DRAFT
Bemidji State University-HLC
2010 Reaccreditation Self-Study Report
Date: October 16, 2009
To: Campus
From: HLC Writing Team
Elizabeth Dunn, HLC Co-chair (Interim Dean, College of Arts & Sciences)
Marty Wolf, HLC Faculty Co-chair (Math & Computer Science Department)
Susan Hauser, Writer (English Department)
Subject: HLC Self-Study Draft
Attached is a draft of Bemidji State’s 2010 HLC self-study document. The team invites you to comment freely on the content and to provide supporting information, especially regarding notes that are shaded in gray.
The Writing Team thanks the five criterion committees for their ongoing work. They are providing content and evidence for the document and are commenting on drafts. To view their work, visit the self-study web site <http://www.bemidjistate.edu/hlc/> and click on Committees in the left column. Other information about our self-study process is also available on this site.
Please send your comments to Marty Wolf (mwolf, # 23, 2825). We would like them by November 6 so that we may consider them as we complete the document. Questions may also be addressed to Marty.
Self-Study Deadlines
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Due Dates |
Actions |
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10/16/09 |
Draft to campus. |
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11/06/09 |
Comments due to writing team. |
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12/01/09 |
Completed copy to Production Office. |
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01/22/10 |
Self-study due at HLC offices. |
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02/15/10 |
Mock visit. |
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03/22-24/10 |
HLC team campus visit. |
DRAFT—Table of Contents
Bemidji State University-HLC 2010 Reaccreditation Self-Study Report
Criterion One
Introduction
Primary Mission Documents (1a, 1b)
Foundational Mission Documents (1a, 1c)
Mission Integrity (1b, 1c, 1d, 1e)
Priorities for Improvement
Summary of Evidence
Criterion Two
Introduction
Consistent Mission, Refined Identity (Core Components 2a, 2d)
Societal and Economic Trends (Core Component 2a)
Planning Documents (Core Components 2a, 2d)
Planning Processes (Core Components 2a, 2d)
Resource Base (Core Components 2b, 2d)
Assessment Systems (Core Components 2b, 2c)
Funding Follows Planning: Closing the Loop (Core Components 2a, 2d)
Priorities for Improvement
Summary of Evidence
Criterion Three
Introduction
1. Learning and Teaching: University-level Planning, Support, Excellence (Core Components 3a, 3b, 3d)
2. Learning & Teaching Environments: Undergraduate (Core Components 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d)
3. Learning & Teaching Environments: Graduate (Core Components 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d)
4. Learning & Teaching Environments: External (Core Components 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d)
5. Priorities for Improvement
Summary of Evidence
Chapter Four
Introduction
University Commitment (4a, 4c, 4d)
Faculty and staff (4a, 4c)
The Learning Journey: Student Development and Enrollment (4b, 4c, 4d)
Liberal Education (4b, 4c, 4d)
Undergraduate Study (4a, 4b, 4c)
Graduate Study (4a, 4b, 4c)
External Communities of Interest (4b)
Priorities for Improvement
Summary of Evidence
Criterion Five
Criterion Five is organized according to the University Plan 2008-2013 Strategy B
Strategic Imperative B: Support and promote community vitality through Bemidji State’s commitments within our local, regional, national and world spheres. Value Statement: Bemidji State values the supportive relationships between the university and its communities.
Introduction
University-wide Commitment to External Communities of Interest (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d)
University Plan Strategy B.1. Support and promote educational vitality (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d)
University Plan Strategy B.2 Support and promote economic vitality and quality of place (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d)
University Plan Strategy B.3 Support and promote cultural and recreational vitality (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d)
University Plan Strategy B.4 Promote environmental vitality (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d)
Priorities for Improvement
Summary of Evidence
DRAFT—Chapter One, Criterion One
Bemidji State University-HLC 2010 Reaccreditation Self-Study Report
Below is a draft of Criterion One of Bemidji State’s 2010 HLC self-study document. The self-study writing team invites you to comment freely on the content and to provide information regarding notes that are shaded in gray.
The writing team thanks the five criterion committees for their ongoing work. They are providing content and evidence for the document and are commenting on drafts. To view their work, visit the self-study web site <http://www.bemidjistate.edu/hlc/> and click on Committees in the left column. Other information about our self-study process is also available on this site.
Please send your comments to Marty Wolf (mwolf, # 23, 2825). We would like them by November 6 so that we may consider them as we complete the document. Questions may also be addressed to Marty.
Self-Study Deadlines
|
Due Dates |
Actions |
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10/16/09 |
Draft to campus. |
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11/06/09 |
Comments due to writing team. |
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12/01/09 |
Completed copy to Production Office. |
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01/22/10 |
Self-study due at HLC offices. |
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02/15/10 |
Mock visit. |
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03/22-24/10 |
HLC team campus visit. |
READING & COMMENTING ON THE 10/16/2009 DRAFT
On weird things in the text:
Gray highlighting indicates that the text is in progress. Comments and suggestions are especially welcome regarding these passages.
A tilda (~) indicates a link, even if it is not yet active. Please feel free to provide URLs.
In Chapter One, double letters (MM, etc.) indicate placement for sidebar pieces.
Regarding your comments:
Notes written on hard copy are preferred.
If you provide your comments in an email, please point to the relevant text by including four or five words from the beginning of the nearest paragraph, so the writing team can easily locate the section you are critiquing.
Send comments to Marty Wolf, mwolf, # 23, 2825.
Questions may also be addressed to Marty.
Regarding previous Criterion Committee comments:
Some Criterion Committee comments delivered to the HLC co-chairs are not yet incorporated into this draft. To the committees: please assured that we have your comments, that we will address them in subsequent iterations of the document, and that you will have a chance to review the edits.
Regarding the Core Components
The criterion chapters are not organized by core components. Rather, the core components are embedded in an organization suited to our story. Core components will be identified throughout the finished document and in the summary at the end of the document.
HLC Writing Team
Elizabeth Dunn, HLC Co-chair (Interim Dean, College of Arts & Sciences)
Marty Wolf, HLC Faculty Co-chair (Math & Computer Science Department)
Susan Hauser, Writer (English Department)
Shaping Potential/Shaping Worlds
Story here...
Criterion One: Mission and Integrity
The organization operates with integrity to ensure the fulfillment of its mission through structures and processes that involve the board, administration, faculty, staff, and students.
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Core Component 1a: The organization’s mission documents are clear and articulate publicly the organization’s commitments.
Core Component 1b: In its mission documents, the organization recognizes the diversity of its learners, other constituencies, and the greater society it serves.
Core Component 1c: Understanding of and support for the mission pervade the organization.
Core Component 1d: The organization’s governance and administrative structures promote effective leadership and support collaborative processes that enable the organization to fulfill its mission.
Core Component 1e: The organization upholds and protects its integrity.
Organization of Criterion One
Introduction
1. Primary Mission Documents (1a, 1b)
2. Foundational Mission Documents (1a, 1c)
3. Mission Integrity (1b, 1c, 1d, 1e)
4. Priorities for Improvement
Summary of Evidence
Graphic Banner Here (narrow, to distinguish between single column above and double column below) – repeat at end/beginning of double columns.
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XX Higher education “is an enterprise in which qualified professionals first determine what students should know and be able to do as a result of their education and then create processes to determine that students actually know and can do these things. It also seeks to equip people to be self-motivated and self-sustaining learners throughout their lives. It is to fulfill this very critical set of goals that colleges and universities create structures to enable their achievement.” Higher Learning Commission-The Handbook of Accreditation (3.2, Core Component 1d)
Foundational Mission Documents Values and actions of Bemidji State University originate in academic departments. These values and actions are coordinated and framed by college plans which, in turn, inform the Master Academic Plan (MAP). The MAP informs other master plans.
Primary Mission Document The University Plan is coordinated and framed by its Foundational Mission Documents.
Academic Programs | Colleges | Master Academic Plan | |-->Other Master Plans University Plan
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Introduction In its mission documents, Bemidji State University clearly and consistently articulates its mission, including core values, goals, and commitments to internal and external constituents. The documents identify processes for accomplishing the mission in fair and balanced ways; embrace complex and broad notions of diversity; provide for academic quality and continuous improvement; accommodate innovative response to unanticipated change; and encourage collaborative decision-making. Further, the university’s mission is evident in strategic documents at all levels, including master, college and department plans and administrative and student services plans. It is also manifest in the actions of the university from its academic programs to its physical plant. Mission documents are readily available to the public. |
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DD Availability of Primary Mission Documents
Foundational Mission Documents & Availability These documents are available online. Facilities ~ Student Development & Enrollment~ Technology~
Business, Technology & Communication Health Sciences & Human Ecology
DD Core Component 1a: The organization’s mission documents are clear and articulate publicly the organization’s commitments.
Core Component 1b: In its mission documents, the organization recognizes the diversity of its learners, other constituencies, and the greater society it serves.
YY Bemidji State Internal Constituents Include:
Bemidji State External Constituents Include:
AA Evaluation and Revision Schedule for Primary and Foundational Mission Documents
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1. Primary Mission Document: The University Plan (Core Components 1a, 1b)
DD The 2008-2013 University Plan defines Bemidji State’s mission and provides guidance for decision-making. Reflecting the complexity of the university’s overall mission, the University Plan has five congruent components:
The evolution of the current University Plan and its elements are discussed and documented in Chapter Two. Criterion Two Preparing for the Future, especially in 1. Consistency of Mission, Refinement of Identity and 3. Planning Documents.
Vision Shaping Potential, Shaping Worlds: Bemidji State University is a catalyst for shaping the potential of those it serves, who in turn, shape the worlds in which they live and work.
The vision statement articulates the university’s understanding that it operates in a vast arena, from the personal and imaginative world of individuals to the greater world in a global sense. The statement also articulates the understanding that university study changes the lives of individuals and, in turn, they change the worlds they live in. The term “world” is intentional in the statement: it is manifold in meaning and application, as is the potential of the university educated citizen and of human endeavor.
Vision, Mission or Mission, Vision? Traditionally, Bemidji State has placed its vision statement first in its documents, followed by its mission statement. The practice is continued in this document. At Bemidji State, the vision is taken as a larger perspective that encircles the mission, thus preceding it.
Mission Engage. Embrace. Educate. As northern Minnesota's university, we engage in new worlds of thought, embrace responsible citizenship, and educate for a future that can only be imagined.
The university’s mission statement identifies the actions that carry out values expressed in the vision. It explains the ways in which the university shapes individuals and thus shapes worlds: we engage students in thinking and creativity; we embrace notions of responsible citizenship, from the personal world to the global world; and we educate students for thinking toward the future—a collective act of the imagination. The use of verbs in the mission statement is intentional: we are a university of action.
Signature Themes Students, through the sum of their educational experience at Bemidji State, will have multiple opportunities to learn about, experience, and reflect on the university's Signature Themes. The themes represent core values that guide curriculum and services. Not tightly defined, they invite interpretation and discovery.
The Signature Themes articulate values that focus the vision and mission. Bemidji State values the fathoming of diversity; it values actions by individuals who shape the worlds they inhabit and for which they are responsible; it values the Earth we live on and accepts responsibility for its health and well-being.
These values fire the imagination and lead to action that can be measured. They are the passion that fuels change, that shapes potential and worlds.
SCOT Analysis: Internal Strengths, Internal Challenges; External Opportunities, External Threats In the context of its vision and mission, the SCOT analysis scans the internal and external environments in which Bemidji State operates. Some items are oxymoronic: both favorable and unfavorable, blessing and curse. For example, “University Planning” appears under Internal Strengths and Internal Challenges, as does “Information and Support Technology.” “Service to Student Populations” appears under External Opportunities; “The Changing Societal Landscape of Northern Minnesota,” i.e., student demographics, appears under External Threats.
University planning, both a strength and a challenge, is, as it should be, a work in progress, as is information and support technology. The changing societal landscape of Northern Minnesota, which includes the movement of our student base away from the region, is ameliorated by the potential of a broadened, worldwide student base made available to Bemidji State as students here and abroad come to see the world as their home.
Goals & Institutional Priorities: Strategies for 2008-2013 YY, AA The Strategies for 2008-2013~ complete the University Plan. The evolution of the strategies, as well as the other components of the plan, is discussed in Chapter Two Preparing for the Future, 3. Planning Documents.
The plan has four strategies. Each is followed by a Strategic Imperative that gives direction to the strategy and a value statement (in italic) that identifies the values that inform the strategy.
Strategy A: Engage Students for Success in Careers, Communities and Life • Strategic Imperative: Create opportunities for student success through high quality programs and services. Bemidji State recognizes the value of higher education as a public good, provides student-centered access to learning, meets the needs of our diverse, rural and nontraditional students, and promotes lifelong learning.
Strategy B: Promote Vital Communities through Involvement • Strategic Imperative: Support and promote community vitality through Bemidji State’s commitments within our local, regional, national and world spheres. Bemidji State values the supportive relationships between the university and its communities.
Strategy C: Innovate for a Changing World • Strategic Imperative: Accommodate change through an organizational culture of creativity, innovation and planning. Bemidji State values flexibility and adaptability as means to change.
Strategy D: Optimize Resources to Achieve the University’s Vision and Mission • Strategic Imperative: Effectively manage and increase enrollment and resources in support of the university’s vision and mission. Bemidji State recognizes and honors the role of the university in the stewardship of its resources and the importance of accountability.
Each strategy also contains a Goals and Measurements component. As noted in the plan, “Goals and Measurements evaluate achievement of the University Plan and of related items in MnSCU’s Strategic Plan. They are numbered consecutively throughout the Plan.”
The strategies are implemented through initiatives. As noted in the plan, the initiatives “are accounted for in Annual Work Plans and Work Plan Reports.”
Evidence of the mission documents permeating university structures and actions follows in 3. Mission Integrity.
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FF Core Component 1a: The organization’s mission documents are clear and articulate publicly the organization’s commitments.
Core Component 1c: Understanding of and support for the mission pervade the organization. |
2. Foundational Mission Documents (Core Components 1a,1c) FF The five components of the University Plan comprise the primary mission documents of Bemidji State. Those documents are supported through the foundational mission plans:
The relationship of these documents to the University Plan, and especially to the Strategies for 2008-2013, is discussed and documented in Chapter Two~. That discussion provides evidence that the foundational master, college and department plans give shape and meaning to the University Plan.
Mission evolves at the foundational level. Mission integrity is promoted when the stated mission is congruent with foundational actions.
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GG Core Component 1b: In its mission documents, the organization recognizes the diversity of its learners, other constituencies, and the greater society it serves.
Core Component 1c: Understanding of and support for the mission pervade the organization.
Core Component 1d: The organization’s governance and administrative structures promote effective leadership and support collaborative processes that enable the organization to fulfill its mission.
Core Component 1e: The organization upholds and protects its integrity.
HH Recruitment Plan “Bemidji State University and its affiliate, Northwest Technical College, seek highly qualified applicants for vacancies and new positions through effective advertising accessible to all Job Groups.” Chapter 11 2008-2010 Affirmative Action Plan University and College
JJ Bargaining Units at Bemidji State IFO: Inter Faculty Organization; BSUFA: Bemidji State University Faculty Association, IFO Local.
AFSCME: American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees Council 6, Local 1949
Classified Managerial, Minnesota Department of Employee Relations
MAPE: Minnesota Association of Professional Employees
MNA: Minnesota Nurses Association
Commissioner’s Plan: Non-managerial Unrepresented Employees, Minnesota Department of Employee Relations
MMA: Middle Management Association, Minnesota Department of Employee Relations
MSUAASF: Minnesota State University Association of Administrative & Service Faculty
JJ1 Dimensions of Student Learning Dimension 1: Intellectual Development Outcomes:
Dimension 2: Understanding of Self and Relating to Others Outcomes:
Dimension 3: Participation in an Emerging Global Society Outcomes:
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3. Mission Integrity (Core Components 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e) As noted above, mission permeates planning at Bemidji State: it is consistently articulated and referenced in its primary and foundational mission documents. Proof that mission permeates the organization lies in the application of the mission to everyday operations.
