Middle States Expectations

1. Middle States Expectations Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania January 23, 2006

2. Who’s Zooming Whom? Department of Education Middle States Commission on Higher Education SRU

3. Secretary Spellings “For more than a hundred years, accreditation has been the main tool we've used to assure higher education quality to the people," said Secretary Spellings. "Now is the time to take a hard look at the system and see how we can improve it to better meet the new demands of American families in the 21st century."

4. Middle States Expects • The development & implementation of a comprehensive strategic plan that • Involves effective & inclusive campus-wide planning advisory mechanisms • Includes five-year projections for critical indicators such as enrollment & finances

5. Middle States Expects • The development & implementation of organized and sustainable process for • institutional assessment & the assessment of student learning, and • evidence that shows that the assessment results are being used to inform institutional planning, resource allocation, & the improvement of teaching

6. Assessment and Strategic Planning • Systematic and continuous activity directly linked to institutional assessment & resource allocation • Deeply rooted in the institutional mission • Based on evaluative and analytical information (assessment) • Used for Institutional decision-making including resource allocation

7. Four Accreditation Standards that Directly Relate to Planning & Assessment • Standard 2: Planning, Resource Allocation, and Institutional Renewal • Standard 3: Institutional Resources • Standard 7: Institutional Assessment • Standard 14: Assessment of Student Learning

8. Standard 2: Planning, Resource Allocation, & Institutional Renewal • An institution conducts ongoing planning and resource allocation based on its mission and goals • Develops objectives to achieve them • Uses the results of its assessment activities for institutional renewal (Standard 7 and 14) • Implementation and subsequent evaluation of the success of the strategic plan and resource allocation support the development change necessary to improve and to maintain institutional quality (Standard 3)

9. Standard 3: Institutional Resources • The human, financial, technical, facility, and other resources necessary to achieve an institution's mission and goals are available and accessible • In the context of the institution's mission, the effective and efficient uses of the institution’s resources are analyzed as part of ongoing outcomes assessment (Standard 7 and 14)

10. Standard 7: Institutional Assessment • The institution has developed and implemented an assessment process that evaluates it overall effectiveness in achieving its mission and goals and its compliance with accreditation standards (Standard 2)

11. Standard 14: Assessment of Student Learning • Assessment of student learning demonstrates that, at graduation, or other appropriate points, the institution’s students have: • Knowledge • Skills • Competencies consistent with institutional and appropriate higher education goals(Standard 11 Educational Offerings, Standard 12 General Education, & Standard 13 Related Educational Offerings)

12. Link Middle States Standards • Beginning with Standard 14, the results of student learning assessment should be “plugged in” to evaluation of institutional effectiveness, or Standard 7 • Use that assessment of institutional effectiveness to inform planning, or Standard 2 • A self-study or PRR should not address the standards in a kind of rote order, but rather show how they fit together.

13. Institutional Assessment Plan Process Initiated Liberal Studies Assessment Plan Approved University-wide Strategic Planning Begins Integration of Institutional Assessment Plan and University-wide Strategic Plan November 2005 November 2006 January 2007 Spring 2007 Timeline

14. Strategic Planning & Budget Flowchart