EXTERNAL EVALUATION REPORT - College of the Marshall … External Evaluation Visit... · EXTERNAL...

EXTERNAL EVALUATION REPORT

College of the Marshall Islands Post Office Box 1258 Majuro, MH 96960

Marshall Islands

A confidential report prepared for

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Western Association of Schools and Colleges

This report represents the findings of the evaluation team that visited

the College of the Marshall Islands on March 10-13, 2015

Mark J. Zacovic, Ph.D., Chair

EXTERNAL EVALUATION REPORT I COLLEGE OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

College of the Marshall Islands (CMI) Comprehensive Visit Team Roster ........................1 Summary of the Evaluation Report......................................................................................2 Chronology of Accreditation Activity for CMI ...................................................................4 2015 Commendations ..........................................................................................................7 2015 Recommendations to Meet the Standards ...................................................................9 2015 Recommendations to Increase Effectiveness ............................................................10 Introduction ........................................................................................................................12 Response to Previous Recommendations ..........................................................................15 Eligibility Requirements ....................................................................................................20 Compliance with Commission Policies .............................................................................23 Standard I ...........................................................................................................................26

A. Mission .......................................................................................................26 B. Improving Institutional Effectiveness ........................................................28

Standard II ..........................................................................................................................34 A. Instructional Programs ...............................................................................34 B. Student Support Services ...........................................................................38 C. Library and Learning Support Services .....................................................44

Standard III ........................................................................................................................47 A. Human Resources ......................................................................................47 B. Physical Resources.....................................................................................51 C. Technology Resources ...............................................................................54 D. Financial Resources ...................................................................................57

Standard IV ........................................................................................................................61

A. Decision-Making Roles and Processes ......................................................62 B. Board and Administrative Organization ....................................................64

Appendix: Checklist for Evaluating Compliance with Federal Regulations and Commission Policies .............................................................69


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COLLEGE OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS COMPREHENSIVE VISIT TEAM ROSTER

Dr. Marilyn Behringer Vice President of Instruction (Retired) Reedley College Mr. Jeff DeFranco Vice President Administrative Services Lake Tahoe Community College Ms. Sharyn Eveland Faculty and Social Science Division Chair Taft College Dr. Bonita Nahoum Jaros Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment Coordinator/ALO Santa Ana College Ms. Susan Moses Professor of Education College of Micronesia-FSM Ms. Patricia Saulsbury LRC & Testing Center Coordinator Sierra College Nevada County Campus Ms. Martha Tilmann Professor Computer Science College of San Mateo Ms. Valeri Wilson (Team Assistant) Administrative Assistant, President’s Office Cuyamaca College Dr. Mark J. Zacovic (Chair) President Cuyamaca College


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SUMMARY OF EVALUATION REPORT INSTITUTION: College of the Marshall Islands DATES OF VISIT: March 10-13, 2015 TEAM CHAIR: Dr. Mark J. Zacovic, President, Cuyamaca College A nine-member team visited the College of the Marshall Islands (CMI) March 10-13, 2015, for the purpose of evaluating how well the institution is achieving its stated purposes, analyzing how well the college is meeting the Commission standards for accreditation, providing recommendations for quality assurance and institutional improvement, and submitting recommendations to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) regarding the status of the college. On December 1, 2014, Dr. Zacovic attended the ACCJC Team Chair Training in Los Angeles, CA. Additionally, in preparation for the visit, team members, team chair, and team assistant attended an all-day training session on February 10, 2015, in Los Angeles, CA, conducted by the ACCJC. One team member who was unable to attend the team training due to illness was trained individually by a Commission staff member. The team studied Commission materials prepared for visiting teams. Team members received “homework” assignments at the training that were prepared and turned in to the team chair prior to the visit. Due to the distance and the time requirements of traveling to the Republic of the Marshall Islands from California, as well as Dr. Zacovic’s familiarity with the College as the result of six previous accreditation visits to CMI, the team chair telephonically conducted a pre-visit meeting with the CMI President and the Vice President/Accreditation Liaison Officer on December 17, 2014, to clarify expectations and assure that all arrangements for the visit were in good order. There were extensive email communications between the college and the team assistant prior to the visit. Prior to the visit, team members reviewed the comprehensive Self-Evaluation Report completed by the College that was submitted to the Commission on January 8, 2015, as well as recommendations from CMI’s last comprehensive visit in March 2009. They reviewed institutional policies and procedures, records, reports, board and committee meeting minutes, and other supporting documents. Team members completed written evaluations of the Self-Evaluation Report which were submitted to the chair and identified areas for further review. These written evaluations included lists of documentation that was desired by the team members, follow-up concerns, and lists of persons with whom the team members wished to meet during the visit. All members of the team were asked to complete the online Accreditation Basics course developed by the ACCJC for orientation of team members. By Sunday evening, March 8, 2015, the team (less two) had arrived in Hawaii and gathered for a team meeting and dinner in Honolulu. The team caught an early morning flight to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) on Monday, and arrived in Majuro at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 10. (The day change was due to crossing the International Date Line.)

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On Tuesday, once team members had cleared customs and gathered luggage, the entire team was transported by College personnel to the site of the Arrak campus, located at the western tip of the Majuro Atoll in an area known as Rita, some 23 miles from the main campus. The Arrak campus is the site of several programs, as well as some student housing. The team toured the campus and had lunch in the student cafeteria. The team then traveled to Majuro and checked into the hotel and had another team meeting with dinner at the hotel. While normally the dry season for RMI, during the week of the visit Majuro was on the edge of a huge tropical storm that produced heavy rain each day and obscured the sun for the entire length of the visit. On Wednesday, March 11, 2015, the visit began in earnest with an orientation to the team room including a technology check, and a PowerPoint presentation about the College, its history, and its programs. All team members toured the college campus. One open forum session was held on Thursday, March 12. Only one individual attended the open forum but he asked a variety of questions about the work of the team and about the accreditation standards and process in general. In addition, during the visit the team met with U.S. Ambassador to the Marshall Islands Thomas Hart Armbruster, and with RMI President Christopher J. Loeak, Education Minister Hilda Heine, Acting Chief Secretary Justina Langidrik, Minister of Resources and Development Michael Konelios, and Finance Minister Jack Ading. During the visit, the team conducted 34 formal meetings with faculty, staff, administrators, and students. Team members viewed academic and student support facilities, observed dozens of classroom and online instruction sessions, and sat in on several college faculty and staff meetings and student organization meetings. Overall, the team found CMI’s A Report on the Comprehensive Self Evaluation to be mostly complete and illuminating. The team would have preferred the report had restated each standard at the beginning of each written response, which would have facilitated the review of the report. In addition, the team would have preferred the report to have a complete update and response to each recommendation from the 2009 and subsequent reports. The Self Evaluation addressed previous deficiencies only. Every request for additional information and/or backup documentation from the team was met. The College and the community could not have been more helpful and welcoming to the team. The team encountered a college united in the community college mission and very supportive of student success.

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CHRONOLOGY OF ACCREDITATION ACTIVITY FOR CMI For historical and comparative purposes, it is important to note all of the accreditation activity the college has experienced in the past 6 years:

January 1, 2009: CMI submitted A Report on the Self Study.

March 2-5, 2009: An external evaluation team visited the site and then submitted a report to the ACCJC.

June 30, 2009: The Commission reviewed the institutional Report on the Self Study and the report of the March 2009 evaluation team. The Commission reaffirmed accreditation and required that CMI complete a Follow-Up Report by March 15, 2010.

March 15, 2010: CMI submitted a Follow-Up Report.

June 30, 2010: The Commission reviewed and accepted the Follow-Up Report and reminded CMI the Mid-Term Report is due by March 15, 2012.

December 8, 2010: The Commission’s Committee on Substantive Change reviewed the proposal for the new Arrak Campus for Technical and Vocational Education and acted to defer approval pending additional information and a site visit. The Addendum was due by February 14, 2011.

February 25, 2011: The Commission reviewed CMI’s Substantive Change application for the new ABC Toolbox Academy program at a new Arrak Campus. The Commission took action through its Substantive Change Committee to deny approval and to require a special visit to the institution in March 2011.

March 29-30, 2011: An external evaluation team visited the site and then submitted a report to the ACCJC.

June 30, 2011: The Commission reviewed the March 2011 evaluation team report regarding the Substantive Change application for the carpentry program. The Commission required a Follow-Up Report in conjunction with the Midterm Report by March 15, 2012, to address 5 recommendations plus 2 Commission recommendations.

July 11, 2011: The Commission’s Committee on Substantive Change reviewed the second Substantive Change Proposal for the new Arrak Campus for Technical and Vocational Education. They approved the proposal but required an Addendum to be submitted by October 15, 2011.

October 15, 2011: The College submitted the requested Addendum.

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November 28, 2011: The Commission’s Committee on Substantive Change reviewed the addendum and thanked the College for the additional information and clarification.

March 15, 2012: CMI submitted the required Mid-Term Report and the Follow-Up Report.

March 23, 2012: The Commission noted the Mid-Term Report did not address all recommendations and required CMI to immediately submit an addendum to its Midterm Report, with a team visit in April 2012.

March 27, 2012: CMI submitted the Addendum to the Mid-Term Report.

April 19-20, 2012: An external evaluation team visited the site and then submitted a report to the ACCJC.

July 2, 2012: The Commission considered the Mid-Term Report and its Addendum, the Follow-Up Report, and the report of the April 2012 evaluation team. The Commission required the College to submit a Follow-Up Report by October 15, 2012, addressing 2011 Recommendations 3 and 5.

October 15, 2012: CMI submitted a Follow-Up Report.

February 5, 2013: The Commission met to review the report from the financial reviewer process. The Commission acted to request that CMI provide a Special Report to the Commission by April 1, 2013, to demonstrate that all repeat audit findings have been resolved.

February 11, 2013: The Commission reviewed the Follow-Up Report and took action to require a Follow-Up Report be submitted by March 15, 2013. The Commission also indicated it received information from CMI demonstrating a more acute fiscal crisis than was reflected in the Follow-Up Report of October 15, 2012. The Commission required a Special Report, due March 15, 2013, discussing and providing evidence of the actions the College has taken, and plans to take, to return to fiscal stability, including specific timeline for each step.

March 15, 2013: CMI submitted the required Follow-Up Report and the Special Report on Fiscal Stability.

April 30, 2013: CMI submitted a Special Report on Audit Findings.

July 3, 2013: The Commission reviewed the Follow-Up Report and Special Report on Fiscal Stability. The Commission issued Warning and required the College to complete a Follow-Up Report by March 15, 2014, followed by a site visit. The Commission also took action to reject the Special Report and required the College respond to a new Commission Recommendation 1 in the March 15, 2014, Follow-Up Report.

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March 15, 2014: CMI submitted the required Follow-Up Report.

April 15-16, 2014: An external evaluation team visited the site and then submitted a report to the ACCJC.

May 15, 2014: CMI submitted a Follow-Up Report Supplemental.

July 3, 2014: The Commission reviewed the Follow-Up Report submitted in March 2014 and the report of the April 2014 evaluation team, and took action to continue Warning. The Commission required the College, at its comprehensive evaluation in spring 2015, to demonstrate it has addressed all previous recommendations. The action letter restated 2013 Commission Recommendation 1.

January 8, 2015: CMI submitted A Report on the Comprehensive Self-Evaluation.

March 10-13, 2015: An external evaluation team visited the site and then submitted this report to the ACCJC.

Site visit dates are listed in bold.

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2015 COMMENDATIONS

Members of the visiting team were pleased and excited to have had the opportunity to visit CMI and to meet the students, faculty, staff, administrators, and Regents. The College’s strong focus on students was very evident. The team felt very welcomed by the College and was shown every courtesy as it went about its business of conducting the visit. The team identified several areas worthy of special recognition: Commendation 1: The team commends the College for determining which courses of study will be offered based on the needs of the local population. The team was pleased to see that the College offers GED and college preparatory classes that meet the preparedness level of the students. (II.A.1) Commendation 2: The team commends the College for its generosity in providing essential library services to the Majuro community and for recognizing the important reasons for doing so. The team learned that the CMI Library is the defacto public library in Majuro. (II.C) Commendation 3: The team commends the College for its efforts to increase the number of Marshallese faculty, staff, and administrators that have allowed college employee demographics to better match those of its student population. The College further promotes this effort by providing training and advancement opportunities for employees so they can achieve pay and career advancement. (III.A) Commendation 4: The team commends the College for its aggressive efforts in recent years to update policies, specifically in the area of human resources and finance (emergency leave, parental leave, contract oversight, leave accrual, etc.) to ensure a more rigorous process for internal control and for better oversight of critical district business functions. (III.A, III.D) Commendation 5: The team commends the College community for its dedication to the restoration, respect, and the preservation of the Marshallese culture, language, and history. (I.A) Commendation 6: The team commends the College's art students for the vividly colored and culturally enlightening murals that beautify the campus. The team experienced throughout the campus, beautifully painted murals. These murals are the works of students and are coordinated by the Art Department. (I.A) Commendation 7: The team commends the College on it resourcefulness in the creative use of reclaimed resources, and its focus on sustainability and on the environment. (III.B)

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Commendation 8: The team commends the College, and in particular the Information Technology (IT) Department, for its demonstrated commitment to green technology and fiscal responsibility. The IT Department has found creative solutions to fiscal challenges by implementing open source (free) software solutions that further the higher education possibilities for CMI students. (III.C.1, III.C.2, III.C.3) Commendation 9: The team commends the College for its significant investment in instructional technology and in student technology support that provides an on campus student-to-computer ratio of nearly 4:1. (III.C)

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2015 RECOMMENDATIONS TO MEET THE STANDARDS

The team identified deficiencies in college practice which should be addressed in order to meet the standards cited below, and also provides the following recommendations: Recommendation 2: Integrated Planning To meet the Standards, the team recommends the College formally reinstitute integrated planning at the institutional level. (I.B.3, I.B.7) Recommendation 3: Systematic Review of Planning To meet the Standards, the team recommends the College implement systematic review of the ongoing planning and resource allocation cycle, including institutional and other research efforts and of its evaluation mechanisms for improving effectiveness in instructional programs, student support services, library, learning support services, financial resources, and professional development. (I.B.3, I.B.6, I.B.7, II.A.2.f, II.B.1, II.B.4, II.C.2, III.A.5.b, III.D.4) Recommendation 4: Program Review To meet the Standards, the team recommends the College ensure that all program reviews are cyclical and completed as scheduled; and that assessments be clearly aligned with planning and budget and be used as a basis for continuous quality improvement. (II.A.1.c, II.A.2.b, II.B, II.B.3, II.B.4, II.C.2) Recommendation 11: Board Policy Review and Self Evaluation To meet the Standards, the team recommends that the Board of Regents systematically document its Board policy review process, update and publish its bylaws and minutes on a regular basis, and implement a systematic self-evaluation process for the Board. (IV.B.1.e, IV.B.1.g)

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2015 RECOMMENDATIONS TO INCREASE EFFECTIVENESS

The team identified areas where college practice could be enhanced, relevant to the standards cited below, and provides the following recommendations:

Recommendation 1: Mission To increase effectiveness, the team suggests the College evaluate the mission review process. (I.A.3) Recommendation 5: Timely and Accurate Information To increase effectiveness, the team recommends that in the future all public documents be thoroughly edited to assure that all information is timely and correct. (II.A.6, II.B.2) Recommendation 6: Faculty Evaluation To increase effectiveness, the team recommends the College ensure that evaluation of faculty takes place systematically and at stated intervals per the institution’s policy and procedures. (III.A.1.b) Recommendation 7: Reserve Funds To increase effectiveness, the team suggests maintenance priorities be established for the Infrastructure Maintenance Fund under the Compact Sector Grant utilizing a current Facilities Plan that includes an analysis of the condition of roofs at the Arrak campus. (III.B.1.a, III.B.1.b) Recommendation 8: Reserve Funds To increase effectiveness, the team recommends that the College consider budgeting and maintaining reserve funds at a level greater than the five percent minimum threshold. (III.D.3.a) Recommendation 9: Budget Forecasting To increase effectiveness, the team recommends the College perform revenue and expenditure forecasts for future fiscal years and develop a five-year rolling budget plan. (III.D.1.a, III.D.1.b, III.D.1.c) Recommendation 10: Evaluation of Participatory Governance Structure To increase effectiveness, the team recommends the College regularly evaluate participatory governance and decision-making structures and processes, widely communicate the results of these evaluations, and use the results for improvement. (IV.A.5)

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Recommendation 12: Integrated Planning To increase effectiveness, the team recommends that the College ensure that educational planning is more comprehensively and more clearly integrated with resource planning and distribution in order to achieve student learning outcomes and establish procedures to evaluate overall institutional planning and implementation efforts. (IV.B.2.b, IV.B.2.c)

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ACCREDITATION EVALUATION REPORT FOR

