year one self-evaluation report february 2011 sound year 1 report.pdfthe faculty, staff, and board...

Year One Self-Evaluation Report

February 2011

Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1

Institutional Context ..................................................................................................................................... 2

Preface .......................................................................................................................................................... 3

Update on Institutional Changes .................................................................................................................. 3

Recommendation Responses ........................................................................................................................ 3

Response: Culture of Evidence and Analysis ................................................................................................. 3

Response: Integration of Information Literacy ............................................................................................. 4

Mission and Core Themes ............................................................................................................................. 5

Chapter 1: Mission, Core Themes, and Expectations ................................................................................... 6

Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 6

Section I: Mission Statement and Mission Fulfillment ................................................................................. 7

Section II: Core Themes ................................................................................................................................ 9

Core Theme 1: Academic Excellence ........................................................................................................... 9

Core Theme 2: Rich Knowledge of Self and Others ................................................................................... 11

Core Theme 3: Engaged Citizenship ........................................................................................................... 14

Assessment of Core Themes ....................................................................................................................... 16

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 16

Appendix I: Information Literacy Resolution .............................................................................................. 17

Appendix II: University of Puget Sound Core Themes and Objectives ....................................................... 18

Introduction

Established in 1888, the University of Puget Sound is a selective, national, residential liberal arts college in Tacoma, Washington [Eligibility Requirement 1]. The students, staff, and faculty at Puget Sound take pride in this distinction as it is the product of 30+ years of a deliberate refocusing of the college’s mission to its original intent. Puget Sound’s undergraduate student body of about 2,400 takes part in a strong academic program that includes a core curriculum in the liberal arts tradition and over 40 major, minor, and interdisciplinary emphasis programs. Approximately 200 students are enrolled in three distinctive graduate programs in education, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.

The faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees support a program committed to comprehensive liberal learning and academic excellence. The full-time faculty of approximately 225 is first and foremost a teaching faculty, selected not only for excellence in various subject areas but also for the desire and ability to transmit that knowledge in a manner that promotes critical thinking. Students benefit from classes taught by committed faculty members who welcome students into their classrooms and into the broader scholarly community of the campus. Faculty members maintain active intellectual lives that nourish their own scholarly development and their work with students.

Puget Sound welcomes students, faculty, and staff of all religious faiths, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and social affiliations. The limited size of the student body, the residential campus, and the commitment of the faculty and staff to intensive, rigorous education create a highly engaged and caring community.

Learning beyond the classroom is an important component of a residential college experience. Puget Sound is a community in which each student's education is enriched by many opportunities to extend and supplement in-class learning through such activities as attending lectures, seminars, plays, and concerts; joining student clubs; participating in intramural and intercollegiate athletics; leading residence hall and residence community groups; volunteering in Tacoma and Pierce County; participating in sustainability efforts; and working on research through the Civic Scholarship Initiative. In these and similar settings, students develop empathy while navigating differences, learn to be productive members of a team, and forge new friendships.

Over the past several years, Puget Sound has focused in a disciplined way upon strengthening the academic and residential experience of the campus and confirming Puget Sound’s national reputation as a liberal arts college of the first rank. The success of these endeavors has been enhanced by building upon the college’s distinguishing strengths in innovative interdisciplinary study in the context of a traditional liberal arts curriculum. The college has invested in improving the campus living and learning environment by designing and implementing an ambitious master plan and has looked beyond the campus to engage external constituencies, alumni, and the local community in a more systematic and sustainable way. Puget Sound faculty and staff are working to strengthen the college’s financial position to support students more effectively through an enhanced fundraising plan and apparatus, prudent management of financial assets, and strategic deployment of human resources.

Puget Sound Report One Page 2

Institutional Context

While the intellectual objectives of the University of Puget Sound are of paramount importance, the college recognizes that the life of the mind creates a context for personal and professional growth. The college therefore ascribes to outcomes provided by an undergraduate liberal arts education as set forth in the institution’s mission statement and educational goals. Such an education should prepare a person to pursue interests and ideas with confidence and independence, to meet the demands of a career, and to address the complexity of modern life. Building on the college’s mission and educational goals, the Puget Sound community is dedicated to a visionary strategic plan. The objectives of Defining Moments: The Strategic Plan for the University of Puget Sound clarify and refine Puget Sound’s commitment to comprehensive liberal learning and academic excellence. The four objectives of Defining Moments are:

Innovate: Enhance and distinguish the Puget Sound experience: We will build upon our reputation for distinguished teaching and learning to be nationally recognized for providing the most successful integration anywhere of a traditional liberal arts curriculum with innovative interdisciplinary programs, distinctive centers for learning and research, vibrant co-curricular programs, and a campus community that embraces cultural diversity, the challenges of global citizenship, and meaningful partnerships in the region. We will develop resources for embracing curricular innovation focused on environmental, international, and civic concerns; create new faculty lines to enhance faculty recruitment and retention, strengthen targeted programs at the intersection of disciplines, and generate opportunities for faculty research and student mentoring across disciplines; and strengthen and promote academic achievements and partnerships in the arts and music, education, health sciences, and business and leadership that engage regional issues for their national significance and recognition.

