Integrated Strategic Planning and its Impact on Accreditation

Posted by David Mosley on Jul 15, 2021 4:58:18 PM

Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) produce inspiring vision and mission statements, strategic plans, academic master plans, strategic enrollment plans, campus master plans, and many others; but if these plans do not align with how resources are actually allocated, they are merely “plans on a shelf” and not the living documents that IHE’s need to satisfy regional accreditors and stakeholders. 

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Topics: Accreditation, Institutional Effectiveness, Strategic Planning, Integrated Strategic Planning

Barriers to Implementation of Best Practices

Posted by David Mosley on May 25, 2021 4:10:02 PM

Have you ever dreamed of a solution to your Institutional Effectiveness (IE) challenges, but then realized that there are institutional barriers to your success?  We have all been to conferences where we sit in the audience listening to an institution present an amazing “Best Practice” in IE, only to realize that it would never work at our institution due to organizational inertia. Organizational inertia is the tendency of an institution to continue on its current trajectory due to resource or routine rigidity.

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Topics: Accreditation, Institutional Effectiveness, Budgeting, Strategic Planning

Faculty Credentialing in a Virtual World

Posted by Tony Adam on May 15, 2020 12:15:30 PM

Verifying faculty credentialing is an essential part of any institutional or programmatic process, as it ensures that any individual instructor is qualified to teach a particular subject. Without verification of credentials, you can’t assure academic quality, regardless of how popular an instructor might rate by her students.

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Topics: Institutional Effectiveness, Faculty Credentialing

Moving Student Assessment Online to Deliver Optimal Learning Outcomes

Posted by Sabrina Balmick on Apr 28, 2020 10:00:00 AM

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, institutions have quickly adopted online learning environments. The move online promotes social distance and safety for students and staff, especially as the coronavirus outbreak continues to grow. This move also provides institutions with the unique opportunity to modernize their assessment processes.

Below, we share some insight into how your institution can incorporate assessment into your online learning environment and why the move online can help your faculty get more done without extra effort.

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Topics: Continuous Improvement, Institutional Effectiveness, Assessment

Proactive Approaches to Resource Allocation During and After COVID-19

Posted by Sabrina Balmick on Apr 21, 2020 10:00:00 AM

Pivoting resources to respond to change, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, is essential for today’s higher education institutions. Not only must your institution shift funding quickly, but it must also continue to plan and allocate resources for the future.

Below, we share a few considerations as your institution reevaluates resources to meet the needs to students and faculty during this challenging time.

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Topics: Institutional Effectiveness, Budgeting

Higher Education: Maintaining Business Continuity During COVID-19

Posted by Sabrina Balmick on Apr 14, 2020 11:42:13 AM

The COVID-19 pandemic has palpably reshaped lives and businesses. Higher education, in particular, has found itself pivoting rapidly to ensure safety, adjust myriad processes, maintain academic rigor, drive administrative productivity, and keep institutions on mission.

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Topics: Accreditation, Institutional Effectiveness, Budgeting, Assessment, Strategic Planning

How North Dakota University System Implemented SPOL

Posted by SPOL on Jan 23, 2020 5:22:12 PM
A toolkit introduced to the North Dakota University System’s 11 public colleges and universities has taken a few steps forward.

According to Ryan Jockers, institutional and strategic analytics coordinator at the NDUS system office, the cloud-based planning SPOL software was purchased after the launch of the State Board of Higher Education’s strategic plan. SPOL was determined to be the best fit to further SBHE goals for the system, as well as track metrics of success. Additionally, the SPOL platform helps address prior concerns on documenting evidence related to increased performance of operations.

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Topics: Institutional Effectiveness, Assessment, Strategic Planning

What do Regional Accreditors Expect for Assessment?

Posted by Joe Bauman, M.S. on Dec 12, 2019 4:53:27 PM

Many times, when we are examining our institution’s assessment processes, we find ourselves asking the question, “What does our regional accrediting agency expect in terms of our assessment processes?” In some ways, this hearkens back to when we were doing our chores because our parents made us. Mom wants us to wash the dishes…okay, how well does she want them washed? Now, as adults, we don’t wash the dishes “well enough,” we wash the dishes until they’re clean. Similarly, if we approach our assessment processes focused on the external demands, we’re more likely to run into problems down the road. Rather than doing assessment because “the accreditor says so,” far better to focus on the intrinsic motivations for assessment: we want to improve our programs. We want our students to learn and to be successful after they leave the institution.

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Topics: Accreditation, Institutional Effectiveness, Assessment

Assessment in Higher Education: 10 Things to Know

Posted by Joe Bauman, M.S. on Oct 31, 2019 2:10:50 PM

Assessment practices in higher education directly impact many aspects of the institution. This can include student success and continuous improvement, among other areas. Below, we share ten ways your institution can improve your assessment process.

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Topics: Continuous Improvement, Institutional Effectiveness, Assessment

Strategic Planning in Higher Education: 10 Things to Know

Posted by Joe Bauman, M.S. on Aug 15, 2019 11:54:20 AM

Strategic planning can shape the future of a higher education institution, from effectively managing budgeted funds to driving continuous improvement efforts. Below, we outline ten ways your institution can get the most out of its strategic planning efforts.

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Topics: Continuous Improvement, Accreditation, Institutional Effectiveness, Strategic Planning