COLLEGE OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS

INTRODUCTION

The community college now known as the College of the Marshall Islands (CMI) came into official existence when the Board of Regents of the Community College of Micronesia issued its charter on October 10, 1989, designating it as the College of Micronesia – Majuro. Less than two years later, in January 1991, it was given its present name and became accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. In April 1993, CMI became an independent entity with its own Board of Regents and was chartered to serve as the post-secondary agency for the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). As an institution, CMI can trace its origins to several earlier programs. The oldest of these was a school of nursing established by the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Begun on Moen Island in Chuuk in 1953, it was later moved to Pohnpei, then to Palau, then to Saipan in the Northern Marianas, and finally, in 1986, to Majuro. This School of Nursing was affiliated with the University of Guam in 1972 to confer the Associate of Science degree in Nursing. In 1975, the Trust Territory Department of Public Health assigned responsibility for the school to the Community College of Micronesia under the Trust Territory Department of Education. Responsibility was then shifted to the Board of Regents of the College of Micronesia in 1978. The origins of the elementary education courses at CMI can be traced to the Micronesia Teacher Education Center opened in 1963 on Pohnpei for in-service instruction. This center soon established a branch on Majuro, known as the Marshall Islands Teacher Education Center. In 1970 the High Commissioner of the Trust Territory issued a directive making the educational centers into the Community College of Micronesia (CCM). Majuro’s program then became an extension of CCM, offering pre-service elementary teacher education. Three years later it added a Curriculum, Learning, and Training Center, which awarded graduates a two-year degree in education. The dual focus of this Center was on teacher education and curriculum development. Curriculum development covered most elementary subjects and was tested in Majuro’s Rita Elementary School. In 1990 the program, now called the Continuing Education Center, ceased to be an extension of the Community College of Micronesia and was renamed the CMI Division of Instructional Services. A third component dates from 1981, when the Community College of Micronesia was awarded U.S. Land Grant status. It began operations on Majuro in 1983, offering noncredit courses in agriculture and home economics, among others. CMI continues to offer agriculture courses. By 1987, all three programs — nursing, education, and the Land Grant extension — were housed together in Majuro on the present college campus. In 1988, they were integrated under a single administrator by directive of the College of Micronesia Board of Regents. In 1989, they were combined to constitute the College of Micronesia-Majuro, which became independent in April 1993 as the College of the Marshall Islands. In 2006, the College entered a phase of rapid improvement in facilities, including the opening of new residence hall facilities (2007) and Tolemour Hall – a new Math, Science and Nursing Building with a state-of-the-art Simulation

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Nursing Laboratory (2008). The Energy Building was completed in late 2008, and Wapepe Hall – a classroom block for liberal arts was opened in 2009. Renovation works to Rebbelip Hall – a classroom block for developmental education, as well as deBrum Hall which houses developmental health faculty were completed in 2010 and 2011 respectively. The Administration building was completed in 2011 and the College Center in 2012. A permanent roof structure was constructed over the basketball court in 2013 and the College solar energy system was doubled in size in 2014. In 2009, CMI had its accreditation reaffirmed by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC). In the same year, Arrak was developed as a residential campus primarily for vocational programs and the Land Grant/Cooperative Extension Research Center. In 2010, CMI submitted a substantive change proposal to designate Arrak as the CMI Vocational Education Campus. The ACCJC approved this proposal the following year. Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) provided $250,000 to CMI to upgrade faculties at Arrak. Eleven trailers were purchased, moved to the Arrak campus and converted into classrooms, residential spaces and a library. In 2011, CMI sought and received approval from the ACCJC to implement third-year (300-level) courses in anticipation of offering a baccalaureate degree in education for the College of the Marshall Islands Elementary Education program on the main Uliga Campus. In 2014, instead of offering the CMI baccalaureate program, CMI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of the South Pacific (USP) for a 3+1 program whereby students would do the first three years of their education bachelor’s degree at CMI and their final year at USP. In May 2014, the ACCJC was notified of this plan. As of 2014, there were a number of specialized certificate programs introduced: Carpentry, Maritime Academy, Accounting Clerkship, Special Education, Teaching Certificate as well as innovative teaching practices such as Learning Communities, Distance Education and academic support programs that were being implemented at CMI. Although the vast majority of students at CMI come from within RMI and to some extent the Federal States of Micronesia (FSM), limited representation also comes from Asia, in particular China, Korea, and Philippines. In terms of age, the majority of students at CMI are in the 18 to 25 age range. The age composition of the College has remained relatively stable over the years, with the average age remaining slightly under 23 years old. Enrollment at CMI has shown a fairly constant increase over the years since 2008. However, in fall 2013, there was a slight drop. It is generally agreed that this was a result of a workshop conducted by Mathematics and Developmental English instructors to the high schools, especially to the largest feeder high school, Marshall Islands High School. The workshop included information sharing regarding the nature of CMI's placement test and the content of Level 1 Math and English. As a result, the high school administration and 12th grade teachers did not allow students, who they thought were not ready for the CMI placement test, to graduate. New students at CMI traditionally require developmental level classes to bring them up to college

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standard. Even with this slight decrease in fall 2013, combined with increasing persistence rates, enrollment at CMI is projected to continue to grow. The majority of CMI students are taking courses toward the completion of an AA degree in Liberal Arts. The proportion, however, decreased slightly in fall 2012 and fall 2013. These decreases are balanced by a comparable increase in those studying toward the AS degrees in Elementary Education and in Nursing. The decrease in the AS degree in Business is due to the fact that the program has been terminated because an adequate program review was not produced and there were issues on the transferability of courses.

CMI Sites in 2015 Main Campus: Uliga, Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands Vocational Campus: Arrak, Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands Distance Education Sites: Ebeye, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands

Jaluit Atoll, Marshall Islands

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RESPONSES TO THE 2009 RECOMMENDATIONS There were eight recommendations reflected in the 2009 comprehensive report. 2009 Recommendation 1: To improve its program review process, the team recommends that the college:

Adopt a uniform format for program review reports within each of the academic, academic support, and non-academic areas of the College;

Clarify how program review recommendations and budget requests move through the planning process;

Develop and implement authentic direct assessment strategies across all planning units; and

Use direct assessments of learning outcomes to improve student learning and institutional effectiveness. (Standard I.B.3; Standard II.A.2.e; Standard II.A.2.f; Standard II.B.4; Standard II.C.2; Standard III.C.2)

CMI satisfied this recommendation to improve, and fully resolved the issues identified in the 2009 review, as noted in the 2012 Addendum to the Mid-Term Report. The 2015 Team found the College’s work through 2012 has been sustained in continuing to meet the Standards. Please note there were areas of deficiency identified by the 2015 team for 2015 Recommendations 2, 4, and 12 which are not connected to the issues identified from 2009. 2009 Recommendation 2: To strengthen institutional practice, the team recommends that the college develop and formalize strategic, collaborative relationships, such as advisory boards, for its paraprofessional, occupational, and technical programs with appropriate external constituencies including business and industry, governmental agencies (including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health) and non-governmental organizations, as well as 4-year transfer entities to provide external validation for course and program learning outcomes, to validate adequacy of academic and technical preparation, to develop new certificates and continuing education opportunities within programs, and to develop and/or refine RMI licensure requirements. (Standard II.A.2.b; II.A.5) CMI satisfied this improvement recommendation, and fully resolved the issues identified in the 2009 review, as noted in the 2012 Addendum to the Mid-Term Report. The 2015 Team found the College’s work through 2012 has been sustained in continuing to meet the Standards. Please note there were areas of deficiency identified by the 2015 team for 2015 Recommendation 4, which is not connected to the issues from 2009. 2009 Recommendation 3: To strengthen institutional practice, the team recommends that the college organize and systematize its policies and procedures for development of articulation agreements with 4-5 year institutions and explore and develop opportunities for program and course articulation for paraprofessional and technical programs. (Standard II.A.6.a)

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CMI satisfied this improvement recommendation in the 2012 Addendum to the Mid-Term Report. The 2015 Team found that the College continues to explore and develop articulation opportunities and continues to meet the standard. 2009 Recommendation 4: To fully meet the standard, it is recommended that the college:

1) Clearly document the equivalency process for hiring faculty with degrees from non-US

institutions. The college should use Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions

Officers, or another 3rd party agency recognized by the higher education community for

review of such degrees for equivalency. (III.A.l.a)

2) Clearly define and document its educational and other requirements for part-time faculty

and include appropriate criteria such as unique talents, skills and cultural expertise as

appropriate. (Standard III.A.l.a)

CMI satisfied this recommendation and fully resolved the deficiencies which led to noncompliance, as noted in the 2010 Follow-Up Report. The 2015 Team found the College continues to meet the Standard. 2009 Recommendation 5: To fully meet the standard, it is recommended that the college review

and revise its Human Resources policy (HRP 10.1.2) that limits access to only portions of an

employee personnel file and has no provision for the employee to provide a written response to

any item within that file. (Standard III.A.3.b)

CMI satisfied this recommendation and fully resolved the deficiencies which led to noncompliance, as noted in the 2010 Follow-Up Report. The 2015 Team found the College continues to meet the Standard. 2009 Recommendation 6: To fully meet this standard, it is recommended that the college

regularly assess its own workforce demographics and utilize this information in its assessment,

analysis and planning efforts. (Standard III.A.4.b; Standard III.A.6)

CMI satisfied this recommendation, and fully resolved the deficiencies identified in the 2009 review which led to noncompliance, as noted in the 2010 Follow-Up Report. The 2015 Team found the College’s work through 2010 has been sustained in continuing to meet the Standards. Please note there was a deficiency identified by the 2015 Team for 2015 Recommendation 4, which is not related to the deficiencies from 2009. 2009 Recommendation 7: To improve its current practice, the college should consider offering

a systematic technology training program designed to maintain currency among new and

continuing staff (Standard III.C.1.b).

CMI satisfied this improvement recommendation in the 2012 Addendum to the Mid-Term Report. The 2015 Team found the College continues to meet the Standard.

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2009 Recommendation 8: To fully meet Standard IV, the Team recommends the BOR revise its

bylaws to:

1) Clearly define a regular review process for evaluating its policies and practices

(Standard IV.B.1.e).

2) Clearly define the self evaluation process for assessing BOR performance on a regular

basis (Standard IV.B.1.g).

3) Clearly define the policy for dealing with behavior that violates its Code of Ethics

(Standard IV.B.1.h) CMI satisfied this recommendation and fully resolved the deficiencies identified in the 2009 review which led to noncompliance, as noted with the 2012 Mid-Term Report and site visit. The 2015 Team found the College’s work through 2012 has been sustained in continuing to meet the Standards. Please note there was a deficiency identified by the 2015 Team for 2015 Recommendation 11, which is not related to the deficiencies from 2009.

RESPONSES TO THE 2011 SPECIAL VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS As the result of CMI’s 2010 Substantive Change application and its subsequent denial, the Commission required a Special Site Visit that occurred in March 2011. As a result of the visit, there were five very specific team recommendations on particular issues plus two recommendations from the Commission. 2011 Recommendation 1: The college should form advisory committees for each of its occupational/vocational programs in order to gain accurate and timely information on the skills and knowledge required for success in occupational disciplines and to maintain accurate and timely labor market information. (Standard II.A) CMI satisfied this recommendation and fully resolved the issue identified, as noted with the 2012 Follow-Up Report and site visit. The 2015 Team found the College continues to meet the Standard. 2011 Recommendation 2: In order to provide sufficient oversight of personnel matters, the college should redefine the position of Director of Human Resources as a full-time, 12 month position. (It is currently a part-time, consultant position.) (Standard III.A) CMI satisfied this recommendation and fully resolved the issue identified, as noted with the 2012 Follow-Up Report and site visit. The 2015 Team found the College continues to meet the Standard. 2011 Recommendation 3: The Board of Regents should implement the recently revised process for evaluating the College President. (Standard IV.B.1)

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CMI satisfied this recommendation and fully resolved the issue identified, as noted with the 2014 Follow-Up Report and site visit. The 2015 Team found the College continues to meet the Standard. 2011 Recommendation 4: The college must demonstrate and maintain fiscal capacity and stability, along with appropriate autonomy for governance and operations, including personnel, through its anticipated new MOU with RMI government, in order to maintain compliance with Commission Standards. (Eligibility Requirements 3 and 17 and Standard III.D) CMI satisfied this recommendation and fully resolved the issue identified, as noted with the 2012 Follow-Up Report and site visit. The 2015 Team found the College continues to meet the Eligibility Requirements and the Standard. 2011 Recommendation 5: The college must budget and maintain a reserve fund for contingencies of at least 5% of unrestricted expenses. (Eligibility Requirement 17 and Standard III.D) After the 2014 Follow-Up Report and site visit, the Commission determined the College had not met the Standards and Eligibility Requirements related to this recommendation. The 2015 Team found the College meets the Eligibility Requirement and the Standard with a 5.4% contingency reserve for the FY 2014-15. 2011 Commission Recommendation 1: The commission requires the college submit a new Substantive Change Proposal on its carpentry program following the guidelines noted by the Substantive Change Committee. The commission expects that the report will be complete, holistic and accurate, and will be submitted only following approval of the program by the institution’s curriculum approval process. (Standard II.A.2.a and b, Eligibility Requirement 21, and Standard IV.A.4) CMI satisfied this recommendation and fully addressed the issues identified, as was noted with the 2012 Follow-Up Report and site visit. The 2015 Team found the College continues to meet the Eligibility Requirement and the Standards. 2011 Commission Recommendation 2: The commission requires the institution to demonstrate that it has sufficient staff, with appropriate preparation and experience, to provide the administrative services necessary to support its mission and purpose. (Eligibility Requirement 5 and Standard III.A. and III.A.1)

CMI satisfied this recommendation and fully resolved the deficiencies identified, as was noted with the 2012 Follow-Up Report and site visit. The 2015 Team found the College continues to meet the Eligibility Requirement and the Standards.

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RESPONSE TO THE 2013 RECOMMENDATION As the result of CMI’s 2013 Follow-Up Report and the 2013 Special Report on Fiscal Stability, the Commission issued a new recommendation. 2013 Commission Recommendation 1: The College should provide a long-term Financial Plan that demonstrates the resolution of its deficit spending and the acquisition of a sufficient reserve. The College must address the unresolved findings from the external audit and demonstrate that these have been resolved. (ER 17 and 18, Standard III.D.1.a-d, III.D.2, III.D.2.a-c, III.D.3.a, and III.D.4) After the 2014 Follow-Up Report and site visit, the Commission determined the College had not met the Standards and Eligibility Requirements related to this recommendation. The 2015 Team found the College had addressed the recommendation and fully resolved the deficiencies which led to noncompliance. The College meets the Eligibility Requirements and the Standards with a 5.4% contingency reserve for the FY 2014-15 and all audit findings have been resolved.

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ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The visiting team found that the College of the Marshall Islands meets all of the Eligibility Requirements as noted below:

Eligibility Requirement 1 – Authority The College of the Marshall Islands is authorized under RMI PL 1992-13§13 to operate as an educational institution and to award degrees. Eligibility Requirement 2 – Mission The College’s educational mission is clearly defined. The current Mission Statement was adopted by the Board of Regents in 2009 and published in the CMI Catalog and is appropriate to a degree-granting institution of higher education. The mission statement defines institutional commitment to achieving student learning. Eligibility Requirement 3 – Governing Board The College has a functioning Board of Regents responsible for the quality, integrity, and financial stability of the College. The Board of Regents ensures that the mission of the College is carried out. The membership of the Board is sufficient in size and composition to carry out its responsibilities. The Board is an independent policy-making body. No members of the Board have employment, family, ownership or other personal financial interests in the College. The Board has adopted a conflict of interest policy that assures any conflicts of interest are disclosed and do not interfere with the impartiality of it. Eligibility Requirement 4 – Chief Executive Officer CMI has a chief executive officer, Mr. Carl Hacker, who was appointed by the Board in 2012 and whose full time responsibility is to the College. He has the requisite authority to administer Board policies. He does not serve as the chair of the Board of Regents. Mr. Hacker’s service as president ends on March 30, 2015. On April 1, 2015, Dr. Theresa Koroivulaono will become the new president of CMI. Eligibility Requirement 5 – Administrative Capacity The College of the Marshall Islands has sufficient staff, with appropriate preparation and experience to provide administrative services necessary to support the College’s mission and purpose. Eligibility Requirement 6 – Operational Status The College of the Marshall Islands is operational with 1080 students (fall 2014) pursuing one of four degrees and ten certificate of completion programs. Eligibility Requirement 7 – Degrees A substantial portion of the offerings by the College of the Marshall Islands are programs and courses that lead to degrees. According to the 2014 Fact Book approximately 46% of the students are enrolled in programs that lead to degrees.

