| Abstract/Notes |
Background: Accrediting agencies, governmental agencies and the general public are increasingly requiring institutions to demonstrate that they are delivering on the promises made to students and the public. Assessment of institutional mission and goals depends on the development of an effective model for determining institutional effectiveness. Life University recently revised its institutional effectiveness process from one with deficiencies to one that is effective and transforming the planning and assessment culture of the institution. The institutional effectiveness process is centered around the continuous improvement cycle model. This institutional effectiveness process is a modified version of the Nichols model for measuring institutional effectiveness. Methods: The continuous improvement cycle reporting form provides a template for planning and assessment of goals and standardizes the reporting of results for all areas of the University. The components of the continuous improvement cycle reporting form include institutional goals supported, area mission statement, unit goals, strategic initiatives, assessment methods, success criterion, assessment timetable, assessment findings, use of results, improvement strategies, action plan and date of completion, resources requested and comments for each goal. The final component of the report is the summary narrative. A rubric is use to assist units with development of the assessment plans, completion of the report and review of plans by the Institutional Planning and Evaluation Committee (IPEC). Results: Development of the institutional effectiveness process included review and revision of the institutional mission and goals, review of unit goals, (both with a focus on student learning outcomes), development of assessment strategies, completion of assessment cycles with assessment findings, and use of results. Continuous improvement cycle reports were reviewed by IPEC to determine quality and to determine the degree to which unit and institutional goals were accomplished. During the first year continuous improvement cycle reports were completed quarterly to facilitate the learning process and to establish a culture of evidence based assessment and planning. Assessment cycles are currently completed on a yearly basis. Discussion: The continuous improvement cycle process begins with development of assessment plans for the next cycle incorporating findings from previous reports. An important component of the plans are strategic initiatives designed to facilitate accomplishment of the unit goals and budgetary impact of these initiatives. IPEC review of plans results in a prioritization of budgetary requests for use during the development of the University budget. Planning and assessment are therefore linked to the budgeting process. The desired end result is continuous improvement of educational programs, administrative and educational support services. The model developed at Life University resulted in commendations from accrediting agencies, is easy to use and can be modified to meet the needs of different institutions. This abstract is reproduced with the permission of the publisher. |
