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ACCREDITING AGENCIES’ EXPECTATIONS AND LIBRARIES’ RESPONSERachel A. Fleming-May, Assistant Professor, School of Information Sciences, The

University of Tennessee

ACADEMIC LIBRARIES’ SUPPORT OF THE UNIVERSITY'S TEACHING MISSION

Association of Research Libraries Library Assessment ForumSan Diego, California: January 7, 2011

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Part of IMLS-Funded Project:

Carol Tenopir, The University of Tennessee: Lead Principal Investigator

Paula Kaufman, The University of Illinois: Co-Principal Investigator

http://libvalue.cci.utk.edu/

Our Project

+ASSESSING THE ACADEMIC LIBRY’S IMPACT ON TEACHING AND LEARNING: THE LANDSCAPE…

Most studies demonstrate either Correlation between student success and library use, or Short-term effects of information literacy instruction.

More difficult to assess and demonstrate CAUSATION.

We’re also not always entirely sure what we should be trying to demonstrate.

+IN TERMS OF FACULTY ACTIVITY, SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN ESTABLISHING MODELS FOR DEMONSTRATING RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR RESEARCH.

…but fewer efforts have been made to address Academic Library Support of TEACHING in the Assessment Literature.

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“…but…no one really cares about the library’s contribution to teaching. Teaching effectiveness isn’t important at my institution.

All that matters is research, research, research…and funding.”*

+We believe academic libraries need to expand evidence of their influence to reflect institution-level standards in order to maintain relevance.

Our Goal: To provide a framework for improving understanding of institution-level goals and priorities regarding teaching and learning

+ WHAT WE DID…

Reviewed the most recent Standards documents of the Six Regional Agencies

Collected statements related to Teaching and/or Learning…and library’s support

of sameIdentified common

themes

+ QUICK REVIEW: INSTITUTION-LEVEL ACCREDITATION IN THE U.S.

No common standards at the national level;Six regional agenciesSimilar themes in standards, but lack of uniformity:

Language Structure Frequency of updates

All Six Agencies’ Standards address Library Collections and Facilities with varying degrees of

specificity; Information Literacy in direct or “Equivalent Language”

+ * “…ALL THAT MATTERS IS RESEARCH…”“…Ramsey said he questioned the way

the board dropped the doctorate requirement, though supporting the principle that academic credentials may be overrated. Many in the academic world, he said, 'step off campus and they're lost.'

'They like to get up in the morning, comb their beard, put on their wire-rim glasses, throw their little tweed vest on and go to school for three hours … and hate Republicans,' he said.”

+ Students Learning Teaching & Instruction Assessment

Evaluation Evidence Goals Mission

Demonstration Planning Effectiveness

Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education: Requirements of Affiliation and Standards for Accreditation. Middles States Commission on Higher Education

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COMMON TEACHING AND LEARNING-RELATED THEMES:

I. The Institution is Focused on Student Achievement

II. Teaching and Learning is a Clear Institutional Priority

III. The Institution Promotes a “Culture of Assessment”

+ I. THE INSTITUTION IS FOCUSED ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Support for students Uniformity of educational offerings Promotion of lifelong learning Faculty who are qualified to facilitate—and

accountable for—student academic success

+ II.TEACHING AND LEARNING IS A CLEAR INSTITUTIONAL PRIORITY

The institution… …provides adequate infrastructural support and resources for

teaching and learning …recognizes and promotes the Scholarship of Teaching and

Learning (SoTL)

“Teaching and learning are central to the activities of faculty members at each institution, and faculty bear primary responsibility for promoting, facilitating, assuring, and evaluation student learning. The faculty are responsible for devising and developing an institution’s academic, professional, research, and service programs within the framework of its education mission and goals. They are committed to all aspects of students’ success.”

+III.THE INSTITUTION PROMOTES A

“CULTURE OF ASSESSMENT”

Assessment efforts are consistent, thorough, and well-documented

Assessment standards, tools, and findings are distributed widely

Assessment findings are employed to improve student success/evidence-informed pedagogy, including the identification of best practices.

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STANDARD 10: FACULTY

The institution’s instructional, research, and service programs are devised, developed, monitored, and supported by qualified professionals.

+ STANDARD 10:

+ FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF FACULTY: An accredited institution is expected to possess or demonstrate the

following attributes or activities: faculty and other professionals appropriately prepared and qualified for the

positions they hold educational curricula designed, maintained, and updated by faculty and other

professionals who are academically prepared and qualified; faculty and other professionals, including teaching assistants, who demonstrate

excellence in teaching and other activities, and who demonstrate continued professional growth;

appropriate institutional support for the advancement and development of faculty, including teaching, research, scholarship, and service;

recognition of appropriate linkages among scholarship, teaching, student learning, research, and service;

published and implemented standards and procedures for all faculty and other professionals…

carefully articulated, equitable, and implemented procedures and criteria for reviewing all individuals who have responsibility for the educational…

criteria for the appointment, supervision, and review of teaching effectiveness for part-time, adjunct, and other faculty consistent with those for full-time faculty

+ OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE LIBRARY TO IMPLEMENT OR EVALUATE SERVICES?

Collection Development and Management/Institutional Repository educational curricula designed, maintained, and updated by faculty… appropriate institutional support for the advancement and

development of faculty… recognition of appropriate linkages among scholarship, teaching,

student learning, research, and service; published and implemented standards and procedures for all faculty

and other professionals… carefully articulated, equitable, and implemented procedures and

criteria for reviewing all individuals… criteria for the appointment, supervision, and review of teaching

effectiveness…

+ Training/Instruction (Faculty) faculty and other professionals appropriately prepared and qualified

for the positions they hold appropriate institutional support for the advancement and

development of faculty… faculty…who demonstrate continued professional growth; recognition of appropriate linkages among scholarship, teaching,

student learning, research, and service; Library’s own Instructional Role

faculty and other professionals appropriately prepared and qualified for the positions they hold

educational curricula designed, maintained, and updated by faculty and other professionals …

faculty…who demonstrate continued professional growth appropriate institutional support for the advancement and

development of faculty… recognition of appropriate linkages among scholarship, teaching,

student learning, research, and service;

+ NEXT STEPS?

For Libraries (our suggestions): Conduct in-depth review of relevant regional accreditation standards

Identify standards (beyond those that address the library specifically) related to teaching and learning

Develop an action plan for efforts to address and support those priorities

Communicate efforts to stakeholders in the institution and beyond.

For us? Themes discussed here will provide a framework for a series of studies

at UTK related to library support for teaching and learning Instructor surveys Instructor interviews/focus groups Experimental study of impact of library instruction; multiple sections

of undergraduate required classes

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!

Questions?Rf-m@utk.edu

UTK Libraries Dean Position Description: http://www.lib.utk.edu/dean/ut-libdean-description.html