Inspire: Build an inspiring physical environment for learning: We will implement the Tapestry of Learning master plan to create a campus that is an inspiring, fully integrated living and learning environment and an intellectual asset for our community—a place that takes full advantage of the resources of our urban and natural setting and the university’s distinctive architecture and landscape. We will complete the integrated Science Center and Slater Museum of Natural History; build a Center for Health Sciences as a distinctive academic and clinical asset uniting psychology, exercise science, and physical and occupational therapy; create Commencement Walk to integrate the north and south sectors of campus and establish a new grand campus entrance and approach; and expand and improve recreation facilities to promote health and fitness for the campus community.

Engage: Forge lifelong relationships: We will be a first-choice college that instills intense pride and fosters membership in the Puget Sound family as an enriching, lifelong investment. We will reorient the alumni office from a program-based operation to a strategic center for cultivating mutually beneficial relationships; develop and manage a network of volunteer opportunities to generate an array of connections and services for alumni, parents, and friends; and enhance external and internal campus programs and communications to reflect and promote our mission, vision, values, and strategic goals.

Invest: Strengthen our financial position: We will create a culture of philanthropy and attract the resources necessary to meet the full educational needs of an increasingly diverse and talented body of students and the campus in which we live and learn. We will meet student financial need through increased annual giving and endowment; strategically deploy the university’s endowment asset allocation, spending policy, and leverage capacity; and implement an inspiring and successful comprehensive campaign to support the advancement of the university for many years to come.

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Preface

Update on Institutional Changes

Puget Sound’s last report to the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) was a comprehensive Institutional Self-Study Report submitted in January 2009 as part of the college’s comprehensive evaluation. Since January 2009, Puget Sound has made the following modifications to the academic program:

• Added an interdisciplinary emphasis in Global Development Studies • Added a Bachelor of Arts degree in Asian Languages and Cultures • Removed the Master of Education degree in Pastoral Counseling

In August 2011, Puget Sound will open the Center for Health Sciences. This new academic building will prepare students for work in the dynamic fields of health and behavioral sciences. It brings together four of Puget Sound's distinctive programs and provides resources for the interdisciplinary emphasis in neuroscience. Building on Puget Sound's liberal arts tradition of interdisciplinary innovation, the center brings together teaching and research in the undergraduate disciplines of psychology and exercise science with clinical graduate studies in occupational and physical therapy.

Recommendation Responses

While reaffirming accreditation of Puget Sound in 2009, the NWCCU found that the two recommendations identified in the Comprehensive Evaluation Report addressed areas where the college was “substantially in compliance with the Commission’s criteria for accreditation, but need[ed] improvement.” Those two recommendations are:

1) A culture of assessment discourse is clearly in place. The Evaluation Committee recommends that the university now develop a culture of evidence and systematic analysis and reflection focused on measureable outcomes tied to department goals and university mission. Most departments are poised for this next step in the assessment cycle.

2) The Evaluation Committee recommends that the faculty, in collaboration with the librarians, create a systematic integration of information literacy into both the core curriculum and the majors, with accompanying measureable outcomes.

Response: Culture of Evidence and Analysis

In response to the first recommendation, Puget Sound has implemented a number of initiatives designed to bring systematic analysis of assessment outcomes to the planning processes throughout the college. These initiatives fall into three overlapping categories: 1) articulation of assessable outcomes, 2) development of accessible assessment evidence repositories, and 3) integration of outcome assessments with planning processes. The following discussion outlines key examples in each of these categories.

The academic departments and programs have undertaken a systematic review of the senior experience offered in each area and are in the process of identifying how senior experiences address and inform student learning outcomes established for each department/program. Similarly, the Division of Student Affairs has articulated four key learning goals that form the foundation of student outcomes achieved through involvement in student programs and services. The four goals are effective communication, critical thinking, identity, and citizenship.


The college has a wealth of assessment evidence and ongoing assessment initiatives available and is in the process of developing accessible repositories to allow campus constituents to make use of the outcomes evidence in evaluation and planning. With the implementation of SharePoint at Puget Sound, the Office of Institutional Research has migrated its extensive data repository to this platform. Work is in process to provide organizational structure that makes these data more accessible to users. The library staff has developed a number of instruments to evaluate and circulate key assessments including a library assessment dashboard available to all website users.

Puget Sound, in collaboration with Whitman College, has procured a planning grant from the Teagle Foundation to address the effective use of existing institutional assessment evidence. One aspect of this initiative is a consultation visit by two Teagle Assessment Scholars in February 2011. Teagle Assessment Scholars, through the Center of Inquiry at Wabash College, work with faculty and staff to use existing assessment evidence effectively and develop assessment evidence in support of improving student learning. In addition, Puget Sound has adopted an e-portfolio tool, Mahara, that is available to departments and programs, across campus, who wish to integrate assessment evidence and student work with student learning outcomes and program evaluation and planning.

