Accreditation & Planning

This self-study was developed concurrently with the University’s 2005-2010 Strategic Plan, thus enabling the University to leverage the environmental scan, constituent feedback, and focus group results. The Office of the Provost provided oversight in developing both documents, which enhanced communication between the groups. In addition, committee membership overlapped significantly. Because the University community was actively and deeply engaged in the strategic planning process, awareness, understanding, and support for the goals articulated in the strategic plan was forthcoming. As a part of the University’s planning process, various units engaged in self-study, reflected on accomplishments, and made plans for the future.

Preliminary work defining the scope and format of the self study began in Spring 2004, and the steering committee was named and first convened in July 2004. The committee met monthly to prepare the self-study, discuss strategies for gathering feedback, and support preparation of the accreditation site-visit. Responsibility for sections of the self study was divided between the 16 member team. The web-based format served both to provide a mechanism for sharing within the committee but also a means by which the larger university community could review and comment on the progress.

The preliminary draft of the self study was posted on the web in March for committee review. After modifications, the University community was invited to comment on the first draft in April 2005. The second draft was prepared in response to comments and suggestions and was posted for university wide review in August 2005. The remainder of the time before submission was spent updating content, responding to feedback, checking links and compiling a hard copy.

March 2004	Develop detailed accreditation schedule
April 2004	Attend HLC Annual Meeting
June 2004	Get Website structure on line
June 2004	Convene 1st meeting of steering committee
July 2004	Make assignments to members of steering committee
Aug-Dec 2004	Write first draft of text
Jan-April 2005	Continue writing text and reviewing content Continue putting text on web
April 2005	Attend HLC Annual Meeting
May 2005	Call for university community input on the web self-study
May-Aug 2005	Edit text, finalize graphics, captions, link checks, identify hard copy components
September, 2005	Final university-wide review of self-study and web site
December, 2005	Final Check of all links, last minute information, etc. Compilation of paper version of website
January, 2006	Submit Self-Study, Implementation of Third Party Comment, Prepare USB memory sticks with forms, supplemental information, and self-study
February 2006	Updates to self-study catalogued (changes in website information and links)
March 27-29, 2006	Team Visit

The steering committee for the self-study was composed of representatives from most colleges and units.

• David Acker, College of Agriculture
• Brenda Behling, Office of the Provost
• Susan Carlson, Office of the Provost
• Mark Chidister, Office of the President
• Kristen Constant, Administrative Intern
• Todd Holcomb, Office of VP Student Affairs
• Dave Holger, Office of the Provost (Chair of Committee)
• Sonja Klocker Office of the VP Research
• Gersham Nelson, ACE Fellow
• Michael Ouart, Office of the VP Extension
• Johnny Pickett, Office of the VP Business and Finance
• Gebre Tesfagiorgis, Institutional Research
• Bill Tysseling, Continuing Education & Communications Services
• Susan Yager, Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching
• Zora Zimmerman, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Ruth Birch, Office of the Provost, Support Staff
• Yan Ling Wang, Graphic Design

Additionally, secondary contacts within each college and unit were named as “Accreditation Coordinators”

Constituents were encoraged to provide input via their home colleges, the various steering committee members, and via direct review and commentary on the several web-based draft versions of the self-study. Such input was received continuously over the period of self-study preparation. To collect input from various constituencies, several campus groups were given presentations about the process and the self−study including:

PAC (Provost’s Academic Cabinet)
President’s Council
Campus-wide Open Forums

Because the strategic planning and self-study processes are closely related, the environmental scan, constituent feedback, and focus groups conducted as part of the strategic planning process also provided primary input for the self-study in ways more normally accomplished as the first phase of the self-study.

In addition to presentations, information regarding the accreditation process and the self-study was shared through the student newspaper and the faculty/staff newsletter. These articles invited the community to review the self-study and to provide comments to the steering committee.

Inside Iowa State Article
April 29, 2005
First accreditation report draft awaits comments—yours
by Diana Pounds

Inside Iowa State Article
September 9, 2005
Self-study ready for your comments
by: Diana Pounds

Inside Iowa State Update
September 28, 2005
Reminder update for open forums
By: Diana Pounds with link to September 9th article

Iowa State Daily Article
September 1, 2005
Community encourages feedback on academics

Iowa State Daily Article
September 8, 2005
Accreditation Overview

Iowa State Daily Article
October 7, 2005
Self-study preps Iowa State for spring accreditation review