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Eligibility Requirement 8 – Educational Programs The College of the Marshall Islands degree programs are congruent with its mission, are based on recognized higher education fields of study, are of sufficient content and length, are conducted at levels of quality and rigor appropriate to the degrees offered and culminate in identified student outcomes. Courses, programs and collegewide learning goals are linked through integration of Student Learning Outcomes, Program Learning Outcomes, and Institutional Learning Outcomes. The Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts degree can be completed in four semesters (two academic years). Each program at College of the Marshall Islands focuses on at least one area of inquiry that is appropriate to the degree. Additionally, all degree programs require 31 units of general education courses. Eligibility Requirement 9 – Academic Credit The College of the Marshall Islands awards academic credits based on classroom hours (Carnegie unit). Faculty document the basis for awarding credits and the registrar records those credits. Eligibility Requirement 10 – Student Learning and Achievement The College of the Marshall Islands defines and publishes each program’s expected student learning outcomes. Student learning outcomes are included in course syllabi. The College’s data tracking includes achievement-related milestones such as course completions, degree and certificate attainment, and transfer. Eligibility Requirement 11 – General Education The College of the Marshall Islands defines and incorporates into all of its degree programs a substantial component of general education designed to ensure breadth of knowledge and promotes intellectual inquiry. The general education core includes demonstrated competence in writing and computational skills and introduces some of the major areas of knowledge. Each degree program includes thirty-one units of general education course work. Credits for general education courses are consistent with levels of quality and rigor appropriate to higher education. Eligibility Requirement 12 – Academic Freedom In accord with its Policy on Academic Freedom and Responsibility, College of the Marshall Islands’ faculty and students are free to examine and test all knowledge appropriate to their area of major study. This policy appears in the College Catalog. The institution maintains an atmosphere in which intellectual freedom and independence exist. Eligibility Requirement 13 – Faculty The College of the Marshall Islands has a substantial core of qualified faculty with full-time responsibility to the College. The College has fifty-nine full-time faculty. There are eight full-time faculty per 100 students. Each degree and certificate program has at least one full-time faculty member. The faculty are responsible for curriculum. Faculty responsibilities are defined in BOR policy 471.00 and in the Faculty Handbook. Eligibility Requirement 14 – Student Services The College provides appropriate student services for all of its students and these services support student learning and student development within the context of the College’s mission.

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Eligibility Requirement 15 – Admissions The College of the Marshall Islands has adopted and adheres to admissions policies consistent with its mission and specifies the qualification of students. Eligibility Requirement 16 – Information and Learning Resources The College of the Marshall Islands provides through ownership and contractual agreement, specific long-term access to sufficient information and learning resources and services to support the College’s mission and instructional programs. Eligibility Requirement 17 – Financial Resources The College of the Marshall Islands documents a funding base, financial resources and plans for financial development adequate to support student learning programs and services, to improve institutional effectiveness, and to assure financial stability. Eligibility Requirement 18 – Financial Accountability The College of the Marshall Islands annually undergoes and makes available an external financial audit by a certified public accountant. Eligibility Requirement 19 – Institutional Planning and Evaluation The College of the Marshall Islands systematically evaluates and makes public how well and in what ways the College is accomplishing its purpose, including assessment of student learning outcomes. The College provides evidence of planning for improvement of structures and processes, student achievement and student learning. The College assesses the progress towards its stated goals. Eligibility Requirement 20 – Integrity in Communication with the Public The College meets this requirement. The CMI web site displays not only an electronic version of the Catalog, but all relevant policies and procedures, including those for admissions and financial aid. The web site also displays CMI’s history of accreditation reports and ACCJC Action Letters, as well as annual financial reports and other documents of public interest, including proceedings of participatory governance bodies. Eligibility Requirement 21 – Integrity in Relations with the Accrediting Commission CMI provides assurance that it adheres to the Eligibility Requirements and Accreditation Standards and policies of the Commission, describes itself in identical terms to all accrediting agencies, communicates any changes in its accreditation status, and discloses information as required by the Commission.

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COMPLIANCE WITH COMMISSION POLICIES

The team reviewed each of the following Commission policies to ensure that the College is in full compliance: Public Notification of an Evaluation Visit and Third Party Comment The College made an appropriate and timely effort to solicit third party comment in advance of the evaluation visit through the use of the College website, and by campus-wide emails to students, faculty, and staff. As there were no third party comments made, the evaluation team did not require any follow-up information from the College. CMI demonstrates compliance with the Commission Policy on Rights and Responsibilities of the Commission and Member Institutions as to third party comment. Standards and Performance with Respect to Student Achievement The College has identified Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs), Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) for each degree and certificate program, and Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for each course. Faculty design course outlines and determinate appropriate SLOs. CMI publishes each program’s expected SLOs in course syllabi. Benchmarks are established for each SLO against which annual assessments are compared. Faculty must submit the results of SLO assessments prior to being cleared for check-out at the end of the semester. All course outlines, associated PLOs and SLOs, and program reviews go through the Curriculum and Assessment Committee (CAC). Course outlines for general education courses must go through the General Education Committee before submission to CAC. Program review templates and completed program reviews require documentation of student achievement and evidence of student learning. The College makes changes to programs to improve student learning based on the assessment of learning achievement. Descriptive use of some of the Key Performance Indicators can be seen in the 2014 Fact Book. The College used the 2014 Fact Book as one means to document and communicate assessment results and other matters of quality assurance to the community. The College’s data tracking includes achievement-related milestones such as course completions and degree and certificate attainment. The College is in the process of implementing TracDat to facilitate the gathering and analysis of student achievement data. Credits, Program Length and Tuition CMI awards course credit based on the Carnegie unit. The College’s minimum program length is 60 semester credit hours for an associate’s degree. The policies and procedures for the determination and award of credit meets accepted academic standards and the award of credit is applied consistently across the College’s courses and programs. The College also meets the requirements of the federal definition of credit hour. The academic year has a minimum of 30 weeks of instructional time and a full time student is expected to complete at least 24 semester credit units in an academic year. Tuition and fees are consistent across degree programs. CMI demonstrates compliance with the Commission Policy on Award of Credit and the Commission Policy on Institutional Degrees and Credits.

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Transfer Policies Information regarding transfer policies is listed in the College Catalog, including information regarding the criteria CMI uses to accept credits for transfer. In addition, a Career and Transfer Advocate in the Tilmaake Resource and Career Center (TRACC) is available to assist students. The College demonstrates compliance with the Commission Policy on Transfer of Credit. Policy on Distance Education and on Correspondence Education Currently, CMI offers a very limited number of courses through distance education. Distance Education classrooms in Arrak, Ebeye, and Jaluit use Polycom transmission and receiving equipment that is functioning as designed. The technology infrastructure is sufficient to maintain and sustain the distance education offerings. All courses are subject to the identical policies and procedures. This information is made available to students during the registration process. The team reviewed the elements of this policy, and found evidence that the College meets the Commission Policy on Distance Education and Correspondence Education. However, as the Distance Education program is in its nascent stage, follow-up will be needed if the program continues to grow. Student Complaints The College’s Student Grievance policy and procedures are included in the Catalog, are posted online, and are included in the Student Handbook. One of the College’s standing committees is the Student Grievance Committee. Team members were able to review complaint files for the previous six years and did not find any issues that may be indicative of the institution’s noncompliance with any Accreditation Standards. There have been very few complaints from students. The team found evidence that the College complies with the Commission Policy on Representation of Accredited Status and the Policy on Student and Public Complaints Against Institutions. Institutional Disclosure and Advertising and Recruitment Materials The College follows the Commission’s policy on advertising, publications and promotional literature in that the documents contain statements and representations that are clear, factually accurate and current. All catalogs and other official publications are readily available and accurately depict the required information contained in the Policy. Student recruitment is supervised by admission officers whose positions are clearly specified. The College does not use independent contractors or agents for student recruitment. The prohibited practices that are enumerated in the Policy are scrupulously avoided. Accreditation status is contained in the Catalog and other official publications. That status is stated accurately and fully. The team found several typographical and other minor errors in the Catalog and other publications and written documents. To increase effectiveness, the team recommends that in the future all public documents be thoroughly edited to assure that all information is timely and correct.

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Title IV Compliance The team found no evidence that the College has been reported for fraud, abuse, or failing to meet its responsibilities under Title IV. No students at the College have any student loans. The College is not eligible for student financial aid loan programs, and the Marshallese students are not eligible for student loans. The College does not contract and has no plans to contract responsibilities for programs and services to non-regionally accredited organizations. The College is compliant with the Commission Policy on Contractual Relationships with Non-Regionally Accredited Organizations and the Policy on Institutional Compliance with Title IV.

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STANDARD I Institutional Mission and Effectiveness

Standard I.A—Mission General Observations The College mission statement defines the educational purposes, its student population, and its commitment to achieving student learning. The College demonstrates a strong commitment to the achievement of student learning for its student population. Members of the College community communicate that commitment through personal and professional activities in support of the College and the students of the College. The dedication of all members of the College to achieving the mission is impressive. Interviews with students and alumni included admiring recollections of the positive and supportive actions of employees of the College and often concluded with expressed hopes of emulating those individuals in terms of supporting the achievement of others. Findings and Evidence CMI’s educational purposes, intended student population, and its commitment to achieving student learning are portrayed well and clearly in its mission statement. (I.A) The College’s educational programs reflect its mission statement. The special programs and projects established in cooperation with other educational institutions and research agencies are also reflective of the purpose of the College. The College provides a full range of developmental education courses in addition to lower division courses leading to an associate degree or transfer preparation. The College works with the high schools and the General Education Development program to support successful transition of students into the College. The College provides occupational programs that align with regional interests as defined by the RMI and with the geography of the region. The College works with select universities to provide access to upper division courses leading to bachelor degrees. These activities are supported by student services such as tutoring and financial aid. (I.A.1) The Board of Regents (BOR) approved the College’s mission statement in 2009. The mission statement is published on the revised College website under “Iokwe CMI,” is displayed on the 2014 Fact Book, is in the Strategic Plan 2012-2017 draft, is in completed program reviews, and in other official documents. (I.A.2) The College has initiated review of the mission statement on several occasions. The last full review process was completed in 2009. The most recent review effort began in 2013 according to Institutional Planning Committee (IPC) meeting minutes. In 2013, the IPC reviewed the mission statement. The process used by the IPC followed the institution’s governance and decision-making processes. Evidence indicates completion of the process through the point of gathering feedback from the College community. Compilation and reporting of feedback results had not occurred as of this visit. Minutes of BOR meetings show the BOR also provided feedback on the mission statement. (I.A.3)

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The mission statement appeared in both the 2012-2017 and 2015-2017 Strategic Planning drafts. The Administrative Program Review Guidelines instruct reviewers to determine if activities align with the College mission statement. Templates for program review documents for administrative programs, instructional programs, and student services programs require documentation of program alignment with the mission statement. Completed program reviews for administrative programs and academic programs also included alignment of programs with the mission statement. Instructional programs created since 2010 align with the mission statement. (I.A.4, I.B.3) Conclusion The College meets this Standard. Recommendations Recommendation 1: Mission To increase effectiveness, the team suggests the College evaluate the mission review process. (I.A.3)

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Standard I.B—Improving Institutional Effectiveness General Observations Limited documentation affected the ability of the College to provide evidence of meeting some of the areas contained in this standard. It is the impression of the team that the efforts by the College to develop and implement planning and evaluation at the institutional level reflect a desire to meet the expectations of the Standards. The College is aware of the need for improved documentation of all types of data and access to data as a necessary component of evaluating and improving institutional effectiveness. The College relies heavily on quantitative data in the review and decision making processes, as is common in many systems. However, much of that data is collected using pen and paper by individuals in different locations and often is stored at those sites. Determining the location of data of interest is reliant upon the memories of long-time employees. The College has recognized the need for improvement of data housing, accuracy, and accessibility for use. The Chairman of the BOR stated that access to accurate and consistent data is a priority need for the College, and indicated without prompting that the BOR is committed to seeing effective and efficient data management established at the College. The institutional researcher has been working to organize collection and housing of data. The incoming president indicated her first priority would be the selection and implementation of an information repository so that institutional information could be stored and retrieved when needed. Findings and Evidence The College demonstrates a conscious effort to produce and support student learning. Program review templates and completed program reviews require documentation of student achievement and evidence of student learning. Minutes from the CAC document the discussion of the quality of student achievement and student learning forms a substantial part of the program review acceptance process. Minutes document the return of some submitted program reviews to the originator for expansion or clarification of the sections documenting student achievement and learning. (I.B) The College makes changes to programs to improve student learning based on the assessment of learning achievement. Members of the CAC clarified, during interviews, that measured levels of student achievement and student learning in the Basic Skills English program were below the threshold of acceptability. As a result, the program was changed, and although the College budget was very restricted, the Basic Skills English program budget was increased to provide changes necessary to support student learning. The College also uses information from the program review and discussions in meetings to initiate changes in programs and processes. In one documented instance, a program was discontinued because of “inadequate” program review. (I.B)

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Interviews with individuals and groups revealed a pattern of ongoing, collegial, self-reflective dialogue focused on continuous improvement of student learning and access to learning opportunities. Minutes of meetings documented little of the content of discussions in meetings. Members of the Institutional Planning Committee (IPC) engage in dialogue about processes for developing strategic plan for the College. Documented evidence of self-reflective assessment of learning at the course and program levels was found in some completed instructional program reviews. Review of agendas and minutes from the Curriculum Assessment Committee (CAC), the Enrollment Management Committee, the IPC, and the Executive Committee (EC) provided evidence of ongoing discussions about improvement of institutional processes. (I.B.1) The financial recovery plan set specific goals and objectives to monitor progress in reestablishing financial stability for the College. Reports on progress towards the established goals and attainment of objectives can be seen in the minutes of meetings across the College spectrum beginning in 2010 and continuing through the present, on the College webpage, and in the 2014 Fact Book. (I.B.2, I.B.3) The College set goals and objectives in 2011 to improve the effective use of finances and the identification of additional finances to increase the alignment of instructional programs with the mission. The additions of maritime program and the carpentry program resulted from the active pursuit of the stated goals for instructional programs and without reduction to existing program offerings and services. (I.B.2) Goals and objectives for improvement and upkeep of the library and physical plant were also set in 2011. Minutes of the EC and the BOR show regular reports on the progress towards and attainment of objectives in each of these areas. (I.B.2, I.B.3) Review of minutes from meetings indicated support for attainment of the goals identified in 2011. Interviews with individuals and groups confirmed that the College community understood the goals and objectives set in 2011. Documented efforts from agenda, minutes, and reports show a collaborative effort to achieve the goals. (I.B.2) At the unit level, guides to program and administrative unit review require goals be stated in measurable terms and aligned with the institutional learning outcomes. Review of completed program reviews and in-progress administrative unit reviews showed the alignment with the College mission. (I.B.2) The Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) average scores for small colleges were identified as the comparison standard for the College in the areas of student engagement and in the use of student services. A comparison of the College’s CCSSE results against the cohort average and small colleges’ average was presented in the 2014 Fact Book. (I.B.2, I.B.3) Reviews of documents including the Self Evaluation, program review guides, and agendas and minutes of meetings showed that a systemic process for evaluation, resource allocation, implementation, and re-evaluation is in place. Interviews confirmed that the process is widely known by the constituencies of the College. (I.B.3)

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The Self Evaluation indicates the formal program evaluation cycle was interrupted between 2011 and 2013. Lack of evidence of program review scheduled within those years supports the assertion in the Self Evaluation. Evidence shows the College restarted the interrupted activities beginning in 2013, has made progress in completion of late program reviews, and is working on program reviews originally scheduled for the current time period. The president of the College stated program reviews and planning activities were placed on hold while the College worked to address the immediate financial crisis and were restarted after the financial situation was stabilized. (I.B.2, I.B.3) Reporting of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) established in 2011 has been restarted along with the formal cycle of program reviews. Use of KPIs was also suspended as the College shifted to other indicators of goal attainment under the financial recovery plan. The College recently reinstituted use of the KPIs. Descriptive use of five KPIs can be seen in the 2014 Fact Book and in BOR minutes. (I.B.3) Examples of academic program reviews showed use of student achievement through course and program completions, collection and analysis of student learning outcomes, recommendations to improve student attainment of appropriate mastery of student learning outcomes as well as success within course and programs. (I.B.3) Examples of completed Administrative Unit reviews were found although not all administrative programs were reviewed. A 2014 draft of the Administrative Program Review Guidelines included requirements for data derived from measurable objectives, analysis of the gathered data, and planned activities based on the analysis and intended to improve operations. Administrative Program Reviews are submitted to the Institutional Planning Committee prior to being submitted to the Executive Council and the College president in accordance with the established process. (I.B.3) Use of qualitative data was limited to the instructional program reviews although observed conversations among groups indicated qualitative data is a primary data source used for evaluation and in decision-making processes. Minutes of some meetings (CAC special meetings in particular) include documentation of discussions using qualitative data. (I.B.3) Interviews with division chairs affirmed the evaluation process connects to resource allocation. Division chairs cited resources requests made through the program review process that resulted in increased resources including additional instructional personnel. Division chairs also affirmed that resource requests could be resubmitted the following year as long as the current evidence indicated a continued need. (I.B.3, I.B.4) Institution-wide planning occurs when the president begins the process. The College receives clear direction from the president as to operational priorities. Area leaders develop operational plans reflective of the priorities of the president. Operational planning information is developed, agreed upon, and communicated to the College community though informal (word-of-mouth) and formal communication channels (committee updates, staff email groups). Progress reports and changes in planning priorities are provided to the EC and to the BOR when appropriate. Evidence supports that communication of plans and activities happens on a regular basis.

