Accurate and Efficient Accreditation Documentation Preparation

Accurate and Efficient Accreditation Documentation PreparationRaymond Greenlaw

April 2003Slide 1Main Menu

q

Accurate and Efficient Accreditation Documentation Preparation

by

Dr. Raymond GreenlawDean, School of Computing

Armstrong Atlantic State University



Outline

Is Accreditation Documentation Preparation Worth Discussing?Planning StageReaccreditation: Working from Old DocumentationCommunicating with Other Institutional UnitsWriting the Self-StudyMiscellaneous IssuesSummary



Outline

Is Accreditation Documentation Preparation Worth Discussing? Planning StageReaccreditation: Working from Old DocumentationCommunicating with Other Institutional UnitsWriting the Self-StudyMiscellaneous IssuesSummary



YES! Accreditation documentationpreparation is worth discussing.

Programs accredited by ABET in 2002

Many places do not apply because of the amount of work required in documentation preparation

Is Accreditation Documentation Preparation Worth Discussing?

47

171

237

341 EACTACCACASAC



YES! Accreditation documentationpreparation is worth discussing.

Average length self-study 500 pagesUsually written by faculty members– Accreditation committee team chair– Few knowledgeable enough to write about all aspects of program– Departments working towards accreditation for first time could

be at a disadvantageSupport staff– May not be available– Not normally experienced with self-studies




Small percentage of faculty experienced with coordinating a 500-page document

Could lead to poor integrationCould lead to non-uniformityEvaluators tend to “dig deeper” if documentation is incomplete– Added burden on program evaluator– New issues of concern tend to arise




Small percentage of faculty experienced with coordinating a 500-page document

Example:

Conference papers are usually 6-10 pagesJournal papers are usually 10-20 pagesDissertations are usually 100-200 pages




Outline




Preliminary StepsForm accreditation committeeSelect a chair

Motivated to complete the self-stufyPossesses good writing styleSets and meets deadlinesHas adequate timeRespected by facultyIs familiar with other personnel in institution

Planning Stage



Chair’s ResponsibilitiesRead all ABET documentation

Maintain a folder of most important documents in central locationAssign faculty specific readings with deadlinesSuggest someone complete program evaluator training and perform a visit

Planning Stage



Chair’s Responsibilities (continued)Collect and organize relevant documents

Assumption: degree under consideration has all standard processes in place to support it, evolve it, and improve itSuch activities must be documented on an ongoing basis

Student outcomesCurriculum committee minutesFormsStudent surveys – regularly tabulated and evaluatedImprovements to the program based on these resultsStudent work collected at least two years prior to the visit

Planning Stage



Chair’s Responsibilities (continued)Collect and organize relevant documents

File student portfolios built by facultyReport to faculty and department chair so program improvements can be implementedWrite - do not just collectRequirements of such instruments

CollectedWell-writtenThoroughly analyzedAre comprehensiveFold analysis into the self-study

Planning Stage



Chair’s Responsibilities (continued)Test manuscript preparation software

ABET provides Word documents as starting pointCommittee should convert to institution specific format right away

Time line for document preparation processKnow abilities of self and other facultyRealize that nearly all self-studies are rushed (despite six-year lead time for preparation)

Faculty departuresOverzealous administratorsAccreditation committee team chair

Planning Stage



Chair’s Responsibilities (continued)Communicate with all parties

List individuals who will be involvedKeep informed of deadlines and communicate regularlyKeep faculty motivated throughout duration of processLead effort and possess high energy level

Planning Stage



Key AssignmentsAcquire physical items for displaying accreditation materials

BindersDividersPlastic three ring insert sheetsTabs

Standardize format for classroom materialsConsistent table of contents

Beginning of each binderConsistent format will greatly facilitate job of program evaluatorsCan alert faculty to items they should be collecting

Planning Stage



Key AssignmentsAssign course materials

Divide up work for course materialsOne or two people per courseAll course descriptions should be prepared uniformlyWill facilitate jobs of program evaluatorsClass materials from other units are needed

Communicate with chairs of these departmentsGive plenty of noticeDefine exactly what is needed and when

Account for possible retirements, departures, and dissension

Planning Stage



Outline




Reaccreditation: Working from Old Documentation

Curse or blessing?Ascertain quality and relevance to new criteriaIf self-study is poorly written and outdated, start overSome material may be salvageableChair may have to process entire document – removingoutdated material

May be difficult to ensure that incorrect/old information is not carried forward





Outline



Prepare and send out requests as early as feasibleABET process is thoroughNearly all aspects of program are investigatedExamples:

Faculty benefits - get info from HR and includeList of periodicals - get from head librarianBudget information is often poorly documented (obtain information from business office)


Communicating with Other Institutional Units



Allow enough time to generate a second request in case it is neededIntroduce yourself to the following

People who will be collecting information for youPersonnel who will meet with visiting team of program evaluators

Make other institutional units feel like part of the teamStress the importance of other institutional units’ tasks


Communicating with Other Institutional Units



Outline




IntroductionSections:

Objectives and assessmentStudent supportFacultyCurriculumLaboratoriesInstitutional support and financial resourcesInstitutional facilities

Writing the Self-Study



IntroductionAdditional sections for computer science:

Information relative to the entire institutionGeneral information on the computer science unitFinancesComputer science program personnelEnrollment and degree dataAdmissions

Writing assignments should indicate scope and due dates




IntroductionExample: Laboratories section assignment

Roughly 15 pages

Requires sections:Computing Facilities Available for Use in the Computer Science ProgramStudent AccessDocumentationFaculty AccessSupport PersonnelInstructional Support

Incorporate recent acquisitions of new equipmentDepartment’s recently hired lab technician will be of little assistanceFirst full-draft in Word is due March 15Will go out to faculty for comment and will be edited by April 25Administrative assistant will not be able to help editFinal version due May 5




Editing the DocumentOne person responsible for overall documentRevision control systemEdit logsBackup systemHard copiesCommunicate editing assignments and completion dates




ProofreadingCouple of facultyPreferably program evaluatorCorrectness, completeness, consistency

Ethics and Reporting




Common PitfallsReporting faculty information

Consistent “vitas”

Documenting paths through programEvery student completing the program of study must meet accreditation standards regardless of path Multiple tracks students can follow

Presenting budget informationNumbers must be reported consistently throughoutFor example, reporting equipment expenditures of $84,233 instead of “nearly $100,000”




Outline




Transcript CollectionTen student transcriptsIndicate process used for selecting transcriptsProvide note for unusual transcripts

Confidentiality and Security IssuesFaculty salariesStudent workBudget informationStudent waivers

Miscellaneous Issues



Opening PresentationGiven by chairGiven to program evaluatorsServes as a road map to and through documentationIndicates anomalies

Miscellaneous Issues



Outline




Summary

There are many different approaches that can lead to successful document preparation. The hints provided here are to help someone with limited experience stay on track during this challenging endeavor.

Accurate and Efficient Accreditation Documentation Preparation

Documents

Transcript of Accurate and Efficient Accreditation Documentation Preparation