SACS News
March 2012
The University submitted its Quality Enhancement Plan Improving Disciplinary Writing and the Focused Report and Response to Standards Changes to the Commission and to the On-Site Committee members for their review prior to the on-site visit to campus April 15-19, 2012. The QEP will be a large part of the review which will focus on the University’s capability and commitment to sustain a long term plan focused on improving student learning. Further, the Committee will determine if the QEP’s assessment plan and allocated resources are sufficient to ensure an appropriate implementation of the Plan.
February 2012
The University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Improving Disciplinary Writing is complete. This plan for a five-year project to enhance student learning is intended to improve upper-division undergraduate students' disciplinary writing – that is, writing that demonstrates a reasoning process supported by research and reflection on a problem, topic or issue – through two faculty development and engagement initiatives. Writing is a critical skill that goes beyond demonstrating proficiency with the mechanics and structure of writing per se. Writing is a means to communicate what has been learned.
Skill in writing is demonstrated by six student learning outcomes that will be assessed through evaluation of written artifacts. Students will be able to:
- Clearly state a focused problem, question, or topic appropriate for the purpose of the task
- Identify relevant knowledge and credible sources
- Synthesize information and multiple viewpoints related to the problem, question, or topic
- Apply appropriate research methods or theoretical framework to the problem, question, or topic
- Formulate conclusions that are logically tied to inquiry findings and consider applications, limitations, and implications, and
- Reflect on or evaluate what was learned.
ODU's QEP emerged from analysis of the University's institutional effectiveness data, and from campus and community-wide conversations with faculty, staff, students, alumni and employers and was developed under the leadership of Drs. Mona Danner and J. Worth Pickering supported by the QEP Team.
The QEP will be a primary focus of the SACSCOC on-site visit to campus April 15-19, 2012.
November 2011
The University received the SACSCOC Off-Site Report on November 28 and learned that its Compliance Certification was well-received by the Off-Site Committee. The Provost’s SACS staff will begin preparation of the Focused Report in response to the Off-Site Report for submission to the Commission and On-Site Team in preparation for the their on-site visit to campus April 15-19, 2012.
September 2011
After a slight delay due to Hurricane Irene, the University’s SACSCOC Compliance Certification for 2012 (self-study) was submitted to the Commission on Colleges and to the Off-Site Review Committee on September 15, 2011. This document addressed 96 core requirements and comprehensive standards in SACSCOC’s Principles of Accreditation: Foundation for Quality Enhancement, numbered 550 pages in print and had 2,200 associated pieces of evidence.
This Off-Site Committee will review the Compliance Certification and meet in Atlanta on November 3-4, 2011 and develop the Off-Site Report which will identify any areas where the University is considered to be in non-compliance.
The University expects to receive the Off-Site Report from the Commission in late November 2011.
January 2011
SACS Quality Enhancement Plan Topic Chosen
Reasoning through Writing and Research will promote the development of scholarly reasoning and informed decision-making skills in our students through active, problem-based learning, academic writing, and scholarly research.
The complex issues students face in their careers, personal lives and roles as citizens requires that they draw conclusions and make decisions based on competing arguments, multiple sources of information, and empirical evidence. Employers are most interested in job candidates who have the type of scholarly reasoning and informed decision making skills that are the focus of this QEP proposal. Further, it is important for all educated people to develop the skills necessary to apply existing knowledge to new situations and to search out and appropriately apply new knowledge.
The QEP Team will continue their work during Spring 2011 to further refine and operationalize this topic.
December
Draft Compliance Certification submitted to Provost's SACS Team
Efforts of eight Compliance Audit Teams, comprised of 75 faculty and staff members, culminated in the submission of draft reports to the Provosts's SACS Team for review on December 15, 2010. Provost's SACS Team members will review these drafts and provide feedback to the Compliance Audit Teams by January 15, 2011. A final draft is due to the Provost's SACS team on February 15, 2011, who will prepare the final version of the Compliance Certification by June 1, 2011.
Compliance Audit Teams and Leads:
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Team A: |
Dr. Douglas Ziegenfuss | |
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Team B: |
Dr. Marty Smith Sharpe | |
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Team C: |
Dr. Robert Wojtowicz and | |
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Team D: |
Dr. Dick Gregory | |
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Team E: |
Dr. Resit Unal and | |
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Team F: |
Ms. Renee Olander | |
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Team G: |
Mr. Rick Massey | |
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Team H: |
Ms. Carol Henry |