The identification and evaluation of assessment evidence is in process. Departments and programs throughout the college are identifying, affirming, and/or strengthening mechanisms for integrating qualitative and quantitative assessment evidence into evaluation and planning processes that address specific outcomes. For example, the library staff is using assessment of student information literacy facility to evaluate programs designed to address integration of information literacy in the Puget Sound curriculum as discussed below.

Response: Integration of Information Literacy

In response to the second recommendation, the Puget Sound library staff, in collaboration with the faculty, has developed a number of avenues to more fully integrate information literacy in the curriculum. Initially, the library staff worked directly with faculty members of the Library, Media, and Information Systems Committee to draft a resolution toward this goal (Appendix I). This resolution was ratified by the Faculty Senate in May 2009 and has served as the foundation for subsequent initiatives. Information Literacy initiatives include the development of online resources for students and faculty. Two tutorials (“Research 101” and “Academic Integrity at Puget Sound”) are now available for students and are assigned by some faculty members as course requirements. Beginning in summer 2011, completion of these tutorials will be a pre-arrival requirement for all matriculating students. Puget Sound will also implement a Research Practices Survey in 2011. This longitudinal survey is designed to monitor and assess student learning in information literacy over the four-year college period. An online “Information Literacy Portal” is available for faculty members as they integrate information literacy throughout the curriculum. A facilitated faculty workshop (“Information Literacy for 21st-century Learners”) was held in May 2010 and a follow-up session will be held in spring 2011, with an emphasis on “closing the loop” in the assessment of student information literacy.

In collaboration with the faculty, the library staff has developed a draft of information literacy competencies for first-year students. These competencies will serve as the basis for assessable student learning outcomes integrated into the curriculum. The Curriculum Committee is now incorporating information literacy outcomes into its ongoing review of department/program curricula. Librarians are also working with the Residential Life staff to support information literacy outcomes for transfer students. Librarians contact transfer students individually and offer to meet with them for one-to-one


instruction. Librarians also created a program specific to the training of all student Resident Advisors with the goal of increasing referrals to librarians.

Individual departments and programs across campus are developing mechanisms for integrating information literacy into their curricula. For example, the School of Music is in the process of drafting information literacy expectations for music students. The School of Music has also developed specific information literacy sessions for music students and faculty and has developed revisions to the school’s library links page.

Mission and Core Themes

Puget Sound adopted its current mission statement in 1998. The statement was thoroughly reviewed and reaffirmed in preparation for the strategic planning process led by President Ronald Thomas in 2004-2005, and ratified by the Board of Trustees in February 2006. The campus community, the president’s cabinet, and the Board of Trustees reviewed the mission statement and educational goals as part of the comprehensive reaccreditation review process in 2008-2009.

Development of Puget Sound’s core themes has taken place since 2009. Careful review of the college’s mission statement and educational goals led to identification of core themes that encompass a Puget Sound education. Puget Sound’s core themes are: (1) academic excellence, (2) rich knowledge of self and others, and (3) engaged citizenship. Refinement of the core themes is an ongoing, iterative process that has encompassed all constituents of the college—faculty, staff, and students—with a review by the campus community and Board of Trustees in fall 2010. A list of the core themes and objectives is provided in Appendix II.


Chapter 1: Mission, Core Themes, and Expectations

Executive Summary

Chapter 1 provides an overview of the University of Puget Sound mission statement, fulfillment of the mission, and the college’s core themes. Section I includes articulation of the mission statement and the college’s educational goals [Eligibility Requirement 3]. This section also includes an overview of the governing Board of Trustees [Eligibility Requirement 2] and a discussion of mission fulfillment at Puget Sound. Section II provides a description of the three core themes and the objectives and indicators addressing each theme.


Section I: Mission Statement and Mission Fulfillment

The University of Puget Sound articulates its purpose through the following mission statement and educational goals:

The mission of the university is to develop in its students capacities for critical analysis, aesthetic appreciation, sound judgment, and apt expression that will sustain a lifetime of intellectual curiosity, active inquiry, and reasoned independence. A Puget Sound education, both academic and co-curricular, encourages a rich knowledge of self and others, an appreciation of commonality and difference, the full, open, and civil discussion of ideas, thoughtful moral discourse, and the integration of learning, preparing the university's graduates to meet the highest tests of democratic citizenship. Such an education seeks to liberate each person's fullest intellectual and human potential to assist in the unfolding of creative and useful lives.

To these ends, the faculty has selected the following goals to emphasize in the undergraduate curriculum:

1. the ability to think logically, analytically, and independently; 2. the ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing; 3. the ability to learn on one's own; 4. breadth of learning in the form of familiarity with a variety of academic fields and potential

interests; 5. depth of knowledge in a single field in order to know a sense of the power that comes with

learning; 6. an understanding of the interrelationships among the various fields of knowledge and the

significance of one discipline for another; 7. an acknowledged set of personal values; and 8. informed appreciation of self and others as part of a broader humanity in the world

environment.

