Preparation for NCA Accreditation

Siva K. Balasubramanian

August 29 2013

NCA Accreditation Preparation

• NCA Accreditation Committee activities– Monthly meetings– Discussions about revised criteria and their

implications– Focused activities organized around three

subcommittees– Meeting planned with HLC’s new liaison for IIT

(Sunil Ahuja)– Updates provided at University Faculty meetings

Timeline of Activities toward NCA Accreditation

Committee/Subcommittee 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Assessment Subcommittee

Quality Improvement Initiative (QII) Subcommittee

Administrative Criteria Subcommittee

NCA Advisory Committee

Study Assessment Processes at Pioneer Schools, HLC Conferences

Review themes from “My Perfect IIT Survey” and develop QII proposals

QII Proposal submission to HLC

Implementation of QII Proposals presented to NCA, and integrate into NCA report

Student Learning Assessment Workshops, Discuss with Schools/Colleges

Collect assessment evidence for Student Learning goals for each academic program in each academic unit

Integrate evidence into NCA report

HLC administrative criteria, implications of IIT’s updated Strategic Plan

Integrate IIT’s updated Strategic Plan, Compliance, Diversity and Community outreach efforts into NCA report

Discuss progress within each subcommittee, coordinate communications with campus constituencies, and assure that resources needed to achieve critical accreditation goals are deployed effectively

Learning Assessment – Current Environment

• Colleges Set to office Exit Tests– Wall Street Journal, August 26, 2013– Collegiate Learning Test (CLA) is a “objective,

benchmarked report card for critical thinking skills”– Will be taken by seniors at 200 US Colleges in Spring

2014– CLA scores considered critical after graduation, as SAT is

for admission– Employers say they prefer to rely on CLA than on grades

• Strong educational outcomes -- such as high graduation rates - may be linked to federal financial aid

NCA Committee’s Assessment Goals

• Articulate program level learning goals• Establish a robust assessment process

(measurement items, rubrics, and curriculum map) for each academic program at IIT

• Collect assessment data for each program for two years (including documenting steps taken to improve programs from assessment data)

Plans on Assessment

• Deans have received an update on assessment activities at respective academic unit

• That document serves as a starting point for ongoing discussions with each academic unit in Fall 2013 to develop a robust assessment process, data collection etc for each program

• Follow up Assessment workshops

Plans on Quality Improvement Initiative

• Two Quality Improvement Initiatives discussed by the committee are being integrated into one proposal following discussions with HLC

• Plan to have this integrative proposal ready for submission before the end of 2013

Plans for Conforming with HLC Criteria

• Seamlessly integrate elements of IIT’s Strategic Plan document into the NCA Report

• Assure that IIT conforms to the updated list of Accreditation criteria as articulated by HLC in 2013