NASHVILLE STATE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

SUMMARY OF STEPS AND DUE DATES FOR SACS REAFFIRMATION PROCESS

 

  1. A campus team (Dr. Van Allen, Michelle Adkerson, Debra Bauer, Faye Jones, Ted Washington, and Ellen Weed) went to Atlanta for orientation on January 30, 2006.   We attended meetings with all 2008 campuses and also met with our SACS staff liaison Dr. Tom Benberg.  We have now been informed that Dr. Joseph Silver is our new SACS staff liaison as a result of reorganization within the Commission on Colleges.

 

  1. Before March 15, 2007, NSCC will submit a Certification of Compliance of the Core Requirements and Comprehensive Standards.  This will include a narrative and supporting documentation.  There are 12 Core Requirements and 67 Comprehensive Standards and Federal Requirements in the Principles of Accreditation as approved in December 2006.  Go to www.sacscoc.org for a copy of the Principles of Accreditation.  Nashville State will submit information electronically.  Preparation of the compliance material is primarily an administrative responsibility, but much of the documentation will be curriculum material.  Our Institutional Effectiveness Tracking System (IETS) and the Online Faculty Qualifications roster will be part of the submission.  Ted Washington is coordinating preparation of the Compliance Certification.

 

Core Requirement 2.5, for example, requires that  “the institution engage in ongoing, integrated, and institution-wide research-based planning and evaluation processes that (1) incorporate a systematic review of institutional mission, goals, and outcomes; (2) result in continuing improvement in institutional quality; and (3) demonstrate the institution is effectively accomplishing its mission.”

 

Comprehensive Standard 3.5.1, for example, requires that “the institution identifies college-level competencies within the general education core and provides evidence that graduates have attained those competencies.”

 

Compliance Certification Document Calendar

·        Complete Narrative drafts                        December 2006

·        Spring Semester additions                      January 31, 2007

·        On-Campus review/editing                      February 28, 2007

·        CD prepared for distribution                   March, 2007

·        Submit to SACS and Committee            March 9, 2007

 

Institutional Effectiveness Tracking System Calendar

·        IR set up for 2005-06 entries                   fall 2005

·        All academic units entered objectives  fall 2005

·        Training Inservices                                    fall 2005

·        Units entered end-of-year info                spring 2006

·        Required employee  inservices              fall 2006

·        All units enter 2006-07 objectives          October 31, 2006

·        All units enter end-of-year info               June 15, 2007

·        All units enter 2007-08 objectives          June 30, 2007

·        Submit to SACS                                          March 9, 2007

 

Faculty Compliance Roster Calendar

·        IR set up roster                                           fall 2005

·        Training for input                                       spring 2006

·        Input began                                                 spring 2006

·        All fall 2006 faculty input complete        December 2006

·        All spring 2007 input complete               January 31, 2007

·        Submit to SACS                                          March 9, 2007

 

  1. An Off-Site peer Review Committee meets in Atlanta to review our Compliance Certification materials May 14-17, 2007 along with those of Dyersburg State, Motlow State, and Walters State Community Colleges.  They will review our materials before arriving in Atlanta.  After discussions in Atlanta, the Committee prepares a report of its findings on our compliance with the Core Requirements and Comprehensive Standards.

 

  1. NSCC receives the Off-Site Committee report and prepares a Focused Report for each area of noncompliance identified in the Off-Site review.  The most common areas of non-compliance are faculty qualifications (CS 3.7.1) and planning and assessment (CR 2.5).

 

·        After receiving the off-site committee report, we will assign responsibilities for the Focused Reports, which will be submitted when we submit our QEP.

 

  1. NSCC submits its Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) to improve students’ critical thinking skills to SACS in summer 2007, two months before our on-site visit.  Dr. Faye Jones is chairing our Quality Enhancement Plan project.

 

·        QEP Topic Selected                fall 2005

·        QEP Team appointed              spring 2006

·        Best Practices/Research       spring 2006

·        Required inservices                August 2006

·        Development of the QEP        December 2006 draft

·        Required inservices                January 2007

·        Distribute draft to campus     April 2007

·        Submit QEP                               Summer 2007

 

  1. An On-Site peer Review Committee will visit the campus from October 22-24, 2007.  They will prepare a written report.  The committee chair will be Dr. Elva C. LeBlanc, President of the Tarrant County College – Northwest Campus in Fort Worth, Texas.  The on-site Committee will review all issues of noncompliance identified by the Off-Site Committee.  The Committee will include one individual with expertise in Critical Thinking.  The On-Site review will concentrate on the QEP, considering especially the following:

 

    1. Focus: Has NSCC identified a critical issue related to student learning? Does the QEP provide a comprehensive analysis, appropriate objectives, and clear benefits for students?
    2. Capability and Implementation: Does the QEP provide a timeline, appropriate leadership, sufficient resources and processes for carrying out the plan?
    3. Assessment: Does the QEP demonstrate means for determining the success of the QEP? 
    4. Broad-Based Involvement: Have all aspects of NSCC, including faculty, staff, students, administrators, and board members been involved in the development of the QEP?  Do they know about it?  Are faculty members in all programs engaged?

 

·        Revise QEP as appropriate   October-December 2007

·        Begin implementation             January 2008

 

  1. NSCC prepares a response to the On-Site Committee’s recommendations and submits it to SACS within five months (February, 2008) after the On-Site Committee visit.

 

·        Assignments will be made and plans for improvement developed depending on recommendations

 

  1. The Commission on Colleges reviews the report of the On-Site Committee and the NSCC response and takes action on NSCC’s reaffirmation in June 2008.  They can recommend reaffirmation with or without additional follow-up reports, sanctions, or non-reaffirmation.  

 

·        Assignments will be made for required follow-up reports/

·        The Quality Enhancement Plan will be implemented.

 

  1. NSCC submits a five-year progress report on the implementation of the QEP in 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

3/7/2007 ejw SACS folder; SACS process calendar file