The following examples are offered as evidence that mission permeates both the letter and the spirit of Bemidji State’s actions. The proofs are organized according to the three promises of the mission statement: Engage, Embrace, Educate. These sections additionally recognize two major constituencies, internal (current students, faculty and staff, departments and units with the university) and external (potential students, Bemidji State University Foundation, other schools, businesses, government and other agencies). Within those sections, attention is especially drawn to the university’s signature themes and to ways in which the university honors broad concepts of diversity.
GG E1 Engage in new worlds of thought (Core Components 1b, 1c) “New worlds of thought” is a relative concept. For traditional freshmen, it might mean an introduction to the philosophy of Plato. For a graduate student it might mean the integration of learning into a focused, innovative thesis. For a faculty member it might mean new knowledge generated through scientific research or the creation of a work of art. For the university it might mean diversity in academic programming. For a business in Bemidji it might mean ongoing education for employees.
LEVEL C Internal Constituents Bemidji State’s promise to “engage in new worlds of thought” is evidenced in faculty, staff and administration credentials and professional development, and in curriculum, program and assessment planning and processes.
LEVEL D Qualified Faculty, Staff, and Administration: Bemidji State assures that its faculty, staff and administration have preparation and credentials relevant to its mission. This is accomplished primarily through two processes: hiring and professional development.
HH LEVEL EHiring Processes: Hiring processes at Bemidji State reflect the university’s mission, including diversity interests. Appropriate credentials are required for all positions. A protocol for writing and advertising job descriptions and for search committees is utilized~. The protocol requires that position descriptions include the university’s mission statement and signature themes and an affirmative action statement. Search committee membership is subject to affirmative action policy.
Career Opportunities at Bemidji State University are advertised on the university’s web site <http://www.bemidjistate.edu/offices/human_resources/employment/> and as noted in the 2008-2010 Affirmative Action Plan University and College, Chapter 11 Recruitment Plan. The university participates in the Upper Midwest Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC).
Affirmative action documents, including nondiscrimination and reasonable accommodation policies, and a complaint procedures flowchart are available online. <http://www.bemidjistate.edu/offices/affirmative_action/>
LEVEL EProfessional Development: Professional development processes are in place for faculty, staff and administration.
JJ For faculty, the process is defined in and regulated by the Inter Faculty Organization/MnSCU Master Agreement. It requires regular professional development plans and reports based on five criteria: I. Demonstrated ability to teach effectively or perform effectively in other current assignments. II. Scholarly or creative achievement or research III. Evidence of continuing preparation and study IV. Contribution to Student Growth and Development V. Service to the University and Community ((Include link to PDP schedule from AVP’s office))
The plans and reports are commented on by department faculty and chairs and are commented on and used by deans and the academic vice president to advise faculty members on appropriate professional development. The documents also contribute to decisions on faculty promotion and tenure. The IFO/MnSCU Master Agreement addresses professional development evaluation in Appendix G.
Directors and staff of the Office of Student Development and Enrollment are also evaluated on a regular basis as noted in the Student and University Services Program Planning and Review Resource Manual.
Complementing annual staff review, the strategic plan for the Office of Student Development and Enrollment, the J-Plan, provides for professional staff development:
J-Plan Strategies to Achieve the Mission 6. Promote and support staff professional development. Hallmarks of a strong, unified and successful staff include collaboration and collegiality; scholarship, participation in conferences and knowledge of professional literature; the framing of work in a common language of learning; and the modeling of learning and growth.
The Human Resources Office contributes to professional development by offering seminars for Student Development and Enrollment staff, such as the following:
Deans develop annual plans and goals, submit annual reports, attend professional seminars, and are evaluated by faculty through a formal process. Faculty evaluations are shared with other deans and contribute to further goal development.
Vice Presidents and the President of the university are evaluated annually according to processes established by Human Resources, Office of the Chancellor, MnSCU System http://www.oochr.mnscu.edu/index.html . In addition, the vice presidents and deans establish mission-relevant goals for their offices for the academic year and report annually on progress made. Vice presidents and deans also meet annually with their supervisors and are evaluated annually by the faculty. The evaluations are reviewed in the Deans’ Council.((Okay to say that?))
LEVEL DCurriculum Integrity and Vitality: The university’s curriculum processes and documents support Bemidji State’s mission to “Engage in new worlds of thought.” Assessment systems are also in place to further assure the integrity of the mission. These are discussed in Chapter Two~.
JJ1 The Dimensions of Student Learning, instituted in the 1995 University Assessment Plan, state learning outcomes that students are expected to attain by graduation. They are listed in the MAP (Master Academic Plan) and the J-Plan (The Learning Journey, Student Development and Enrollment Master Plan) and are referenced in the Master Facility Plan. Academic Department five-year assessment plans are based on the Dimensions of Student Learning~. The dimensions, including further description and examples of objectives, are included in Guidelines: Five-Year Academic Program Planning and Review Cycle, April 2008.
The dimensions roughly approximate the three points of the university’s mission and signature themes and thus contribute to mission continuity:
Dimension 1 Intellectual Development
Dimension 2 Understanding of Self and Relating to Others
Dimension 3 Participation in an Emerging Global Society
Integrity of mission is further supported by the university’s internal curriculum development and approval process. (New programs are also approved at the state level.) The process provides evidence that curriculum is developed in a cooperative atmosphere, a sharing of leadership and authority that promotes and models the university’s mission. As designated in the Curriculum Proposal Approval Process proposals move through the following stages:
Curriculum proposals are logged into a web-based document so their progress through the process can be readily ascertained. This feature is new since the 2000 self-study and was developed in response to concerns about fair notice to the campus regarding proposals and about faculty and department ability to track proposals.
LEVEL DProgram Diversity, Vitality, Accreditation: In addition to its programs in the arts and sciences, Bemidji State offers select professional programs that support the university’s mission by providing students with vibrant study and career options. By way of example:
Mission integrity is also evidenced in Bemidji’s program accreditations:
LEVEL DSignature Theme—International/multicultural understanding: While the three signature themes cut across the three mission elements, International/multicultural understanding is as an especially natural fit for “Engage in new worlds of thought.” Numerous programs at Bemidji State engage students in awareness of diverse cultures, opinions, fields of study, career opportunities and other worlds that might be utterly new to them or that they might have deemed to be out of their own reach. The following programs especially address international / multicultural understanding and are evidence that Bemidji State broadly acknowledges the concept of diversity, understands that it extends beyond race and gender, and embraces varied interpretations of human experiences and values.
LEVEL EAcademic Programs: While most programs at Bemidji State teach and model diversity in their curricula, some programs are especially designed to broaden students’ awareness and understanding of diversity. These include the following:
LEVEL EStudent Support Services: The university also recognizes the diverse needs of its student body and addresses those needs through student services, including the following:
LEVEL EStudent Organizations: In general, student organizations reflect the diverse interests of the university’s student body. In addition, some serve specific student groups, promote certain cultures or address diversity issues. These include the following organizations:
LEVEL CExternal Constituents Bemidji State fully appreciates its role as an institution of higher learning in its local, regional, national and international communities. These relationships are discussed in Chapter Five.~
LEVEL DUniversity Plan: In its strategic plan, one of four strategies is wholly devoted to these relationships: Strategy B, Promote Vital Communities through Involvement~. Initiatives within the plan address those that support the mission component “Engage in new worlds of thought,” including the following:
LEVEL DOfferings: Examples of university offerings that especially accommodate the promise to “engage in new worlds of thought” include the following:
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KK Core Component 1b: In its mission documents, the organization recognizes the diversity of its learners, other constituencies, and the greater society it serves.
Core Component 1c: Understanding of and support for the mission pervade the organization.
Core Component 1d: The organization’s governance and administrative structures promote effective leadership and support collaborative processes that enable the organization to fulfill its mission.
Core Component 1e: The organization upholds and protects its integrity.
LL MnSCU Policies and Practices include the following:
LL2 Bemidji State University Student Handbook Policies & Procedures
Student Code of Conduct
Right to Know
SPA Committee Charge:
Code of Conduct Training: MnSCU employees participated in online training FY 2009.
NN ADD DATA Bemidji State Demographics
MM
PP Student Organizations especially committed to civic engagement:
RR2 MnSCU Procedure 5.11.1 Tuition and Fees, Part 2: Before any increase is made in the fee maximums, the Office of the Chancellor shall consult with the statewide student associations. |
KK E2 Embrace Responsible Citizenship (Core Components 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e)
The notion of responsible citizenship is bred into Bemidji State. The university was formed in 1919 as Bemidji Normal School when the citizens of the region implored the state to help them provide licensed teachers for their ever-growing student population. Today the notion of civic responsibility is more complex and far-reaching than it was early in the last century and even early in this century. Bemidji State models responsible citizenship, guides students and faculty in civic engagement opportunities, serves diverse populations and cultures and maintains significant relationships with external constituencies.
LEVEL C Internal Constituents Bemidji State’s promise to “embrace responsible citizenship” is evidenced in its collaborative decision-making, policies and practices, its recognition of and service to diverse populations and cultures, and in its “Civic Engagement” signature theme.
LEVEL DCollaboration, Consultation, Communication: Bemidji State benefits from and models decision-making informed by campus collaborations and consultations, and by open communication strategies. This approach was recommended as a “robust strategy” in the final report of the 2007 Scenario Planning Committee:~ “Focus on improved campus culture: communications, empowerment, civility.” The recommendation is included in the 2008-2013 University Plan:
Strategy C: Innovate for a Changing World C.1 Increase organizational capacity for a successful, compelling and collegial campus culture. Improve the success of the university through increased communication, and support for collaboration.~
In addition to the 2005-2007 Scenario Planning Committee~, recent ad hoc collaborations include the 2007 Reorganization Work Group~ and the Liberal Education Task Force~. Ongoing consultation occurs at Academic Forums for Vice Presidents, Deans and Department Chairs~.
Ongoing communication strategies include regular Meet and Confer sessions with bargaining units~; frequent Budget Forums; topical campus conversations~; regular newsletters and online news postings; and administrative meetings and retreats with vice presidents and directors.
These collaborations, consultations and communication help inform university planning and action. By way of example, the outcomes of collaboration, consultation and communication strategies for the 2008-2103 University Plan are discussed in Chapter Two, Criterion Two.~ ((LINK TO 1. Planning Documents, Level I Documents, University Plan, Strategies for 2008-2103.))
LL LEVEL DPolicies and Practices: Bemidji State, in compliance with federal, state and MnSCU regulations, conveys the rights and responsibilities of its constituents, including codes for conduct and acceptable behavior. In its consistent administration of these policies, the university models responsible citizenship, assuring that constituents are treated equally and fairly.
The university Code of Student Conduct provides an example of Bemidji State’s interest in honor, dignity, integrity and responsible behavior. From the introduction to the code:
LL2 The BSU Student Code of Conduct and Student Conduct System are an integral part of Bemidji State University's mission. The student conduct system contributes to the teaching of appropriate individual and group behavior and establishes behavioral expectations to foster a campus community free from disruption and harm. Students are expected to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct, and the Student Conduct System. The rights and responsibilities of students and the expectations of the University are described in this handbook along with grievance and other procedures. Behavior that is threatening to the safety or welfare of one's self or others, or that is harassing or discriminatory in nature, will be reviewed promptly by the University, and appropriate action will be taken.
The code follows MnSCU practices and provides for appeals. For example, the Student Program and Admission (SPA) Committee reviews and acts on academic appeals by students.
Bemidji State demonstrates responsible citizenship through other means, as well, including the following:
Cooperative decision making across the levels of the university is described in Criterion Two, 4. Planning Processes.
MM Opportunities and services at Bemidji State are made available to external constituents based on established policies and processes, including the use of contracts and competitive bidding. Logs and records are kept and procedures are in place for appeals. These helps assure fair and equal treatment for internal and external constituents and contribute to the integrity of the university’s mission
NN LEVEL DService to Diverse Populations and Cultures: The university also models civic engagement through its attention to diverse populations and cultures. In addition to academic and service programs noted above in E1 Engage, Signature Theme—International/multicultural understanding, the university encourages and supports diversity through its international studies programs, disability services, relationships with regional tribal, community and technical colleges and affirmative action hiring processes.
LEVEL CSignature Theme—Civic Engagement: Bemidji State’s commitment to civic engagement is demonstrated in student opportunities to participate in university practices and student organizations. Opportunities are supported in three general areas: university governance, student organizations and academic classes.
LEVEL DGovernance: Student participation and representation is sought at all levels of university decision-making. The president and vice presidents meet regularly with student leadership and the Student Senate Cabinet meets with the President’s Cabinet. The president of the student body gives a monthly report to the faculty senate.
The Student Senate provides representation for established committees, councils and related groups, such as the following:
Student representatives also serve on ad hoc committees and task forces, such as the following:
RR2 The university’s Student Senate gives regular reports to the university president and the Faculty Association Senate and is a member of the Minnesota State University Student Association.
PP LEVEL DStudent Organizations: These dynamic groups are good evidence that civic engagement is valued by Bemidji State students. The organizations are initiated and maintained by the students themselves with minimal direction from faculty and student services. There are currently seventy student organizations on campus.
LEVEL DAcademic Classes: Bemidji State has a history of encouraging civic engagement in its curriculum and in the community. Three recent surveys studied the kinds and levels of civic engagement at Bemidji State:
The 2005 Inventory of Civic Engagement report recommends that Bemidji State undertake a systematic inventory of civic engagement activities at the university. The 2008 Campus Compact report recommends that the university pursue the opening of a service learning and civic engagement center.
Based on the results of the 2005 and 2008 reports, Bemidji State has identified civic engagement as one of its three major Priorities for Improvement.~
Civic engagement is discussed further in Chapter Five.~
LEVEL CExternal Constituents Bemidji State’s promise to “embrace responsible citizenship” is evidenced in its actions and practices with external constituents, especially at the local, regional and state levels, including those identified below. For discussions of services, collaborative projects, and needs and expectations shared by the university and its external constituents, see Chapter Five.~
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Core Component 1c: Understanding of and support for the mission pervade the organization.
Core Component 1d: The organization’s governance and administrative structures promote effective leadership and support collaborative processes that enable the organization to fulfill its mission.
Core Component 1e: The organization upholds and protects its integrity.
QQ2
HMU is "powered" by wind energy. Thanks to the student fee-funded purchase of 616,000 kilowatt- hours of wind energy per month- approximate usage of the Hobson Memorial Union. Bemidji State University is now the largest Ottertail Power Company wind energy customer in its tri state region. The Environment Even though the electricity we use in the Union- for lights, computers, etc.- is not coming directly from Ottertail's turbine, through our purchase we are supporting efforts to reduce pollution caused by conventional sources of energy.
RR Excerpts from Master Facility Plan, Top Ten Capital Improvement Projects:
SS Sustainability Project Native plant bed installed on campus: BEMIDJI, Minn. — In place of colorful, labor and chemical intensive annual flowers, visitors to Bemidji State University will find a bed of beautiful native perennials residing in the raised beds between the A.C. Clark Library, the upper Hobson Memorial Union and Sanford Hall. |
E3 Educate for a Future that Can Only Be Imagined (Core Components 1c, 1d, 1e)
Bemidji State has educated for the future since its inception as a teacher training college. The “future” of today, however, is utterly different than the future anticipated at the beginning of the last century: the speed at which life changes has increased wildly. Information—and misinformation—is available at the click of a computer mouse. Education today must be a blend of knowledge acquisition, critical thinking skills, a cultivated aptitude for change and the ability to make sound decisions based on reason and on past experience. This future includes not only human affairs, but the well-being and even the fate of Earth itself.