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Implementing a defined, on-going cycle rather than waiting for the president to initiate the process would improve the College’s alignment with this standard. (I.B.3) CMI’s method of planning emphasizes integration at the unit level. The unit level plans are compiled into site operational plans by the technology manager. The College’s Financial Recovery Plan dominated the College’s planning landscape for several years. The Financial Recovery Plan was the de facto Master Plan for CMI. (I.B.3) The College has attempted to document institution level planning through the creation of a strategic plan since 2011. Minutes from the IPC, EC, and BOR meetings show the plan was close to completion in the summer of 2013 when an unforeseen and unavoidable change in personnel disrupted progress. The IPC decided to restart the development process after discussing the issue over the course of several meetings. Two versions of the most recent draft of the strategic plan, both dated January 15, 2015, were identified in the evidence provided by the College. One draft contains the mission and vision of the College along with the ILOs, goals, objectives; the other draft includes the addition of proposed activities for progress towards goal attainment. At the time of the visit, an updated draft dated February 25, 2015, was delivered in hard copy to the team room, however the Strategic Plan had yet to be finalized. (I.B.3) The institutionally established planning process begins with the program review process and includes the CAC, the IPC, the Budget Committee, the EC, the president of the College, and the BOR. Review of the contributors to program review development showed all members of the program under review have the opportunity for input in the completion of the program review. (I.B.4) Established and formally approved Role, Scope and Authority (RSA) documents show the representative seats on each committee. Review of the membership of each of the committees up to the BOR showed representation from faculty, staff, student body, and administration. The president of the College is a member of the EC as are faculty, staff, student body, and administrative management. The BOR membership consists of the Regents and a student representative. Members of the BOR are appointed by the government of RMI except the student representative, who is the ex officio president of the student body. (I.B.4) Program reviews and administrative unit reviews include budget requests. Budget requests are routed to the Budget Committee by the IPC for consideration of possible resource allocation. The Budget Committee identifies possible resources. Resource requests are forwarded to the EC for a recommendation to the president. Unfunded requests may be resubmitted through the process during the next year. Review of documents generated from completed program reviews indicated the process results in allocation of resources as deemed appropriate by the institution and lead to improvement of institutional effectiveness. (I.B.4) Interviews confirmed that the constituencies are well represented throughout the process. Furthermore, interviewees provided specific examples of ways in which the process has improved institutional effectiveness. (I.B.4)

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The College used the 2014 Fact Book as one means to document and communicate assessment results and other matters of quality assurance to the community. Documentation and presentation of assessment results to appropriate constituencies happens through publication on the College website, discussion of program reviews, reports from the College to agencies and governments providing services or support for College functions, and reports to the government of the RMI. Minutes of the EC and BOR show regular reports from committee representatives on enrollment, program use, program completion, financial status, and progress on other ongoing College activities. (I.B.5) The College does not perform systematic review and modification of each part of the cycle. However, review of minutes from committee meetings and interviews with individuals and groups provided evidence that review and modification are occurring to address issues of effectiveness. Division chairs carry feedback on program review processes into the CAC meetings. The CAC discusses the feedback in terms of possible changes for future program reviews. The vice presidents discuss administrative unit review content and processes after consultation with the unit leaders. Members of the IPC discuss the processes and work on refinement. No systematic evaluation of intuitional and other research efforts has been performed. Development of a systematic review of the planning and allocation processes is part of the College’s Actionable Improvement Plan. (I.B.6) Although the College needs to implement systematic evaluation of the planning and allocation process, some assessment of evaluation mechanisms is occurring. The College is in the process of evaluating the placement test used to place students into the developmental math sequence. The Student Information System is also being evaluated. The recent revisions of RSA for various committees included changes in the committee responsibilities regarding improvement to programs. Changes in the program review guides and templates also indicated a refinement of focus on improvement to instructional and other programs in support of learning achievement. (I.B.7) Conclusion The College does not meet this Standard, as to I.B.3, I.B.6 and I.B.7. Recommendations Recommendation 2: Integrated Planning To meet the Standards, the team recommends the College formally reinstitute integrated planning at the institutional level. (I.B.3, I.B.7) Recommendation 3: Systematic Review of Planning To meet the Standards, the team recommends the College implement systematic review of the ongoing planning and resource allocation cycle, including institutional and other research efforts and of its evaluation mechanisms for improving effectiveness in instructional programs, student

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support services, library, learning support services, financial resources, and professional development. (I.B.3, I.B.6, I.B.7, II.A.2.f, II.B.1, II.B.4, II.C.2, III.A.5.b, III.D.4)

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STANDARD II Student Learning Programs and Services

Standard II.A—Instructional Programs General Observations The College of the Marshall Islands offers four active degree programs and ten certificate of completion programs. The College also has a robust GED program to address the needs of the large proportion of the Marshallese population that does not complete high school. More than half of all CMI students are enrolled in developmental education classes. Recently, the College has started learning communities for developmental education students to encourage peer support and increase successful completion rates. According to the 2014 Fact Book approximately 46% of the students are enrolled in programs that lead to degrees. The College has fifty-nine full-time faculty. There are eight full-time faculty per 100 students. Each degree and certificate program has at least one full-time faculty member. The faculty are responsible for curriculum. Faculty responsibilities are defined in BOR policy 471.00 and the Faculty Handbook. Findings and Evidence Four active degree programs and ten certificate of completion programs are offered at CMI. Due to the large proportion of the Marshallese population that does not complete high school, the College also has a robust GED program. CMI’s instructional programs address areas important to the country such as Nursing, Elementary Education, Marshallese Studies, and Maritime Studies. The College has identified institutional learning outcomes, as well as student learning outcomes for courses, programs, certificates and degrees. Each faculty member is expected to assess at least one Student Learning Outcome (SLO) per course per semester. (II.A, II.A.1.a, II.A.1.c) The instructional programs of the College use a standardized template for program review. The program review schedule has not been adhered to on a regular basis. Most degree and certificate programs have completed program reviews, but have not repeated the program review process according to schedule. The program most in arrears is the Business Administration degree program which has been suspended due to the lack of program review, and now is being modified to become a Liberal Arts A.A. degree with a Business option. Program reviews of instructional programs are a responsibility of the area faculty. Completed program reviews are submitted to the Curriculum Assessment Committee (CAC) for review and approval. There have been times, such as in the case of Business Administration that CAC has not approved a program review, but returned it to the instructional area for revision. (II.A, II.A.1, II.A.2.c) All classrooms contain LCD projectors and whiteboards. Several classrooms have sufficient thin-client computers to provide a computer for each student. There are approximately 300 thin-client computers at the College. The students at both the main campus and at the Arrak Center have access to computer labs and distance education via Polycom. Vocational classrooms at

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Arrak for the Carpentry and Maritime programs are fitted with equipment appropriate for the subject material. The team tour of the Arrak campus provided the opportunity to observe the carpentry students working on projects. The equipment for the aquaculture research, agriculture research, science education and research, and demonstration/live exhibits is extensive and impressive. (II.A.1.b) Faculty design course outlines and determine appropriate SLOs. All course outlines, associated Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) and SLOs, and program reviews must go through the Curriculum and Assessment Committee (CAC). Course outlines for general education courses must go through the General Education Committee before submission to CAC. CAC is composed of all department chairs, two faculty at-large representatives, the dean of faculty (a faculty position), the dean of academic affairs, the director of admissions and records, the dean of student services, a librarian, representatives from the Institutional Research Office, representatives of vocational programs, the vice president of academic and student affairs, and a student body association representative. CAC provides information to the Institutional Planning Committee and the Executive Council. SLOs are included on all course syllabi. (II.A.2.a, II.A.2.b, II.A.6) The College has identified Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs), PLOs for each degree and certificate program, and SLOs for each course. Comprehensive program review reports are scheduled every five years with an abbreviated review annually. SLOs are determined and assessed by the faculty teaching the course. One SLO must be assessed from each course offered every semester. Frequently the assessment tool has changed, making longitudinal comparison of data to determine improvement difficult. The team was not provided evidence that the instructional programs of the College have analyzed changes from PLO and SLO assessments over time in order to show improvement. The College has purchased TracDat in hopes that its implementation will help to correct this situation. (II.A.1.c, II.A.2, II.A.2.c) Many students are required to take developmental English and/or Math classes based upon placement test scores. All students also take a learning style assessment in the CMI 101 College Experience class. Instructors are free to determine the teaching style that they believe best meets the student needs while maintaining course integrity. Instructional quality is also promoted by hiring qualified faculty. Full-time faculty must meet educational minimum qualifications. BOR policies specify that the equivalent to a master’s degree is a bachelor’s degree with fifteen units completed towards a master’s in a relevant field and five years of documented teaching in a related discipline. (II.A.2.d) Benchmarks are established for each SLO against which annual assessments are compared. Faculty must submit the results of SLO assessments prior to being cleared for check-out at the end of the semester. SLO assessment results are included in program reviews. Program reviews also include budget requests. After CAC approval of a program review, the included budget requests are forwarded to the Budget Committee for consideration of funding. (II.A.2.e, II.A.2.f) There are no departmental course and/or program examinations. (II.A.2.g)

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CMI awards course credit based on the Carnegie unit. The CAC ensures that the amount of credit to be awarded is appropriate before approving the course outline. CMI students frequently transfer to University of Hawaii, University of South Pacific, and various college and universities in the continental United States making course articulation crucial. (II.A.2.h, II.A.2.i) All academic and vocational degree programs at the College include a general education component that includes humanities and fine arts, natural sciences, and social sciences. There is a well-articulated general education mission that can be found in the College catalog. General education has comprehensive program learning outcomes that require students to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, use the scientific method, demonstrate quantitative literacy, and understand the creative process. Courses required include writing, speaking, information competency, math, and computer literacy. The CAC recently approved an Ethics course which is a general education course. (II.A.3) Each program at CMI focuses on at least one area of inquiry that is appropriate to the degree. Additionally, all degree programs require 31 units of general education coursework. (II.A.4) Many of the College's programs are aimed for graduates to be employed locally. For example, the four Certificates of Completion in Maritime Studies, offered at the Arrak campus, address the large need for employees in the flourishing local maritime industry. (II.A.5) The subject matter of vocational certificate programs such as accounting clerkship, teaching, public health, and maritime studies is appropriate for local employment as it addresses career areas that are in demand in the Marshall Islands. These programs have been designed to ensure that students acquire the technical and professional competencies needed to meet employment standards. (II.A.5) The College publishes an annual catalog. It is available in both hard-copy and digital format on the College website. The catalog contains policies as well as program and course information needed by students. The catalog is in need of a detailed edit to ensure accuracy. One example in the 2014-2015 Catalog is the past date in the following statement on page 58: "Katakin RMI is a pre-service teacher education program that will be implemented in the Fall 2012 Semester..." There are other similar errors throughout the catalog. (II.A.6, II.A.6.a, II.A.6.c, II.B.2) The Policy for Elimination or Revision of Degree Programs is included in the catalog and clearly details the reasons for elimination or revision and that the educational needs of students currently in the program will be met. (II.A.6.b) In the Board of Regents Policy and Procedure Manual, Policy 476.2 - Professional Ethics and Responsibilities, clearly defines professional and ethical standards for faculty regarding academic freedom and responsibility. Additional board policies address student academic honesty and the free pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. Academic honesty standards for students are found in the catalog and in the student handbook. (II.A.7, II.A.7.a, II.A.7.b, II.A.7.c)

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CMI is located in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Students are not United States citizens. However, since the Marshall Islands were formerly a United Nations Trust Territory of the United States, and since there is an ongoing relationship with the United States via the Compact of Free Association, students are eligible for Pell Grants. CMI must conform to relevant United States policies and standards in order for students to continue to be eligible. CMI is accredited by ACCJC and must meet those accreditation standards. (II.A.8) Conclusions The College does not meet this Standard, as to II.A.1.c, II.A.2.b, and II.A.2.f. Recommendations See Recommendation 3 under Standard I.B. Recommendation 4: Program Review To meet the Standards, the team recommends the College ensure that all program reviews are cyclical and completed as scheduled; and that assessments be clearly aligned with planning and budget and be used as a basis for continuous quality improvement. (II.A.1.c, II.A.2.b, II.B, II.B.3, II.B.4, II.C.2) Recommendation 5: Timely and Accurate Information To increase effectiveness, the team recommends that in the future all public documents be thoroughly edited to assure that all information is timely and correct. (II.A.6, II.B.2)

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Standard II.B—Student Support Services General Observations The College recruits and admits students who are able to benefit from its programs, consistent with its mission. Student support services address the needs of students, and student services programs and services enhance the learning environment at CMI. Concern for student access, progress, learning, and success are not evident in the Self Evaluation Report; however, after requesting additional evidence and after conducting interviews with College employees individually and in groups, it became apparent the faculty and staff are very invested in the College and care very much about the students and the community they serve. Student support services are assessed via SLOs in order to improve the effectiveness of services provided, but there is not consistent evidence of faculty and staff input beyond a department chair or administrative leader. In addition, in some programs little or no documented evidence was provided regarding the systematic analysis of outcomes, improvement plans developed based on evaluation, or broad dialogue on assessment outcomes leading to improved services. Findings and Evidence The College of the Marshall Islands is committed to providing high quality services to its students. Student service outreach begins before a student ever attends CMI with assessment testing to determine the college readiness of the student and the appropriate classes for him/her to take, as well as a college orientation. Counseling and Tilmaake Resource and Career Center (TRACC) offer a variety of services to meet the counseling and testing needs of CMI students and the community. They provide walk-in, individual and group counseling, as well as career assessments and standardized testing [e.g., Teaching of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), SAT, ACT, and Graduate Record Examination (GRE)]. Student services supports a variety of clubs and the Student Body Association. Residential staff supervise dorms and provide activities for dorm students. CMI student services also provides a tutorial center to assist students with homework. Students can stay in shape at the college fitness center or connect with other students at intramural basketball and volleyball games. There are also complete nursing services available at the Nursing Center. Student services areas all have established student leaning outcomes that are assessed when the department completes its program review. (II.B) The quality of services that support student learning and enhance achievement of the mission is reviewed at the college level through the Institutional Planning Committee (IPC) and at the department level. All student support service programs are supposed to complete program reviews annually and address strategic planning and alignment with the mission. Approximately 70% of the student services program reviews are current. Goals are included in the annual review (e.g., Administrative Unit Outcomes for Student Services), and student achievement data is incorporated as appropriate. Surveys are being considered for Admissions and Records at this time as well to determine the effectiveness of services. As program review documents demonstrate various levels of depth and use of data, a new template is being piloted, which will standardize the elements needed for a complete review. For example, Counseling and TRACC need a more robust review; many activities are being done, but they are not clearly documented and assessed. A coherent enrollment management plan has not yet been created, so the

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Actionable Improvement Plan (AIP) to have the Enrollment Management Committee (EMC) create a plan (to commence fall 2015) is a realistic self-evaluation issue. The AIP states that the effect of services on student retention and graduation rates will be analyzed by establishing a target for improvement. It will also include an appropriate review of staffing levels in all units that might affect student retention. (II.B.1) The CMI catalog includes precise, accurate, and current information for student support programs and services in general. Parts of the catalog are under the purview of the Curriculum and Assessment Committee (CAC) with regard to academic policies, e.g., retention policy. In the past, accuracy of content was verified by the Dean of Academic Affairs, who compiled and edited the catalog. As of January 2015, the Enrollment Management Committee (EMC) became the oversight group for the catalog. To address the issue of receiving more robust input and to create earlier, more realistic timelines for catalog production, the EMC has been charged with forming a sub-committee, to be chaired by the Dean of Academic Affairs, to adopt a process that involves the EMC. (II.B.2) CMI researches and identifies learning support needs through program review and analysis of external factors such as community needs, student demographic trends, high school enrollment trends, and input from the community, graduates, and alumni. IPC, EMC, and Executive Council (EC) meetings also provide venues for discussions about learning support program needs and courses. The team confirmed through interviews and review of the evidence that the College provides appropriate services and programs to address the learning support needs of its student population. (II.B.3) The College uses the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) to establish benchmarks in like cohorts related to learning, student effort, academic challenge, student-faculty interaction, and support for learners. The survey shows that CMI students are below the level of the cohort in answering questions in class and in general engagement. CMI is also at 48.9% (below the cohort) in “receiving prompt feedback from instructors on performance.” CMI is above the cohort in support for learners, helping cope with non-academic responsibilities, and providing financial support needed to afford education. Other documents that provide data for student services are the Fact Book and orientation surveys. (II.B.3) The Draft Strategic Plan 2015-2017 has five goals, three of which are related to student success and research. Goal #1 is Student Success with three objectives. Objective #1 is to implement and assess an intentionally planned student services program (focusing on high impact practices). Objective #2 is to gather data for student success. Objective #3 is to globalize the educational environment. The Office of Institutional Research can conduct research for individual department requests, however, there is no protocol established for making requests. There is a plan to develop a Research Group in the near future. (II.B.3) IPC is active in program review protocols. In the Role, Scope and Authority Report 2014-15 it is stated that the role of the IPC is to facilitate and guide the Director of IR in the production of a Strategic Plan, provide guidance on elements required, play an active role in the non-academic program review process, examine the quality of documentation, and provide guidance and recommendations. (II.B.3)

