Insights and Lessons from Kennesaw State University’s Reaffirmation in 2007 Ed Rugg KSU’s Accreditation Liaison Reaffirmation Reports Editor & Visit Coordinator Institutional Effectiveness Director “Survivor” of the Class of 2007 & 16 Yrs as VPAA

About Kennesaw State University  Public University of 20,000 Students (COC Level 5)  Located in Metropolitan Atlanta Georgia  Comprehensive, Bachelor’s to the Doctorate  Day, Night & Weekend Programs, Limited Distance Education  Young, Fast Growing, Heavily Nontraditional  NCAA Div I (Football Maybe)

KSU’s Compliance Certification  Several Minor and Manageable Recs from the Off-site Review (Yes, was one on that list)  No Institutional Effectiveness Recs from Off-site Review (Yeah!!)  No On-site Compliance Issues After Focused Report  Two minor recs on the QEP, satisfied by KSU’s Response

KSU leveraged its SACS-COC reaffirmation to create a comprehensive 5-year plan to elevate global learning to a top priority A highly praised, strategic, innovative and broad-based Quality Enhancement Plan evolved: Global Learning for Engaged Citizenship

David Carter’s Charge What three major pieces of advice would you give leadership teams as they begin the reaffirmation process? What three major pieces of advice would you give leadership teams as they begin the reaffirmation process?

Be Sure You Know How to Play the Compliance Game Successfully

Tips on How to Play  Learn from your experienced peer evaluators how compliance is validated and what may be the institution’s greatest challenges  Interpret every key phrase in each requirement or standard literally and document current compliance with each of those in a thorough manner  You make the case for compliance— don’t expect the evaluators to dig for data and do the analysis for you

More Tips on the Game  Compliance with some requirements takes substantial lead time and groundwork to document—you should have started yesterday or years ago  Once the QEP topic is selected, expect to work diligently for at least 12 months on the construction of all required elements of an acceptable Plan, building in time for broad-based campus engagement and On- site visit preparation  Make it easy and comfortable for the evaluators to validate your documented assertions of compliance

Treat Compliance As a Team Sport That Requires Substantial Skill And Finesse to Score a Victory

Needed Skill & Finesse  Clear and persuasive writing skills are essential  Effective argumentation and analysis are vital  Creative problem-solving ability is an asset  Sophisticated technical support is very important  Timeliness and responsiveness are valued  Providing creature comforts count

Devise and Execute a Winning Game Plan To Overcome the Big Challenges of Compliance

KSU’s Winning Game Plan  Reflections on what worked well for Compliance Certification  Key factors in demonstrating compliance in Institutional Effectiveness  Understanding the distinctions between program and learning outcomes  Key dimensions of a strong QEP

Final Tip Effective Presidential Involvement and Leadership are Invaluable

THANK YOU! QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ?