITUTION’S RESOURCES, STRUCTURES, AND PROCESSES ARE SUFFICIENT TO

FULFILL ITS MISSION, IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF ITS EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS, AND

RESPOND TO FUTURE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES. THE INSTITUTION PLANS FOR

THE FUTURE.

Rochester College manages resources responsibly to ensure the fulfillment of our mission.

We have the resources needed to properly support academic programs and operations, and

through rigorous assessment, evaluation, and restructuring we continue to position ourselves

to better serve our constituents in the decade to come.

• RochesterCollegehasastrongcommitmenttomaintainingcurrentresourcesand

cultivating new resources in the areas of human resources, technology, finances, and

stakeholder support.

• RochesterCollegehasawell-developedbudgetingandmonitoringprocessinplace

that involves all stakeholders.

• Theboardandadministrationhavestructuredandregularinteractionwithboth

internal constituencies and the community in which it resides and serves.

• Thecollegehasspentthepastthreeyearsassessingitspositionandtheeducational

model that will define the future of this institution.

• RochesterCollegeallocatesitsresourcesinalignmentwithourmissionandpriorities.

• Thecollegeregularlyperformsenvironmentalscanning,carefullymonitoringour

internal and external environments to detect early signs of opportunities and threats

that may influence our plans.

• RochesterCollegeevaluatesitsoperationscontinuously.Itlearnsfromitsoperational

experience and applies that learning to improve its institutional effectiveness,

capabilities, and sustainability.

This report is publicly available and

has been shared with Rochester

College’s constituents via e-mails and

presentations to the Board of Trustees,

employees, students, alumni, and

various community groups.