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Interviews conducted with the Dean of Student Services, the Director of Institutional Research and Assessment, and the Director of Counseling and TRACC confirmed that program review is not understood in the same way by all departments in the Student Services area. With the adoption of a new standardized template that is currently being developed, it is anticipated that program review in these areas will be more systematic and data driven. Outcomes and activities which are now not effectively assessed should be assessed to develop concrete plans for improvement. This will make it possible to integrate the data with academic program review to increase success and achievement rates. The CMI Budget Portfolio presents outcomes and outputs with activities related to institutional effectiveness and program review with no explanation of how the funding was determined. In one of the Actionable Improvement Plans, it is stated that, by fall 2015, the EMC will develop a multi-phase plan for integrated management function that aligns with the Strategic Plan, The proposed integrated management plan will aid in determining the effect of Student Services programs on graduation and retention rates. Approximately 70% of the student services areas are on schedule with program review reports. How funding is determined for initiatives from departments that do not have current program review reports is not clear. (II.B.3) CMI ensures equitable access to students and offers all services on the Uliga campus, many services at the Arrak campus, and some in Ebeye. Support services that are provided on the main Uliga campus include counseling and TRACC, Student Leadership Council, athletics, the recreation and fitness center, and a residence hall for approximately 80 students. The Arrak campus which serves students seeking vocational certificates has extensive facilities in Carpentry and Maritime Studies. It has a library, computer labs, a cafeteria/student center, and a residence hall for approximately 20 students. The Director of Residential Life/Maritime oversees the residence hall. Nurses and counselors rotate into the Arrak campus on a regular weekly schedule. There is a student services proctor who assists with registration and distance education coordination for Arrak students. Students not on the main Uliga campus can register online or they can go to the main campus to register. From Arrak, the College provides transportation Monday through Friday throughout the day at no cost to the students. The College has six sets of remote TV equipment (Polycom) purchased through a land grant that are distributed among the CMI sites. A pilot distance education program (currently 14 students) is offered via remote TV at the Arrak campus and it is coordinated by a Distance Education Coordinator. Distance mode courses are offered in real time (not in the online mode at this time), and documents are also sent to students by instructors through email. The TV distance equipment is also used for community development activities, such as offering information about non-communicative diseases. At all sites, many resources are also made available online. The College website meets accessibility requirements for students with disabilities. The team validated that appropriate services are available to all students at all sites. (II.B.3.a) A contact person (who at this time happens to be a former CMI Board of Regents member) registers students in Ebeye, on the island of Kwajalein. This site has a DE Center and computer lab for distance learning. There are currently 45 students in the GED program in Ebeye. To meet community needs, the Director of Continuing Education also makes trips to Ebeye to conduct home visits to recruit students for the GED program. (II.B.3.a)

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The College mission and philosophy statement promote civic responsibility, intellectual, and personal development. The Values Statement and three of the five ILOs also address these characteristics. While the ILO assessment process is inconsistent across programs, there is awareness that this level of assessment must be incorporated into all student services program reviews. (II.B.3.b) Students have representation on the Board of Regents, Executive Council, and the Curriculum and Assessment Committee. SBA officers participate in leadership retreats and students are encouraged to participate in community service events (e.g., cancer awareness, World Food Day). (II.B.3.b) A number of co-curricular activities enhance programming for students. The offices of Student Life and Academic Affairs collaborate to provide a set of co-curricular activities for students. Of note, there are programs designed especially for first year students, for developing Learning Communities, and for first semester Developmental Level 1 students. In addition, TRACC has a Career and Transfer Advocate who offers career counseling. (II.B.3.b) The evaluation team reviewed several key pieces of evidence including the Arrak Dorm Brochure, the Uliga Dorm Brochure, the Financial Aid Brochure, TRACC Brochure, and the Recreation & Athletics Brochure. Interviews were also conducted with the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, Dean of Student Services, the Director of Research and Assessment, and the Director of Counseling and TRACC. Assessments in these areas are evaluated via program review. (II.B.3.b) CMI has an academic advising system in which each student is assigned a faculty advisor who aids them in understanding and navigating through programs. Student advising is factored into the faculty workload. Each of the academic departments makes recommendations with regard to strengthening the process through the program review of the department. CMI Student Advocates who possess counseling certificates and/or related degrees serve students who are not succeeding in their coursework. Early intervention is utilized for students who are not passing after midterm grades are issued and for those who are missing classes. They are referred to the Student Advocates by the instructor. Student Advocates then contact the students on campus, by phone or even through home visits. (II.B.3.c) As CMI has almost 97% Marshallese students, the faculty and administration have embraced the concept of “diversity within.” For example, in English 101 (composition), the topic of comparison of canoes is used as a platform for an argumentative essay. This directly responds to one of the SLOs developed by the Liberal Arts department “to learn about the culture of others.” It is also in alignment with ILO 2: “The graduate will be knowledgeable and respectful of his or her own culture and respect the culture of others.” Student services organizes and offers numerous events that highlight diversity. The student center offers alternate women's and men's weeks that recognize different cultures of the Pacific Islands. Student center usage has changed from 97% male and 3% female before establishment of these weeks to 50% male and 60% female currently. Residence halls hold "culture nights" highlighting food, folklore, music, song, and dance of different islands and cultures. Japanese volunteers organize New Year celebrations which include an introduction to Japanese art, films, and food. There is also a Marshallese

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Studies program, which offers beginning level Marshallese language courses for students as well as for faculty and staff. The College has sought to raise awareness of Marshallese culture and history. (II.B.3.d) The College regularly reviews admissions, placement instruments, and practices to validate effectiveness and minimize bias. The practices adhere to federal and local policies. All admissions criteria are clearly communicated to students in the Schedule of Classes, the College catalog, and the College website. Students who meet a minimum threshold of high school graduation or GED completion may gain college admission after taking a placement test. The evaluation team noted that it is admirable that the College has tried different placement instruments, has reevaluated them, and has made changes to minimize test bias. Accuplacer, a norm-referenced test is now used. In addition, the Dean of Academic Affairs and the Director of Research and Assessment now monitor placement tests to ensure they are culturally appropriate. A writing sample by the student is also used for placement with an evaluation rubric. It was determined that the rubric needs to be revised and this is in process. The College is also considering raising the math cutoff scores in a nod to improving student success. (II.B.3.e) The evaluation team reviewed the oversight and policy for maintenance of student records and confidentiality. The Enrollment Management Committee oversees this policy. The policy provides the admissions and records operation with the guidelines to maintain secure student records. These guidelines are also in compliance with FERPA and other federal regulations. The College has compliant practices which govern the maintenance of student records permanently, securely and confidentially with password-protected secure back-up in electronic format and paper copies of records kept in a locked file room. The policy is published in the College catalog, the Student Handbook and the Faculty Orientation Handbook. Students are also advised of FERPA regulations through a College Experience course and at the time they submit application for admission to the College. Faculty and staff were also formally retrained on FERPA regulations in 2013. (II.B.3.f) Through discussion with specific student services department leads, staff members, and committee chairs, the evaluation team confirmed how outcomes assessment, program review, and incremental improvements are made. It is required that student services programs conduct program review annually, but this must be monitored so the process remains ongoing and consistent in all programs and services and that evaluation of stated outcomes is based on designated metrics and qualitative data so the results may be used for continuous improvement. Staff in the Student Services area are cognizant of the need for all programs to fully participate and for data to be used in evaluating outcomes, and they are in the process of developing a new template which will make the program review documents more robust and more accurate for developing activities which are measurable. They also are aware that re-evaluation must be conducted so continuous improvement may be monitored and activities and/or goals may be adjusted. In addition, the systems developer will identify program review documents not currently available on the website, and will include them when the new website is completely deployed. (II.B.4) The most noteworthy issue that remains is the absence of a connection between program review and planning and budget alignment for student programs and services. How funding of programs

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and initiatives is determined is not clear. This directly affects institutional effectiveness, and the College has not demonstrated that it has achieved sustainable continuous quality improvement in planning. Conclusion The College does not meet this Standard, as to II.B, II.B.1, II.B.3, and II.B.4. Recommendations See Recommendation 3 under Standard I.B. See Recommendation 4 under Standard II.A. See Recommendation 5 under Standard II.A.

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Standard II.C—Library and Learning Support Services General Observations The Library has 87,867 visits per year, proving it a vital place for studying, research and computer use. The Library, which serves students, staff, the community, and researchers, is centrally-housed upstairs in the Student Center Building. The print book collections are small and the e-resources are modest. Library staff state that the lack of a stable budget prevents them from meeting the academic needs of the students more thoroughly. The Library contains a small multi-use academic library collection, a fiction collection for recreational reading, as well as children’s and young adult’s books. The Library also houses two collections of regional note, the Nuclear Collection and the Micronesian Collection. The print collection is supplemented by EBSCOhost (principally online magazines, journal and newspaper articles). The current print periodical collection is approximately fifty titles; the print book collection is approximated to be 5,000-6,000 titles. Unfortunately, many items were inadvertently discarded during the move to the new Library location and the Library is attempting to recover from this loss. The Arrak library is a small, unstaffed reading/computer space with limited vocational print books, many of which are outdated. The Arrack library provides access to computers, and to all of the electronic resources provided by CMI except for research instruction. Academic Support Services are provided in several locations on the main CMI campus and use has grown dramatically. The Writing Center, the Developmental Education Lab, and the two Math and Technology Centers operate during the fall, spring and summer. The RH119 Lab is closed during the summer. The Writing Center and the labs have a total of 106 computers. Students are referred to tutoring by instructors or seek help on their own, in which case the instructor of the student is notified. Academic Support Services are vital to academic support because they provide technology and instruction largely unavailable at home and provide help to the College’s predominantly ESL students. Students from the Arrak campus come to the Uliga campus to access Academic Support Services. Finding and Evidence The Library, Learning Support Services, and Academic Support Services at CMI all contribute significantly to student learning and overall student success. The breadth and depth of services provided include the Library, the Reading Room, special collections, tutoring center, the Writing Center, instructional media services, instructional technology, a newly established Help Desk, and several computer labs. These services are supplemented by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable cadre of staff and faculty who are dedicated to student success. Students feel welcomed and supported in their academic pursuits. In particular, the Library serves as an interesting and accepting gathering place for students as well as members of the Majuro community. Challenges faced by these support areas include a decrease in budgetary support, which is reflected in staffing reductions as well as limited resource acquisition. (II.C) The Library and Academic Support sites and labs all offer essential support services that contribute to student success. The Library staff and the faculty develop the collections of print, media, and e-resources on the basis of their professional expertise and training. Requests for new

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materials are taken from faculty, staff, and students. Requests from faculty for curriculum support take priority. There is an electronic request form available through Google Docs. A collection of textbooks supplied by the faculty are available in the Library’s reserve collection. The Library’s holding of books and media is available through the online library catalog. Access to online catalog and EBSCOhost is through the College’s intranet and will be available on the College’s website once the website is fully operational. The budget for the library research materials varies greatly from year to year, making planning difficult. A consortium of six regional institutions take turns paying for EBSCOhost – next year it will be CMI’s turn and the $5,000 price will come from Library’s collection development funds. Valid users of EBSCOhost are authenticated through using the IP range for the RMI. Contrary to what was reported in the Library’s 2015 Program Review draft, a subscription to eBrary (online eBooks) was discontinued in 2011. The Library has 50 thin-client NComputing PCs that are well used by the students. Space exists for additional computers. (II.C.1, II.C.1.e) The Library has four permanent employees who handle a variety of tasks ranging from collections and research to clerical and counter coverage. Some student workers are available to assist. The Library’s program review presents the need for an additional position for a library clerk. The program review states that the staff would like to change the job description of the Technical Services Librarian to move him from the workroom to the public area of the Library and utilize his time to provide reference and research services to students in addition to his cataloging functions. (II.C.1.a) Current projects underway by the Library staff include the implementation of work management software “Getting Things Done,” the conversion of VHS tapes to DVDs, and the digitization of materials from the special collections. (II.C.1.a) In-house library information literacy workshops and training are conducted in the Library’s video/conference room. A bilingual teaching librarian with a college degree was recently hired to provide library orientations and workshops. Because of her language skills, she is able to relate linguistically to a wide variety of students. In an effort to gather assessment data, the Library staff have quizzed and surveyed First Year Experience (FYE) students, students attending orientations, and faculty as to the quality of service in the Library and the adequacy of the Library collection. These assessment results have yet to be considered in the Library’s planning efforts and move toward continuous quality improvement. Library staff are aware that student SWOT comments describe the Library as sometimes being too noisy, having limited research resources, needing more basic-level reading materials, and providing inadequate customer service. (II.C.1, II.C.1.a, II.C.1.b) The Reading Room, with comfortable cushioned seating, is home to the children’s and young adult’s collections and is used heavily. The librarians theorize that developmental education students are drawn to the Reading Room because the books in the children’s and young adult's collections are at a reading level that matches the reading ability of the students. (II.C.1.a) A draft program review (FY 2013-2014) for the Academic Support Program (ASP) gives evidence that the units under this umbrella are thoughtfully considering Program Learning Outcomes, and establishing benchmarks and assessment strategies. Some PLOs have been

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introduced recently. The assessment of the PLOs provides feedback about the awareness of the evaluation and improvement process, but the feedback that is being generated has not been fully incorporated into the planning cycle. In 2013 and 2014, satisfaction surveys of ASPs were deployed using Survey Monkey. Unfortunately, the 2014 survey results were corrupted and no data exists. The 2013 student survey revealed two major themes: 1) the internet connection was too slow (now improved); and, 2) tutors should be more proactive about providing support. The team found evidence that the number of drop-in students using academic support services has dramatically increased from 134 in 2007-2008 to 4,365 in 2013-2014. Concurrently, the permanent staff level has declined from seven to four. The number of students served is verified by signing in/out, and in the case of tutoring, computer labs, and writing labs, the purpose of the visit is also captured. These statistics have been gathered for the last few years, but it is unclear how many of the patrons are students or members of the public. Despite the collection of data from visits and from surveys, there is little evidence that the College evaluates the department’s obvious success at meeting student needs. (II.C.1, II.C.2) Tutors are recruited by soliciting recommendations from faculty. An interview process follows with potential tutors for the Writing Center being asked to write an essay. Tutor training is done by Library staff in three half-day workshops. (II.C.1.b, II.C.1.c) The weekday hours of the Library are generous and weekend hours are added during mid-terms and finals. The number of computers, and open hours in the Library and in the Academic Support Program areas are sufficient to serve the College’s and the public’s needs. (II.C.1.c) The College has followed accepted standards of practice for security in the libraries and the learning centers. The Library is protected by 3M security gates and closed circuit television cameras. A reconciliation of the inventory is planned to determine how many items are missing or were accidentally discarded prior to the installation of the security devices. The computers and other equipment in the Tutoring/Academic Assistance sites are secured to prevent theft. The team is somewhat concerned about the leaks in the roof in the library/computer lab at the Arrak campus and the potential damage of computer equipment. (II.C.1.d) The program reviews for the Library and Learning Support Services and the Academic Support Program for 2015 are both in draft form. There is a general awareness that Institutional Learning Outcomes need to be tied to Program Learning Outcomes and be verified by quantitatively and qualitatively assessing Student Learning Outcomes. (II.C.2) Conclusions The College does not meet this Standard, as to II.C.2. Recommendations See Recommendation 3 under Standard I.B. See Recommendation 4 under Standard II.A.

