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MANSFIELD UNIVERSITY ACCREDITATION SELF-STUDY Executive Summary This summary provides a brief overview of our self-study and a commentary on each of the Middle States standards for accreditation in reference to our understanding of the ways in which Mansfield University ensures that the standards are met. Recommendations based on our self-study are also summarized in a table that lists each recommendation, identifies responsibilities for setting related goals and implementing recommendations, and identifies potential success indicators. Our accreditation self-study is based on a plan developed in spring 2000 by our Steering Committee. The committee worked intensely throughout the 2000-2001 academic year to implement the self-study. This report represents the work of more than 30 individuals from the Mansfield University community. Our final report was drafted following extensive opportunities for input from all members of the campus community via a series of open meetings held throughout the fall 2001 semester. Our self-study focused most intensely on three topics selected by the Steering Committee: student learning and experiences, faculty roles and expectations, and technology and instructional resources. Before covering these areas, our report presents a mini-comprehensive study that offers an overview of Mansfield's major areas of functioning, as well as a special chapter on assessment. The major conclusion from our mini-comprehensive study is that Mansfield functions effectively as a regional public university. In the period since our last self-study, we have improved substantially in many areas that previously were considered weaknesses but now can be identified as significant strengths. Not only have we experienced an extended period of stability as well as enrollment growth and fiscal health, but we have also begun to shape our future in ways that have the potential to transform Mansfield into an even more effective institution. Improved physical facilities, strong and seasoned leadership at multiple levels within the University, improved planning and accountability, increases in both enrollment and academic qualifications of entering students, more visible marketing and public relations, substantial growth in fund-raising, and new efforts to enhance general education are now particular points of pride. Strengths of the University Significant strengths of Mansfield identified in the self-study include: § Leadership committed to processes that promote continuous improvement of the institution across virtually all areas. § A strong system of shared governance with multiple avenues for faculty involvement in curriculum review and development, assessment, and various aspects of planning. § A comprehensive Mansfield Plan that clarifies our mission and strategic goals, accompanied by a Performance and Outcomes Plan that promotes institutional accountability and is in step with State System goals. § An assessment plan that ensures self-study, program review, and outcomes assessment at various levels of the institution, accompanied by a history of increasing engagement with the assessment process. § A strong library with staff who are committed to advancing information literacy and to engaging faculty and students in more effectively using a range of information resources. § A supportive small college environment that provides students with access to faculty, administration, and the varied services that complement learning. § A university-wide commitment to creating and maintaining a strong learning environment within a student-centered mission. § A revised program of general education that includes a new first-year seminar aimed at more effectively engaging students in the academic community. § Significant improvements in the physical facilities and appearance of the campus, particularly over the past 5 years, with additional upgrades planned, including improvements to residence life facilities. § Varied and growing efforts to support the diverse needs of our students in areas such as advising and special forms of academic assistance. § Efforts to more effectively use our enhanced technologic capabilities to improve communication and information access across the campus community; bolster teaching, learning, advising, and assessment; and offer high quality courses and programs via the Internet. § An improved University development effort that has contributed funds to student scholarships as well as faculty development and the renovation of selected facilities, such as our impressive North Hall Library. § A positive feasibility study by outside counsel demonstrating strong leadership and a readiness to undertake the University's first comprehensive campaign. Challenges Although there have been many improvements over the past decade, we also recognize a number of significant challenges for Mansfield University in this self-study. Among them are: § Transforming our stable and improving institution into one that is even more effective at its primary mission of teaching and learning. § Maintaining our financial stability in light of the needs we continue to identify, including enhanced technology across the institution and improved scientific laboratories. § Planning wisely for our information technology and other technologic needs as student and faculty demands for technology to support teaching and learning continue to increase. § Continuing to recruit a higher proportion of academically well-prepared students while maintaining our commitment to educate students in the rural region we serve who demonstrate the potential and desire to attend college. § More effectively engaging the students who attend Mansfield in our community of learners, thereby improving the retention of our students as well. § Continuing to increase the diversity of our students, faculty, and staff. § Engaging a higher proportion of our faculty in the full range of responsibilities associated with an academic community. § Recruiting high quality new faculty to replace the current faculty who are expected to retire in the near future. § Responding to, and in some instances promoting, positive changes that may be associated with our culture and society at large, advances in technology, the academic and social needs of our students, and external demands placed on Mansfield University by constituent and governing bodies. § Improving our institutional research and assessment efforts so that we have better information on which to base critical decisions