Academic Assessment Program |
Key Questions |
University of Central Arkansas |
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Key Questions for a Self-Study
The areas outlined below identify the critical dimensions of a self-study--a review intent on excellence. The areas are keyed to the criteria for accreditation published by NCA in its Handbook of Accreditation, but they are not identical to those criteria. (To learn more about NCA's five criteria, jump to NCA's Five Criteria for Accreditation. [Note: the NCA Higher Learning Commission has revised its criteria for accreditation since the creation of this page, and the old link is no longer available. For links to old and new criteria on the HLC web site, use this link.]) The questions listed in each area are suggestions, ways to approach the concerns addressed in each area, and applicable--with appropriate adjustments--to the university as a whole and to the units within it. The questions intend to make possible a comprehensively evaluative self-study.
Area 1: Purposes, Processes, Resources (Criteria 1, 2)
This area addresses an organization's purposes and the ways in which the organization accomplishes those purposes.
- What are our purposes? Why do we exist? What do we do? How do our purposes support the university's mission?
- How do we accomplish our purposes? What processes, functions, tasks do we use?
- What resources (human, financial, physical) are available to allow us to accomplish our purposes? How are these resources organized (organizational structure and leadership, budgeting, use of space and equipment)?
Area 2: Self-Assessment and Improvement (Criteria 3, 4)
This area addresses an organization's effectiveness, its ways of monitoring effectiveness, and its responsiveness to the conclusions drawn from its self-assessments.
- Are we accomplishing our purposes? How effectively are we accomplishing our purposes? What do we do well? What do we not do so well?
- How do we demonstrate our effectiveness? Do we have an on-going self-assessment plan to monitor our effectiveness? How well do our self-assessment processes work?
- What is our response to the results of our self-assessments? How can we accomplish our purposes more effectively?
Area 3: Perspectives and Planning (Criterion 4)
This area addresses the historical perspective/development of the organization and asks about mid- and longer-range planning. Its questions about stability and planning for change are a balance to the questions about responsiveness asked in area 2.
- How has our organization evolved over the past ten years? Have our purposes changed? Have the ways in which we accomplish our purposes changed?
- How stable/sustainable is our organization?
- Where would we like to be ten years from now? What changes need to take place? What planning processes are in place (or proposed) to enable us to get where we want to be or to make the desired changes?
Area 4: Practices and Relationships (Criterion 5)
This area addresses all organizational practices and relationships and their integrity. We can identify key relationships by asking, "Whom do we serve?" "Who depends on us?" "On whom do we depend?" This area also concerns itself with the quality of faculty/staff/workplace climate and, in general, with service orientation.
- In general: What are our key relationships? How responsive are we to the interests and concerns of our constituents? How well are our purposes understood inside and outside the organization? What are our policies? Are they accessible (published, disseminated appropriately)? Are they being followed?
- Internal relationships: What are our key relationships within the university? How are they monitored? What policies govern them? Are these policies understood and followed?
- External relationships: What are our key relationships with entities outside the university? How are they monitored? What policies govern them? Are these policies understood and followed?
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