lessons learned in writing a periodic review report kara o. siegert, phd special assistant to the...
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LESSONS LEARNED IN WRITING A PERIODIC
REVIEW REPORTKara O. Siegert, PhD
Special Assistant to the President, Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment
Robert M. Tardiff, PhD
Professor, Mathematics & Former Associate Provost
SESSION OBJECTIVES
Attendees will be able to: describe how a representative and
effective committee of faculty and staff is an essential ingredient in developing a meaningful PRR.
outline a proven method for creating a PRR document.
identify key documents and reports that should be utilized in creating the PRR.
ABOUT SALISBURY UNIVERSITY Master’s level comprehensive institution with
42 undergraduate & 14 graduate programs Member of the University System of Maryland Has 4 privately endowed schools (Liberal Arts,
Science & Technology, Education & Professional Studies, and Business)
Enrolls about 8,600 students with 92% in undergraduate programs
570 faculty (300 TT) and 900+ support staff
MSCHE PRR OBJECTIVES
To assess the impact of significant major developments, changes, or challenges subsequent to the last evaluation
To assess the institution’s response to recommendations resulting from the previous evaluation
To review the institution’s enrollment trends, financial status, and enrollment and financial projections
To determine the current status of the implementation of plans for the assessment of institutional effectiveness and the assessment of student learning outcomes (accreditation standards 7 and 14)
To assess the extent to which linked institutional planning and budgeting processes are in place
PRR SECTIONS
I. Executive SummaryII. Response to RecommendationsIII. Challenges & OpportunitiesIV. Enrollment and Finance ProjectionsV. Assessment of Institutional
Effectiveness & Student LearningVI. Linking Institutional Planning and
Budgeting
ATTEND MSCHE PRR WORKSHOP
Chair(s) attend a MSCHE PRR Workshop
Learn What the PRR must address What reviewers of the PRR look for
Review successful PRR’s both at the workshop and online
PRR VS. GRANT PROPOSAL
PRR is similar to a grant proposal Consultation with agency professionals Clear guidelines equate to the Request for
Proposal Peer Review Concise with limited extraneous, PR-type
comments Presented using one “voice”
LESSON #1: DEVELOPING THE COMMITTEE
Create a representative & informed committee that: Reviews PRR Guidelines & previous accreditation
documents self-study visiting team’s report institutional response follow-up actions
Endorses a timeline (example) allowing for feedback from all constituents (e.g., governance bodies, Executive staff, editors)
LESSON #1: DEVELOPING THE COMMITTEE Review the sections of the PRR and
determine who can serve as leaders and who knows campus history
Consider positions that served on the last self-study and those that are a part of institutional Strategic Planning
Key campus representatives:Faculty leaders Student Affairs
Academic Affairs Student Affairs
Enrollment Management
Administration & Finance
LESSON #2:ORGANIZING THE COMMITTEE & CONTENT
Organizing the committee: Round 1: based on previous self-study sub-
committees Round 2: based on themes identified during
brainstorming Brainstorming identified institutional
highlights relevant to each PRR section Reviewed notes to determine common
themes and identify those that were related to MSCHE standards (qualitative approach)
LESSON #2:ORGANIZING THE COMMITTEE & CONTENT
Round 1 Subcommittees:
Assessment Facilities
Enrollment Management
Community Response
Resource Management
Computing
LESSON #2:ORGANIZING THE COMMITTEE & CONTENT
Round 2 Subcommittees:Closing the Achievement Gap & First-year student initiatives
Assessment/General Education/APR
Budgeting Accreditation & Professional Schools
Fulton Curriculum Reform Academic Programs/Offerings
Mission/Strategic Plan Diversity
Facilities & Technology Needs STEM
Enrollment/Test-Optional Satisfaction, Opinions & Engagement
LESSON #2:ORGANIZING THE COMMITTEE & CONTENT
Template for each theme (example) Broken down by PRR section Included statements/thoughts collected
during the brainstorming sessions Sub-committees elaborated on the
statements and provided context to be used by the writing team