about strategies for enhancing student learning. The table at the end of this chapter contains specific recommendations derived from the self-study that address most of these challenges. We believe the challenges accurately reflect the current state of Mansfield University and that pursuing the recommendations will contribute to our transformation to a new level of effectiveness over the coming decade. In many areas, the recommendations are extensions of directions in which we are already headed as an institution, but that require deeper levels of engagement, commitment, and collaboration across the campus to move forward. This is, we believe, the nature of transformational change, and we must set high expectations for ourselves if we are to be successful in this pursuit. Addressing Middle States Standards While not by any means the sole aim of this self-study, an important part of our effort was to demonstrate that we meet the standards for accreditation described in Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education (Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 1994). This section comments briefly on those standards relative to Mansfield University. § Institutional Integrity. We recognize that integrity of the institution's conduct in its activities and policies is essential. We believe that the visiting team will confirm the integrity of Mansfield University and this self-study as they examine our institution through interviews and resource room materials. In a sense, the broad representation of trustees, faculty, students, and staff in the self-study process, as well as our candor in describing Mansfield, will provide a significant portion of the evidence supporting our integrity as an institution. § Mission, Goals, and Objectives. Our mission and goals are clearly stated in the widely distributed Mansfield Plan: Strategic Goals and Actions. Our self-study confirmed for members of the Steering Committee that these goals are meaningful and appropriate, and do guide decision making at our University. Our Performance and Outcomes Plans (2000, 2001) are closely linked to the mission and goals and provide specific objectives and outcomes for assessing our institutional effectiveness. An annual performance report to the State System ensures accountability for our progress in achieving the outcomes listed in the plan. § Students. Student support and retention are clear priorities supported by our allocation of resources, for example in the new first-year seminar, as well as in advising and broader retention efforts. Chapter 4 of our self-study is devoted to a description of our students and their level of engagement with the University, in and outside of class. Our discussion of the admissions office, admissions goals, and processes in the mini-comprehensive study describe the integrity of the admissions process. Clearly stated admission and other student policies are evident in our recruitment literature and the annually published Catalog and Password, which describes policies that affect all Mansfield students, as well as in convenient online access to academicand other residence policies. § Student Services. A full range of student services are described in our mini-comprehensive study and Chapter 4. Faculty as well as residence life staff promote utilization of services. The campus web pages also describe the varied services available to students. There is an ongoing effort to improve these support services as we seek to improve advisement and student retention. § Faculty. Our self-study, particularly Chapter 5, describes in relative detail our faculty and their commitment to Mansfield's mission of teaching and learning, as well as to participation in the responsibilities of the campus community and to scholarly pursuits. Vitae for faculty are available to members of the visiting team. § Educational Programs and Curricula. Our educational programs and curricula are described in Chapter 2, as well as in the Catalog. We have for several years been in a process of reviewing our curricula from various perspectives, eliminating some programs that are either limited in enrollment or not well supported, improving others as a result of program review, and adding selectively, for example the online School Library and Information Technologies M.Ed. program. The Academic Affairs Committee, which is responsible for curriculum and program review, is perhaps the most active group on campus. Most recently the faculty completed a substantial revision of the general education program, adding a first-year seminar and requirements in information literacy and global awareness. There is a commitment to assess the new program and make adjustments in the future. We believe there is evidence of programs and curricula appropriate to our mission as a regional university and of efforts to continuously improve the curricula. A mini-self-study for each department or program area reflects the developmental and future-oriented nature of our efforts to maintain dynamic curricula. § Library and Learning Resources. A section of the mini-comprehensive study in Chapter 2 is devoted to an examination of our library and learning resources. This area has been one of the most dynamic at Mansfield. From dramatically enhanced facilities, to efforts to use technology to support learning and information literacy, the library has demonstrated a commitment to improvement and responsiveness to the learning and scholarly needs of students and faculty. Links between library staff and academic programs are active and productive. § Institutional Effectiveness and Outcomes. Institutional effectiveness and outcomes issues are addressed in both our revised Assessment Plan (2001) and the Performance and Outcomes Plans (2000, 2001). Outcomes assessment is required at the program level with annual reporting of results. Outcomes assessment is also linked to the periodic program review process, which has been in place for 15 years. Institutional effectiveness is a particular focus of the Performance and Outcomes Plans, as well as the President's annual Report on Institutional Performance (March 1, 2001) to the Council of Trustees. Likewise, the President and members of the Cabinet report regularly to the campus community via meetings as part of University Days as well as Town Hall Meetings throughout the year. While we have clearly moved forward in these areas, we also recognize needs to improve our institutional research efforts and to better engage all members of the campus community in their commitment to