The mission statement is discussed in several venues, including our new staff orientation sessions, regular meetings of the senior management, and at the annual Fall Faculty Conversation and Fall Staff Conversation, among others. The mission statement appears in many college publications, including the Bulletin and Graduate Bulletin, the college website, the annual Financial Report, the Commencement Program, the Parent Resource Guide, and grant proposals.

The University of Puget Sound is an independent residential liberal arts college governed by the Board of Trustees. The board sets broad institutional mission and policies, delegates administrative authority, and periodically reviews its own structure and practices in order to ensure continued effectiveness. The documents that outline the role of the governing board are the Restated Articles of Incorporation, the Corporate Bylaws, and the board’s implementing resolutions, the most important of which are the Statement of Board Organization and Committee Responsibilities and the Statement of Individual Trustee Responsibilities. These documents are periodically reviewed to assure compliance with evolving practices, legal requirements, and fiduciary responsibility. The board ensures that all resources at the college are directed toward fulfillment of the mission of the college.

Mission fulfillment for the University of Puget Sound is defined by the advancement of students who, after their Puget Sound educational experience, have fulfilled the tenets of the mission statement and


educational goals. All graduates of Puget Sound will demonstrate they have experienced the principles identified in the mission statement and gained and practiced the values and skills identified in the educational goals. Puget Sound graduates will have engaged in their education through the academic, co-curricular, and community life at the college.


Section II: Core Themes

A Puget Sound education is not something students “get;” it is an experience in which students engage that has substantial influence on the persons they become. By bringing together a highly talented and increasingly diverse student body to work with a dedicated faculty of teacher-scholars—in an environment distinctly enriched by a combination of strong liberal arts curriculum, innovative interdisciplinary programs, and vibrant co-curriculum complemented both by schools of business, music, education, and occupational therapy and physical therapy and by the dynamic Pacific Northwest environment—we invite students to join with us in investing in their preparation to engage the world with a clear sense of purpose.

We, thus, accept the challenge of articulating core themes essential to the mission and educational goals and to the strategic vision that guide our work: academic excellence, rich knowledge of self and others, and engaged citizenship. Each core theme incorporates three levels of thinking: what the college brings to the students’ experience, how the students engage the experience, and what capacities the students demonstrate as they move through and beyond their educational program at Puget Sound (see Appendix II). We understand that, in articulating ambitious core themes, our work will never be fully evidenced. In part, some of the work we do is made true only in the daily acts through which professional educators make it so; in part, some outcome evidence is simply not available until beyond the limited years of students’ enrollment at the college. We remain committed, nonetheless, to hold to ambitious goals and to bring the best evidence available to the ongoing development and evaluation of Puget Sound’s educational program.

Core Theme 1: Academic Excellence

At Puget Sound we engage students in high quality learning, intellectual exploration, and academic conversation in the liberal arts and selected professional fields. We seek to inspire them to excellent academic work and we aspire to demonstrate excellence in all aspects of our work with them, from the classroom to the athletic field and from the dining hall to the residence hall. Students demonstrate academic excellence by becoming (1) effective critical thinkers and (2) able advocates, both in writing and speaking; by developing (3) familiarity with a variety of fields and interests and (4) understanding of interrelationship among those fields and interests; and by achieving both the (5) depth of knowledge in a major field and (6) intellectual independence requisite for a bachelor’s or first professional degree.

1. Critical Analysis

The ability to think critically and analytically is an important component of academic excellence and is central to Puget Sound’s goals. Practice in critical analysis begins with Prelude, the academic orientation for first-year students. Two first-year seminars introduce students to the tools for and practice of critical analysis through in-depth analysis of a focused area of interest. The core curriculum offers third and fourth year students the opportunity to develop an understanding of the interrelationship of fields of knowledge through critical analysis in their interdisciplinary Connections courses. Senior culminating experiences (including but not limited to senior capstone courses, theses, advanced courses within a program, independent research, and musical and artistic performances) attest to the mission to foster an environment promoting critical analysis. A culture of information literacy across the curriculum


challenges students to evaluate, critique, and use information from a variety of sources effectively within multiple disciplines.

Complementing the curriculum, residential and campus programming (e.g., lectures, workshops) provide opportunities for the development of critical analysis skills. Leadership roles through committee service create opportunities to develop and practice critical analysis skills outside the classroom.

2. Communicate clearly and effectively

Clear and effective communication is an important component of academic excellence at Puget Sound. All first year students complete two seminars over two semesters: Writing and Rhetoric and Scholarly and Creative Inquiry. These courses are designed to aid students in effectively communicating their ideas, both in a written and oral manner. Writing across the curriculum is embraced by all departments and programs at Puget Sound, and written expression is highlighted in most courses offered. Many departments and programs require that students complete a substantial writing project as a prerequisite to graduation. To complement writing as a means of expression, several departments/programs require students to communicate via performances and oral and/or multimedia presentations.

