Accreditation 101 - Insight into your self-study process. 

September 26, 2008

Presented by co-chairs: Holly Ayers, Rodney Williams, and liaison Dr. Michael DeLong

Criterion Three continues with the last two core components, 3c and 3d.

Component 3c: "The organization creates effective learning environments."

Holly Ayers presented a brief summary of this component. 

• assessment results drive improvements
• supports all learners and respects diversity
• effective advising systems
• student development programs
• new and appropriate technology
• regular quality assurance reviews

Component 3d: "The organization's learning resources support student learning and effective teaching."

The chairs of Criterion 3 facilitated a group activity where group members were given "play money" which represented institutional learning resources, that being  ALL resources including funding, human, or physical.

They were asked to divide their $15 of resources into several choices on their game boards which represented different departments or communities of Ozarka College.

Each group presented a brief summary of their decisions, AND they had to give valid reasons, or documentation of why they allocated their resources the way they did.

The findings were fairly common among the groups, with the top three allocations being:

1. Instructional needs
2. Student Support Services
3. Technology

The gist of the group work, was to start thinking about why we allocate resources the way we do and to be able to clarify and back up those reasons with documentation and where to find said documentation when needed. 

Please leave a comment or send an email to the Criterion Three Co-Chairs:

Holly Ayers, hayers@ozarka.edu 870-368-2090

Rodney Williams, rwilliams@ozarka.edu 870-368-2072

Dr. Michael DeLong, mdelong@ozarka.edu 870-368-2004

-or- the Self-Study Co-Chairs:

Joan Stirling, jstirling@ozarka.edu 870-368-2007

Joanna Fulbright, jfulbright@ozarka.edu 870-368-2064

Comments or suggestions to improve this newsletter to Communication co-chairs:

Kim Whitten, kwhitten@ozarka.edu 870-368-2060

Libby Cone, lcone@ozarka.edu 870-368-2002.