New England Association for Schools and Colleges Re-Accreditation for Brandeis University Marty Wyngaarden Krauss Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs February Faculty Meeting, 2005 Brandeis University

2 Elements of Brandeis Re-Accreditation Preparation of the Brandeis Self-Study Ongoing Brandeis Community Feedback NEASC Team Visits Campus Evaluation of Our Accreditation Status Re-Accreditation for Brandeis Brandeis University

3 Principles for Self-Study Faculty and Senior Administration: Leadership Staff: Draft, Organize, Facilitate Outreach Faculty and Students: Review Drafts and Revisions, Give Feedback Rely on Existing University Faculty Committees Entire Brandeis Community Informed about Process, Given Opportunities for Feedback Brandeis University

4 University Advisory Council is the Steering Committee for Re-Accreditation Co-Chairs Marty Krauss and Peter French 3 School Deans and Senior VP Students and Enrollment Chair of the Faculty Senate, Dagmar Ringe 7 Faculty from all 3 Schools with 2 Student Government Presidents (Student Union and the GSA) Brandeis University

5 Timeline for Brandeis Spring 2005: Appoint Committee Chairs, Identify Faculty Reviewers Fall 2005: Information Collection and Community Outreach, Committees Draft Spring 2006: Drafts Reviewed, Integrated, Public Forum Summer 2006: Self-Study Submitted to NEASC Fall 2006: NEASC Team Visit to Campus Brandeis University

NEASC Visiting Team Chair, President of Dartmouth, James Freedman Yale University Librarian President Emeritus, College of Holy Cross Dean of Student Affairs, Washington University Head, Physics Department, University of Illinois VP, Maryland Independent College & Univ. Association Professor of History, Wesleyan VP for Budget & Planning, University of Rochester Professor of Mathematics, Trinity College Brandeis University

7 11 NEASC Standards 1.Mission and Purposes (5 items) 2.Planning and Evaluation (7 items) 3.Organization and Governance (12 items) 4.The Academic Program (50 items) 5.Faculty (23 items) Brandeis University

8 11 NEASC Standards 6.Students (17 items) 7.Information Resources and Technology (12 items) 8.Physical and Technological Resources (6 items) 9.Financial Resources (14 items) 10.Public Disclosure (15 items) 11.Integrity (11 items ) Brandeis University

9 New Revised NEASC Standards Emphasis on institutional capacity Institutional effectiveness integrated through all standards Quality of the academic program in all locations, formats Integrity: retaining the public trust in higher education and accreditation Brandeis University

10 Institutional Effectiveness=Assessment Assessment is a type of “action research” intended to gather indicators and evidence to inform decision-making (Walvoord, Barbara) “Assessing for learning is a systematic and systemic process of inquiry into what and how well students learn over the progression of their studies and is driven by intellectual curiosity...” (Maki, Peggy) Brandeis University

11 Challenges of Assessment Linking assessment to institutional goals and mission Articulating goals for student learning in departments, majors and minors, degree areas, residence life Understanding what we are already doing, even if it isn’t called assessment Gathering both direct and indirect evidence of student learning Brandeis University

New England Association for Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Reaccreditation Self-Study Standards Standards Comprising the Self-Study Marty Wyngaarden Krauss Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs February, 2005 Brandeis University

14 Brandeis University Standard 1: Mission and Purposes The institution’s mission and purposes are appropriate to higher education, consistent with its charter or other operating authority, and implemented in a manner that complies with the Standards of the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. The institution’s mission gives direction to its activities and provides a basis for the assessment and enhancement of the institution’s effectiveness.

15 Brandeis University Standard 2: Planning and Evaluation The institution undertakes planning and evaluation appropriate to its needs to accomplish and improve the achievement of its mission and purposes. It identifies its planning and evaluation priorities and pursues them effectively.

Brandeis University Standard 3: Organization and Governance The institution has a system of governance that facilitates the accomplishment of its mission and purposes and supports institutional effectiveness and integrity. Through its organizational design and governance structure, the institution creates and sustains an environment that encourages teaching, learning, scholarship, and where appropriate research and service. It assures provision of support adequate for the appropriate functioning of each organizational component.

Brandeis University Standard 4: The Academic Program The institution’s academic programs are consistent with and serve to fulfill its mission and purposes. The institution works systematically and effectively to plan, provide, oversee, evaluate, improve, and assure the academic quality and integrity of its academic programs and the credits and degrees awarded. The institution develops the systematic means to understand how and what students are learning and to use the evidence obtained to improve the academic program. A.Undergraduate Degree Programs, General Education and the Major or Concentration B.Graduate Degree Programs C.Integrity in the Award of Academic Credit D.General Academic Program and Assessment

Brandeis University Standard 5: Faculty Faculty qualifications, numbers, and performance are sufficient to accomplish the institution’s mission and purposes. Faculty competently offer the institution’s academic programs and fulfill those tasks appropriately assigned them. A.General, Teaching and Advising, Research and Scholarship

Brandeis University Standard 6: Students Consistent with its mission, the institution defines the characteristics of the students it seeks to serve and provides an environment which fosters the intellectual and personal development of its students. It recruits, admits, enrolls, and endeavors to help ensure the success of its students, offering the resources and services that provide them the opportunity to achieve the goals of their program as specified in institutional publications. The institution’s interactions with students and prospective students are characterized by integrity. A.Admissions, Retention, and Graduation B.Student Services

Brandeis University Standard 7: Information Resources and Technology The institution demonstrates sufficient and appropriate information resources and services and instructional and information technology and utilizes them to support the fulfillment of its mission.

Brandeis University Standard 8: Physical and Technological Resources The institution has sufficient and appropriate physical and technological resources necessary for the achievement of its purposes. It manages and maintains these resources in a manner to sustain and enhance the realization of institutional purposes.

Brandeis University Standard 9: Financial Resources The institution’s financial resources are sufficient to sustain the achievement of its educational objectives and to further institutional improvement now and in the foreseeable future. The institution demonstrates through verifiable internal and external factors its financial capacity to graduate its entering class. The institution administers its financial resources with integrity.

Brandeis University Standard 10: Public Disclosure In presenting itself to students, prospective students, and other members of the interested public, the institution provides information that is complete, accurate, accessible, clear and sufficient for intended audiences to make informed decisions about the institution.

Brandeis University Standard 11: Integrity The institution subscribes to and advocates high ethical standards in the management of its affairs and in all of its dealings with students, faculty, staff, its governing board, external agencies and organizations, and the general public. Through its policies and practices, the institution endeavors to exemplify the values it articulates in its mission and related statements.