3. Breadth of Learning

As a liberal arts institution, Puget Sound provides students the opportunity to experience a breadth of learning in many ways. The Core Curriculum enhances students’ learning by allowing them to attain knowledge outside of their major and minor fields of study. Puget Sound prepares first-year students with core courses in inquiry, argument, and effective communication. Over the next two years students take courses in Five Approaches to Knowing: Fine Arts, Humanistic, Mathematical, Natural Scientific, and Social Scientific. Students also participate in a Connections core course which introduces them to interrelated fields of knowledge.

As part of the graduation requirement, students also take three upper-division courses outside of their major area of study. This requirement encourages students to continue to experience the interdisciplinary nature of Puget Sound’s curriculum. The college maintains a foreign language proficiency requirement for all students, thus creating an additional opportunity for students to discover not only a second language but also a culture different from their own.

Puget Sound offers residential programs that are clear extensions of the curriculum. Many students participate in co-curricular enhancements, such as residential seminars, or live in themed housing arrangements such as the Foreign Language and Culture House in order to further extend their breadth of knowledge.

4. Understanding interrelationships among fields of knowledge

Puget Sound emphasizes its mission as a liberal arts institution to foster an understanding of the interrelationships of fields of knowledge. The Core Curriculum provides students with the necessary


information and skills to make valuable connections across disciplines. Strong interdisciplinary programs provide opportunities for students to examine material and ideas from multiple perspectives.

5. Depth of Knowledge

In addition to providing students with a breadth of knowledge, Puget Sound promotes depth of knowledge in one or more areas for its students. This is accomplished primarily through academic majors, minors, and interdisciplinary emphases that encourage students to explore an area of study or discipline in depth. Independent research projects allow students to pursue, in collaboration with a faculty member, an area of study that may not be covered in the curriculum or that may be an extension of work done in previous courses.

6. Intellectual independence Puget Sound prepares students to participate in a life of intellectual independence. As students move through the curriculum and co-curriculum, they hone their analytical and communication skills to demonstrate advanced critical thinking. Several educational goals support intellectual independence including the ability to think logically, analytically, and independently; the ability to learn on one's own; and the realization of interrelationships among the various fields of knowledge.

Culminating experiences such as senior theses, senior seminars, independent research projects, and portfolios provide avenues for students to demonstrate their knowledge and to test their own theories and ideas. Participating in internships allows students the opportunity to explore careers and vocations, build experience, and prepare for the challenges of life after college. Students bring their experience back to the classroom and to their other endeavors, thus enhancing their work. Puget Sound students carry their intellectual independence beyond their undergraduate experience. Participation in pre- and post-graduate scholarships and fellowships requires the demonstration of academic achievement, self-directed project development, and global awareness.

Core Theme 2: Rich Knowledge of Self and Others

Twenty-first century students live in a global community enabled by technology, and daily they encounter the opportunities and challenges interpersonal, intercultural and international relationships and undertakings require. In this context, we seek to model strong understanding of self and connectedness to others; to uphold our commitments to a campus community that values inclusivity and integrity; and to foster opportunities for creative and useful work, both individually and with others. Students demonstrate rich knowledge of self and others by (1) developing informed appreciation of and enacting respect for diversity; (2) attending and producing creative works; (3) participating in team endeavors in the curriculum and co-curriculum; and (4) completing internships and other pre-service placements, community-based learning assignments, and volunteer service projects.


1. Informed Appreciation of Commonality and Difference

Puget Sound identifies the appreciation of commonality and difference as a core value. The college is guided in this aspiration by a Diversity Strategic Plan that, among other goals, emphasizes the importance of bringing diverse perspectives and experiences to the college through student admissions and faculty and staff recruitment. Students build appreciation through events designed to educate about tolerance, difference, and commonality, such as the Race and Pedagogy Initiative and its national conferences, lectures, and programs. Students participate in Multicultural Student Services programs and Diversity Theme Years. The Diversity Advisory Council promotes programs that directly address commonality and difference. One such program, the Curriculum Resource, identifies courses throughout the curriculum that provide critical analysis of issues of commonality and difference.

Puget Sound students endeavor to experience cultures other than those of the United States. The international programs office coordinates international experience efforts, including study abroad programs and international students and visitors. Interdisciplinary programs such as African American Studies, Gender Studies, and Latin American Studies facilitate student and faculty appreciation of cultural commonalities and differences. The foreign language proficiency graduation requirement provides an opportunity for all students to experience languages and cultures different from their own.

2. Creative and useful lives

For a Puget Sound student, living a creative and useful life means participatory citizenship and a general concern for the well being of others. Puget Sound students are extensively involved in art, music, dance, and theatre performances. Students perform in many different musical, theatre, and dance groups, both as formal aspects of the curriculum and as co-curricular activities. Students participate in juried art exhibitions and music performances. Participation in the arts extends beyond those students formally majoring or minoring in these programs.