LEVEL CInternal Constituents In preparation for learning throughout their lives, students today benefit from knowing how to adapt adapting to and learning from new situations. Bemidji State teaches these skills through dynamic programming, responsive planning and implementation processes, and modeling a commitment to environmental stewardship.
LEVEL DLifelong Learning: Bemidji State’s diversified student population, relevant academic programs and civic engagement opportunities give students real-life experiences in living with change and expands their horizons even while they are still on campus. The university is intentional in presenting these experiential opportunities. See Chapter Four, Criterion Four and Priorities for Improvement: Civic Engagement for detailed discussions of civic engagement. Bemidji State also educates students for lives and careers in the immediate future by offering new and revised academic programs, such those noted above in E1 Engage in New Worlds of Thought. By attending to the vitality of its offerings, the university models the value of responding and adapting to change in its social and cultural environment.
LEVEL DActive Planning Processes: In addition to providing students with a dynamic learning environment, Bemidji State, recognizing the unpredictable nature of societal and economic trends, models through its own planning processes the values of change and adaptation. For example, since the 2000 self-study, three significant changes have been implemented in administrative structures:
LEVEL DSignature Theme—Environmental Stewardship: Bemidji State recognizes that the future of human endeavor is tied to the future of Earth and that the tending of earthly gardens begins at home. In its academic programs and institutional planning, the university models appropriate stewardship of the physical environment in which it resides.
LEVEL EAcademic Programs: In 1998, Bemidji State introduced People and the Environment, Category 10, into its Liberal Education curriculum. The goals for the requirement are defined by the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum: To improve students' understanding of today's complex environmental challenges. Students will examine the interrelatedness of human society and the natural environment. Knowledge of both bio-physical principles and socio-cultural systems is the foundation for integrative and critical thinking about environmental issues.
The university enhanced the model by creating a course structure with discipline-based breakout sections and interdisciplinary large group panel discussions, providing students with a common learning experience.
Bemidji State offers Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Environmental Studies. Other related programs include the following:
Courses related to environmental stewardship are offered in other programs, as well, most notably in Liberal Education Category 10, People and the Environment. Two student organizations are directly committed to environmental concerns:
QQ2 LEVEL EUniversity Planning: The university models environmental stewardship in its planning documents and its actions. For example, in addition to the environmental stewardship signature theme, the 2008-2013 strategies include the following: Strategy B: Promote Vital Communities through Involvement B.4 Promote environmental vitality. Work with partners to assure the environmental stewardship of our shared communities.
Strategy D: Optimize Resources to Achieve the University’s Vision and Mission D.6 Provide stewardship of the campus physical environment. Explore means and methods to model responsibility toward the land and other natural resources.
Following from the University Plan, the Master Academic and Master Facilities Plans address environmental stewardship concerns:
Master Academic Plan (MAP) 2 Hire and Support Excellent Faculty Decision Parameter: Encourages people who are hired to continue to build on the existing scholarship agendas and interests that support international, environmental, American Indian, natural resource, assessment, and civic engagement topics.
Master Facilities Plan RR Goals: 14. Improve the campus environmental quality: Environmental stewardship is one of the three core values of Bemidji State University. This plan promotes sustainability primarily through site development, and alignment with the mandated B3 Guidelines for sustainable development.
Differences from the previous Master Facilities Plan: 6. Recommendations for environmentally sustainable site and building development.
Suggested improvements from Student, Faculty, Staff and Community Surveys: k. Encourage a campus wide environmental ethic.
In the top ten capital improvement projects for the next ten years: Improve the campus environmental quality.
SS As further evidence that a commitment to environmental stewardship pervades the campus culture, the Student Senate initiated and passed a bill requiring students to pay a five dollar “green fee” each semester. This fee contributes to the salary of a Sustainability Coordinator, matched by university funding. The position is operational.
LEVEL CExternal Constituents As part of its mission “to educate for the future,” Bemidji State supports educational opportunities for its external constituents. These outreach programs serve a broad range of constituents, from other educational institutions such as high schools and two-year colleges to Marvin Windows, a significant employer in northern Minnesota.
As noted above in E2 Embrace Responsible Citizenship, External Constituents, relationships with external constituents are discussed Chapter Five, Criterion Five.
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Priorities for Improvement For the past several years, Bemidji State has engaged in the consideration and study of civic engagement on its campus and in its local community. The results of the studies and the discussions indicate that more can be done to (1) assure civic engagement opportunities for all students and (2) to assist faculty and staff in the development of such opportunities.
To that end, the university has opened ((info on the civic engagement office)) and proposes ??((present a plan here??)).
((Goals, and outcomes??
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Criterion One: Mission and Integrity
Summary of Evidence
Core Component 1a: The organization’s mission documents are clear and articulate publicly the organization’s commitments.
Bemidji State’s primary mission document, the University Plan, clearly state its vision, mission, signature themes, SCOT analysis and Strategies for 2008-2013.
The plan supports the MnSCU system mission and is readily available to the public.
Foundational mission documents (master, college and department plans) inform and support the University Plan.
Core Component 1b: In its mission documents, the organization recognizes the diversity of its learners, other constituencies, and the greater society it serves.
The university’s vision and mission acknowledge its role in a world-wide society.
The University Plan’s Strategy B: Promote Vital Communities through Involvement is dedicated to external and diverse communities of interest
The diversity of the university’s learners is especially recognized in one of the signature themes: “International/Multicultural Understanding.”
Core Component 1c: Understanding of and support for the mission pervade the organization.
((Through plans, etc.)
Core Component 1d: The organization’s governance and administrative structures promote effective leadership and support collaborative processes that enable the organization to fulfill its mission.
Planning processes, communication, forums, etc.; professional development.
Core Component 1e: The organization upholds and protects its integrity.
Has systems in place, etc.
DRAFT—Chapter Two, Criterion Two
Bemidji State University-HLC 2010 Reaccreditation Self-Study Report
Below is a draft of Criterion Two of Bemidji State’s 2010 HLC self-study document. The self-study writing team invites you to comment freely on the content and to provide information regarding notes that are shaded in gray.
The writing team thanks the five criterion committees for their ongoing work. They are providing content and evidence for the document and are commenting on drafts. To view their work, visit the self-study web site <http://www.bemidjistate.edu/hlc/> and click on Committees in the left column. Other information about our self-study process is also available on this site.
Please send your comments to Marty Wolf (mwolf, # 23, 2825). We would like them by November 6 so that we may consider them as we complete the document. Questions may also be addressed to Marty.
Self-Study Deadlines
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Due Dates |
Actions |
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10/16/09 |
Draft to campus. |
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11/06/09 |
Comments due to writing team. |
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12/01/09 |
Completed copy to Production Office. |
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01/22/10 |
Self-study due at HLC offices. |
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02/15/10 |
Mock visit. |
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03/22-24/10 |
HLC team campus visit. |
READING & COMMENTING ON THE 10/16/2009 DRAFT
On weird things in the text:
Gray highlighting indicates that the text is in progress. Comments and suggestions are especially welcome regarding these passages.
A tilda (~) indicates a link, even if it is not yet active. Please feel free to provide URLs.
In Chapter One, double letters (MM, etc.) indicate placement for sidebar pieces.
Regarding your comments:
Notes written on hard copy are preferred.
If you provide your comments in an email, please point to the relevant text by including four or five words from the beginning of the nearest paragraph, so the writing team can easily locate the section you are critiquing.
Send comments to Marty Wolf, mwolf, # 23, 2825.
Questions may also be addressed to Marty.
Regarding previous Criterion Committee comments:
Some Criterion Committee comments delivered to the HLC co-chairs are not yet incorporated into this draft. To the committees: please assured that we have your comments, that we will address them in subsequent iterations of the document, and that you will have a chance to review the edits.
Regarding the Core Components
The criterion chapters are not organized by core components. Rather, the core components are embedded in an organization suited to our story. Core components will be identified throughout the finished document and in the summary at the end of the document.
HLC Writing Team
Elizabeth Dunn, HLC Co-chair (Interim Dean, College of Arts & Sciences)
Marty Wolf, HLC Faculty Co-chair (Math & Computer Science Department)
Susan Hauser, Writer (English Department)
Shaping Potential/Shaping Worlds
Story here...
Criterion Two: Preparing for the Future
The organization’s allocation of resources and its processes for evaluation and planning demonstrate its capacity to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its education, and respond to future challenges and opportunities.
Core Component 2a: The organization realistically prepares for a future shaped by multiple societal and economic trends.
Core Component 2b: The organization’s resource base supports its educational programs and its plans for maintaining and strengthening their quality in the future.
Core Component 2c: The organization’s ongoing evaluation and assessment processes provide reliable evidence of institutional effectiveness that clearly informs strategies for continuous improvement.
Core Component 2d: All levels of planning align with the organization’s mission, thereby enhancing its capacity to fulfill that mission.
Organization of Criterion Two
Introduction
1. Consistent Mission, Refined Identity (Core Components 2a, 2d)
2. Societal and Economic Trends (Core Component 2a)
3. Planning Documents (Core Components 2a, 2d)
4. Planning Processes (Core Components 2a, 2d)
5. Resource Base (Core Components 2b, 2d)
6. Assessment Systems (Core Components 2b, 2c)
7. Funding Follows Planning: Closing the Loop (Core Components 2a, 2d)
8. Priorities for Improvement
Summary of Evidence
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Evidence/Information Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
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Introduction Bemidji State University utilizes embedded planning to guide decision-making, assess outcomes, determine actions, allocate resources and prepare for the future. In fulfillment of, and guided by, its mission, the university continually adapts its processes in order to assure the quality of its education, its capacity to fulfill its mission, and its ability to respond to anticipated and unanticipated challenges and opportunities.
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Core Component 2a: The organization realistically prepares for a future shaped by multiple societal and economic trends.
Core Component 2d: All levels of planning align with the organization’s mission, thereby enhancing its capacity to fulfill that mission.
Vision: Shaping Potential, Shaping Worlds Bemidji State University is a catalyst for shaping the potential of those it serves who, in turn, shape the worlds in which they live and work.
Mission: E3 Engage, Embrace, Educate As northern Minnesota’s university, we engage in new worlds of thought, embrace responsible citizenship, and educate for a future that can only be imagined.
Evidence/Information Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
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1. Consistent Mission, Refined Identity (Core Components 2a, 2d) Over the past twenty-five years, since 1985, the university has had four mission statements. While they vary in form and detail, they are consistent in emphasis:
Mission Statements
The core of Bemidji State’s mission is thus clear and is economically expressed in its current statement.
The primary elements of the university’s identity have also remained constant throughout the years as expressed in the university’s past vision and mission statements:
This identity was further clarified in the University Plan: Strategies for 2002-2007, Five-Year Goal Statement:
If we do an official Identity Statement, this could be revised to include it in the table above. In the several years leading up to the 2008-2013 University Plan, Bemidji State continued to reflect on its institutional identity. In colleges and departments, at campus meetings and at other venues, the meanings, values and implications of a “comprehensive” versus “arts and sciences” university were considered. The discussions led to a watershed reorganization of the university’s colleges and academic departments. (See Reorg Feature Story)
The current vision and mission statements do not directly declare the university’s identity. This is standard practice today. However, both vision and mission support self-identification as an arts and sciences university with select professional programs.
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Evidence/Information Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Bemidji State University is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and University System.
MnSCU Strategic Plan 2008-2012
Strategic Direction 1: Increase access and opportunity
Strategic Direction 2: Promote and measure high-quality learning programs and services
Strategic Direction 3: Provide programs and services that enhance the economic competitiveness of the state and its regions
Strategic Direction 4: Innovate to meet current and future educational needs
Ideas?
Ideas?
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2. Societal and Economic Trends (Core Component 2a) The university is keenly aware of societal and economic trends that affect its operations and the educational opportunities of its students. By way of example, in its 2008-2013 University Plan, Bemidji State identified external forces that posed particular challenges for the university:
University Plan 2008-2013 Strengths, Challenges, Opportunities, Threats (SCOT) External Threats External Threats:
The Changing Landscape of Education: Higher education in the United States faces a number of issues in a constantly shifting landscape. Funding for higher education is gradually shifting from public to private sources. Students and their families are up picking more of the costs, and state governments are funding less and less. This shift in costs brings with it new concerns for growing levels of student debt as well as concerns for how the university will replace lost resources to continue to meet its commitment to the region.
In addition, there is a greater call for accountability at all levels. MnSCU is transitioning to performance based measures for student success and learning. Conversations at the federal level have recently centered on student access and affordability, and institutional accountability. Bemidji State University must be able to articulate clearly ways in which students succeed and learn. This means that the university needs to continue to develop in data gathering and interpretation.
The Changing Societal Landscape of Northern Minnesota: As the university moved through an 18-month strategic planning process known as scenario planning, it identified external societal drivers that will impact the university’s environment. The first was the changing demographics of our region and the state. As mentioned earlier, the northern Minnesota region will experience a decline in the traditional college-aged student. Second, traditional students coming to the university have a new set of educational expectations, including new expectations related to technology and course delivery. Third, changes in technology will continue to impact university operations in ways we cannot fully imagine. Combined, these represent societal changes in our external environment which the University must address.
The Student Development and Enrollment Strategic Plan 2008-2013, known as the J-Plan (Journey Plan, reflecting the division’s mission), in its SCOT, identified similar challenges:
Student Development & Enrollment Master Plan, Strengths, Challenges, Opportunities, Threats (SCOT) External Threats Student Development and Enrollment continually works to overcome the exigencies of changing student demographics; of unfunded external regulations and mandates; and of the challenges of obtaining external funding. It does this in the context of a rapidly changing educational landscape that includes shifts in funding (from public to private), a call for greater institutional accountability, and a stressed student population. Many of today’s students struggle to balance study, work and family, and also struggle with health and well-being difficulties. Their determination to attend the university is underwritten by a sense of hope that through their effort they will find a way to a more satisfying and secure life. Bemidji State strives to understand and meet that expectation.
The above SCOT statements were developed prior to the fragile state, national and international economic situation that precipitated out late in 2008 and continues into the present. The devastating effects of that phenomenon are ameliorated at Bemidji State in part because of its extensive overall planning and, specifically, because of a proactive, three-year budget, 2007-2010, developed prior to the economic collapse. This budget plan was written to respond to already tightened resources and to project in the future rather than mostly presenting short-term, stop-gap measures ((??Feature: Three-year Budget Plan~)) and resulted in a greater percentage of funds dedicated to direct instructional costs. While the three-year plan responded primarily to internal concerns, the current four-year, 2010-2014 budget plan responds primarily to the external pressures of state and national economies.
The Master Facilities Plan also recognizes the significance of demographic trends:
Campus Initiatives There are many projects that need urgent attention to respond to an aging infrastructure, challenging market trends and cultural forces that are changing the way higher education is delivered. These changes are occurring faster than public financing (General Obligation and Revenue Bonding) can respond to, and therefore, must be creatively addressed with college operating funds, as well as private resources. In many cases, these needs will expand into major capital projects as the immediate investment needs identified above are implemented. But until that time, a minimum level of investment must be implemented in order to provide
Demographics and Growth The demographic trends for the northwest region of the state and particularly for the eleven surrounding counties indicate projected population growth of approximately 28% between 2000 and 2030. However, neither institution will be able to rely on an expanding school age population base as a resource for future students since the overwhelming trend in Minnesota is for a much older population with a stable population predicted for the 25-44 year old category and only a slight increase in the 15-24 year age group. Each institution will need to work hard at attracting students from outside the region, improving the attendance rate of the regional population, and encouraging the movement of students at the certificate and associate degree levels to "ladder" to higher levels of education.
