Think Like an Accreditation Reviewer

1. Think Like an Accreditation Reviewer • Michael JohnsonSenior Vice President/Chief of StaffSouthern Association of Colleges and SchoolsCommission on Colleges • Prepared for the • UNCF Institute for Capacity Building • Memphis, TN • February 14, 2014

3. Navigating Accreditation

4. Goals for this Session • Who is your reviewer? • Reviewer likes • Reviewer dislikes and Red Flags • Examples and advice

5. Facts About Your Accreditation Reviewers • Peers at similar institutions • Volunteers • Not from your state • Have higher education experience • Not reading materials cover-to-cover • Are all from Missouri

7. What a Reviewer Likes • Direct Answers

8. "Just the Facts, Ma’am.”

9. What a Reviewer Likes • Direct Answers • Stick to the Standard • Appropriate Supporting Documents • Clean Navigation of Materials • Requests for additional materials to be honored (On-Site Committees)

10. What a Reviewer Dislikes • Abbreviations/acronyms

11. THECB SCHEV IEAR ERMA

12. What a Reviewer Dislikes • Abbreviations/Acronyms • All Material Treated as Equal • Hunting within a Document • Wasting Time with Irrelevant Information • Being Insulted

14. Red Flag Using Future Tense in Reports! “We will soon be developing expected learning outcomes for each of our majors.”

15. Red Flag Saying you are in compliance when you obviously are NOT! “The institution maintains good control over all of its financial resources. The most recent audit management letter confirms this.” [management letter had 4 findings, with 2 material weaknesses and both of these also repeat findings.]

16. Red Flag Two parts of the report contradict each other. • Standard on “institution-related entities” says that Michael College has no related entities such as a foundation. • The most recent Michael College financial audit mentions the “Michael College Foundation” in a Note.

17. Mike Johnson’s Top 12 List

18. ACCREDITATION PARTY!