Template for Team Responses to the Accreditation Standards

1. Review the Specific Standard Section

Standard III: Resources

The institution effectively uses its human, physical, technology, and financial resources to achieve its broad educational purposes, including stated student learning outcomes, and to improve institutional effectiveness.

A. Human Resources

The institution employs qualified personnel to support student learning programs and services wherever offered and by whatever means delivered, and to improve institutional effectiveness. Personnel are treated equitably, are evaluated regularly and systematically, and are provided opportunities for professional development. Consistent with its mission, the institution demonstrates its commitment to the significant educational role played by persons of diverse backgrounds by making positive efforts to encourage such diversity. Human resource planning is integrated with institutional planning.

1. The institution assures the integrity and quality of its programs and services by employing personnel who are qualified by appropriate education, training, and experience to provide and support these programs and services.

a. Criteria, qualifications, and procedures for selection of personnel are clearly and publicly stated. Job descriptions are directly related to institutional mission and goals and accurately reflect position duties, responsibilities, and authority. Criteria for selection of faculty include knowledge of the subject matter or service to be performed (as determined by individuals with discipline expertise), effective teaching, scholarly activities, and potential to contribute to the mission of the institution. Institutional faculty play a significant role in selection of new faculty. Degrees held by faculty and administrators are from institutions accredited by recognized U.S. accrediting agencies. Degrees from non- U.S. institutions are recognized only if equivalence has been established.

2. List of Team Members working on this Standard

Tom Blank, Bob Bradshaw, Lyle Engeldinger, Linda Evers, Kathleen Johnson, Heather McCarty, Tina Miller, Deb Parziale

3. Read and Review Self-Study Questions and Suggested Source of Evidence

Major reference source for analyzing accreditation standards:

“Accreditation Commission Self Study Guidelines, August 2004, Guide to Evaluating Institutions”

http://www.ohlone.edu/org/instruction/docs/200408accredcomm-guidetoevaluatinginstitutions.pdf

4. Locate and Review the Evidence. Include Suggested Sources of Evidence from the “Guide to Evaluating Institutions” as well as additional engagement activities conducted by your Team, such as team meetings, special meetings of existing groups, special focus groups, open forums, surveys, etc…)

List of evidence being reviewed and engagement activities being conducted:

Recent job full-time faculty position announcements

Student survey

Newspaper article

transfer rate

Increased enrollment

5. Descriptive Summary

Draft a brief one or two paragraph description of what the College is doing to meet the standard.

The primary method of assuring the employment of appropriate faculty is through the reliance on the tenured faculty for all hiring within the discipline. When a department has an opening, a group of appropriate tenured faculty creates the job announcement and serves as the primary screening group for both paperscreening and initial interviews. The appropriate dean is also on the hiring committee. The committee will discuss strengths and weaknesses of each interviewed candidate, eventually selecting a group of applicants that will proceed to the second interview.

During paperscreening, the committee examines academic records and teaching background of each candidate to ensure that the background of the candidate matches the qualifications listed in the job description.

Those candidates granted an interview are usually required to give a formal teaching demonstration and well as answer other questions related to the discipline. In many disciplines, the candidate is often required to demonstrate writing skills during the interview process.

The finalists have a background check and a second interview, this one with the President and Vice-President of Instruction.

The Faculty Senate has a standing equivalency committee. Members of this committee along with members from the discpline ensure uniformity when a candidate has to go through an equivalency process.

6. Integration Review

Is there an expression of our College Values? Is there a contribution to our College Goals? Is there an expression of the Accreditation Themes?

Maintaining high ethical standards can be found (either directly or indirectly) in the college values 2, 3, and 4.

There is a tangential relationship to goals 1 and 4

7. Self Evaluation

Provide a rating of how well the College is addressing the specific standard using this scoring rubric:

1. Superior: College has worked in this area and considerable improvement is noted

2. Satisfactory: College has taken some actions to address the area and some improvement is noted.

3. Needs Improvement: College has not adequately addressed the area.

Rating:

Draft a one or two paragraph explanation for this rating based upon your assessment of the College’s activities in relation to the standard. Pay particular attention to the quality of our involvement and interventions since the last WASC self-study report.

The College rates a score of "Superior" in this area.

8. Planning Agenda

If the assessment process does not identify areas in need of change, simply state, No Plan Required

If the assessment process identifies areas in need of change, a planning agenda for improvement should be developed. The planning agenda should identify the activities and processes the institution should implement, or is implementing, to produce improvement. How will these plans be incorporated into the evaluation and planning processes of the institution? How will the outcomes of this planning agenda improve student learning and foster institutional improvement in general.

The evaluation of managers should be improved, using a 360-degree evaluation process.

Evaluations of classified employees should be recognized and encouraged as part of a regular improvement process rather than as a disciplinary process. While this process is required by the classified employee contract, implementation has been sporadic. Managers should be held accountable to ensure a positive and consistent application.

The District is in the process of creating an educational process to inform the employees regarding the benefits of an effective evaluation process.

The District has hired an adult learning specialist to assist with the development of staff development.

Adapted from: “Self Study Manual,” August 2006, A Publication of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges Western Association of Schools and Colleges; and City College of San Francisco Self-Study Template