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Core Component 2a: The organization realistically prepares for a future shaped by multiple societal and economic trends.
Core Component 2d: All levels of planning align with the organization’s mission, thereby enhancing its capacity to fulfill that mission.
Evidence/Information Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
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3. Planning Documents (Core Components 2a, 2d)
Bemidji State University utilizes multiple layers of planning to guide its actions and the expenditure of its resources. These layers include mission-related documents and established and ad hoc planning committees, councils, task forces and work groups. Planning is aligned with resources and is conducted in the light of current societal and economic trends as identified in planning documents.
Bemidji State’s planning operates at three levels: Primary Mission Document:
Foundational Mission Documents
As noted in Chapter One, values and actions of Bemidji State University originate in academic departments. These are coordinated and framed by college plans which, in turn, inform the Master Academic Plan (MAP). The MAP informs other master plans.
The foundational mission documents inform the 2002-2007 and 2008-2013 University Plans which were developed in reference to the 1996-2008 vision and mission statements. However, as noted earlier, the new vision and mission statements are not contradictory to previous iterations. Rather, they reflect a focusing and honing of vision, mission and identity.
Bemidji State’s mission documents are compatible with the mission documents of the Minnesota State Universities and Colleges as noted in the HLC Crosswalk~. The crosswalk also aligns master and college strategic documents with MnSCU and HLC.
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Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Level
I Documents
Level
C Previous University Plan, Strategies for 2002-2007
In
2000, after its self-study, the university began development of a
formalized strategic plan, Strategies
for 2002-2007.
It was prepared by the Vice President for Academic Affairs in
consultation and cooperation with other vice presidents, deans,
and bargaining units and was adopted through formal processes. It
included vision and mission statements, a five-year goal
statement, a SCOT (Strengths, Challenges, Opportunities,
Threats), and four planning strategies:
Strategy
A: Maintain, Expand, and Diversify Resources to Enhance
Educational Excellence
Strategy
B: Support Excellence in Learning Programs and Services
Strategy
C: Align Resources with Priorities Identified in Five-Year Goal
Statement
Strategy
D: Enhance Institutional Decision-Making and Shared Governance
The
strategies included action steps and value statements (in
italic). By way of example:
Strategy
B: Support Excellence in Learning Programs and Services, Action
Step 1
Through
Liberal Education and Honors, prepare students for life-long
learning and leadership in a global society. Identify
and support excellence and innovation in the Liberal Education
curriculum....
To
operationalize the strategies, a Work Plan was developed that
identified directors and interested parties and set forth
specific tasks to be addressed.
By
way of example, a selection from the Work Plan for Action Step 1,
above:
Work
Plan 26A
Liberal
Education and Honors Curriculum and Assessment
Work
Plan Director: Dean of Arts & Letters; Director of Liberal
Education
Time
Line: 2004-2005 and ongoing
Continue
curriculum development and further increase the use of learning
outcomes assessment of the liberal arts curriculum delivered
through Liberal Education and through the Honors program.
Task
1 [of five tasks]
Continue
to develop and implement assessment measures of the Liberal
Education and Honors curriculums. Suggested Participants: Liberal
Education Committee, Honors Council, Academic Affairs Committee.
2004-2005
The
Work Plan was followed by an annual report on each Work Plan
item. By way of example, the report for Work Plan 26A, above:
2003-2004
Status Report Summary
Discussions
continued with the Liberal Education Committee, Liberal Education
Director, and Dean of CAL on assessment of Liberal Education
outcomes. The Liberal Education Director attended a national
conference on Liberal Education assessment. A BSU proposal to the
AAC&U Institute on General Education in Newport, Rhode
Island, was accepted, and a team of five faculty and staff (three
faculty members from Liberal Education Committee, the Liberal
Education Director, and the Dean of CAL). The BSU proposal
focused on Liberal Education assessment and identification of a
unifying theme for Liberal Education reform. The outcome of this
retreat will become part of the work for next year.
An
NEH grant to provide resources for faculty to develop the civic
responsibility component of Liberal Education was submitted (by
Dr. Colleen Greer and Dr. Elizabeth Dunn); it was unsuccessful
but was revised and will be submitted again [to NEH or
elsewhere].
The
anticipated MnSCU-wide Conference on the Liberal Arts, to be held
in conjunction with the MnSCU Center for Teaching and Learning,
was not held. With regard to other MnSCU sponsored faculty
workshops, eight Bemidji State faculty members participated in
four or more MnSCU Discipline Workshops during 2003-2004. An
additional 11 faculty participated in Weekend Seminars or
Conferences.
Work
Plans
and annual Summary Status Reports
are distributed campus-wide.
Level
C Current University Plan, Strategies for 2008-2013
The
four strategies of the 2008-2013 University Plan, roughly
parallel to the strategies in the 2002-2007 plan, indicate a
refinement of focus toward student success, engagement,
innovation and mission:
Strategy
A: Engage Students for Success in Careers, Communities and Life
Strategy
B: Promote Vital Communities through Involvement
Strategy
C: Innovate for a Changing World
Strategy
D: Optimize Resources to Achieve the University’s Vision and
mission
The
2002-2007 plan was developed in consultation with the university
community; the 2008-2013 plan was developed cooperatively with
the university community. Increased participation was encouraged
by five years of open campus discussions that encouraged input
and feedback. Venues included the following:
Scenario
Planning~
Campus
Conversations~
Campus
Budget Forums~
Academic
Forums~
Faculty
Conversation on Curriculum, Enrollment and Workload, October 13,
2006~
The
2008-2013 University Plan reflects these many voices. By way of
example, an excerpt from Closing the Loop: Campus Conversation
with Crosswalk to Strategies for 2008-2013: ~ CLOSING
THE LOOP Campus Conversation 9/25/07
Strategy
C: Innovate for a Changing World
Number
of tables discussing issue
Issue
Location
of Related Item in Strategies for 2008-2013
NOTE:
Specific manifestation of the items are accommodated in the
Work Plan that will be developed from the approved strategies.
E.g., A.4 Strengthen measurement of student achievement.
Sample Work Plan Item: Revise the university’s assessment
plan to support the new vision and mission.
16
(of 22)
Recognize
unique, individual student needs and have the flexibility to
meet students where they are
A.1
Support students’ professional and personal development
through high quality educational programs and services.
Prepare
students for careers, citizenship, community service,
life-long learning and leadership:
through
engaged, academic preparation in the Liberal Education and
Honors programs and the majors;
through
student-centered programs and services that assure access and
success. [*]
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
BBB
Excerpt:
Facilities Master Plan SCOT
University
buildings, grounds, and other attributes are on a continuing
schedule of maintenance, renovation, and innovation as directed
by the Master Facilities Plan. Bemidji State University was
recently recognized by the National Wildlife Federation for its
sound environmental practices, and its Outdoor Program Center
ranks among the most active such organizations in the country and
includes as part of its facilities the university’s 240-acre
forest.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
CCC
Decision
parameters for a Master Technology Plan include the following:
Prioritizes
technology initiatives.
Develops
multi-year funding and budgeting strategies for replacing and
upgrading information technology equipment.
Examines
the strengths and weaknesses of the University’s current
academic and administrative computing environment.
Identifies
and evaluates new emerging technologies.
Explores
opportunities to better support scholarship of faculty, staff,
and students.
Explores
opportunities to better support the internal functions of the
Bemidji State website.
Reviews
and develops new technology policies governing use of campus
technology resources.
Develops
opportunities for greater communication and collaboration with
the campus, local and regional employers, tribal colleges, and
other peer institutions.
Aligns
with system technology planning efforts.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Level
II Master Plans
The
University Plan’s Strategies for 2008-2013 promote integrated
master plans as a means to creativity, innovation, and change:
Strategy
C: Innovate for a Changing World
Goal
Seven Decentralize planning and decision-making through use of
university master plans that invite interpretation and discovery,
and support creativity and innovation.
C.3
Continue integration of plans across all levels and units of the
university. [Value Statement:] Support a climate of institutional
change through ongoing development, revision and integration of
the Level I University Plan: Strategies for 2008-2013, Level II
master plans, and Level III college and/or department strategic
plans.
The
university currently has four master plans:
Facilities~
Student
Development and Enrollment (J-Plan)~
Technology~
The
following discussions indicate the close integration of the
master plans to the University Plan.
Level
C Master
Academic Plan (MAP)
The
relationship of the MAP to the University Plan is acknowledged in
the introduction to the MAP:
Planning
Assumptions: The Master Academic Plan is based initially on the
University Plan and incorporates the following assumptions
derived from analysis of the university’s relative strengths
and weaknesses vis-à-vis the university’s external and
internal environments.” [Seven assumptions are listed.]
Desired
Outcomes for the Master Academic Plan: As mentioned earlier, this
Master Academic Plan coordinates and further develops those
portions of the University Plan that are uniquely academic. In
particular, it develops Strategy B of the University Plan and
begins to answer questions posed in Strategy A. [Six outcomes are
listed.]
The
relationship of the MAP to college and department planning
follows in “Level III College and Department Plans.”
Level
C Master Facilities Plan~
The
Master Facilities Plan, which is aligned with facilities planning
for Northwest
Technical College,
takes the Master Academic Plan as its primary reference:
Master
Facilities Plan Goals
1.
Support the respective institutional master academic plans: It is
the primary goal of the Bemidji State University Master Plan
aligned with Northwest Technical College master plan to create
campus facilities that support the academic mission and goals of
the institutions by providing instructional space that is
well-organized and equipped, attractive and readily accessed.
The
2003 Master Facilities and Campus Plan was updated in 2007 and
reflects the values and directives expressed in the 2002-2007
University Plan.
By
way of example:
SCOT,
Strengths: The University Campus
Next
to its academic and student-centered reputation, Bemidji State is
perhaps best known for its compelling natural setting on the
shores of Lake Bemidji. The University takes seriously its role
in the stewardship of the land entrusted to it. It also
recognizes that the physical environment of a campus contributes
to its learning environment.
BBB
Mission
Statement (excerpt)
Offer
a pleasing and safe campus community enriched by native heritage
and world cultures; united by human values centered on civility
and mutual respect; and underpinned by facilities necessary for
education in the twenty-first century.
The
2007 Master Facilities Plan also complements the University Plan
Strategies for 2008-2013.
By
way of example:
A.1
...enhance on-campus housing facilities....
A.3
Encourage facilities’ planning that supports learning and
community. Provide welcoming spaces on campus that promote an
ambiance for learning, and opportunities for interaction and
community.
D.6.
Continue to integrate all planning efforts.
Level
C Master Student Development and Enrollment Plan (The Learning
Journey, J-Plan, 2008-2013)
Developed
in 2008, the J-Plan acknowledges the 2008-2013 University Plan as
a source for its planning assumptions:
The
Learning Journey Plan (J-Plan) ... also acknowledges trends and
needs identified in the University Plan: Strategies for
2008-2013, including changing student demographics, a shifting
financial base, and an increased emphasis on preparing students
for uncertain futures, personal, national and global.
The
J-Plan also echoes the goals of the University Plan’s Strategy
A: Engage Students for Success in Careers, Communities and Life~.
By
way of example:
J-Plan
2008-2013 Mission: We’re here for the journey, investing in our
students’ success through excellent programs and services
focused on learning and development.
Support
and promote students’ personal well-being.
Challenge
and support, i.e., empower, students as they navigate their
journey.
Ensure
ease of access to the university and to campus services and
programs.
The
university supports the J-Plan through funding and other resource
allocations. See Feature Story: Student Development and
Enrollment.~
Level
C Master Technology Plan~
The
Master Technology Plan, which is aligned with facilities planning
for Northwest
Technical College,
is predicated on the University Plan:
Our
strategic plan for technology will create a framework to support
the vision, mission, strategies, goals, and signature themes of
our institutions. As the needs of our University, technical
college, and our respective constituencies evolve, the
implementation of technology and technology support structures
will also evolve in order to meet the ever changing demands of
higher education.
The
plan also supports technology needs identified in the Master
Academic Plan. By way of example:
MAP
Outcome 2G: Technology Training and Support: As technology
advances, the role of the Center for Extended Learning in support
of faculty development will be critical. Through the Online
Services Office, the Center for Extended Learning provides
support for faculty and prepares them to meet the challenges of
delivering technology-enhanced learning opportunities.
CCC
Academic
Department Five-year Plans
are discussed at length in Chapter Three: Criterion Three
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Level
III College and Academic Department Plans
As
noted above, college and academic department plans are
foundational to the university’s mission. The plans are
coordinated through the Master Academic Plan (MAP). The 2005 MAP
expresses six designated outcomes:
1.
High quality programs (Provide high quality educational programs
and services that support students’ professional, personal, and
citizenship development.)
2.
Excellent faculty (Hire and support excellent faculty.)
3.
Secure future for Northern Minnesota (Help build the future of
Northern Minnesota.)
4.
Diverse student, staff and programming (Enhance diversity.)
5.
Excellent teaching and learning environment (Support the teaching
and learning environment.)
6.
Financial stability (Secure financial stability through
appropriate growth and program development.)
The
outcomes have additional sub-categories. By way of example, the
first outcome, High Quality Programs, is divided into A. Core
Values and Signature Themes, B. Curricular Philosophies, C.
Assessment of Student Progress.
To
assist colleges, departments and faculty, each sub-category also
has Decision Parameters. As noted in the MAP document, they may
be applied in several ways:
They
provide a basis for the authoring of initiatives by the colleges
and departments.
They
provide a basis for college and academic affairs decision-making
with regard to initiatives.
They
invite interpretation and discovery. For example, review of the
parameters might suggest a different frame or approach to an
activity already built into an initiative, and might also
provoke consideration of new approaches and activities. (Larry
Hirschhorn and Linda May, “The Campaign Approach to Change:
Targeting the University’s Scarcest Resources,” Change, June
2000)
By
way of example, there are three Decision Parameters for 1A Core
Values and Signature Themes:
As
appropriate, intentionally incorporates experiences that reflect
the Signature Themes.
As
appropriate, promotes opportunities for students to confront or
engage in experiences that reflect the Signature Themes.
As
appropriate, helps ensure that every graduate will have had
opportunities to learn about, experience and reflect on the Core
Values expressed in the Signature Themes.
To
further guide implementation of the MAP, each sub-category
clearly states expectations specific to colleges, departments and
programs. These are identified with the heading “To this end.”
By
way of example, for 1A Core Values and Signature Themes:
To
this end:
The
Liberal Education Task Force is encouraged to consider carefully
these core values and signature themes as it proceeds with the
redesign of the Liberal Education program.
College
Strategic Plans are expected to address the inclusion of these
core values and signature themes in Department Plans.
Departmental
participation in the MAP is tracked in annual reports. By way of
example, the English Department, College of Arts & Letters,
prepared reports addressing each section of the MAP where “To
this end” items included department plans: ((Link to SCH 02))
English
Department Response, December 2006 (excerpt)
I. Provide
high quality educational programs and services that support
students’ professional, personal, and citizenship development
[MAP Outcome]
A. Core
values and signature themes [MAP sub-category]
As
noted previously, the university’s colleges and departments
were recently reorganized, effective July 1, 2008. The three new
colleges engaged in inclusive processes for writing their mission
statements.
By
way of example, the time line for development of the College of
Arts & Sciences (CAS) vision and mission:
October
3: All-college (faculty and staff)work session on shared values
among faculty.
Notes
distributed to chairs.
December
10, 2008: Joint meeting of two colleges, HSHE and CAS, to
workshop visions and missions with a facilitator.
Draft
to faculty for comment.
February
18, 2009: Meeting with volunteers to refine statements based on
feedback.