Living a creative and useful life also includes attention to the physical health and development of the student. A high percentage of Puget Sound students participate in varsity, club, and intramural athletics. The college is committed to providing facilities and opportunities for students, faculty members, staff members, and community members to engage in athletics.

Puget Sound students demonstrate their commitment to leading creative and useful lives well beyond their time at Puget Sound. Puget Sound students’ work experience begins through employment on campus and through internships in the community, then continues following their graduation. Puget Sound graduates participate extensively in programs such as the Peace Corps and Teach for America. Puget Sound students are the recipients of many pre- and post-graduate fellowships, and more than half of Puget Sound graduates extend their education through participation in graduate and professional schools.


3. Sense of community A key distinction of a residential liberal arts institution is community. Puget Sound is intentional about the design of its programs and facilities to enhance learning in and out of the classroom and to facilitate an engaged campus. Through the communal environment, students find opportunities for academic, identity, and social discovery. Puget Sound is a residential campus that strengthens student interactions with faculty and staff, reinforces the tenets of the residential college experience, and integrates many aspects of learning and personal development. In addition to a variety of residential opportunities, students participate in living/learning communities such as a Residential Seminar floor, a foreign language theme house, an interest theme house, or a Greek chapter house. The Office of University Relations, in collaboration with other campus entities, has developed an extensive network of alumni and parent volunteers who organize regional club activity, host events, keep connections between alumni groups and parents vigorous, develop plans for reunions and other gatherings, and solicit financial support for the college. In addition, offices such as Career and Employment Services work with alumni through their ASK Night. ASK Night is an opportunity for students to meet and engage with alumni about careers, graduate school, volunteer activities, and other experiences during and beyond Puget Sound. The sense of community at Puget Sound is fostered through extensive participation in clubs, groups, and on intercollegiate and intramural athletic teams. The Associated Students of the University of Puget Sound (ASUPS) supports approximately 80 clubs. These clubs range in focus from academic and political to social and recreational. In addition, there are a variety of groups students can join from formal and informal music and theatre groups to social or academic Greek communities. Puget Sound students participate in lecture series, such as the Swope, Pierce and Regester lectures; Fall and Spring family weekends; campus milestones including Freshman Orientation; club activities, such as the activities fair and the annual Luau; Commencement Weekend activities, such as the Senior Class party, academic department celebrations, Baccalaureate, and Commencement; campus celebrations including the Martin Luther King celebration; and music and theatre productions. Standards for what it means to be a member of this community are articulated in the Student Integrity Code. The practical aim of the Student Integrity Code is to create educational experiences from which students develop both skill and confidence in making personal judgments and appreciating their consequences. The standards provide an additional educational resource as they describe in more specific detail the expectations that all members of the Puget Sound community are required to meet. 4. Extended learning The Civic Scholarship Initiative (CSI) connects Puget Sound's faculty and students with citizens of the south Puget Sound region in projects of mutual concern. By investing the college's intellectual capital,


the initiative provides community laboratories for faculty and students to pursue their research and teaching objectives while partnering with regional organizations to solve problems, develop policy, and educate the public on issues of regional and national significance. Puget Sound students extend their learning opportunities by completing internships and other pre-service placements and community-based learning assignments. The Community Involvement and Action Center (CIAC) serves as the central resource for connecting members of our campus community (students, faculty, and staff) with over 200 off-campus partners. The college continues to make service opportunities available and appealing to students at all levels.

Core Theme 3: Engaged Citizenship

Liberal arts education has long been recognized as education for citizenship. Puget Sound affirms its participation in that tradition and seeks to be a community of citizens who are civically engaged, environmentally responsible, and globally focused. Notably, our commitments are not merely to prepare students for such engagement but to welcome their participation as campus and community citizens from matriculation as first-year students through life-long relationships as alumni. Students demonstrate capacities for engaged citizenship by (1) developing the deliberative skills necessary for the full, open, and civic discussion of ideas; (2) completion of civic scholarship or other projects that address issues of regional or national significance; (3) enacting commitments to sustainability, broadly defined; and (4) completing internationally-focused curriculum and/or participating in study abroad. Alumni demonstrate engaged citizenship through (5) life-long relationships with the college, a connection that we recognize is but one signal of their broader commitment to lives of leadership in the region, nation, and world.

1. Full, Open, and Civil Discussion of Ideas

Full, open, and civil discussion of ideas is central to a Puget Sound education. In their first year at the college, students are introduced to this manner of discussion in first-year seminars that focus on argument, inquiry, and effective communication. Many first-year students choose to participate in residential seminars that take learning beyond the classroom and are clear extensions of the curriculum. In addition to small class sizes that promote an environment for discussion of ideas, students also participate in various programs and seminars and on panels, including research presentations and symposia, where they share their research with the campus community and discuss and defend their ideas in a collegial environment. Finally, the college’s Code of Conduct serves as a guide to all members of the campus community regarding appropriate communication in all college settings.