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Standard III Resources

Standard III.A—Human Resources General Observations The team found evidence that the College of the Marshall Islands (CMI) strives to employ qualified personnel to support learning programs and services, student success, and to improve institutional effectiveness. The College has made great strides in the standardization and application of human resource policies and procedures. It is a widely known and accepted goal at all levels of the College that the employees of the College will be a more representative reflection of the student body and the local community. The geographic remoteness of the Marshall Islands, the cultural differences, and the challenge of living in a foreign country are major human resource staffing concerns for the College. Because the College relies heavily on non-indigenous employees, particularly in the faculty and administrative ranks, attracting and retaining employees are significant staffing factors. It is hoped that in time the increased education and experience levels of the native Marshallese will make the reliance on employees from “off island” less of a concern. Findings and Evidence The College has a dedicated and qualified staff. CMI is currently staffed by approximately 165 employees, including 59 faculty members, 35 administrators/ supervisors, and 71 full-time non-instructional staff members. CMI administers human resource policies and procedures and established hiring practices. For the most part, hiring practices are consistently followed and equitably applied by trained hiring committee members. Selection committees have wide representation and include faculty knowledgeable in the subject area. The department chairs play an important role in the faculty hiring process. The institution maintains a sufficient number of qualified faculty and staff and enjoys a low faculty to student ratio and the resulting small class sizes. The College continues to strive to increase the number of Marshallese faculty and staff. Professional development is used to enhance the organization’s effectiveness. The Human Resources Department has developed and equitably implements policy. (III.A, III.A.2) The quality of CMI and its programs is assured by the careful selection of qualified employees. Minimum qualifications are established in the job descriptions and applicants must possess the appropriate education. CMI’s hiring process includes clearly articulated qualifications that are tied to the College’s mission and goals. An employee recruitment request form is submitted and approved prior to posting of the position. The organization has an established screening process. The application goes through the Human Resources Department, moves on to a selection committee, and then through a final presidential review prior to hiring. Applicants receive final approval by the president. CMI appears to ensure fair hiring practices by basing their policies on the CMI Act. Applicants who do not meet the standards are screened out by the Human Resources Department and current employees who do not meet standards may be provided the

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necessary professional development or supported in attaining the necessary education or certification. (III.A.1, III.A.1.a) Faculty department chairs, in collaboration with academic leadership, establish the proposed faculty position and identify the position’s relation to departmental goals in support of learning outcomes and the mission. Department chairs, in collaboration with academic leadership, set the required level of education and expertise in the subject for each position. Because advertising money for college positions is limited, CMI has committed to setting up a cross-functional team to explore the feasibility of building on the available opportunities for an internet-based Pacific Region electronic job board. (III.A.1.a) Faculty are given performance evaluations that include a component that addresses their effectiveness in producing student learning outcomes. College policy outlines that new faculty will be evaluated twice during their first year and once annually thereafter. Current practice does not consistently align with this policy although the current practice is that faculty are required, at a minimum, to be evaluated prior to contract renewal. Non-instructional staff are provided a performance evaluation annually with the Employee Evaluation Form and Process. (III.A.1.b, III.A.1.c) Once a new employee is hired, CMI delineates codes of professional ethics according to the HR Manual, requiring that new hires undergo ethics and confidentiality orientations. Upon completion, staff members sign an ethics and confidentiality agreement that is maintained in their personnel file. (III.A.1.d) The institution maintains an appropriate number of qualified faculty members, with full-time faculty required to hold a masters degree or equivalent in the field in which they teach. CMI maintains an adequate number of full-time faculty members, with a full-time to part-time ratio of approximately 87:13 in recent years. (III.A.2) CMI maintains a sufficient number of administrators with the necessary preparation and experience to support the institution’s mission and purposes. They appear to have sufficient managers for the size of their institution and campuses, including an office of the president, a vice president of academic and student affairs, a chief financial officer and a vice-president of administration. (III.A.2) The College has developed a comprehensive HR procedure, using the College of the Marshall Islands Act at the framework for its policies. Managers utilize CMI’s Human Resources Policy and Procedure Manual and Faculty Handbook to ensure that equitable and consistent procedures are applied. There is continuous review of employment policies and practices to assure relevance to the mission, equity and compliance with RMI law. In addition, the policy manual and procedures/forms are posted on CMI’s website. CMI has taken efforts to revise some of their employee benefit policies to align with local culture or customs. For instance there is a birth tradition in Marshallese culture that takes place over a period of many weeks. CMI recently updated its parental leave policy to take into account the time that is required by this tradition. (II.A.3, III.A.3.a)

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A previous issue, raised in an audit and in the 2009 report on the self-study regarding an articulated policy about access to employee records, has been resolved and all employee personnel files are housed in the HR Department. HR staff continuously receives training on the responsibility of keeping personnel records secure and confidential. Files are kept in locked cabinets and are only accessible to HR staff. Board policy was updated to ensure alignment with this personnel files practice. (III.A.3, III.A.3.a, III.A.3.b) CMI is using workforce demographics in its program review of it human resources. An analysis of this data resulted in a program with a goal to increase Marshallese faculty by 50 percent to better match its student population. With a stated commitment, “Preference shall be given to qualified citizens of the Republic,” CMI has achieved a non-instructional staff that reflects closely the student demographics, but still needs to make progress in the instructional faculty. CMI’s Diversity Analysis in June 2014 produced the following statistics for the College of Marshall Islands: (III.A.4)

All Employees Faculty Staff Administration Ethnicity Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

Micronesian 109 66% 17 28.81% 68 95.77% 24 68.57% Other Pacific Island. 6 3.64% 5 8.47% 0 0% 1 2.86% Asian 16 9.7% 9 15.25% 3 4.23% 4 11.43% White 28 16.97% 22 37.29% 0 0% 6 17.14% Black 4 2.42% 4 6.78% 0 0% 0 0% Hispanic 2 1.21% 2 3.39% 0 0% 0 0% Total 165 100% 59 100% 71 100% 35 100% CMI’s HR Manual, Faculty Handbook and Student Handbook all demonstrate the College’s commitment to creating programs that support diverse personnel. The organization has a parental leave policy, an emergency leave policy and a fast track faculty program that also support the College’s diverse staff. (III.A.4.a) HR does an annual diversity report outlining its staff positions by ethnicity as part of CMI’s efforts to assess its record in employment equity. The institution is committed to maintaining fairness in the treatment of its administration, faculty, and staff, and has outlined a designated grievance procedure in the HR Manual to ensure this occurs. (III.A.4.b, III.A.4.c) CMI provides various opportunities for professional development and offers IT tech training, allowing employees to obtain certifications in the area of Information Technology. The College provides pay level advancement on the salary schedule for employees who complete a degree required for their position, and provide an additional bonus if they attain a degree beyond the requirements of the job. (III.A.5) Academic employees are provided with sabbatical leave and conference/workshop support to encourage professional growth. Many existing employees have opportunities for training and advancement to meet their stated career goals within the CMI organization. An additional benefit is that CMI employees receive tuition reimbursement for their dependents to attend an accredited K-12. CMI is not only promoting its employees’ personal growth but education for the families of employees is promoted as well. CMI includes professional development plans in

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every employee’s annual performance evaluation. CMI indicates that it uses college goals and feedback from employees to determine professional development activities, although there is not much evaluation in regard to the effectiveness of the professional development programs. (III.A.5.a, III.A.5.b) In an effort to integrate human resource planning with CMI, the College has developed a comprehensive process that provides an assessment of the unit’s effectiveness. These evaluation results are then used to identify any additional support that is required for implementation of recommended and accepted improvements. (III.A.6) Conclusions The College does not meet this Standard, as to III.A.5.b. Recommendations See Recommendation 3 under Standard I.B. Recommendation 6: Faculty Evaluation To increase effectiveness, the team recommends the College ensure that evaluation of faculty takes place systematically and at stated intervals per the institution’s policy and procedures. (III.A.1.b)

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Standard III.B—Physical Resources

General Observations The College of the Marshall Islands has made substantial facilities additions and improvements since the last comprehensive accreditation visit. Using Compact funding, CMI completed a $27.5 million reconstruction of the Uliga campus. New facilities include a classroom building, a dormitory, an Energy and Maintenance Building, an Administration building, a Math/Science/Nursing building, a Nursing Simulation Lab, and several computer labs. Other work includes new backup generators, an expanded solar energy system, and multiple advancements in energy efficiency. Using reclaimed resources, Arrak’s campus was expanded to include additional classrooms, student residential space, a library, and a revamped kitchen. Also developed recently are two distance centers at Ebeye (2012) and Jaluit (2013) each with a classroom and computer lab. New buildings at CMI are appropriate in design and functionality. Older buildings are generally inadequate but are maintained in order to support the institutional and instructional needs of the College. Photos provided of the remote sites Ebeye and Jaluit appear to be adequate and in good repair. Arrak's campus is comprised mostly of reclaimed resources from non-CMI projects. Utilization of these acquired supplies is creative and resourceful, but much of the site is in need of repair. Most notably the leaky roofs are particularly hazardous in the areas of power equipment. Findings and Evidence As in several other areas of the Standards, the remoteness of the Marshall Islands presents challenges for the College’s physical resources. The geographic weather conditions which are manifested by tropical storms, rain, and wind further exacerbate the challenges to the physical resources that the College has. Nevertheless, the College utilizes its available resources extremely well in the support of student success. While the College’s physical resource planning is well done (mostly contracted out to third-party experts), it has not been fully integrated with general institutional planning. (III.B) In a move to recognize the importance of total cost of ownership (TCO), the College employed a consultant firm to develop a long-term cost of maintenance report entitled “The College of the Marshall Islands – 20 Year Building Expenditure Forecast.” In addition to cost, this report maps the life expectancies and projected needs of the new facilities. In 2014, the College purchased a customized maintenance management system called HippoFM to supplement the 20-year building TCO forecast work. HippoFM is a tool to schedule and track maintenance needs and project completions as well as weekly, monthly, and yearly reports on total costs of repairs in each area of facilities, and on preventive maintenance schedules. This system provides an interface for submitting and reporting work orders to the maintenance department. HippoFM has been useful in providing data to support resource requests in the 2014 Facilities Department Program Review. (III.B.1.a and III.B.1.b, III.B.2, III.B.2.a)

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Within the 2007 to 2012 period of redevelopment at CMI, there was an increase of 37,000 square feet of buildings which led to substantial increases in energy and maintenance costs. CMI conducted a complete energy audit and identified areas where the College could realize savings through energy conservation and energy efficiency. Analysis of the audit led to a CMI Energy Policy which was adopted by the Regents on a recommendation of the president based on a recommendation from the Executive Council in 2012. This policy stipulated the creation of a new position, the CMI energy officer, whose main responsibility is to enforce the Energy Policy. Since the implementation of the Energy Policy, the College has experience a $300,000 yearly savings. (III.B.1.a, III.B.2, III.B.2.b) The College contracted out the development of a Facilities Master Plan to third-party experts. The plan conforms to new construction standards and safety requirements consistent with those found in New Zealand and that are compliant with RMI’s requirements. Construction, maintenance, and safety considerations now are handled by CMI. Safety concerns are addressed judiciously. Every other year all physical plant supervisors and managers attend the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training. The 2015 training has been scheduled. The CMI 2012 Energy Policy sets acceptable standards for air quality and lighting levels for different working environments. To provide ongoing safe and abundant water, the College has taken several measures. As part of the recent expansion, CMI has a new rainwater catchment system that collects water from the roofs, stores it under ground, runs it through a treatment center, then cycles it back for campus use. In addition to providing clean, treated water to the campus, CMI provides access to its potable water to neighboring elementary and high schools, as well as community members. As a backup, the College has had a reverse osmosis filtration plant to produce fresh water from sea water since 2008. This is a considerably more costly source of potable water and is used only in times of extreme drought. As a fresh water saving measure, CMI has long used salt water to flush toilets. The island has frequent power outages which CMI has guarded against with the installation of dependable generators. The College is self-sufficient in both water and electricity. Emergency policies are in place and are current for fire and high water catastrophes. The security department holds regular emergency drills for the dormitory residents. The last campus-wide emergency drills were in 2011. The Uliga campus has one elevator that leads to the library. Many, although not all, of the two-story buildings are connected by a walkway on the second level. Where the elevator is not available, access issues for disabled students are handled by the scheduling of classes. When the walkway is complete, one elevator will be sufficient to provide second-floor access to the entire campus. (III.B.1, III.B.1.a, III.B.1.b) The buildings at the Arrak campus are considerably older and are comprised mostly of reclaimed resources. While expedient, the facilities are in need of upgrading and repair. Most notably the roof conditions at Arrak leave it in some danger of damage to electrical systems and equipment. (III.B.2.a) Due to a lack of funding, not all of the buildings identified in the 2007-2012 Facilities Master Plan were constructed. The major building yet to be constructed is a new Student Center. The existing programs and services that will be part of the new Student Center are housed in various locations on the campus. While these locations are in old buildings and well-worn spaces, students are able to access these services safely. When the Facilities Master Plan is revised and

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updated, recently identified needs for additional classrooms will have to be included. CMI’s Institutional Research Department is planning to study space utilization which will include considerations of alternatives to new construction. The College has an active Facilities Committee that meets monthly. Program review for the Physical Plant Department, which includes new construction and space utilization, was last submitted in 2014 and is current. Facility needs and resource requests are considered at all levels of the institution. Clearly the entire campus is concerned and has input about the future look of CMI. (III.B.1.a, III.B.1.b, III.B.2, III.B.2.a, III.B.2.b) Conclusion The College meets this Standard. Recommendations Recommendation 7: Reserve Funds To increase effectiveness, the team suggests maintenance priorities be established for the Infrastructure Maintenance Fund under the Compact Sector Grant utilizing a current Facilities Plan that includes an analysis of the condition of roofs at the Arrak campus. (III.B.1.a, III.B.1.b)

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Standard III.C—Technology Resources General Observations The Information Technology (IT) Department is comprised of four members (the department has several vacancies) who administer the technology resources of the College on the main campus and three remote campus sites, two of which are single classrooms. CMI has made significant advances in the area of technology since the 2009 accreditation self-study report. The institution has implemented various new or upgraded hardware and software programs in support of instruction, college operations, and communications. The number of computers available for use by students has tripled since 2008, from 100 to 300. CMI has a total of twenty technology enabled classrooms and a student-to-computer ratio of 3.75:1. Half of the College’s student computers have been converted to thin client PCs and the remaining half are scheduled for conversion. Additionally, the IT Department manages and supports approximately fifty faculty computers and seventy staff computers. The College currently uses server hosting services provided by Google, Inc. using the apps, email, calendar, and Google drive features. The IT Department has installed twenty-seven wi-fi access points at the two on-island campuses. These access points provide free, secure, password protected access using Aruba Technology, a widely recognized company in the wireless LAN market. The College uses a free version of Moodle, installed and managed by the IT Department, as its course management software to deliver instructional materials online. The IT Department has instituted online help desk support for faculty, staff, and students as a tracking device for inquiries and problems. The IT Department, with collaboration of other faculty members, has conducted user training for faculty, staff, and the Majuro community. Findings and Evidence The team found evidence of the existence of extensive planning in the technology resources area as demonstrated by the institution’s use and distribution of resources in appropriately equitable ways. Resources are distributed for distance learning technology, for training, and to leverage outside resources like Goggle applications. The implementation of virtual desktop computing has helped to further leverage existing resources. The IT Department is providing substantial initiative and leadership in transitioning the College to green technology. Of note is the IT Department’s recommendation and the College’s adoption of thin client computer technology throughout the campus. In addition, the IT Department has been instrumental in identifying many open source software applications, saving the College money and benefitting the students directly. The institution is aware of its need for college-wide communication, research, and operational systems and has provided systematic improvements to email, wi-fi, and internet access. Technology resources are assessed and recommendations for improvement are acted upon and resourced accordingly. (III.C, III.C.1.a, III.C.1.d) The staff in the IT Department consists of four permanent employees, one of whom is assigned to the Arrak campus. The IT Department is committed to training and employment of Marshallese students in information technology and encouraging their continuing education.

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Three of the current technicians are CMI graduates and one technician is pursuing his B.S. degree. (III.C.1.a, III.C.1.b) For a college with locations as remote as those of CMI, the connectivity enjoyed by the College and its sites is impressive. The two off-island classroom sites as well as the Arrak campus are inter-connected with fiber optics. In 2010, the RMI government acted quickly to acquire a submarine cable connecting Majuro and Kwajalein to Guam that was going to be abandoned. This acquisition increased Majuro’s Internet bandwidth substantially. Even more recently the bandwidth for the College was increased to 30Mbps, with 20Mbps partitioned exclusively for student use to provide faster streaming speed needed for today’s advanced applications. (III.C.1, III.C.1.c) CMI’s online traffic is monitored constantly by the Director of IT. IT security is provided by an open source firewall software that separates internal and external networks and filters traffic based on IP addresses, protocols, and ports. This software, known as Untangle, enables administrators to designate which systems and services (HTTP, FTP, etc.) will be available to the public. A weekly report about IT security is made to the Vice President of Administration. The College servers are backed up to Google Cloud on a regular daily schedule. Wi-fi connectivity is widely available throughout the College. Wi-fi use is controlled by the registration of the device with the IT Department. Currently, 300-400 mobile devices are registered for wi-fi service with the IT Department, a clear indication of the even-increasing use of mobile devices by students. (III.C.1.c) The IT Policies and Procedures manual was produced in 2013. The team found it to be thorough, comprehensive, and appropriate to the community college setting. The College has an Information Technology Committee (ITC). Meeting notes from February 2015 provide evidence that the institution has replacement and maintenance plans for its technology. The development of a technology plan for the College is complicated due to the many and various sources of funding from which the current equipment has been acquired. A multi-partner grant involving the Australian Agency for International Development, Canada, the University of Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the US Virgin Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Samoa, and Puerto Rico, known as CARIPAC DE, funded the technology currently located at the College. In the interest of having a TCO approach towards planning for technology in the future, some major new grant opportunities will need to be developed by the College. The IT Department coordinates with the Business Office for asset control. An inventory of all equipment exists and there are asset tags on the equipment. All computers are secured by anti-theft cables. (III.C.1.c) While the team was at the College a new website was being launched. The website transition is a joint effort between the IT Department and the Research and Planning Office. The new site is scheduled to be deployed on March 19, 2015. [Post visit note: The new website has been successfully deployed.] The IT Department currently supports Windows 7 throughout the College. It is beta-testing Windows 10, with the intention of bypassing Windows 8. The College is hosting Moodle locally for a small number of students and faculty. Distance Education classrooms in Arrak, Ebeye, and Jaluit use Polycom transmission and receiving equipment that is functioning as designed. The institution evaluates IT services to assure their adequacy in meeting

