1. Curriculum and Accreditation
Karen Daar, Los Angeles Valley College
Ginni May, ASCCC Executive Committee
April Pavlik, Los Angeles City College
Curriculum Institute 2016
Double Tree Hilton Anaheim, July 7-9
Ginni

2. Outcomes Attendees will:
Learn about the accreditation standards that impact curriculum;
Hear about lessons learned by presenters during their recent accreditation visits; and
Have an opportunity to engage in discussion regarding curriculum and accreditation.
Ginni

3. A “10+1” of Accreditation and Curriculum
Each of the next 11 slides consist of:
An accreditation standard;
A “concept” of that accreditation standard as it relates to curriculum;
A question for open discussion. The presenters will share “lessons learned” during their most recent accreditation visits.
Ginni

4. Accreditation Standards and Curriculum
I.A.3. The institution’s programs and services are aligned with its mission. The mission guides institutional decision-making, planning, and resource allocation and informs institutional goals for student learning and achievement. Concept—The college’s Mission drives every decision. Question 1: What role does the curriculum committee play in confirming the college’s program and course offerings (including delivery mode) meet the college’s mission?
Karen

5. Accreditation Standards and Curriculum
I.B.5. The institution assesses accomplishment of its mission through program review and evaluation of goals and objectives, student learning outcomes, and student achievement. Quantitative and qualitative data are disaggregated for analysis by program type and mode of delivery. Concept—Curriculum review is part of on-going program review. Question 2: Does the college’s current program review include curricular review?
April

6. Accreditation Standards and Curriculum
II.A.1. All instructional programs, regardless of location or means of delivery, including distance education and correspondence education, are offered in fields of study consistent with the institution’s mission, are appropriate to higher education, and culminate in student attainment of identified student learning outcomes, and achievement of degrees, certificates, employment, or transfer to other higher education programs. Concept—The college provides high quality education. Question 3: What is the role of the curriculum committee in ensuring educational quality?
Karen

7. Accreditation Standards and Curriculum
II.A.2. Faculty, including full time, part time, and adjunct faculty, ensure that the content and methods of instruction meet generally accepted academic and professional standards and expectations. Faculty and others responsible act to continuously improve instructional courses, programs and directly related services through systematic evaluation to assure currency, improve teaching and learning strategies, and promote student success. Concept—The college systematically makes improvement to its curriculum. Question 4: How are faculty directly involved in continuous improvement of course and program offerings?
April

8. Accreditation Standards and Curriculum
II.A.3. The institution identifies and regularly assesses learning outcomes for courses, programs, certificates and degrees using established institutional procedures. The institution has officially approved and current course outlines that include student learning outcomes. In every class section students receive a course syllabus that includes learning outcomes from the institution’s officially approved course outline. Concept—Each course outline includes SLOs. Question 5: What is the role of the committee in reviewing SLOs?
Ginni

9. Accreditation Standards and Curriculum
II.A.4. If the institution offers pre-collegiate level curriculum, it distinguishes that curriculum from college level curriculum and directly supports students in learning the knowledge and skills necessary to advance to and succeed in college level curriculum. Concept—The curriculum committee guides the process to distinguish pre-collegiate level curriculum from college level curriculum. Question 6: How does the college determine pre-collegiate from college-level courses?
April

10. Accreditation Standards and Curriculum
II.A.5. The institution’s degrees and programs follow practices common to American higher education, including appropriate length, breadth, depth, rigor, course sequencing, time to completion, and synthesis of learning. The institution ensures that minimum degree requirements are 60 semester credits or equivalent at the associate level, and 120 credits or equivalent at the baccalaureate level. Concept—The college’s curriculum programs must be appropriate. Question 7: What is the curriculum committee’s role in determining appropriate length, sequencing, etc. when approving programs?
Karen

11. Accreditation Standards and Curriculum
II.A.12. The institution requires of all of its degree programs a component of general education based on a carefully considered philosophy for both associate and baccalaureate degrees that is clearly stated in its catalog. The institution, relying on faculty expertise, determines the appropriateness of each course for inclusion in the general education curriculum, based upon student learning outcomes and competencies appropriate to the degree level. The learning outcomes include a student’s preparation for and acceptance of responsible participation in civil society, skills for lifelong learning and application of learning, and a broad comprehension of the development of knowledge, practice, and interpretive approaches in the arts and humanities, the sciences, mathematics, and social sciences. Concept—The college has appropriate general education curriculum. Question 8: What is the role of the curriculum committee in selecting general education courses that adhere to the college’s general education philosophy?
April

12. Accreditation Standards and Curriculum
II.A.13. All degree programs include focused study in at least one area of inquiry or in an established interdisciplinary core. The identification of specialized courses in an area of inquiry or interdisciplinary core is based upon student learning outcomes and competencies, and include mastery, at the appropriate degree level, of key theories and practices within the field of study. Concept—The college has a process for determining appropriate curriculum for degree and certificate programs. Question 9: What is the role of curriculum committee in reviewing and approving degree and certificate programs?
Karen

13. Accreditation Standards and Curriculum
II.A.16. The institution regularly evaluates and improves the quality and currency of all instructional programs offered in the name of the institution, including collegiate, pre-collegiate, career-technical, and continuing and community education courses and programs, regardless of delivery mode or location. The institution systematically strives to improve programs and courses to enhance learning outcomes and achievement for students. Concept—All curriculum goes through the curriculum committee before final Board approval. Question 10: What is the role of the curriculum committee in reviewing and approving programs and courses in community education, etc.?
Ginni

14. Accreditation Standards and Curriculum
IV.A.4. Faculty and academic administrators, through policy and procedures, and through well-defined structures, have responsibility for recommendations about curriculum and student learning programs and services. Concept—Faculty and academic administrators provide recommendations about curriculum to the Board. Question 11: What is the role of the curriculum committee in communicating its decisions and recommendations?
April

15. But What about the QFE?
Ginni

16. The Quality Focus Essay (QFE)
An institution will identify two or three “action projects” for further study and action over a multi-year period that have good potential for improving student outcomes.
Should be related to Accreditation Standards and emerge from the institution’s examination of its own effectiveness (Midterm progress report).
Aggregated student learning information will inform ongoing course adaptation, curriculum, pedagogy, and program revision, instruction and services planning and change, institution-wide decisions.
Karen

17. The Quality Focus Essay (QFE)
Identification of the Projects
Desired Goals/Outcomes
Actions/Steps to be Implemented
Timeline
Responsible Parties
Resources
Assessment
Question 12: How could the curriculum committee be involved in the implementation of its college’s Action Projects?
April and Karen

18. Discussion
All

19. Thank you!
Ginni