2. Active, Collaborative Citizens

Puget Sound students exercise the ethos of community engagement and service by participating in campus governance and development, and in service to the local and regional community. In many campus opportunities, students work alongside their peers, faculty members, and staff members to address matters that impact the college’s achievement of its mission and strategic goals. Through participation on the Honor Court, the body that adjudicates matters related to the Student Integrity Code, and through service on ad hoc committees, task forces, and campus advisory groups, students


practice collaboration and decision-making. Students extend their service beyond the campus community by participating with faculty members in projects of strategic significance through the work of the Civic Scholarship Initiative. Students also extend their activities with the broader community through service programs sponsored by the Community Involvement and Action Center (CIAC). Faculty and staff members participate in many forms of service as well as models of collaborative decision making, including the Technology Services Advisory Committee, LEAD, Enterprise Risk Management, and the Student Alert Group. 3. Commitment to Sustainability The college has made public commitments to sustainability in its use of resources and in development of campus event initiatives and physical environment changes. The college is supported by an active budget process that allocates resources to promote sustainability in all areas of the institution. In the area of resource sustainability, students and other campus community members participate in a campus Sustainability Advisory Committee, which has effected changes in how Puget Sound builds, holds events, recycles, maintains the campus, and travels to and from campus. Environmental initiatives include an event recycling program, LEED-certified building projects, implementation of a Zipcar program, and strategies to encourage the use of alternative transportation. The Sound Policy Institute, supported by faculty members and students, represents a commitment to provide educational opportunities while addressing pressing environmental problems beyond the college’s boundaries. 4. International education

Puget Sound recognizes the value of international knowledge and experience. A variety of study abroad opportunities, as well as short-term international programs, provide opportunities for students to engage in an in-depth exploration of an area of study. International students and visitors bring new perspectives and experiences to the college campus.

5. Life-long relationships An active and well-connected alumni community serves alumni, current students, and the parents of students and alumni. Informal and formal systems of mentors, friends, and allies benefit Puget Sound students and affiliates throughout their lives. The Office of University Relations, in collaboration with other campus entities, has developed an extensive network of alumni and parent volunteers who organize regional club activities, host events, keep connections between alumni groups and parents vigorous, develop plans for reunions and other gatherings, and solicit financial support for the college. Opportunities for fostering life-long relationships include key annual events, such as Summer Reunion Weekend, when alumni gather to spend time with faculty (the Alumni College) and participate in organized and spontaneous activities to honor their time as students at Puget Sound. Family and Homecoming Weekend is a time for parents, students, and alumni to gather to attend classes, athletics events, and other programs. An ambitious schedule of regional programs, held nationwide, is organized by the staff or by area volunteers, and often feature faculty member participation. Alumni fulfill long- and short-term leadership and volunteer roles for the college. Key examples include the Alumni Council and its committees, the Parents Council and its committees, the Business Leadership


Council, Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) volunteer roles, Class Agents, Parents’ Fund solicitors, Senior Class Gift committee members, and alumni representatives to the Board of Trustees. These programs and leadership opportunities develop and sustain a culture of philanthropy, beginning when students are on campus (Senior Class Gift program) and continuing throughout their lives as Puget Sound alumni. Maintaining life-long relationships is fostered by ongoing communication. Such communication is supported by several avenues including the award-winning quarterly alumni publication, Arches, as well as program- and fund-specific information (e.g., campaign data, planned giving information, the President's report, stewardship materials, annual giving letters and brochures), and social media communication vehicles (e.g., Logger[net], Facebook).

Assessment of Core Themes

Each core theme includes multiple objectives that identify outcomes for the theme. Indicators span a range of assessable achievements that directly address each objective. A list of all core themes, objectives, and indicators is presented in Appendix II. Assessments for the indicators are available from one or more of the following representative sources:

• college statistical data (e.g., class size metrics, participation metrics, program completion metrics)

• nationally administered survey data [e.g., the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)] • college administered survey data (e.g., Student Voice Survey, Senior Survey and focus groups,

assessments of programs and events) • regular and systematic review of departments and programs • regular and systematic review of the core curriculum • specific program assessments (e.g., Writing Assessment, Research Practices Survey)

Conclusion

Through its mission statement and educational goals, the University of Puget Sound sets out a challenging and inclusive pathway for its students. Puget Sound graduates, through their participation in a rigorous academic program and integrated community, develop and demonstrate academic excellence, engaged citizenship, and a rich knowledge of themselves and of others.


Appendix I: Information Literacy Resolution

(endorsed by the Faculty Senate 05/04/2009)

The LMIS Sub-Committee on Teaching and Learning recognizes the importance of the integration of information literacy and research skills within the Puget Sound curriculum. Since 2006, the college has participated in the Research Practices Survey, a project designed by and for liberal arts colleges to measure the attitudes toward, experiences with, and abilities and critical capacities in research of incoming first-year students. The data consistently show that most incoming Puget Sound students, like their peers at other liberal arts colleges, struggle with basic research concepts like knowing how to evaluate sources, how to use research tools like databases to locate scholarly information, and understanding when it is necessary to cite sources. Faculty and librarians at several liberal arts colleges have begun to use this data to identify and integrate specific research competencies within the curriculum. The Sub-Committee supports the concept of a systematic and programmatic approach to integrating research competencies within the Core Curriculum and within the majors. To this end, we advocate the following: a) Endorsement of the importance of the academic support services provided by librarians, with encouragement of faculty to more frequently refer students to library services such as the one-on-one research consultation.

b) Establishment of a library program within the orientation program for first-year students.

c) Identify and incorporate key research competencies within the Core Curriculum, particularly within the first-year seminars.

d) Continuing collaboration between departmental faculty and liaison librarians to support students’ acquisition of discipline-specific research skills.

e) Library experimentation with multiple delivery modes of information literacy instruction, making full use of currently available technology.

f) Investigation of possible re-configurations of the current academic support services model.


Appendix II: University of Puget Sound Core Themes and Objectives

(February 2011)

Core Theme 1: Academic Excellence

Objective 1A : critical analysis Indicator 1A1: senior culminating experience

Indicator 1A2: Connections core

Indicator 1A3: residential and campus programming

Indicator 1A4: leadership pathways

Indicator 1A5: information literacy across the curriculum

Objective 1B: communicate clearly and effectively

Indicator 1B1: first year seminars

Indicator 1B2: writing across the curriculum

Indicator 1B3: writing within the majors

Indicator 1B4: research project/performance presentation

Objective 1C: breadth of learning Indicator 1C1: upper division interdisciplinary

graduation requirement

Indicator 1C2: foreign language graduation requirement

Indicator 1C3: core curriculum

Indicator 1C4: integration of residential programs


Objective 1D: understand interrelationships among field of knowledge

Indicator 1D1: core curriculum

Indicator 1D2: interdisciplinary programs

Objective 1E: depth of knowledge Indicator 1E1: major/minor/emphasis

Indicator 1E2: independent research

Objective 1F: intellectual independence Indicator 1F1: senior theses, research, projects

Indicator 1F2: internships

Indicator 1F3: post-graduate fellowships and programs

Core Theme 2: rich knowledge of self and others

Objective 2A: informed appreciation of commonality and difference

Indicator 2A1: diversity strategic plan

Indicator 2A2: diversity advisory council

Indicator 2A3: multicultural and interdisciplinary programs

Indicator 2A4: international programs

Indicator 2A5: foreign language graduation requirement

Indicator 2A6: clubs and affinity groups

Indicator 2A7: Race and Pedagogy Initiative

Objective 2B: creative and useful lives Indicator 2B1: art, music, dance, and theatre performances and juried exhibitions


Indicator 2B2: athletics participation

Indicator 2B3: employment, post-graduate fellowships, education, and program participation

Objective 2C: sense of community Indicator 2C1: integrated residential programs

Indicator 2C2: engaged alumni community

Indicator 2C3: clubs and theme groups

Indicator 2C4: lectures and performances

Indicator 2C5: Student Integrity Code and the conduct process

Objective 2D: extended learning Indicator 2D1: Civic Scholarship Projects

Indicator 2D2: internships

Indicator 2D3: community service

Core Theme 3: engaged citizenship

Objective 3A: full, open, and civil discussion of ideas

Indicator 3A1: residential programs

Indicator 3A2: panels and programs

Indicator 3A3: small class size

Indicator 3A4: first-year seminars

Indicator 3A5: senior experiences

Indicator 3A6: student research presentations/symposia


Indicator 3A7: seminar series

Indicator 3A8: informed faculty and staff

Indicator 3A9: Code of Conduct

Objective 3B: active, collaborative citizens Indicator 3B1: community service programs

Indicator 3B2: Honor Court

Indicator 3B3: committee service

Indicator 3B4: advisory groups

Indicator 3B5: Civic Scholarship projects

Objective 3C: commitment to sustainability Indicator 3C1: Budget Task Force process

Indicator 3C2: Task forces

Indicator 3C3: Sustainability Advisory Committee

Indicator 3C4: active and engaged Board of Trustees

Indicator 3C5: sustainable operations

Indicator 3C6: Sound Policy Institute

Objective 3D: international education Indicator 3D1: study abroad programs

Indicator 3D2: short-term international

programs Indicator 3D3: lectures and educational

exchanges with international visitors Objective 3E: life-long relationships Indicator 3E1: Alumni Council

Indicator 3E2: student alumni committee

Indicator 3E3: senior class gift


Indicator 3E4: regional alumni programs

Indicator 3E5: Arches distribution and content

Indicator 3E6: Summer Reunion Weekend

Indicator 3E7: ASK Network and Night

Indicator 3E8: alumni speakers

Indicator 3E9: alumni membership on Board of Trustees

year one self-evaluation report february 2011 sound year 1 report.pdfthe faculty, staff, and board...

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