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identified student needs through the use of SWOT analysis, helpdesk support reports, training schedules, program review, and the IT Strategic Plan. (III.C.1.d, III.C.2) In October 2014, the IT Department conducted a SWOT analysis of its own department. Subsequently the IT Department, in conjunction with the ITC, conducted a similar SWOT analysis that included stakeholders college-wide, including faculty, staff, and students. Students reported that the computer labs are one of the College’s strengths. Students also reported that CMI does not fully utilize the technology available for more online and distance learning classes. Help desk support is available for faculty, staff, and students. Technology support is requested using an online ticketing system and the department’s goal is to resolve tickets within one day. (III.C.2) The team found evidence that the institution has an extensive technology training schedule for students and staff. CMI also trained public school teachers from the Marshall Islands High School (MIHS) in September of 2014. (III.C.1.b) The IT Department is up-to-date on its program review. The program review spans five years (2013-2018) and includes Administrative Unit Outcomes (AUOs). The assessment of the AUOs is interwoven with current and future goals and assessments. For greater ease in validating assessments and integrating technology planning with institutional planning, the IT Department and the Institution Planning Department are considering consolidating into a single department. (III.C.2) Conclusion The College meets this Standard. Recommendations None

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Standard III.D—Financial Resources General Observations The team found that the practice at CMI has been to rely upon its mission and its strategic plan as the basis for financial planning. However, the College would be well-served to have an updated strategic plan to guide its present day budget prioritization and planning. In the absence of a more current strategic plan, CMI has relied on program review to help advise the planning process. Since FY 2008, the College has used performance-based budgeting concepts as tools to incorporate planning, budgeting, monitoring, and evaluation. The budget is developed and recommended by the Budget Committee, which has sufficient participation of 21 CMI employees representing various constituencies and stakeholders. The Institutional Planning Committee supports the Budget Committee by helping to set budget priorities. The only source of funding for new initiatives has been limited grant funding. CMI experienced a net loss to the general fund each year from FY 2007 through FY 2012 due to expenditures outpacing revenues. CMI appears to be rebounding financially in recent years and has experienced an improved general fund surplus in both FY 2013 and FY 2014. Findings and Evidence CMI has a well-established and widely embraced budgeting process. The process is well known and is clearly participatory. Funding for the College is complicatedly interwoven with the RMI government and this relationship, from time-to-time and year-to-year, has presented challenges for the College. The College has a strong history of success in obtaining grant funding to provide buildings, equipment, personnel, and technology in order to meet student needs. The College conducts itself with great integrity in all matters and specifically in financial matters. There is a strong connection between program review and the distribution of resources. (III.D, III.D.1.d) In reviewing CMI’s Self-Evaluation Report, the team found that the budget planning process is aligned with the College’s mission and goals. The team found the degree of strategic alignment of the College’s comprehensive planning with the budget process and with resource allocation to be weak. Per the CMI Budget Guide, Planning & Policy, the budget for the College is initiated at the department level and approved through the organization’s Budget Committee. According to the FY 2010-11 report, more than 60 percent of general funds were allocated directly for instruction (an increase of 45 percent compared to FY 2009-10), a clear pattern and direction strongly in support of student success. (III.D.1.a, III.D.1.b, III.D.1.c, III.D.1.d) The College has two major sources of revenue: 1) direct payments from RMI; and, 2) student tuition and fees. From FY 2009 to FY 2013, funding from RMI has decreased eight percent while funding from student tuition and fees has increased by 15 percent. The overall change in revenue has been an increase from $5.6 million to $7.2 million. (III.D, III.D.1.b) In an effort to increase the financial stability of the institution and to minimize the vagaries of annual funding, CMI’s president developed a Financial Recovery Plan which became the driving planning document for the last several years. The plan incorporated changes in how the College

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allocates its resources, particularly in regard to faculty workload, as well as aggressively embarking on a program to reduce energy and operating costs. The College identified operational budgetary savings and is making investments in facilities to generate ongoing operational savings. (III.D.1.a, III.D.1.b, III.D.1.c) The College develops the annual budget to ensure that meeting the needs of students are the top priority. Necessarily, institutional planning reflects a realistic assessment of available financial resources. Financial solvency is a priority for the College and CMI has no long-term debt and all short-term liabilities are funded as part of the annual budget process. The CMI Budget Manual Guidelines are used in the development of the annual budget and the College follows its designated processes for financial and budget planning. (III.D.1.a, III.D.1.b, III.D.1.c, III.D.1.d) In FY 2012, the College modified the budget development process to empower program managers with full responsibility for developing their department’s annual budget, as well as full responsibility of the expenditure of their budgeted resources during the year. Previously, the Financial Affairs and Business Services Department exerted great authority in budget development and implementation. This change has been well received by faculty (especially department chairs) and they note that it provides them with greater “ownership” and “flexibility.” (III.D.1.a, III.D.1.b, III.D.1.d, III.D.2.c) CMI’s quarterly and other financial reports are public documents and are readily available. In accordance with the College of the Marshall Islands Act, an independent CPA firm is contracted by CMI to perform an annual audit to examine financial records, including restricted and unrestricted funds. At the time of the visit, the auditors were on site, working on the FY 2014 audit. The audits are posted on the website and a summary report is provided to the Board and is reviewed by the Budget Committee. CMI communicates external audit findings by submitting responses to the Finance Committee of the Board of Regents. Faculty report that they are informed about audit findings via an email communication from the president sharing the findings and the College’s proposed actions to address those findings. (III.D.2, III.D.2.b, III.D.2.c) CMI’s annual budget clearly reflects that the allocation and expenditure of financial resources is in support of student learning programs and services. CMI has Accounting Policies and Procedures that are used as guidelines to ensure financial stability and best practices. Risk assessments are performed twice each year to ensure adequate internal controls. Financial resources are used with integrity and annual audit reports provide financial oversight on local and federal compliance. The audit reports also help validate that the institution’s internal control systems are valid. As of 2014, the College no longer has a foundation. There are no auxiliary organizations associated with the College at this time. (III.D.2.a, III.D.2.b, III.D.2.d, III.D.2.e, III.D.3, III.D.3.b) In reviewing CMI’s last three audits (FY 2013, FY 2012, FY 2011), CMI received four, nine, and seven findings, respectively. Although the auditor’s opinion has been unmodified, CMI did have material weaknesses. CMI has a stated goal of striving to be a low risk audit, although they have not yet attained that status. The FY 2013 audit does have fewer findings and questioned costs than in previous years. During the visit the team was able to confirm progress on the

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recommendations in response to the FY 2013 audit findings. The auditors were on site during the visit conducting the FY 2014 audit but the results of it were not yet known at the time of this report. (III.D.2.b) The FY 2012 audit, reported significant deficiencies that were considered to be material. There are also themes of continued findings across multiple years’ audit reports. For instance, the FY 2013, FY 2012, and FY 2011 audits all had findings in regard to equipment and real property management. The auditor recommendation states that the College should strengthen controls over compliance with applicable equipment and real property management requirements. Past audits also have identified weak internal controls over compliance with applicable procurement requirements. As stated previously, the College has made progress in meeting these recommendations. (III.D.2.e, III.D.3, III.D.3.b) The institution does evaluate its internal controls and seeks to improve those systems. For example, CMI strengthened its internal controls by separating the process for entering information into the personnel and the payroll systems and making it a dual employee procedure. The new practice has been implemented and successfully incorporates a process with the necessary checks and balances. (III.D.3, III.D.3.h) Since FY 2008 and until FY 2011, the College budget trended significantly downward in regard to the level of its contingency fund. CMI was previously found to lack sufficient cash flow and to not maintain sufficient reserves. CMI’s year of lowest reserve percentage was FY 2011, in which the contingency fund was at $111,345, equaling 1.4 percent of total expenditures. In FY 2013, the contingency fund was $255,680, equaling 3.4 percent of total expenditures. In both years CMI was unable to budget the recommended 5 percent contingency fund amount. In the 2011 Accreditation Follow-Up Evaluation Report, it was recommended that the College maintain a reserve fund for contingencies of at least five percent. Now trending upward, the FY 2014 contingency reserve fund was $371,174, equaling 4.44 percent, and the visiting team is pleased to report that the FY 2015 contingency reserve fund was $465,978, equaling 5.4 percent of total expenditures. (III.D.3, III.D.3.a) The College does demonstrate that they are planning for future liabilities by showing in FY 2013, a maintenance fund was established for the sole purpose of setting aside restricted cash for minor and major capital renovations. The College does not offer Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB). CMI does not have long-term debt and the College reports that funds are allocated for short-term liabilities each year as part of the College’s annual budget process. In regard to student financial aid, the institution is not eligible for student loan programs. (III.D.3.b, III.D.3.c, III.D.3.d, III.D.3.e, III.D.3.f) Contract agreements are consistent with CMI’s mission and all are managed in a manner that ensures laws and regulations are met. CMI maintains a strong, two-party integrity system for contractual agreements that commit resources. They are closely governed by institutional policies and stipulate that the president and the CFO validate any contract requiring payment obligations and that each must sign the contract. (III.D.3.g)

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While CMI contends that financial resource planning is comprehensive and integrated across all levels of planning, it has provided limited documentation that the strategic plan drives long-term planning and budget priorities. In the absence of an active approved strategic plan, department chairs and budget committee members report that program reviews have been the best basis for setting budget priorities. CMI’s budget document outlines objectives for each program and budget managers provide updates and evaluation on progress toward those objectives. The Budget Committee is actively involved in reviewing resource allocation requests and the effectiveness of the use of those resources. (III.D.4) CMI has improved its financial condition through careful management and by instituting a financial recovery plan. It has been rebounding financially in recent years and has experienced a general fund surplus in both FY 2013 and FY 2014. CMI is on a path to financial stability. The financial recovery plan involves active participation from multiple stakeholder groups. It is essential that progress toward improved financial oversight, the elimination of audit findings, and fulfillment of accreditation recommendations be sustained over time. The College will continue to report annually through the ACCJC fiscal monitoring process. Conclusion The College does not meet this Standard, as to III.D.4. Recommendations See Recommendation 3 under Standard I.B. Recommendation 8: Reserve Funds To increase effectiveness, the team recommends that the College consider budgeting and maintaining reserve funds at a level greater than the five percent minimum threshold. (III.D.3.a) Recommendation 9: Budget Forecasting To increase effectiveness, the team recommends the College perform revenue and expenditure forecasts for future fiscal years and develop a five-year rolling budget plan. (III.D.1.a, III.D.1.b, III.D.1.c)

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Standard IV Leadership and Governance

General Observations The team was able to confirm that the College maintains a leadership approach to create a culture that improves policy development, acceptance, and implementation for all CMI stakeholders. The team sought and found evidence among the documents provided, including Board of Regents (BOR) minutes and agendas, BOR bylaws and policy documents, legislation, standing committee minutes, and Executive Committee (EC) minutes. Further, interviews with members of the BOR, senior administrators including the president, and members of various participatory governance committees were conducted From review of documents and interviews with faculty, staff, administrators, Board members, and students, it is evident that the College has a functioning participatory governance structure in place which includes representatives from the Arrak Campus who attend meetings either via video conference or in person. During a group interview, chairs of the Human Resources, Curriculum and Assessment, Student Services, and Institutional Planning Committees rated the effectiveness of the participatory governance process 4+ on a scale of 1 to 5. The College has in place a dedicated and representative Board of Regents. Interviews with members of the Board indicated that they clearly realize the importance of establishing long-term financial stability and sustainability. The Board has evaluated the President and has plans to review the mission statement and conduct self- evaluations as required by the amended Board bylaws. Several members recently attended the Pacific Postsecondary Education Council (PPEC) board development workshop, and plans call for additional training for the Board at a retreat scheduled for April 2015. In addition, the College is sending a representative contingent to the April 2015 training on the new accreditation standards to be held in San Diego. The Board was involved in the selection of the new president and in the development of the Self Evaluation Report. The 2009 visiting team’s Evaluation Report references the “transformational changes” to CMI’s modes of governance and accountability and the steps taken by the president to ensure the College’s fiscal and academic integrity as well as its long-term sustainability. The 2015 visiting team observed that the referenced changes have not been consistently sustained. Instead, the College referred to a period in which there was a “failed presidency” resulting in challenges to its fiscal integrity. This “failed presidency” was followed by a two- to three-year period during which the current president successfully labored to control expenditures and bring the contingency fund back to an acceptable level. During the visit, the team witnessed the transition from the current president to a new president who will assume her responsibilities on April 1, 2015. The team sensed a spirit of support and optimism regarding the new president. In like manner optimism, excitement, and enthusiasm were evident in the demeanor of the new president.

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Standard IV.A—Decision-Making Roles and Processes General Observations See General Observations for Standard IV. Findings and Evidence Anchored by the mission, CMI has an established governance structure which promotes participation by all constituencies as they identify institutional values and set and achieve goals with a clear focus on student access and student success. High standards of ethical and effective leadership are apparent at the institution. Regents hold themselves to these same high standards. (IV.A) CMI has a well defined and widely understood structure for governance. All College standing committees have written Role, Scope, and Authority (RSA) documents which are updated each year. The Executive Committee, comprised of the representatives from the Participatory Governance Units (Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, and the Student Body Association) and the College Standing Committees (Human Resources, Plant and Facilities, Student Conduct Board, Student Grievance, Student Life, and Enrollment Management) as well as the College’s key administrators, functions as the primary participatory governance structure of the institution. Although Board Policy 405.6 states that the EC meets weekly, meeting minutes indicate that the EC meets bi-monthly which was confirmed by EC members. A review of EC minutes for the past several years supported the assertion that this structure provides a voice for faculty and administrators in the development and review of institutional policies, planning, and budget in their respective areas of expertise. Interviews with administrators, Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, and Student Body Association officers and discussions with the EC indicated that members of the College community feel they play a significant role in governance. (IV.A.1) Section 620 of the BOR Policies and Procedures Manual delineates the roles of faculty, staff, administrators, and students in policy development and planning. These policies are dated 2003. There is a need to update these policies to reflect the current structure. (IV.A.2) Through interviews with members of the IPC, CAC, Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, CAC, and Student Body Association, it was evident that faculty, administrators, students and staff have a clearly defined role and substantial voice in the development of institutional policies and institutional decision-making. (IV.A.2.a) The Curriculum and Assessment Committee (CAC) reports to the EC through the Faculty Senate. A review of the CAC RSA, CAC minutes, and interviews with CAC members validated the role faculty and administrators play in the development and implementation of student learning programs and services. Section 620 of the BOR Policies and Procedures Manual, dated 2004, delineates the role of the Curriculum Committee (now known as the Curriculum and Assessment Committee) in these processes. The College is encouraged to update these policies to reflect the current structure. (IV.A.2.b)

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A review of the minutes of the EC, Board of Regents, the various standing committees, and participatory governance units provided evidence that the College has established governance structures, processes, and practices that facilitate discussion of ideas and communication among the College’s Board, administrators, faculty, staff, and students for the good of the institution. Interviews of representatives of the various constituent groups confirmed these observations. Of special note was a view expressed by representatives of the Staff Senate who indicated that the Staff Senate provides a vehicle for staff to express their views and concerns to the administration and members of other constituent groups that they might otherwise not be able to convey. (IV.A.3) Documentation concerning relationships the College has with external agencies is readily available on the College website. The list of agencies includes the ACCJC, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the external auditors. (IV.A.4) While all standing committees review Role, Scope, and Authority (RSA) at the beginning of each school year, and recommended changes in the RSAs are forwarded to the EC for review and approval, the College does not evaluate its overall governance and decision-making structures and processes on a regular basis. (IV.A.5) Conclusion The College meets this Standard. Recommendations Recommendation 10: Evaluation of Participatory Governance Structure To increase effectiveness, the team recommends the College regularly evaluate participatory governance and decision-making structures and processes, widely communicate the results of these evaluations, and use the results for improvement. (IV.A.5)

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Standard IV.B—Board and Administrative Organization General Observations See General Observations for Standard IV. Findings and Evidence The team found the organizational hierarchy at CMI to be reflective of and appropriate for a comprehensive two-year college. The authority of the Board of Regents (BOR) is well established and the team found a Board engaged and interested in the work of the College as well as holding themselves to high standards of continuous quality improvement in their roles as Regents. Board policies are readily available and are appropriate. The role of the president is clearly defined in board policy. In meetings with both the outgoing and incoming presidents and some of the Regents, the team witnessed good communication, clear direction, and an obvious professional respect for each other. (IV.B) Title 14 of the Marshall Islands Revised Code (MIRC), Chapter 2, establishes the College of the Marshall Islands to serve as a single entity post-secondary education agency to serve the needs of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). This chapter further specifies that the College is to be governed by a Board of Regents. Section 208 of this statute and the Board bylaws define the composition, terms, size, operating procedures, and duties and responsibilities of the Board which include assuring the quality, integrity, and effectiveness of the student learning programs and services and the financial stability of the College. Article 1 of the Bylaws requires the Board to appoint, support, assess, and evaluate the performance of the Chief Executive Officer (President) of the College. The Board evaluated the president in 2014 as documented in the Board minutes and through an interview of the Board Chair. (IV.B.1) The Board is comprised of eleven members from the community who are selected and approved by the RMI Cabinet. The statute specifies that the Regents shall include at least two (2) business representatives, at least two (2) representatives of the general public, one (1) representative of private secondary schools, one (1) student representative, one (1) representative from Kwajalein Atoll, and states that no more than five (5) Regents shall be government officials. Regents serve three-year staggered terms and are eligible to serve two terms except for the student Regent who serves a one-year term. The Board is divided into three subcommittees – the Strategic Planning Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Academic Student Life Committee – which are comprised of both Regents and senior administrators. The Board has a Code of Ethics which was revised in May 2009 to include provisions for dealing with behavior that violates the Code. Both the statute and bylaws require the Board to insure the institutional autonomy of the College. Part 4 of the Board Pledge included in the bylaws requires the Board to abide by and uphold the final majority decision of the Board. (IV.B.1.a) During the visit, several members of the team had the opportunity to meet with and interview four of the Regents. A review of Board minutes, CMI’s Quarterly Compact Reports to the Nitijela, and the BOR Policies and Procedures Manual provided evidence that the Board establishes policies consistent with the College’s mission. Responsibility for monitoring and

