Two Balls, One Bat: The SACSCOC Fifth-Year Review as a Motivator For Institutional Improvement

Jon Ernstbergerjernstberger@lagrange.edu

Twitter: @jernstberger

Macroscopic View• Poll

• Institutional Overview

• Mindset

• SACSCOC

• Recommendations

• Conclusions

Poll: Online offerings?

About LaGrange College• Approximately 1,100 students.

• 86 full-time faculty

• Founded in 1831

• Co-ed in 1954

• Pres. Dan McAlexander

• Ed.S. is our highest degree

• Strategic Plan: Vision 2020

• Lots of haunted buildings

• Wesleyan tradition; mostly Baptist• 16 varsity teams

About LaGrange College, cont.

Online Instruction at LaGrange College

History and Goals

Online Instruction: Opportunities• RN to BSN online

• Adult education

• Academic Certificates (Aging Studies and Business Essentials I)

• Synchronous graduate distance education

• M.S. in Exercise Science

• M.A. in Philanthropy and Development (hybrid delivery)

SACSCOC ReviewsChange Your Vantage Point

Useful SACSCOC Documents• Distance and Correspondence Education (Policy Statement, 1997-2014)

• The Fifth-Year Interim Report (2015)

• Best Practices for Electronically Offered Degree and Certificate Programs (2000)

• Guidelines for Addressing Distance and Correspondence Education (2015)

Distance and Correspondence Ed (Policy)• Definitions

• Key policy requirements

• Guidelines (mission, curriculum & instruction, faculty, institutional effectiveness, student services, finances/facilities)

Definition of Distance Education (SACSCOC)“…A distance education course may use the internet; one-way and two-way transmissions through open broadcast, close circult, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite, or wireless communication devices; audio conferencing; or video cassettes, DVD’s, and CD-ROMs if used as part of the distance learning course or program.”

Policy Statements, #2

“At the time of review by the Commission, the institution demonstrates that it has a written procedure for protecting the privacy of students enrolled in distance and correspondence education courses or programs.”

http://www.lagrange.edu/resources/pdf/Protection-of-Students.pdf

GuidelinesLibrary and Learning Resources

“Students have access to and can effectively use appropriate library resources.”

Guidelines, cont.Student Services

“Students in distance or correspondence programs have an adequate procedure for resolving their complaints, and the institution follows its policies and procedures."

Useful SACSCOC Documents• Distance and Correspondence Education (Policy Statement, 1997-2014)

• The Fifth-Year Interim Report (2015)

• Best Practices for Electronically Offered Degree and Certificate Programs (2000)

• Guidelines for Addressing Distance and Correspondence Education (2015)

Fifth-Year Interim Report• Nine uses of “distance education” or “correspondence education”

• Explicitly/implicitly addressed in 4/5 parts

• Gets you some basics• Identification verification (III, 15)• Privacy policies (not FERPA; III, 16)• Additional Charges (III, 17)

• Gets some not-so basics• Review of distance learning programs (Part II, 4)• Documentation of compliance with other accrediting bodies (3.13A)• Asks for addressable issues. (Part IV)

Useful SACSCOC Documents• Distance and Correspondence Education (Policy Statement, 1997-2014)

• The Fifth-Year Interim Report (2015)

• Best Practices for Electronically Offered Degree and Certificate Programs (2000)

• Guidelines for Addressing Distance and Correspondence Education (2015)

Best Practices1. Institutional Context and Commitment (10 components)

2. Curriculum and Instruction (5 components)

3. Faculty Support (4 components)

4. Student Support (4 components)

5. Evaluation and Assessment (6 components)

Best Practices, cont.

Best Practices (3)• Use the SACSCOC document as a

guide

• “Best Practices” - old but not obsolete

• Improvement by fulfillment

Useful SACSCOC Documents• Distance and Correspondence Education (Policy Statement, 1997-2014)

• The Fifth-Year Interim Report (2015)

• Best Practices for Electronically Offered Degree and Certificate Programs (2000)

• Guidelines for Addressing Distance and Correspondence Education (2015)

Guidelines for Addressing Distance or Correspondence Education1. Overview of Commission Expectations

2. Definitions, standards, and policies

3. Distance and Correspondence Program Review

4. Application of Findings

Guidelines, cont.

"Teaching to the test isn't bad if it's a good test!"

-Don Livingston, Professor of Education,

LaGrange College

Lessons LearnedFree lunches, power tools, & unity

Reciprocity Agreements (3rd Ball)• Individual State agreements (Indiana, Florida, Arizona)

• SECRRA

• GA-SARA/NC-SARA

• International Students

Choose the Right Tools• Document creation/maintenance

• Create deadlines

• File storage

• Simple

Recommendation: Google Drive/Calendar/Whiteboard

Interactions• Include others

• Manufacture clear, straightforward interactions• Meeting titles• Deadlines• Expectations

• Delegate (if possible)

• Communicate

Conclusions1. Change your mindset on the SACSCOC reporting process.

2. Build, respect, and enable your team.

ReferencesSREB/SECRRA

NC-SARA

GNPEC

LaGrange College

Q&A

Contact InformationJon Ernstbergerjernstberger@lagrange.eduTwitter: @jernstberger