The writing team collected the templates and reviewed PRR documents from other institutions to organize the content
Section 3: Challenges & OpportunitiesAdvancing our Scholarly Community (MSCHE Standards 1, 3, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
Curriculum Reform Graduate Programs
STEM Initiatives to Meet MD Workforce Demands
UG Research USM Course Redesign Initiatives
Progress in Student Recruitment and Enrollment (MSCHE Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 6, 9, 10)
Incoming Student Recruitment
Student Success & Retention Initiatives
Pilot of Test-Optional Admissions Policy
Envisioning and Implementing Institutional Effectiveness (MSCHE Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14)
Mission & Strategic Planning
Institutional Effectiveness
Assessment
Developing Innovative Facilities(MSCHE Standards 1, 2, 3, 5, 6)
Academic Buildings Technology
Residence Halls
Pressures on our Academic Resources(MSCHE Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10)
Academic Commons Financial Aid
Faculty & Staff Coping in Light of Economic Challenges
LESSON #2:ORGANIZING THE COMMITTEE & CONTENT
I. Executive Summary
II. Response to Recommendations1. The University should define what “proficient” means for General Education.
2. General Education Curriculum: It is unclear in the General Education curriculum how students are
developing skill in oral communication; Oral communication and quantitative reasoning are not included in the
Honors “core curriculum.”
3. It does not appear that the Technology Fluency Policy adheres to MSCHE guidelines for Information Literacy
4. SU General Education learning outcomes include outcomes related to the SU strategic emphasis on diversity and globalization. However, only 18% of existing General Education courses purport to address this outcome. The majority of students graduate without experiencing courses with these learning emphases.
5. There are substantial differences in General Education between transfer and “native” SU students. These need to be critically examined to ensure that the SU degree is comparable for all students .
LESSON #2:ORGANIZING THE COMMITTEE & CONTENT
III. Challenges & Opportunities Review history and forecast the future. Must relate to
MSCHE Standards
IV. Enrollment and Finance Projections Audited financial statements, IPEDS, & projections
V. Assessment of Institutional Effectiveness & Student Learning
Goals, assessment methods, & examples of closing the loop
VI. Linking Institutional Planning and Budgeting Opportunity to align your budget with the Strategic Plan
*Strategic Plans*Program reviews*Peer comparisons*Dashboards example*DE Study example
LESSON #3:WRITING THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Utilize your faculty and staff resources for writing expertise
Provide an institutional overview & outline and connect the main themes. This is your opportunity to tell a story.
We did this FIRST We knew the major themes We wanted verification from the committee that we
were on the right track
LESSON #3:WRITING THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What to include: Overview of the institution Institutional approach to the PRR Summary of major changes &
developments since the last self-study Abstract of the PRR sections Certification Statement
Must be related to the MSCHE Standards
*mission *enrollment *resources *structure
LESSON #4:UTILIZING EXISTING RESOURCES Exploit work that has already been done!
Public documents have already been vetted and approved
Internal reports may demonstrate institutional effectiveness and assessment efforts
May include data to support statements made in the PRR
No need to replicate enrollment, budget, faculty/staff, and other routinely reported information
LESSON #4:UTILIZING EXISTING RESOURCES Closing the Achievement Gap Strategic Plans University of DE Study of Instructional
Costs & Productivity Peer Comparisons (IPEDS) Academic Program Review documents Annual departmental reports Surveys
LESSON #5:SHARING WITH THE CAMPUS Purpose of the PRR is to demonstrate
that we are meeting the MSCHE accreditation standards Review for accuracy & completeness Not a public relations document or list of
grievances
LESSON #5:SHARING WITH THE CAMPUS University developed website to collect
feedback Executive Staff Deans Faculty governance body Staff governance body Student governance body
Contact:Kara Siegert