New
drafts to departments and individual faculty for final comment.
February
29, 2009: Minor revisions by CAS chairs.
Final
version sent to faculty and taken to Deans’ Council.
Level
III University Services Plans
(Student Development and Enrollment)
These
plans are guided by the master plans, especially the J-Plan~
which, as noted above, coordinates with the University Plan.
The
J-Plan was developed by university services directors through a
cooperative process, as noted in the plan: “During the
2007-2008 academic year, the division initiated a planning
process that included exploration of the unit’s identity and
values, interviews with students and faculty, and reflection on
student learning and success in the co-curriculum” (Development
of the Learning Journey).
For
further discussion of The J-Plan see Chapter Four, Criterion
Four.
Core
Component 2a: The organization realistically prepares for a
future shaped by multiple societal and economic trends.
Core
Component 2d: All levels of planning align with the
organization’s mission, thereby enhancing its capacity to
fulfill that mission.
MMM
Resources
Allocation Supports Mission & Identity
In
response to State of Minnesota budget cuts, the university cut
each of the three college budgets by $250,000 over three years.
The College of Arts & Science is twice the size of the other
two colleges. The cut, therefore, favors CAS, preserving
resources at the core of the university’s identity.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
4.
Planning Processes
(Core
Components 2a, 2d)
At
the time of the last self-study, in 2000, the Experimental
Planning Process~, a formalized system was newly in place. It
featured three layers of committees, not unlike a
three-dimensional chessboard with connections running both
horizontally and vertically. An update on the process was
required in a 2002 Monitoring Report~. That report was accepted
by the Higher
Learning Commission/North Central Association.
As
noted below and in Change in Plans~ in the 2002 Monitoring Report
Update, the university continues to develop its planning
processes.
Change
in Process
In
theory, the Experimental Planning Process was a good idea. It
provided communication and planning opportunities for students,
faculty, staff and administration. In practice, however, it was
logistically untenable. (See sidebar, The Experimental Planning
Process.) It was suspended December 2003. A consultant, Dan Rice,
was brought in to review and evaluate the planning situation at
Bemidji State. In his report~, he recommended improved
communication on campus among major constituents (administration,
faculty and staff). This was also a recommendation of the
Scenario Planning Committee and is reflected in the University
Plan for 2008-2013, especially in Strategy C: Innovate for a
Changing World. ~
Strategy
C
Goal
Seven: Decentralize planning and decision-making through use of
university master plans
that
invite interpretation and discovery, and support creativity and
innovation.
Initiatives:
C.1
Increase organizational capacity for a successful, compelling and
collegial campus culture. Improve the success of the university
through increased communication, and support for collaboration.
C.2
Continue to develop the university’s planning process. Guide
decision-making in support of the vision and mission with an
understanding of the nature and impact of uncertain and critical
driving forces that affect the future.
After
the experimental process was discontinued, and while a new
process was being considered, committees, councils, task forces
and work groups were formed as needed. Some were ad hoc, some
were intended to be permanent. All were guided by the University
Plan and other mission documents.
During
the early reflection stage of this self-study, the planning
process was frequently discussed. At first there was concern that
a new, formalized planning structure was not in place. But as the
means for planning from 2006-2009 were reviewed, it became
evident that, in addition to the planning documents, a structure
was in place, one that had emerged organically. It has two
primary facets:
Established
committees and councils
Ad
hoc committees, task forces and work groups
The
new, more fluid process encourages flexible planning in service
to the university’s mission.
Established
Committees and Councils
As
noted above, the current planning process at Bemidji State
evolved organically after its highly structured experimental
planning process was discontinued. While the university explored
other structured options, the administration, staff and faculty
responded to needs as they arose and to the imperatives inherent
in the University Plan.
Five
established (ongoing) groups that evolved through that process
are currently in place. Overlap in membership assures
cross-communication among university constituencies, including
faculty, students, staff and bargaining units.
Leadership
Council~
Futures
Council~
Cabinet~
Assessment
Committee~
Gaps
and Trends Committee~
Ad
Hoc Task Forces, Committees and Work Groups
In
addition to its planning documents and established committees and
councils, the university has increased its utilization of ad hoc
groups to address timely projects. Membership is determined by
the administration and appropriate bargaining units. By way of
example, three such ad hoc groups have played significant roles
in the sharpening of the university’s vision, mission and
identity:
Liberal
Education Task Force~Link
to LE Feature
Reorganization
Work Group~ link to Reorg Feature
Scenario
Planning~
The
New Flow Chart
As
noted above, the current planning process at Bemidji State
evolved organically. The resulting inter-connected
processes...((introduce
new flow chart here?))
Core
Component 2b: The organization’s resource base supports its
educational programs and its plans for maintaining and
strengthening their quality in the future.
Core
Component 2d: All levels of planning align with the
organization’s mission, thereby enhancing its capacity to
fulfill that mission.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
5.
Resource Base
(Core
Components 2b, 2d)
Bemidji
State University has clearly identified its resource base,
utilizes it in support of maintaining and strengthening its
mission, and makes plans to continue support in the future.
The
University’s Resource Base
The
Resource Base Supports Educational Programs
The
Resource Base Supports Future Plans
The
University’s Resource Base
Bemidji
State’s current resource base is described in goals eight, nine
and ten for Strategic Direction D: Optimize Resources to Achieve
the University’s Vision and Mission in the University Plan
2008-2013.
By
way of example:
Strategic
Imperative: Effectively manage and increase enrollment and
resources in support of the university’s vision and mission.
Goals
and Measurements [Italics and bracketed comments added.]
Goal
Eight Improve undergraduate and graduate enrollment, retention,
and graduation rates. [I.e., tuition
revenue.]
Goal
Nine Improve revenues from external funding, including alumni
giving, capital campaigns, and grants.
Goal
Ten Address MnSCU efficiency measures and standards. [I.e.,
increase
state allotments
separate from tuition.]
This
base reflects changes in funding trends that are now common
across the country: as states have reduced their financing of
public higher education from sixty-one percent in 1999-2000 to
forty percent in 2009-2010, individual campuses have increased
their utilization of endowments, community and alumni-based
partnerships and other resources.
By
way of example, Bemidji State has developed the following
partnerships and collaborations. See Chapter Five for additional
examples and information.
Bemidji
State University and Northwest
Technical College
360
Degrees
(Manufacturing and Applied Engineering Center of Excellence):
MnSCU-funded, Bemidji State partnership with eight two-year
technical and community college partners
A
“green fee,” initiated by students, funds a Sustainability
Coordinator
To
assure that its resource base is adequate to its needs, the
university continually works to align budget and program
requirements (see University Plan 2002-2007, Strategic Direction
C, Align Resources with Priorities)~. To this end, university
budgeting has become more transparent and more open to campus
input. The administration now holds budget forums~ several times
a year and budget discussions are included in Academic
Forums
for vice presidents, deans and department chairs. This has led to
greater understanding across campus of how budgets work and how
the work of college, departments and other units affect budgets.
Budget
transparency and discussions also led to a fresh partnership
between the administration and the faculty in the development of
the 2007-2010 budget. (~See Reorg Feature.) The original draft~
from the administration proposed realigning some faculty
positions by cutting four programs: Economics, German, Theatre
and Early Childhood Education. The Faculty Association objected
to a piecemeal approach to realignment and requested that a more
comprehensive approach be undertaken. This led to what became
known on campus as “Reorg,” (link to Reorg feature) a
realignment of the colleges and redefinition (per IFO-MnSCU
master agreement language) of departments.
In
addition to budget transparency and flexibility, several factors
played into the reorganization. The possibility was set in place,
in part, by Scenario Planning,~ a project set forth by President
Quistgaard after the 2000 HLC Self-Study and after the
Experimental Planning Process was suspended. It included a
Scenario Planning Committee and Campus Conversations where
faculty and staff responded to the work done by the committee.
The results of the conversations were fed into the University
Plan, Strategies for 2008-2013 that was then being developed.
(link to Closing the Loop document)
An
important element of both Scenario Planning and Reorganization
conversations was the identity of the university. Bemidji State
started as Bemidji Normal School in 1919. Its mission was to
train teachers for public schools in northern Minnesota. Over the
years it progressed in name and function to Bemidji State
Teachers College, Bemidji State College and Bemidji State
University. Its mission was additive and the mission statement
from 1996 to 2008 noted that it had “grown into a comprehensive
university....”~
The
discussions and consideration of what it is that Bemidji State
does and how its programs are aligned, led to a revised stated
identity of the university from “comprehensive” to “an arts
and sciences university with select professional programs.”
Reorganization,
the identity statement, the new university plan, the new vision
and mission statements and the current budget did not develop in
lock-step order. Rather, they grew in what can be called an
organic fashion, each one an integral aspect of an interconnected
whole, each contributing to and being affected by the development
of the whole. The work of the Liberal Education Task Force is an
example of one element that developed in connection
with the others, even though the impetus to revise Liberal
Education began several years before reorganization and before
the discussions about Bemidji State as a comprehensive versus an
arts and sciences university.((~ to Time Line and to Lib Ed
Features)) It is likely that the discussion surrounding Liberal
Education goals and purposes contributed to the opening of
discussions about the university’s identity and mission and
that those subsequent discussions contributed to a proposal for a
new Liberal Education curriculum. As discussed in the Liberal
Education feature and in Chapter Three, Criterion Three, a new
Liberal Education curriculum has not yet been established.
Budget
MMM
The
university’s budget planning link to Budget sidebar has been
similarly dynamic. The three-year 2007-2010 budget was developed
primarily in response to internal changes and needs and increased
the percent of dollars dedicated to direct instructional cost
(based on IPEDS data). The current four-year 2010-2014 budget
responds to the external threat of the national economic crisis
while continuing to realign resources in support of internal,
mission-driven priorities.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
2007-2010
and 2010-2014 Budget Plans Protect Faculty
The
university is proud to note that in spite of the economic
challenges of the day, it has not utilized retrenchment to
address its budget concerns.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
The
Resource Base Supports the University’s Educational Programs
The
university’s resource base, as described above, adequately
supports its educational programs. In spite of the state,
national and international economic climate, Bemidji State
remains fiscally steady. It has achieved this impressive status
through insightful planning over the last ten years. Partnership
endeavors, also described above, have allowed the development of
innovative programs such as 360º and the four-year nursing
program. College reorganization and department redefinition also
contribute to curriculum revision.
In
addition to traditional support of educational programs, such as
faculty lines in the budget, the university supports faculty
professional development and curriculum development and
management by providing reassigned time for faculty directors of
various committees, councils and centers, including the
following:
Curriculum
Liaison (link)
Liberal
Education Director and Graduate Assistant (link)
Liberal
Education Task Force Director and Graduate Assistant (200x-200x)
(link to LE or to Task Force pages, if still there?)
People
& the Environment Director (Liberal Education Category Ten)
(link?)
Center
for Professional Development Director (link)
Honors
Director (link)
International
Studies Director(link)
Writing
Resource Center Director(link)
Assessment
Coordinators (See also Assessment Feature and item three,
below.~)
The
university also supports departments through its Graduate
Assistant program(link to GA document): fifty-five students held
positions fall semester 2009. Thirty-four teach in academic
departments. The remainder serve in research or administrative
capacities in other areas such as Liberal Education, Academic
Affairs and Graduate Studies. Graduate assistantships promotes
enrollment in graduate programs and offer valuable experience to
graduate students.
The
fall 2007 inauguration of the Office of Student Development and
Enrollment, with a new position of Vice President, provides
commensurate support for student services programs and staff.
[See SD&E Feature.]
The
Facilities Master Plan has assured adequate and innovative
support for academic programs through ongoing development of
campus facilities.
By
way of example, the Facilities Plan has led to the following
projects:
American
Indian Resource Center (AIRC):
New building, completed 2003.
Bridgeman
Hall: New addition and complete renovation of the existing
facility.
Linden
Hall Suites: Renovation of old-style residence hall into
suite-style, state-of-the-art residence hall (Revenue Fund
Bonding).
Physical
Plant: Boiler replacement.
Keyless
Entry System: Installed on all exterior doors on campus to
enhance security.
Memorial
Hall: Renovation for new nursing program classrooms and
state-of-the-art simulation labs.
Sattgast
Hall: New addition and renovation, completed fall 2009.
Roof
Replacements: Ongoing, with HEAPR appropriations.
Improvements
to the campus grounds include beautification projects, such as
the installation of a sculpture near the central campus pergola,
the pergola itself, and the relocation of a outdoor stone
fireplace from a peripheral location to the waterfront near the
student union. photos
in the sidebar of these three features?
The
Technology Master Plan~ also provides critical support to
academic programming, as articulated in its mission: “...to
provide the highest achievable quality of technology services and
support to meet the academic and administrative needs of Bemidji
State University and Northwest Technical College.”
The
mission is carried out in Strategy B Enhance the Teaching and
Learning Environment:
Meeting
the technology needs of students and faculty is critical to the
success of our respective institutions. Equal access to computer
labs, classroom technology, wireless, intranet, Internet, and
other resources must be provided in order to support all
educational objectives. We are committed to identifying,
evaluating, and acquiring, when appropriate, new technology
solutions that will meet the vision, mission, strategies, and
goals of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical
College. Regular discussions through scheduled meetings with lab
managers or other faculty representatives will help guide the
direction of computer labs and classroom technology.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
The
Resource Base Supports Future Quality: A Culture of Assessment
In
addition to ongoing planning, improved communication through
all-campus participation in budgeting and planning, and
professional development for faculty and staff, Bemidji State
assures and maintains the quality of its educational programs
through active assessment and evaluation at the three levels of
planning: the University Plan, Master Plans, College and
Department Plans. The support includes reassigned time for
assessment coordinators, established and ad hoc committees,
funding for projects, and the use of other resources. These are
discussed below.
Since
the 2000 Self-Study and the subsequent 2002 Monitoring Report,
((link to acceptance letter)) which dealt in part with
assessment, consistent and meaningful evaluation has become a
part of Bemidji’s campus culture [see Assessment Feature].
Support for this culture by the university’s resource base
includes the following.
Support
for Assessment to Assure a Quality Future
Planning
Documents
University
Assessment Plan~ (revised 2009-2010)
Master
Plans~
Dimensions
of Student Learning~
Reassigned
Time
Assessment
coordinators (assist colleges and departments with five-year
planning and assessment; review plans and make recommendations
to deans; maintain Five-year Self-study Handbook)
Liberal
Education director and graduate assistant
Committees
Established
(ongoing)
University
Assessment Committee (acts on assessment plans presented by
departments)
Gaps
and Trends Committee~ (reviews department and other
assessments to ascertain trends and to recommend measures to
fill in gaps)
Ad
Hoc
Liberal
Education Task Force~
Data
(reviewed and made recommendations for annual Data Book)
Professional
Development
Funding
for faculty, staff and administration travel to conferences and
institutes on assessment and related topics (See “Lib Ed”
Feature on AAC&U General Education Institute)
Center
for Professional Development (classroom assessment instruments,
classroom observation, workshops)
Testing
National
tests
Academic
Profile (((dates
of use here))
NSSE
((=xxx
+ dates))
CCTST
(California Critical Thinking Standardized Test, used in
Liberal Education assessment and program revision)
Standardized
subject area tests (used by academic programs and departments
((examples
here))
Core
Component 2b: The organization’s resource base supports its
educational programs and its plans for maintaining and
strengthening their quality in the future.
Core
Component 2c: The organization’s ongoing evaluation and
assessment processes provide reliable evidence of institutional
effectiveness that clearly informs strategies for continuous
improvement.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
6.
Assessment Systems
(Core
Components 2b, 2c)
Since
its 2000 Self-study and HLC site visit, Bemidji State has worked
to establish a comprehensive, campus-wide culture of assessment.