assessment, self-study, and continuous improvement. § Planning and Resource Allocation. Meaningful planning has been a commitment of the current administration. Evidence of planning can be seen in the Mansfield Plan and the Performance and Outcomes Plan, as well as the other planning processes and documents addressed in Chapter 2. We have relied on our internal expertise as well as input from external consultants in areas such as marketing, retention, information technology, and residence life. The University Senate's Academic Planning Committee provides avenues for broader input to planning. While allocation of funds to support planned priorities is limited by the reality of State allocations, we find a link between planning commitments and financial resource allocations. § Financial Resources. The University budget has been in balance for the past decade. As we are limited by State appropriations and tuition rates set by the Board of Governors, we have relied increasingly on Mansfield Foundation support for high priority areas—student scholarships, faculty professional development, and educational equipment, among others. The Performance and Outcomes Plan (2001) discusses in more detail our financial projections through Fiscal Year 2003-2004 and the need to reduce expenditures through reductions in staff and faculty complements to maintain a balanced budget. A recent external audit report, which is clean and unqualified, is provided for the visiting team's review. § Organization, Administration, and Governance. Chapter 1 describes Mansfield's status as a State System of Higher Education university that is governed by a Board of Governors which considers recommendations from our Council of Trustees, as delineated in Act 188. Chapter 2 describes Mansfield's organization and administration within this context. It also describes in some detail the various administrative structures that guide Mansfield's pursuit of institutional goals and objectives. Mansfield's flat administrative structure offers both challenges and opportunities. A clear advantage is the close contact that seems to occur between administrators and faculty, as well as students, who also work closely with administrators. § Governing Board. Mansfield University has an active Council of Trustees, many of whom are regular participants in the University community. The Council of Trustees holds the respect of the University community. A member of the Council, John Dunham, has served on the Self-Study Steering Committee, and the Council has periodically been appraised of progress with the self-study. Because this effort was focused on selected topics, a separate review of the Council was not undertaken. Trustees will, however, be available and actively engaged during the Middle States team visit. § Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources. These issues are addressed in relative detail in Chapter 2, the mini-comprehensive study, and Chapter 6, which addresses technology and instructional resources. Mansfield has made substantial improvements in facilities, and plans exist to address improvements needed in our residence halls. As this report is being drafted, major improvements are being undertaken in several instructional buildings. All members of the University community have access to computers supported by a network that is linked to the Internet. There is also a plan to improve the technologic capabilities of most classrooms over the next 2 years. Our study identifies a particular need to improve laboratories in the sciences and music. As noted in Chapter 6, we have entered a period in our history where change in technology is continuous. Mansfield is committed to a wise allocation of finite resources that address our needs in this and other areas. § Catalogs, Publications, and Promotional Materials. Mansfield's Catalog is revised annually. It contains current information about programs and requirements. Copies are provided to all entering students, and annual revisions are available on the Internet. Based on the recommendations of a well-regarded external consultant, new promotional and marketing materials were developed for the 2001-2002 academic year. All academic departments were asked to provide information and to review drafts of program brochures. A considerable amount of information about the University is available on the University website which has been substantially revised over the past year. We believe that the visiting team will find Mansfield's publications complete, appropriate, and accurate. § Institutional Change and Renewal. Chapter 5, Faculty Roles and Expectations, addresses institutional change from the perspective of faculty. We conclude that faculty are grappling with change and moving forward. Likewise, in Chapter 6, Technology and Instructional Resources, we provide evidence of the University's embrace of change in areas related to technology. We intend for this self-study to support change and to shape our future. If we fail to renew ourselves, we will most likely fall behind. Pursuing change for the sake of improvement will be the key to our success in the future. We believe this self-study demonstrates clearly the ways in which we meet the standards for accreditation. We hope that it also points the way for changes that could transform Mansfield from an effective institution to an exceptional institution. This self-study process has provided the Council of Trustees, the President and members of the administration, as well as the faculty and staff information on which to base important choices and commitments for our future. The direction we take will determine our ability to move Mansfield to a new level of effectiveness as a community dedicated to learning. The points that follow summarize the key recommendations of the Self-Study Steering Committee for shaping Mansfield's future. Summary of Key Recommendations A number of suggestions and recommendations are described throughout the self-study document. Major recommendations on which the Steering Committee believes the University should focus are highlighted within each chapter in boxes that also contain a rationale. Each recommendation should be considered within the context in which it was developed and the accompanying discussion in the related chapter. The table that begins on the following page summarizes all 32 of our major recommendations by chapter. |
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Link to Focus Area Recommendations... Assessment
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