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April 04, 2006
Hamline starts re-accreditation process
Hamline is up for re-accreditation in October 2007 and a steering committee has formed to lead this effort. This steering committee is unique because they have asked students to participate in the process.
“I want students to be involved in examining Hamline,” said Mary Heather Smith, director of institutional assessment. The steering committee of the university’s re-accreditation process wants the community, also, to get involved in assessing the effectiveness of many aspects of the university.
Institutions of higher education need to apply for accreditation every 10 years so they are qualified to award degrees to students. Schools can’t function without accreditation, and certainly won’t receive financial aid without it.
“It’s important because all decisions that are going to be made will impact students,” Ellie Walker, a first-year student representative on the steering committee, said.
The first step to prepare for re-accreditation is that a self-assessment needs to be done. The second step involves the accrediting institution, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), visiting the university to examine all aspects.
The re-accreditation process will be long and involve many steps, but the steering committee in charge of the task, made up of several administrators, staff and two students, is excited and hopeful.
They are hoping to get as many people from the community included as possible. “It’s a unique way to get involved on campus,” Associate Vice President and Director of Financial Reporter Mona Freeberg said. Currently, the steering committee is “getting down to the nitty gritty,” Smith said.
Soon five sub-committees will be formed to help write the five sections of the roughly 200-page self-assessment. The sub-committees will focus on mission and integrity; preparing for the future; student learning and effective teaching; acquisition, discovery and application of knowledge; and engagement and service. Each committee will do a study, research and write a section.
This year’s self-assessment is to focus more on the future than the past, with only “a snapshot of history,” Freeberg said. A draft of the self-study is due to be completed by November.
“They want to see everything,” Smith said. The NCA will examine Hamline based on programs and majors, financial information, graduation rate, student research, and other relevant topics. “Everyone is going to be proving they really do what they say they do,” Smith said.
The self-assessment coincides with the university’s re-working of the strategic plan, which happens independent from the re-accreditation process. Any information the self-assessment may uncover could also potentially be included in the strategic plan, Smith said.
The deadline has been extended, from March 31 to an unspecified date, for those in the community who are interested in getting involved. Students are welcome to give input on any level.
“It’s nice to know that somebody is looking over the university’s shoulder,” Freeberg said.
Posted by dwright at April 4, 2006 01:06 PM
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