Progress toward this goal was noted in the HLC staff analysis
(link) of the university’s 2002 Monitoring Report (link): “It
is evident that a culture of assessment continues to evolve and
grow” (page 2).
In
2009, assessment systems are in place at all three levels of
university planning. As noted above in The Resource Base Supports
Future Quality, the administration supports assessment with
funding and other resources. The utilization of assessment to
inform improvement follows in 7. Funding Follows Planning:
Closing the Loop.
Assessment
Systems, Planning Level I, University Plans
Inclusion
in the University Plan
University-level
assessments/testing
Gaps
and Trends Committee
Institutional
Research Office
Data
resources
Internal
Data Book
MnSCU
Dashboard
VSA
(alternate “dashboard”)
IPEDS
MnSCU
Cost Study
Other??
Assessment
Systems, Planning Level II Master Plans
Inclusion
in master plans
Data
resources ((at
this level))
?
Assessment
Systems, Planning Level III College and Department Plans
Academic
MAP
Five-year
reviews and handbook
Dimensions
of Student Learning (consistency of values)
Data
Resources
CSV
files, course enrollments files
Other:
Administrative
and University Services
J-Plan
Department
five-year reviews and plans
Data
Resources
?
Other:
Core
Component 2a: The organization realistically prepares for a
future shaped by multiple societal and economic trends.
Core
Component 2d: All levels of planning align with the
organization’s mission, thereby enhancing its capacity to
fulfill that mission.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
7.
Funding Follows Planning: Closing the Loop
(Core
Components 2a, 2d)
Bemidji
State University closes the loop on assessment planning,
implementation and evaluation by aligning resources with results
in support of the university’s mission. Three exemplars of
closing the assessment/funding loop are discussed here: Liberal
Education~,
Reorganization~
and Student Development and Enrollment: The Learning Journey~.
These three are also the subjects of this reports three feature
stories and additional information is provided in those
locations.
Elements:
discovery,
assessment,
evaluation,
and
fruition
((Note-the
exemplars address “access to resources-physical, financial,
human- supported through budget allocations” (2d explanation),
grounded in connection to the mission statement.))
These
examples will be developed after the Features are written.
Exemplar
1:
Exemplar
2:
Exemplar
3:
8.
Priorities for Improvement
Graphic
Banner Here (narrow, to distinguish between single column above and
double column below) – repeat at end/beginning of double columns.
Summary
of Evidence
Core
Component 2a: The organization realistically prepares for a future
shaped by multiple societal and economic trends.
Environmental
scans are conducted and issues raised are addressed in planning
documents (University Plan; master plans).
Budget
plans address economic realities.
Recent
budget plans are for longer periods of time (three and four years)
propose long-range investment strategies rather than the stop-gap
measures of traditional one-year budgets.
Core
Component 2b: The organization’s resource base supports its
educational programs and its plans for maintaining and strengthening
their quality in the future.
The
university allocates resources for planning, assessment and reviews
at the department level.
MORE
Core
Component 2c: The organization’s ongoing evaluation and assessment
processes provide reliable evidence of institutional effectiveness
that clearly informs strategies for continuous improvement.
As
demonstrated in feature stories on Liberal Education,
Reorganization and The Learning Journey (Student Development and
Enrollment), the university closes the loop on planning,
assessment, improvement and the allocation of resources.
More?
Core
Component 2d: All levels of planning align with the organization’s
mission, thereby enhancing its capacity to fulfill that mission.
The
university recognizes three levels of planning. These are
integrated and coordinator.
DRAFT—Chapter
Three, Criterion Three
Bemidji State
University-HLC 2010 Reaccreditation Self-Study Report
Below is a
draft of Criterion Three of Bemidji State’s 2010 HLC self-study
document. The self-study writing team invites you to comment freely
on the content and to provide information regarding notes that are
shaded in gray.
The writing team thanks
the five criterion committees for their ongoing work. They are
providing content and evidence for the document and are commenting
on drafts. To view their work, visit the self-study web site
<http://www.bemidjistate.edu/hlc/> and click on Committees in
the left column. Other information about our self-study process is
also available on this site.
Please send your
comments to Marty Wolf (mwolf, # 23, 2825). We would like them by
November 6 so that we may consider them as we complete the document.
Questions may also be addressed to Marty.
Self-Study Deadlines
Due Dates
Actions
10/16/09
Draft to campus.
11/06/09
Comments due to
writing team.
12/01/09
Completed copy to
Production Office.
01/22/10
Self-study due at HLC
offices.
02/15/10
Mock visit.
03/22-24/10
HLC team campus
visit.
READING
& COMMENTING ON THE 10/16/2009 DRAFT On
weird things in the text:
Gray
highlighting indicates that the text is in progress. Comments and
suggestions are especially welcome regarding these passages.
A
tilda (~) indicates a link, even if it is not yet active. Please
feel free to provide URLs.
In
Chapter One, double letters (MM, etc.) indicate placement for
sidebar pieces. Regarding
your comments:
Notes
written on hard copy are preferred.
If
you provide your comments in an email, please point to the relevant
text by including four or five words from the beginning of the
nearest paragraph, so the writing team can easily locate the
section you are critiquing.
Send
comments to Marty Wolf, mwolf, # 23, 2825.
Questions
may also be addressed to Marty. Regarding
previous Criterion Committee comments:
Some
Criterion Committee comments delivered to the HLC co-chairs are not
yet incorporated into this draft. To the committees: please assured
that we have your comments, that we will address them in subsequent
iterations of the document, and that you will have a chance to
review the edits. Regarding
the Core Components
The
criterion chapters are not organized by core components. Rather,
the core components are embedded in an organization suited to our
story. Core components will be identified throughout the finished
document and in the summary at the end of the document.
HLC Writing Team
Elizabeth
Dunn, HLC Co-chair (Interim Dean, College of Arts & Sciences)
Marty Wolf, HLC Faculty
Co-chair (Math & Computer Science Department)
Susan Hauser, Writer
(English Department)
Criterion Three
The organization
provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness
that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission.
Core
Component - 3a The organization’s goals for
student learning outcomes are clearly stated for each educational
program and make effective assessment possible.
Core
Component - 3b The organization values and
supports effective teaching.
Core
Component - 3c The organization creates
effective learning environments.
Core
Component - 3d The organization’s learning
resources support student learning and effective teaching.
Organization of
Criterion Three
Introduction
1. Learning and
Teaching: University-level Planning, Support, Excellence (Core
Components 3a, 3b, 3d)
2. Learning &
Teaching Environments: Undergraduate (Core Components 3a, 3b, 3c,
3d)
3. Learning &
Teaching Environments: Graduate (Core Components 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d)
4. Learning &
Teaching Environments: External (Core Components 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d)
5. Priorities for
Improvement
Summary of Evidence
Graphic Banner
Here (narrow, to distinguish between single column above and double
column below) – repeat at end/beginning of double columns.
Bemidji State
creates, for all of its constituents, a learning-rich environment
that encourages intellectual curiosity and awakens the
imagination.
Introduction
In fulfillment of its
educational mission, the university clearly enumerates its
student learning goals and outcomes, and supports effective
teaching and learning environments. This mission is fulfilled in
part through professional development for faculty, innovative
pedagogy and environments, regular assessment that informs
curriculum and teaching, services that stay abreast of evolving
needs and technologies, the allocation of resources in support of
learning and teaching, and student advising.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
1.
Learning and Teaching: Planning, Support, Excellence
(Core Components 3a, 3b, 3d)
Bemidji State
provides traditional and non-traditional learning opportunities
for diverse audiences. Programs include master’s level and
undergraduate degrees, minors, fields of emphasis, certificates
and non-degree education. Settings for these offerings include
on-campus, online and remote site courses, classrooms and
laboratories. The offerings are supported by the university
through planning and assessment, and through the allocation of
resources that assure faculty, curriculum and facility
excellence.
Planning Levels
Level I, Primary
Mission Document
2008-2013 University
Plan
Level II,
Foundational Mission Documents
Master Academic Plan
(MAP)
Facilities Master
Plan
Student Development
and Enrollment Master Plan (J-Plan)
Technology Master
Plan
Level III,
Foundational Mission Documents
Colleges, Academic
Departments
Administrative
Departments
Planning
for Learning and Teaching: Support for
learning and teaching effectiveness is embedded in Bemidji
State’s primary and foundational mission documents and in
related plans, policies and processes. Further evidence and
examples of this support follow in this chapter.
Level
CPrimary Mission Documents: The
University Plan for 2008-2013,
includes the university’s mission statement: Engage, Embrace,
Educate. The desired outcomes for the mission are expressed in
the University Plan’s vision statement: Shaping Potential,
Shaping Worlds.
The
intent of the vision and mission—to educate and to make a
difference—are especially carried out in Strategy A of the
University
Plan. The Strategic Imperative
and Value Statement provide guidance for carrying out the
Initiatives which are also followed by value statements.
Strategy
A: Engage Students for Success in Careers, Communities and Life
Strategic
Imperative: Create opportunities for student success through high
quality programs
and services.
Value Statement: Bemidji State recognizes the value of higher
education as a public good, provides student-centered access to
learning, meets the needs of our diverse, rural and
nontraditional students, and promotes lifelong learning.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Please contact Marty
Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
Initiatives
A.1
Support students’ professional and personal development through
high quality educational programs and services. Prepare students
for careers, citizenship, community service, life-long learning
and leadership:
• through
engaged, academic preparation in the Liberal Education and Honors
programs and the majors;
• through
student-centered programs and services that assure access and
success.
A.2
Promote achievement and understanding through active learning
opportunities. Foster active learning pedagogies, and
opportunities that support volunteerism, student research,
internships, and related activities.
A.3
Encourage facilities’ planning that supports learning and
community. Provide welcoming spaces on campus that promote an
ambiance for learning and opportunities for interaction and
community.
A.4
Strengthen measurement of student achievement. Review and revise
the University Assessment Plan and the Dimensions of Student
Learning, including student learning outcomes, to assure that
they support the university’s vision and mission.
The
University Plan further supports learning, teaching and
assessment in its Goals and Measurements. As noted in the plan,
Goals and Measurements evaluate achievement of the University
Plan and of related items in MnSCU’s Strategic Plan. These are
reported in an Accountability
Dashboard that is based on a
set of data that all MnSCU institutions are required to collect.
By
way of example:
Strategy
A Goals and Measurements
Goal
One: Improvement in student learning outcomes as stated in master
and strategic plans and consistent with the Dimensions of Student
Learning, e.g., critical thinking, global awareness.
Goal
Two: Improvement in engagement and satisfaction as reflected in
measures such as NSSE, Noel-Levitz.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Please contact Marty
Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
LEVEL
CFoundational Mission Documents: Foundational mission documents
include Level II Master Plans, Level III College and Department
Plans, and Level III Administrative and University Services
Plans. These are also discussed in Chapters One and Two.
Level
DBemidji State’s Master
Academic Plan (MAP) arises
from and reflects goals and values of the university’s academic
colleges and departments. It helps inform other master plans and
the University Plan. It identifies six outcomes:
1.
High quality programs (Provide high quality educational programs
and services that support students’ professional, personal, and
citizenship development.)
2.
Excellent faculty (Hire and support excellent faculty.)
3.
Secure future for Northern Minnesota (Help build the future of
Northern Minnesota.)
4.
Diverse student, staff and programming (Enhance diversity.)
5.
Excellent teaching and learning environment (Support the teaching
and learning environment.)
6.
Financial stability (Secure financial stability through
appropriate growth and program development.)
The
relationship of the MAP to the University Plan, master plans, and
college and department plans, including five-year academic
program reviews ~5YP
- MAP Table1.pdf,
are discussed in Chapter Two: Criterion Two.~
Assessment
Coordinator Charge
Meet with the chair
of each department regularly each semester.
Provide assistance
at each level of progress in the assessment process.
Consult with
visiting evaluator of each department participating in the
5-year review process (during the visit).
Maintain a
record/log of departmental progress. Submit report to the Dean
each semester.
Attend assessment
conferences.
Share conference
information/expertise learned with the other assessment
coordinators.
Meet regularly with
the Assessment Committee.
Academic Assessment
Committee Charge
Approve assessment
plans.
Recommend on
assessment funding requests.
Review five-year
plans for connections to assessment results and recommend to
VPAA.
Provide summary of
assessment findings to University Gaps and Trends Assessment
Committee annually.
Provide summary of
what is learned from assessment results.
Provide summary of
what changes are moving forward.
Summarize major
findings and statement about modifications implemented to
address deficiencies.
Summarize findings
from assessment results of learning outcomes.
Membership
Deans (chair on
rotating basis)
Assessment
Coordinators including Liberal Education coordinator
VPAA – ex-officio
LEVEL
CEvidence of Student Learning and Teaching Effectiveness,
Five-year Plans and Reviews: The university’s commitment to
providing evidence of success for its educational mission is
manifest in its five-year plans and reviews. These are required
of all academic and administrative/student services departments.
The
assessment component of the Five-year Planning, Review and
Assessment Cycle is discussed in Chapter Two, Criterion Two.
~item 6. Assessment Systems
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Please contact Marty
Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
Significant Change
Feature:
Student
Development & Enrollment~
Mission:
We’re here for the journey, investing in our students’
success through excellent programs and services focused on
learning and development. From the
Learning Journey Master Plan (J-Plan).
LEVEL
DStudent and University Services Plans and Reviews: Bemidji
State’s administrative offices also engage in regular planning
and review, including assessment. A
Resource Manual with Guidelines
was approved in 2000 and is currently under review. It calls for
annual reports, mid-cycle reports and a five-year review and
report. Additionally, the Student Development and Enrollment
Master Plan (J-Plan) includes an assessment initiative: Carry out
assessment in support of the Student Development & Enrollment
mission and the mission of the university. Value Statement:
Successful programs are guided, in part,
by the analysis and use of intentionally gathered, rich,
reliable, and accurate data that affirms or improves current
practices; that informs decision-making, including the alignment
of resources; that builds a culture of assessment; and that
supports wise, creative and innovative initiatives.
By
way of example, initiatives might include the following:
Developing
program assessment plans that fit into the structure of the
five-year review process and the assessment needs of the
university.
Offering
professional development opportunities that provide skill
building in creating and implementing assessment plans; in
assuring data integrity; and in analysis and utilization of
data.
The
Office of Student Development and Enrollment maintains a Wiki for
tracking assessment.~
Student and university services are further discussed in Chapter
Four, Criterion Four, including assessment through Communities of
Practice.~
Gaps & Trends
Committee Charge
Review annual
summary assessment reports from across campus and evaluate
results (academic assessment committee, student development
committee, etc.)
Review NSSE and
other institutional survey results (provided by institutional
research)
Evaluate results
annually. Report key findings and trends to faculty senate,
student senate, administration, and assessment committees
Revise University
Assessment Plan
Gaps & Trends
Committee Membership
Associate Vice
President for Academic Affairs (Convener)
Vice President for
Academic Affairs
Vice President for
Student Development and Enrollment
Vice President for
Finance and Administration
Deans’
Representative
Director of
Institutional Research
Liberal Education
Representative
Academic Assessment
Coordinator Representative
Graduate council
Representative
Student Development
and Enrollment Representatives (two)
Student
Representative
LEVEL
CRelated University-wide Planning
In addition to its
emphasis on learning and teaching measures in its mission
documents, Bemidji State monitors, evaluates and adjusts its
academic planning through its University Assessment Plan, the
Assessment Committee and the Gaps and Trends Committee.
