Institutional Assessment in a College with Multiple Programmatic Accreditations

1. Institutional Assessment in a College with Multiple Programmatic Accreditations

2. Learning Objectives • Develop an understanding of regional and program accreditation requirements associated with assessment. • Gain an overview of how one college aligned regional and programmatic accreditation with institutional assessment processes. • Learn practical ways of assessing and sustaining assessment in order to meet the expectations of accrediting organizations.

3. Lancaster General College of Nursing & Health Sciences 100 years of nursing education 60 years of allied health education 1999 business plan options

4. Lancaster General College of Nursing & Health Sciences • 2001 PDE Associate Degree Approval • 2006 Initial Accreditation MSCHE – 5 years • 2009 Baccalaureate Degree Approval • 2011 MSCHE Reaccreditation – 10 years

5. Accreditation and Assessment

6. Accreditation & Assessment • Since 1988, the USDE has required its regional and programmatic accrediting organizations to assure member institutions conduct outcomes assessment. • Each accreditation organization handles this requirement in its own way.

7. Programmatic Accreditors • JRCCVT • JRCDMS • JRCNMT • JRCERT • ARC-STSA • CoARC • CCNE • NLNAC • NAACLS

10. Evolution of Assessment Process:The Plan • 2001(ISS) • 1st college-wide assessment plan developed in preparation for PDE application for degree-granting status • Included institutional and program assessment • Modeled on nursing program’s SPE • Aligned with MSCHE Characteristics of Excellence • Challenge: Organizing various assessment initiatives into a comprehensive process.

11. Institutional Assessment

12. Program Assessment

13. Evolution Assessment Process: Reports and Tracking • 2002-04 • First reports generated from Institutional (ISS) and Program Assessment (APR) • Aligned exit, graduate, and employer survey • Linked survey data and learning outcomes data directly to these reports • Tracking of Recommendations

14. Tracking Recommendations

15. Evolution of Assessment Process • 2004-2005 • Established benchmarks • Added course-level assessment • Developed first institutional effectiveness model • CAP = ISS + APR

16. Institutional Effectiveness Model: Version 1 • Taking inventory of all existing processes to form a conceptual framework.

17. Institution Effectiveness IE Principles Learner Centered Continuous Assessment Evidence Based Assessment Commitment to Act College Assessment Plan (CAP) (Assessment criteria maps that match accreditation criteria to evidence collection) ISS - MSCHE APR-CLS APR-CVT APR-DMS APR-NM APR-RT APR-ST APR - Nursing Evidence Course Evals Faculty Evals Student Exit Survey Student Services Survey Employer Survey Graduate Survey Financial/Budget Enrollment Retention Admissions Data Standards/Content MSCHE NAACLS JRCCVT JRCDMS JRCNMT JRCERT ARC-ST NLNAC External Environment Analysis Action Plans Strategic SEM Facilities Dev/Adv Financial Academic CAP Report ISS CLS CVT DMS NM RT ST Nursing KPI Issues Internal Analysis

18. Institutional Effectiveness Model: Version 2 • Streamlined diagram

19. Institutional Effectiveness Model LGCNHS Mission, Vision, and Educational Outcomes College Assessment Plan (CAP) Assessment maps that match accreditation and internal assessment criteria to evidence collection and guide reporting. Standards/ Content • IE Principles • Learner Centered Curriculum • Continuous Assessment • Evidence-based Assessment • Commitment to Act MSCHE JRCCVT NAACLS JRCDMS JRCNMT JRCERT ARC-ST NLNAC CoARC CCNE CAP Reports Institutional Effectiveness ISS CEP CIS DMS MLS NM RAD RCP ST ADN RC RN/BSN BSHS BSHA Action Plans Strategic SEM Facilities Development Financial Academic Technology Evidence Including evaluations, surveys, learning outcomes, and college data Internal and External environment analysis Key Performance Indicator Issues updated 3/11/2009

20. AssessmentCulture

21. Culture of Assessment • Created when assessment practices and processes become integrated into the academic endeavors of the college and are reflected in the improvement of student outcomes (Magruder et al., 1997).

22. Culture of Assessment • Part of doing business • Directed by the evaluation committee • Reinforced through programmatic accreditors • Wide participation throughout the college community • Links to strategic plan

24. Assessing and Sustaining Assessment

25. Assessing Assessment Review of report by evaluation committee with direct feedback to report writer Discussion boards Survey of participants about assessment process Tracking of recommendations Audits Annual revisions to College Assessment Plan External review by MSCHE and program accreditation organizations

26. Sustaining Assessment • Annual Assessment Kick-Off • Refine and simplify • Resources • Research Analyst • Office of Institutional Research • Challenges of sustaining quality of assessment

27. Practical Ideas • Build on what is already there • Use available tools/resources • JRCERT • MSCHE • NC State University • Work to streamline processes to reduce duplication of efforts • Highlight value of the process by sharing examples of how assessment has been used to make positive changes.

28. Practical Ideas • Education of new employees about the assessment process • Avoid assessment fatigue

29. Links to Standards • Institutional Effectiveness: 7 • Assessment of Student Learning: 14 • Planning: 2

30. Institutional Effectiveness Model LGCNHS Mission, Vision, and Educational Outcomes College Assessment Plan (CAP) Assessment maps that match accreditation and internal assessment criteria to evidence collection and guide reporting. Standards/ Content • IE Principles • Learner Centered Curriculum • Continuous Assessment • Evidence-based Assessment • Commitment to Act MSCHE JRCCVT NAACLS JRCDMS JRCNMT JRCERT ARC-ST NLNAC CoARC CCNE CAP Reports Institutional Effectiveness ISS CEP CIS DMS MLS NM RAD RCP ST ADN RC RN/BSN BSHS BSHA Action Plans Strategic SEM Facilities Development Financial Academic Technology Evidence Including evaluations, surveys, learning outcomes, and college data Internal and External environment analysis Key Performance Indicator Issues updated 3/11/2009

31. Ongoing Process • Enhance assessment of non-academic areas • Keeping it fresh and relevant