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improving student learning has been delegated to College leadership. Policy proposals are forwarded by the EC to one of the three Board subcommittees for review and Board action. (IV.B.1.b) The team was able to confirm that the Board serves as the ultimate authority for any dispute involving the interpretation or application of the College’s rules, regulations, policies, procedures or standards among or between the faculty, students, and staff. Item 3 of Article 1 of the Board bylaws states that the Board is responsible for the development of certificate and degree programs, while Items 15 and 16 require the Board to ensure adequate financial resources and strong financial management. (IV.B.1.c) Although the Board has published bylaws that specify the Board’s size, duties, responsibilities, structure, and operating procedures, it appears that this document has not been reviewed and updated since 2009. In discussion with the Board Chair, he indicated that the Board has plans to update this document. Board bylaws and minutes are published via the College’s website. However, a review of the website showed that the bylaws have not yet been posted; these documents were provided to the team electronically prior to the visit. There is a need for the College’s new website to be fully implemented, evaluated, and consistently managed to provide current comprehensive information about the Board and the College as a whole. (IV.B.1.d) Proposed policies are forwarded to Board subcommittees for review and consideration by the Board as a whole. A review of Board minutes and interviews with Regents and administrative leaders indicated that the Board acts in a manner consistent with its policies. The College reported that from time to time the Board of Regents, in consultation with the administration, reviews current policies and procedures for effectiveness and relevance, but not on an established schedule. The June 30, 2009, action letter from the Commission includes a recommendation that the BOR revise its bylaws to clearly define a regular review process for evaluating its policies and practices. In May 2009 the College amended Article 1, section 23 to include a provision for the regular review process for evaluating its policies and practices. However, Board of Regents meeting minutes and an interview with Board of Regents members indicated that the Board has yet to implement this section of the bylaws. (IV.B.1.e) January 2014 Board minutes show that the Board welcomed new members and state that Board training would be held. However, available Board minutes for the remainder of the year do not mention this training. In January 2015, several Regents attended a two-day training session on leadership held in Honolulu as part of a Pacific Postsecondary Education Council (PPEC) meeting. The Self Evaluation states that the Board would address matters related to a formalized program for Board development at its inaugural annual retreat in January 2015. However, an interview with four of the Regents revealed that this retreat has been postponed to April 2015 to coincide with the start of the new College president. A draft program for this retreat was provided to the team. A group comprised of the CMI President, the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, the Chief Financial Officer, and a member of the Board is scheduled to attend an ACCJC workshop on the 2014 standards to be held in San Diego in April 2015. Both the enabling legislation and the Board bylaws contain provisions for staggered terms for the Board of Regents. (IV.B.1.f)

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Section 209 Responsibilities of the Board, item 20, of the enabling legislation requires the Board to assess its own performance. Article 1 of the Board bylaws further requires the Board to assess its performance every two years using even numbered years as the base. Although 2014 was an even-numbered year, there is no mention of a Board self-evaluation in the 2014 Board minutes. The Self Evaluation states that the Board has not conducted a self-evaluation for the past few years. The Board is aware of the requirement to conduct a self-evaluation, and the Chair indicated that one will be completed as part of the April 2015 Board of Regents retreat. (IV.B.1.g) Article X Code of Conduct of the Board’s bylaws guides the conduct of the Board and includes penalties for violating the code. The April 2014 Board minutes make reference to members of the Presidential Search Committee signing an acknowledgement of the code of ethics. (IV.B.1.h) Minutes of the April and August 2014 Board meetings provide evidence that the Board is informed about and involved in the accreditation process. An interview with the Board confirmed their involvement in the process. (IV.B.1.i) Both the enabling legislation and the Board bylaws provide the Board with the responsibility of selecting and evaluating the president, as well as granting the president the authority to operate the College as per Board Policy. Documentation reviewed by the team supports that the selection of the president and the granting of authority to the president is being done according to Board policy. During the visit, both the current and incoming presidents were present and available to the team as the presidents developed the transition plan. (IV.B.1.j) The team reviewed the process used in the selection of the new president which involved a Search Committee comprised of representatives of the faculty, staff, students, Board, administration, Ebeye community, outer islands, the education community, National Community, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), traditional leadership, and business community. The College hired a firm to manage the search which culminated in the Board’s selection of a new president in December 2014 to take office in April 2015. (IV.B.1.j) Section 210 of the enabling legislation states that the president of the College shall have full charge and control of the administration and business affairs of the College. Article 1 Responsibilities of the Board, item 18, states that the Board of Regents shall regularly evaluate the president of the College. An interview with the president confirmed that the most recent evaluation of the president was completed in the early part of 2014. According to the job description used in the recent presidential search, the president must be able to integrate institutional priorities, program review, enrollment management, and budgeting in the strategic planning process; provide fiscally disciplined and responsible leadership to manage the campus with a limited budget in a challenging fiscal environment; and expand the College’s analysis of data to make informed institutional decisions; interpret program and course data to make qualified enrollment management decisions among other responsibilities. The president is the primary public representative of the College. (IV.B.1.j, IV.B.2) The College has enjoyed four years of stable leadership under the current president. It is the finding of the team that CMI is currently organized and staffed to reflect the College’s purposes,

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size, and complexity. Interviews with senior administrators confirmed that the current president delegated authority to his staff consistent with their responsibilities as appropriate. The president receives feedback from the College’s various constituencies through the participatory governance structure, most especially the EC. (IV.B.2) The team supports the College’s Actionable Improvement Plan about formal, structured performance evaluations for senior administrators. An interview with the current president indicated that he had not evaluated all of the senior administrators within the last year. However, further interviews indicated that at least some of the administrators had been evaluated in the months prior to the development of the Self Evaluation. Also, it was learned that at least one vice president was in the process of being evaluated during the time of the visit. (IV.B.2.a) According to the job description used in the recent presidential search, the president must demonstrate success as an ethical, collaborative, visible, and decisive leader who makes informed decisions using sound data, fostering cohesiveness, and rallying the College around shared directions and priorities; lead a strategic planning process that guides new programs and services; integrate institutional priorities, program review, enrollment management, and budgeting in the strategic planning process; expand the College’s analysis of data to make informed institutional decisions; and increase degree completion rates and improve academic programs and support services to prepare higher numbers of successful transfer students to four-year colleges and universities, among others. (IV.B.2) A review of documents shows that the College has experienced a series of fits and starts with respect to development of a strategic plan. At the time of the visit, the College had not fully completed and adopted a plan. Although there are requirements for academic programs and administrative units to complete program reviews every four and five years respectively, a review of documents and interviews with administrators, staff, and faculty showed that there remains a need to more fully integrate these processes to establish an ongoing institutional assessment and improvement cycle. (IV.B.2.b) Section 210 (a) of the enabling legislation states that one of the powers of the president is to see that rules and regulations of the College are established and implemented. Article VII of the Board bylaws states that the president shall select and appoint the employees of the College as provided by Board policies and applicable law and shall establish, plan, organize, coordinate, and control the positions, duties, services, and compensation of such employees in service to the College. Interviews with faculty and staff confirmed that the current president has been implementing these provisions. (IV.B.2.c) The current president realized quickly in his presidency that the budget and fiscal condition of the College had to become a top priority. The president developed a financial plan and focused the College on its implementation. While time consuming and difficult, the plan was successful in reversing the College’s fiscal condition. The challenge is now for the new president to maintain and improve upon the management of the College’s budget and expenditures. (IV.B.2.d)

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Information about the College is regularly shared with the RMI government, local media, individuals, and organizations in the community, the CMI community, the RMI Minister of Education, and the Board of Regents. A review of Quarterly Compact Reports to the Nitijela, Board minutes, EC minutes, and an interview with the RMI Minister of Education provided evidence that the president has worked and communicated effectively with the communities served by the College. CMI recognizes that its website is a very important tool in its strategy for providing information about the College, however, the website function has not been evaluated and consistently managed to ensure its accuracy and effectiveness. The team experienced the need for an improved website in preparation for the visit. The office of the president is the known repository for College documents. (IV.B.2.e) Standard IV.B.3 is not applicable to CMI, as it is not part of a multi-college district or system. Conclusion The College does not meet this Standard, as to IV.B.1.e and IV.B.1.g. Recommendations Recommendation 11: Board Policy Review and Self Evaluation To meet the Standards, the team recommends that the Board of Regents systematically document its Board policy review process, update and publish its bylaws and minutes on a regular basis, and implement a systematic self-evaluation process for the Board. (IV.B.1.e, IV.B.1.g) Recommendation 12: Integrated Planning To increase effectiveness, the team recommends that the College ensure that educational planning is more comprehensively and more clearly integrated with resource planning and distribution in order to achieve student learning outcomes and establish procedures to evaluate overall institutional planning and implementation efforts. (IV.B.2.b, IV.B.2.c)

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Appendix

Checklist for Evaluating Compliance with Federal Regulations and Commission Policies

(in addition to what is specifically evaluated within the language of Accreditation Standards)

NOTE: This checklist will become part of the external evaluation team report. It is also an appendix in the team training materials. The team should place a check mark next to each item when it has been evaluated. For each category, the team should also complete the conclusion check-off and insert appropriate narrative to alert any concerns or noncompliance areas.

Public Notification of an Evaluation Visit and Third Party Comment The institution has made an appropriate and timely effort to solicit third party

comment in advance of a comprehensive evaluation visit.

The institution cooperates with the evaluation team in any necessary follow-up related to the third party comment.

The institution demonstrates compliance with the Commission Policy on Rights and Responsibilities of the Commission and Member Institutions as to third party comment.

Regulation citation: 602.23(b). Conclusion Check-Off (mark one): The team has reviewed the elements of this component and has found the institution

to meet the Commission’s requirements.

The team has reviewed the elements of this component and has found the institution to meet the Commission’s requirements, but that follow-up is recommended.

The team has reviewed the elements of this component and found the institution does not meet the Commission’s requirements.

Narrative: See page 22 (Eligibility Requirements 20 and 21)

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Standards and Performance with Respect to Student Achievement The institution has defined elements of student achievement performance across the

institution, and has identified the expected measure of performance within each defined element. Course completion is included as one of these elements of student achievement. Other elements of student achievement performance for measurement have been determined as appropriate to the institution’s mission.

The institution has defined elements of student achievement performance within each instructional program, and has identified the expected measure of performance within each defined element. The defined elements include, but are not limited to, job placement rates for program completers, and for programs in fields where licensure is required, the licensure examination passage rates for program completers.

The institution-set standards for programs and across the institution are relevant to guide self-evaluation and institutional improvement; the defined elements and expected performance levels are appropriate within higher education; the results are reported regularly across the campus; and the definition of elements and results are used in program-level and institution-wide planning to evaluate how well the institution fulfills its mission, to determine needed changes, to allocating resources, and to make improvements.

The institution analyzes its performance as to the institution-set standards and as to student achievement, and takes appropriate measures in areas where its performance is not at the expected level.

Regulation citations: 602.16(a)(1)(i); 602.17(f); 602.19 (a-e). Conclusion Check-Off (mark one): The team has reviewed the elements of this component and has found the institution




Narrative: Defined elements do not include job placement for program completers and/or licensure. See pages 26, 27, 28, 30, 32, and 33 (Standards I.B and II.A) See 2014 Fact Book

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Credits, Program Length, and Tuition Credit hour assignments and degree program lengths are within the range of good

practice in higher education (in policy and procedure).

The assignment of credit hours and degree program lengths is verified by the institution, and is reliable and accurate across classroom based courses, laboratory classes, distance education classes, and for courses that involve clinical practice (if applicable to the institution).

Tuition is consistent across degree programs (or there is a rational basis for any program-specific tuition).

Any clock hour conversions to credit hours adhere to the Department of Education’s conversion formula, both in policy and procedure, and in practice.

The institution demonstrates compliance with the Commission Policy on Institutional Degrees and Credits.

Regulation citations: 600.2 (definition of credit hour); 602.16(a)(1)(viii); 602.24(e), (f); 668.2; 668.9. Conclusion Check-Off (mark one): The team has reviewed the elements of this component and has found the institution




Narrative: See page 21 (Eligibility Requirement 9) See page 34 (Standard II.A)

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Transfer Policies Transfer policies are appropriately disclosed to students and to the public.

Policies contain information about the criteria the institution uses to accept credits for transfer.

The institution complies with the Commission Policy on Transfer of Credit. Regulation citations: 602.16(a)(1)(viii); 602.17(a)(3); 602.24(e); 668.43(a)(ii). Conclusion Check-Off (mark one): The team has reviewed the elements of this component and has found the institution




Narrative: See page 39 (Standard II.B) See College Catalog, pages 10, 21, 28, 33, and 36

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Distance Education and Correspondence Education The institution has policies and procedures for defining and classifying a course as

offered by distance education or correspondence education, in alignment with USDE definitions.

There is an accurate and consistent application of the policies and procedures for determining if a course is offered by distance education (with regular and substantive interaction with the instructor, initiated by the instructor, and online activities are included as part of a student’s grade) or correspondence education (online activities are primarily “paperwork related,” including reading posted materials, posting homework and completing examinations, and interaction with the instructor is initiated by the student as needed).

The institution has appropriate means and consistently applies those means for verifying the identity of a student who participates in a distance education or correspondence education course or program, and for ensuring that student information is protected.

The technology infrastructure is sufficient to maintain and sustain the distance education and correspondence education offerings.

The institution demonstrates compliance with the Commission Policy on Distance Education and Correspondence Education.

Regulation citations: 602.16(a)(1)(iv), (vi); 602.17(g); 668.38. Conclusion Check-Off (mark one): The team has reviewed the elements of this component and has found the institution




Narrative: The College Distance Education program is in its nascent stages and follow-up will be needed if they continue moving in this direction. See pages 32, 33, 38, 39, 52, 53, and 54 (Standards II.A, II.B, III.B, and III.C)

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Student Complaints The institution has clear policies and procedures for handling student complaints, and

the current policies and procedures are accessible to students in the college catalog and online.

The student complaint files for the previous six years (since the last comprehensive evaluation) are available; the files demonstrate accurate implementation of the complaint policies and procedures.

The team analysis of the student complaint files identifies any issues that may be indicative of the institution’s noncompliance with any Accreditation Standards.

The institution posts on its website the names of associations, agencies and governmental bodies that accredit, approve, or license the institution and any of its programs, and provides contact information for filing complaints with such entities.

The institution demonstrates compliance with the Commission Policy on Representation of Accredited Status and the Policy on Student and Public Complaints Against Institutions.

Regulation citations: 602.16(a)(1)(ix); 668.43. Conclusion Check-Off (mark one): The team has reviewed the elements of this component and has found the institution




Narrative: Policies and procedures are listed on page 30 of the College Catalog, and reference the

Student Handbook for full details of the procedures.

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Institutional Disclosure and Advertising and Recruitment Materials The institution provides accurate, timely (current), and appropriately detailed

information to students and the public about its programs, locations, and policies.

The institution complies with the Commission Policy on Institutional Advertising, Student Recruitment, and Representation of Accredited Status.

The institution provides required information concerning its accredited status as described above in the section on Student Complaints.

Regulation citations: 602.16(a)(1))(vii); 668.6. Conclusion Check-Off (mark one): The team has reviewed the elements of this component and has found the institution




Narrative: The team recommends that in the future all public documents be thoroughly edited to assure that all information is timely and correct. See pages 34 and 37 (Standards II.A and II.B)

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Title IV Compliance The institution has presented evidence on the required components of the Title IV

Program, including findings from any audits and program or other review activities by the USDE.

The institution has addressed any issues raised by the USDE as to financial responsibility requirements, program record-keeping, etc. If issues were not timely addressed, the institution demonstrates it has the fiscal and administrative capacity to timely address issues in the future and to retain compliance with Title IV program requirements.

The institution’s student loan default rates are within the acceptable range defined by the USDE. Remedial efforts have been undertaken when default rates near or meet a level outside the acceptable range.

Contractual relationships of the institution to offer or receive educational, library, and support services meet the Accreditation Standards and have been approved by the Commission through substantive change if required.

The institution demonstrates compliance with the Commission Policy on Contractual Relationships with Non-Regionally Accredited Organizations and the Policy on Institutional Compliance with Title IV.

Regulation citations: 602.16(a)(1)(v); 602.16(a)(1)(x); 602.19(b); 668.5; 668.15; 668.16; 668.71 et seq. Conclusion Check-Off: The team has reviewed the elements of this component and has found the institution




Narrative: See page 57 (Standard III.D)

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