LEVEL
DThe University Assessment Plan was revised in 2009~
and is approved by the Vice Presidents and the Gaps and Trends
Committee. It coordinates assessments that are carried out at
various levels including university-wide national tests, such as
NSSE and Noel-Levitz~link to IR page if
improved
http://www.bemidjistate.edu/offices/research_assessment/surveys/,
the Academic Profile and the CCTST~,
and assessments conducted through five-year reviews of academic
and administrative/student services programs.
LEVEL
DThe Assessment Committee meets regularly to evaluate academic
department five-year plans, especially assessment plans and
processes. It looks for evidence that departments are directly
measuring learning and are using data appropriately to improve
curriculum and teaching effectiveness.
By
way of example:
Five-year
review schedule. ~
University
Program Review Schedule (5 year)
Assessment
Plans Spreadsheet. ~xlsx
file from Laurie
LEVEL
DThe Gaps and Trends Committee,~LD’s new #
3 initiated in 2009, considers various means
to improve assessment at Bemidji State and to assure closure
feedback loops (assessment followed by application of new
knowledge and allocation of resources).
By
way of example, Gaps and Trends projects include the following:
Assessment
of the effectiveness of the content required in academic
departmental self-study documents, especially regarding its
usefulness to departments.
Software
for managing and maintaining university-wide data such as
TaskStream Accountability Management
System~http://www.taskstream.com/pub/AMS.asp.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
NSSE data
Assessment results
University-wide
assessment results
Ideas?
Please
contact Marty Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
Support
for Learning and Teaching: Bemidji State
supports learning and teaching at multiple levels, including in
its planning documents, as noted above, and by the allocation of
resources at planning and operational levels.
LEVEL
CSupport for Curriculum: Curriculum processes at Bemidji State
are supported at several levels and include the allocation of
resources:
Curriculum
development is assisted by a
Curriculum Liaison who receives three- reassigned time each
semester. The liaison offers support to departments and
curriculum committees.
The
university has four Assessment Coordinators~
who work with department chairs and program directors in the
evaluation of courses and programs. The coordinators each
receive three- of reassigned time per semester. In addition to
their coordinator duties, they serve on the Assessment
Committee~, contributing
to uniformity in assessment across departments and colleges.
The Liberal
Education Committee is supported by a director who receives six-
reassigned time each semester. The director also serves as
assessment coordinator for the program.
People
and the Environment, a
required course in the Liberal Education program, is coordinated
by a director who has three- of reassigned time per semester.
The
Center
for Professional Development
also contributes to curriculum development. The CPD director
receives three- of reassigned time each semester.
In support of the
Curriculum Committee, the Catalog Office tracks proposals
through the approval process. In addition, a faculty Curriculum
Editor receives one credit of reassigned per semester to vet
proposals for accuracy.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Please contact Marty
Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
Excellence
in Learning and Teaching: Excellence in
learning and teaching at the college, department and program
levels is accounted for through assessments of the student
population at-large, assurance of properly credentialed faculty,
program distinctiveness and accreditations, and appropriate
facilities.
Level C
University Level Assessments: The university continually assesses
for learning and teaching success. Since 2000, approximately xx
academic and student surveys and studies have been conducted.~
((See table
for list and how used....))
Some
comments here on things we have learned in general from these
assessments? How they are originated? Are some required by MnSCU?
The
assessments are funded by....? (= resources allocated)
As with
academic department assessments, university-wide assessments are
reviewed by the Gaps and Trends Committee ~to
insure quality and integrity in the assessment process and to
insure even assessment across the campus.
Center
for Professional Development~
http://www.bemidjistate.edu/faculty_staff/professional_development/
Handbooks
& Guides
Faculty Handbook
E-Handbook for New
Faculty
Guide for Department
Chairs
Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct Supervisor
Checklist
Publications
Metamorphosis -
newsletter
White Paper Series
Evaluating
Teaching and Classes
Course Evaluations
Department Chair
Evaluations
Help in Documenting
Teaching Effectiveness
Individual Teaching
Consultation Service
Peer Observation
Form
Other
Resources
Academic Calendar
CPD Annual Report
CPD Meeting Minutes
Copyright
Considerations
Discussion on FTEs
Five-Year Review
Guidelines
Template for a
Syllabus
Undergraduate
Teaching Associate Forms
Curriculum
Development at BSU
Level C
Credentialed Faculty: Bemidji State assures the quality of its
faculty through various means. As noted in Chapter One, Criterion
One, professional development is monitored through Professional
Development Plans and Reports as required by the IFO-MnSCU Master
Agreement. The Master Agreement also provides annual professional
development funds for faculty, allocated through academic
departments. Use is regulated by the agreement and includes
conference fees and other professional study and travel. The
Master Agreement provides further funding through Professional
Improvement Grants allocated annually.~
((List from
DEbbie Guelda))
Sabbatical
leaves support faculty professional development <Sabbatical
Reports - FY2001-2007>by
providing focused time for scholarly and creative work.
The
Center
for Professional Development
also supports faculty excellence through its services. These
include provision of mid-term and end-of-term course evaluations,
observation of and feedback for instructors, programs, forums,
and a library of higher education resources. The Center’s web
site offerings include white papers, a template for syllabi,
instructor evaluation forms, guides for department chairs, and a
handbook for adjuncts. As noted above, the university supports
the CPD with three credits of reassigned time per semester for
the CPD director and with an annual programming budget.
Bemidji
State also participates in faculty professional development
opportunities provided by the MnSCU system. The Center
for Teaching and Learning
regularly offers programming on learning and teaching.
Level C
Program Distinctiveness and Accreditations: Bemidji State assures
learning and teaching excellence through promotion of program
excellence. As noted in Chapter One, Criterion One, its
curriculum process~ is
rigorous as are five-year program reviews, discussed below.
In
addition, as noted in Chapter One, some programs are accredited
by national agencies~ and
some are especially distinctive in nature. Examples are noted in
Chapter One.
LEVEL
CCampus Resources: Statement
here....and see documents on Criterion three committee web site
Library:
American
Indian Resource Center
D2L:
Labs
and Sattgast renovation:
Bridgeman:
Campus Facilities:
Bemidji State’s facilities also support learning and teaching
excellence.
XX
percent of classrooms have “smart”
technology.
XX computer labs: new
hardware is rotated in every two to three years; software is
updated each semester; security upgrades are performed as needed.
Campus grounds are
appealing.
Buildings are
renovated on a regular schedule
Security
is xxxx.
Other?
2. Learning and
Teaching Environments: Undergraduate (Core Components 3a, 3b, 3c,
3d)
Undergraduate study
is Bemidji State’s raison d’être. It is how we “engage,
embrace and educate” students. Since 1919, when the university
was chartered, undergraduate education has been its primary means
for “shaping potential and shaping worlds.” Of its
approximately 5,000 students, 4,500 (90 percent) study for the
bachelor’s degree. As an arts and sciences university with
select professional programs, Bemidji State is dedicated to
learning and teaching, to inquiry and creativity, to the
acquisition of knowledge and critical thinking skills, to the
promotion of civic responsibility, environmental stewardship and
global citizenship (the university’s signature themes).
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Please contact Marty
Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Please contact Marty
Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
Human Diversity in
the United States
In the
spring of 2008, the Faculty Association Senate and the Student
Senate approved a “new Lib Ed” as proposed by the Task Force.
However, methods for implementing the program were not always
clear, and some were contested, as were some elements of the
program itself. Also at issue was the relationship between the
new program and the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC). In
September 2009, a Faculty Association referendum of the
Association’s membership overturned the Senate’s approval,
with a little over one-third (plus seventeen) voting to overturn,
one-third to uphold, and one-third not voting. In October 2009,
the Senate imposed a moratorium on consideration of new proposals
until August 2010. See the Liberal Education feature for further
discussion of issues and concerns related to the Task Force and
the actions of the Senate and Faculty Association members. ~
Honors Program
Classes
Spring 2009 1105
Influence, Power and Values: "Self-Interest and the Common
Good"; Paul Kivi (Economics), Dann Siems (Biology) 2107
Studies in Social Sciences & History: "History &
Memory: The Reconstruction of the Past"; Marsha Driscoll
(Psychology), Tom Murphy (History) 4889
Integrative Seminar: "King Arthur Then and Now"; Kathy
Meyer (Ethnic Studies)
Level
CGoals of Liberal Education: The mission of
Bemidji State’s Liberal Education Program, as stated in the
university catalog, is to “create an environment where students
of diverse backgrounds and abilities can acquire the knowledge,
the skills, the values, and the confidence necessary for
effective and responsible participation in our changing global
society.” This mission is currently achieved through the
mission of the Liberal Education program and the goals of the
Minnesota Transfer Curriculum. The goals
include competencies is the eleven areas noted above. Courses
are admitted to specific categories of Liberal Education based on
their ability to meet the stated goals for those categories. Level
CAssessment of Liberal Education: The Liberal Education Program
Dimensions
of Student Learning~,
described in Chapter One. Other
assessment, CCTST, plans for.... Director
is assessment coordinator
Level
CSupport for the University’s Mission: The Liberal Education
Program specifically supports ....
Signature
themes
Strategies
MAP
Fall 2009 1104
Unity and Diversity of Knowledge: "Plato and Darwin:
Epistemological Revolutions"; Brendan McManus (History),
Jeff Ueland (Geography 2107
Studies in Social Sciences & History: " Historical
Trauma"; Ben Burgess ( Indian Studies) & Henry Flocken
(Languages & Ethnic Studies) 3899
Pre-Thesis Seminar - Jeff Ueland; Monday 6:00- 6:50 pm;
Hagg-Sauer 245 4889
Integrative Seminar: "The Trickster"; Mark Fulton
(Biology)
The
Honors
Program
~http://www.bemidjistate.edu/academics/departments/honors/
There are three separate sites for Honors and they are not all
cross-referenced I think this URL is the best one to go to.
is an alternative general education program that may be taken in
lieu of the Liberal Education program. Students must meet grade
point requirements for admission. An Honors Council advises a
director who receives three credits of reassigned time each
semester. Honors participates in the Five-year
Program Planning, Review and Assessment Cycle.
It emphasizes integrated learning, service learning, and the
“Reacting to the Past”~ to description
and data experience. The Honors Program is
also discussed in Chapter Four~,
under Opportunities for Students and Opportunities for Faculty,
including discussion of the Honors Lecture Series by faculty.
Six undergraduate
degrees are offered through the university’s 22 academic
departments:
Associate in Arts
Associate in Science
Bachelor of Applied
Studies
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Fine
Arts
Bachelor of Science
These include 68
undergraduate majors with minors plus additional minors,
specialized licenses, fields of emphasis and certificates, and
pre-professional studies.
The
Assessment Committee uses a review
template to assure consistent reading of five-year reviews.
~http://www.bemidjistate.edu/hlc/process/committees/criterion_three/documents/assessment%20committee%20approval%20form1.pdf
External
Consultant Evaluators use a review
template in responding to academic department five-year reviews.
~http://www.bemidjistate.edu/hlc/process/committees/criterion_three/documents/External%20Consultant%20Questions1.pdf
Assessment
of undergraduate departments and programs:
Undergraduate departments and programs participate in the
Five-year Program Planning, Review and Assessment Cycle. The
cycle has three phases, each requiring a written report:
Year One: Five-year
Plan and Assessment Plan
Year Three:
Mid-cycle Review
Year Five:
Self-study Report, Consultant Visit, Consultant Report.
As noted
in Chapter One, academic assessments are based on the
university’s Dimensions of Student Learning.~
Assessment results are evaluated and contribute to ongoing
department planning. The five-year reports are reviewed by the
college deans, the Assessment Committee and the Vice President
for Academic Affairs. Timeliness of reviews and reports is
monitored by the Assessment Coordinators and, as noted above, a
schedule is maintained. LD’s new report
# 2, when ready
Department
self-studies include review of documents and an on-site visit by
an external consultant who makes comments and recommendations
that are incorporated into the next five-year cycle.
Faculty Evaluation
Faculty
are evaluated through Professional Development Plans and Reports,
as required by the IFO-MnSCU Master Agreement. ((provide
evidence, links to examples))
Dimensions of
Student Learning
Dimension 1:
Intellectual Development
Outcomes:
Higher Order
Thinking
Knowledge, Values,
and Abilities Related to the Arts, Humanities, Sciences, and
Specialized Fields of Study Dimension
2: Understanding of Self and Relating to Others
Outcomes:
Values
Communication
Human Diversity
Self Development
Dimension 3:
Participation in an Emerging Global Society
Outcomes:
Readiness for
Careers
Responsible
Citizenship
Assessment
Exemplar
Plan,
Mid-cycle Review and Self-study
Status
of five-year reviews for all academic departments.~
Five-year
Plan (Year One) Assessment Exemplar Computer
Science Plan ~
http://www.bemidjistate.edu/hlc/process/committees/criterion_three/documents/CS%20assessment%20plan%20example1.pdf
– Approved Spring 2008
Dimension
1: Intellectual Development; Outcome A:
Higher Order Thinking. We
will demonstrate that students from a variety of majors have
acquired problem-solving strategies and the ability to apply them
to new problems, even when the strategies do not necessarily lead
to a solution to the problem.
Dimension
1: Intellectual Development; Outcome B: Knowledge, Values, and
Abilities Related to the Arts, Humanities, Sciences and
Specialized Fields of Study. We
will demonstrate that our Computer Science graduates have
acquired the technical skills needed to organize solutions to
complex problems.
Dimension
2: Understanding of Self/Relating to Others; Outcome B:
Communication and Dimension 3: Participating in an Emerging
Global Society; Outcome A: Readiness for Career.
Most software is developed in a team setting. This requires that
practicing computer scientists relate well with others to be
ready for a career. We will demonstrate that our Computer Science
graduates have experienced team processes as they pertain to the
development of software.
Mid-cycle
Report (Year Three) Assessment Exemplar
College of Arts and Sciences, Chemistry Department, 2008
mid-cycle report:
“We
have decided that the simple raw score of our ACS standardized
exams is really not giving us much information. We have decided
to convert the test to a Scantron answer sheet so that we can get
an item analysis of each question and see if there are
correlations. We can then identify areas that the students are
weak in and try to modify/enhance our class materials in those
areas.”
Self-study
Report (Year Five), Assessment Exemplar
College
or Arts and Sciences, English Department Five-year Self-study,
2008:
Report
on curriculum changes based on assessment:
Results
of an assessment of literature students’ abilities with
literary criticism that indicate students need more work in
critical theory: Literature topics courses have been put in
place that incorporate the study of critical approaches to
literature.
Growing
student interest in careers in writing: An electronic writing
minor and undergraduate and graduate certificates have been
added to the curriculum.
Programs with
national accreditation are reviewed under a separate rubric that
uses a structured interview process, thus avoiding the necessity
of reproducing their accreditation in the five-year review
format. Accredited programs are interviewed in the first year of
their accreditation (taking the place of the five-year review)
and midway through their accreditation cycle. Templates are
utilized for the reviews.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Please contact Marty
Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
By
way of example: Accredited
Department Structured Interview (Year 1)
Department/Program:
Department Chair:
Date
of Interview: Assessment Coordinator:
Accredited
by:
Last
accreditation site visit: Next Accreditation site visit:
This
interview takes the place of the 5 year department/program and
assessment plan. I will be asking you information about goals and
assessment activities that you intend to accomplish between now
and your next accreditation visit.
Since
your last accreditation visit (or over the last 5 years), what
program or curricular changes have been informed by what you
have learned about your students/program through assessment?
What is the mechanism or process whereby this information is
reviewed, shared, and eventually influences department/program
decisions?
Going
forward, how are you collecting assessment information about
student learning outcomes? (ACs
should try to match these with the dimensions of student
learning – need one assessment of higher order thinking).
Prompt for direct assessment of student learning (need at least
one), and assessment of graduate program and/or distance
education(if applicable).
What
resources are you using to accomplish assessment? (describe
assessment funding for direct assessment of student learning, if
relevant).
What
documentation can you provide as evidence of ongoing assessment
and curriculum development? (attach
documents)
Accredited
Department Structured Interview (Mid cycle)
Department/Program:
Department Chair:
Date
of Interview: Assessment Coordinator:
Accredited
by:
Last
accreditation site visit: Next Accreditation site visit:
This
interview takes the place of the mid cycle report. I will be
asking you to provide an update about your assessment activities.
What
is your progress in collecting assessment information about
student learning outcomes? (refer
back to year 1 interview. Prompt for direct assessment,
assessment of grad program, and/or distance education if
relevant.)
What
have you learned about your students from your assessment
results so far and what changes (if any) has the department made
based on the results?
What
challenges (anticipated or unanticipated) have occurred related
to assessment and how have you dealt with them?
What
changes (if any) have you made in assessing student learning?
What
data can you provide as evidence of ongoing assessment and
curriculum development? (attach
documents)
Concurrent High
School Enrollment 2005-2009
High Schools
Voyageurs HS
Bemidji HS
Park Rapids Area HS
Clearbrook-Gonvick
HS
Courses Offered
ENGL 1101 College
Writing I
ENGL 1102 College
Writing II
ENGL 2355 American
Literature
PHYS 2101 Physics I
MATH 1170 College
Algebra
MATH 1107
Introduction to Mathematical Sciences
BUAD 1100
Introduction to Business
CHEM 1111 General
Chemistry I
Opportunities
for Undergraduate Students: Bemidji State
supports student learning by offering flexible program options,
varied teaching pedagogies, and co-curricular education.
LEVEL
CFlexible program and course options: Bemidji State recognizes
the value of flexible education options for today’s students.
Courses are delivered in traditional classrooms and through
distance learning~
(remote site, online, blended classroom and online, self-study
packets). High school students may take Bemidji State classes
on-campus or in their high school classrooms (concurrent
enrollment~). The
university also collaborates with other post-secondary
institutions in the offering of courses and programs~.
LEVEL
DDistance
Learning Courses and Programs:
Bemidji State offers individual courses through Distance
Learning. These may be used to fulfill requirements for Liberal
Education and for on-campus programs. More than 240 individual
courses~ by twenty-three
departments were offered fall 2009. Distance Learning courses are
offered online, at remote sites, and in self-study packets.
Self-study (hard copy) packets continue to serve students who do
not have ready access to online technology.
Bemidji
State also offers select
online degree programs through
Distance Learning including Professional Education, Psychology,
Business Administration, Technological Studies, Criminal Justice
and Nursing. ~
LEVEL
DSummer
School: During the summer
term, courses are available on-campus and through Distance
Learning. Formats vary from full session schedules to
intensified, short-term workshops.
LEVEL
DPost-secondary Education Options (PSEO) for high school
students: Area students who have achieved a certain grade point
average or rank in class and wish to begin college before they
graduate from high school may take advantage of two programs at
Bemidji State: they may attend classes on the Bemidji State
campus or they may attend Bemidji State classes at their high
school location (concurrent enrollment) if their school
participates in the program.
By
way of example:
Year/Semester
Courses
Headcount
Credits
2006
Fall
1
15
30
2006
Spring
1
13
39
2007
Fall
1
23
115
2007
Spring
2
57
285
2008
Fall
7
122
426
2008
Spring
8
120
459
2009
Fall
9
154
574
2009
Spring
7
127
475
2010
Fall
10
209
788
Total
840
3191
Other
opportunities for high school students are discussed in Chapter
Five, Criterion Five. ~relationships with
high schools section
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Please contact Marty
Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
LEVEL
DCollaborations with Institutions
Bemidji State
collaborates with other Minnesota campuses in offering academic
degrees to distance learning students.
By
way of example:
Associate
of Arts Degree Collaborative Degree,
Alexandria Technical College and Bemidji State University
M.S.
Education or M.Ed. in Educational Technology,
BSU/MSUM: An online collaborative program between Bemidji State
University and Minnesota State University, Moorhead with
advanced studies in Educational/Information Communications and
Technology for in-service pre-K-12 and post-secondary teachers.
Bemidji
State also maintains program articulations with numerous
community and technical colleges, assuring seamless transfer for
students. A MnSCU template is used for the agreements.
~Articulation Template from Crystal
By way of example:
((~
there are a couple of queries out on this, I think. List of
articulations for programs—vs. general articulations for
courses, but maybe reference those, too.))
Reacting
to the Past (RTTP)
consists of elaborate games, set in the past,
in which students are assigned roles informed by classic texts in
the history of ideas. Class sessions are run entirely by
students; instructors advise and guide students and grade their
oral and written work. It seeks to draw students into the
past, promote engagement with big ideas, and improve intellectual
and academic skills. Pioneered by Barnard College in 1996,
the project is supported by a consortium of colleges and
universities.
Bemidji
State’s own Reacting to the Past Game: Darwin,
the Copley Medal, and Naturalism, 1862-1864.
LEVEL
DClassroom Pedagogies: Classroom pedagogies at Bemidji State
range from traditional to innovative. Traditional strategies
include lecture, discussion, workshop/studio and lab.
By
way of example:
Interdisciplinary
teaching in People
and the Environment
classes using lecture and breakout sections.
Team
teaching in Honors
courses.
Blended
courses using multiple methodologies, including D2L.
Reacting
to the Past:
An innovative
classroom pedagogy (see left), required for Honors students.
Innovative pedagogies
are described in Metamorphosis, a newsletter of the Center for
Professional Development and occasionally in Horizons, the
university’s alumni magazine.
By
way of example:
The
Evolving Curriculum: Collaborative Problem-Solving in an Online
World, Metamorphosis 2008 Volume XXIII, Issue I
~http://www.bemidjistate.edu/faculty_staff/professional_development/metamenu.html
Darwin
article in Horizons ~
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Please contact Marty
Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
LEVEL
CCo-curricular Education: Co-curricular learning opportunities
for students include participation in student government and
organizations, residential life programs, university committees,
student union programming, health service initiatives, on-campus
jobs and related activities. Qualified students may also
experience the challenges and rewards of college teaching by
working with faculty as Teaching Associates.
By
way of example:
Student
Senate:
Officers and representatives learn leadership skills and
experience governance.
FYRE,
First
Year Residential Experience:
a learning and living community for freshmen and a career
experience opportunity for upper class students, who return to
the program to serve as Resident Assistants.
PAA,
Peer Academic Assistant: Provide
academic support to residents in the First Year Residential
Experience program.
Lifestyle
Educators:
Student peer educators learn leadership skills and are trained
to give accurate and current health information to their peers.
Hobson
Union Programming Board (HUPB) organizes social and cultural
programs for the campus community.
On-campus
employment: Work Study and Regular Payroll positions are
available in most areas of the university including academic and
administrative departments, the library, grounds and
maintenance, food services.
Sustainability
Student
life is discussed further in Chapter Four: Criterion Four~.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Please contact Marty
Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
Opportunities for
Faculty
Bemidji State
supports teaching, research and creative opportunities for
faculty. Faculty engagement in such activities contributes to an
active learning environment.
LEVEL C
Curriculum
Development: The Center
for Professional Development
and the Curriculum Liaison~
provide support for curriculum development. As noted above, the
university supports both with reassigned time for directors.
The
MnSCU system also provides support through the Center
for Learning and Teaching.
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Please contact Marty
Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
LEVEL C
Honors
Lectures: The Honors
Program lecture series
promotes scholarly discourse among the
faculty and cultivates new intellectual interests among students.
As noted above, the Honors Program director receives three of
reassigned time per semester.
LEVEL C
Committee and Council
Service: Faculty are encouraged to serve on university committees
and councils, including the following:
Examples of
Committees (BSU Faculty Association): Curriculum, Liberal
Education, Teacher Education, Graduate, Academic Affairs,
Student Services, Government Relations, Professional Improvement
Grants, Academic Computing.
Examples of Councils
and Centers: Honors, Professional Development, International
Studies, Women’s Studies.
LEVEL C
Collaborations
with Students: Faculty at Bemidji State recognize the value of
faculty-student collaborations in research, creative work and
related projects. Collaborations provide students with the
opportunity to work closely with mentors and to experience
hands-on, professional work ((more
here – suggestions appreciated)).
Faculty benefit in their increased understanding of student
learning and
((More here...suggestions appreciated.))
By
way of example:
UTAP:
Undergraduate
Teaching Associate Program:
students work with faculty in the classroom.
Student
Scholarship and Creative Achievement Conference:
faculty assist students in preparation of presentations.
Journal
of Student Research:
faculty serve as sponsors and editors for student work.
Literary
Anthologies:
English Department faculty mentor students in editorial and
publication processes.
Student
Scholarship and Creative Achievement Conference: ~ Students
present their work, mentored by faculty. By way of example,
presentations by Political Science majors.
~http://patrickdonnay.wordpress.com/presentations/
Faculty-student
collaborations are also discussed in Chapter Four, Criterion
Four. ~
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Please contact Marty
Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
LEVEL C
Collaborations with
Colleagues: Faculty are encouraged to collaborate with each other
on learning, teaching and professional development.
By
way of example:
The
Office of Academic Affairs sent a Liberal Education Committee
team to an AAC&U General Education Institute. See “Liberal
Education” feature story.
Faculty
from diverse disciplines are invited to teach breakout sections
and to participate in large-group discussions in People and the
Environment courses (Liberal Education).
Faculty
team teach in Honors and other programs.
It
is common for faculty to collaborate on grant writing and
administration.
Student
Support Services
Nurse
Education Practice and Retention
Post-secondary
Vocational Education Training
Small
Business Development Center
Title
VI-E BWS Child Welfare Training
Restoration
of Indian Lake
NASA
Space Grant
Data
in Mathematics
Minnesota
Water Resources Climate Change
Engineering
Technology Center
LEVEL C
Course and Program
Delivery Options: Faculty are encouraged to utilize alternative
course and program delivery options such as those discussed
above, including online, summer, remote site and blended format.
Programs Offering
Graduate Degrees
Biology
Counseling
Psychology
English
Environmental
Studies
Mathematics
Professional
Education
Science
Sport Studies
Technological
Studies
Graduate Degrees
through Distance Learning
Master of Science in
Education
Master of Education
Master of
Science-Industrial Technology
Master of
Science-Technology/Career and Technical Education
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
GA list
Grants to grad
students
Awards for grad
students
Other
Ideas?
Please contact Marty
Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
3. Learning and
Teaching Environments: Graduate
(Core Components 3a,
3b, 3c, 3d)
Graduate study at
Bemidji State offers opportunities for students advanced
preparation in a chosen field, providing them with professional
level knowledge and credentials. Graduate students are prepared
to enter careers, to advance in their current careers, and to
transition to doctoral programs.
Faculty
are admitted to the graduate
faculty based on stated
criteria, department approval, and approval of the college dean,
the graduate dean and the vice president for academic affairs.
Terms run for seven years. Admission of associate graduate
faculty is also based on stated criteria and approvals. Terms run
for three years.
A Graduate Studies
Committee makes recommendations on curriculum and program
proposals and advises the graduate dean. Members of the committee
belong to the graduate faculty and are elected for service by
graduate programs.
Graduate
Degrees, Licensures and Certificates:
Five master’s degrees are offered by nine of Bemidji State’s
22 academic departments:
Master of Arts
Master of Science
Master of Education
Master of Special
Education
Master of Science
(Education)
Specialized
licensures (non-degree) are offered in Career and Technical
Education, Preprimary Specialty, Reading and Special Education.
Certificates (non-degree) are offered in Electronic Writing and
Online Teaching.
Programs
are offered on-campus at Bemidji State and through Distance
Learning
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Please contact Marty
Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
Assessment
of graduate programs: Graduate programs
are assessed on the five-year cycle of the Five-year Academic
Program, Review and Assessment plan. The five-year plan is
described above, in undergraduate program review. As with
undergraduate programs, graduate program assessment results are
evaluated and inform curriculum revision. Graduate Studies,
including program assessment, is an identified Priority for
Improvement.~
Graduate
programs are also assessed indirectly by the Graduate Office
utilizing exit evaluations conducted at the end of the thesis
oral defense. ((are
these results available on the web??))
Opportunities for
Graduate Students:
Graduate
Assistantships: The university supports graduate students through
fifty-four graduate assistantships offered annually through the
three colleges and seven administrative and support
offices.~((new
Msword doc for GA listings)) Graduate
assistants teach, coach, conduct research and assist with
administrative duties. They receive an annual stipend of
$8,500.00 and twelve of tuition waiver. More
here—suggestions appreciated.))
Opportunities
for Graduate Faculty: Members of the
graduate faculty chair and serve as committee members on thesis
committees. They may also serve as Graduate Representatives for
the Graduate Studies Office at thesis defenses.
More
here—suggestions appreciated.))
4. Learning and
Teaching Environments: External
(Core Components 3a,
3c)
Programs:
Distance
Learning, etc. As noted above, several non-degree programs
(licenses and certificates) are offered at the graduate level.
Assessment:
Distance Learning programs are assessed on a five-year cycle
through department planning. An Assessment Coordinator assists
with these plans.
More
here—suggestions appreciated.))
Programs
for external constituents are discussed further in Chapter Five,
Criterion Five.~
Evidence/Information
Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
Please contact Marty
Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
5. Priorities for
Improvement
Civic
Engagement
Graduate
Studies
Professional
Education
Comments?
Corrections? Information?
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Marty Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
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Desired
Outcomes [Excerpt]:
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ENGLISH
DEPARTMENT: These are addressed in course and program curricula
and anthology publishing projects (New Voices, Dust & Fire,
Rivers Meeting, Fire Ring Voices), and with the offerings of the
Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference. For
example:
International/multicultural understanding: Courses
in English Literature, Ethnic American Literature, and World
Literature.
Civic engagement: Production of anthologies that
publish the work of high school students, women, men, and Bemidji
State students.
Environmental stewardship: Course offerings
such as Nature Writing in the People & the Environment
Liberal Education category.
Comments?
Corrections? Information?
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Marty Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
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Marty Wolf, # 23, mwolf, 2825
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Corrections? Information?
Comments?
Corrections? Information?
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Corrections? Information?
Comments?
Corrections? Information?
Comments?
Corrections? Information?
Liberal
Education and Honors:
During the spring 2002 semester, Bemidji State reformulated its
Liberal Education offerings to accommodate the Minnesota Transfer
Curriculum (MnTC) as mandated by the state legislature and the
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system (MnSCU). The
current format includes eleven topical or skill-based categories,
the first ten also required in MnTC:
Communication
Critical Thinking
Natural Science
Mathematics
History and the
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Humanities and the
Arts
Global Perspective
Ethical and Civic
Responsibility
People and the
Environment
Performance and
Participation
Students may choose
from a number of courses in each category, except Communication
which requires completion of College Writing I & II, and
Critical Thinking which requires completion of the Liberal
Education curriculum. Students must take a minimum number of
credits in each of the remaining categories and 42 credits
overall. With a few exceptions, only freshman and sophomore
level courses are included, and the driving logic is to maintain
flexibility, allow for student choice, provide grounding in
fundamentals, and encourage exposure to a variety of disciplines.
The program is administered by a campus-wide Liberal Education
Committee (LEC).
Level
CLiberal Education Task Force: In January of 2005, a Liberal
Education Task Force was convened. It was “charged with
proposing and pursuing revisions to the Liberal Education
Program” (BSUFA Senate, October 2004). While the Task Force
worked, the Liberal Education Committee continued to function: it
acted on course submissions, student petitions, and directives
from MnSCU, and carried out assessments in support of the work of
the Task Force.
Comments?
Corrections? Information?
Comments?
Corrections? Information?
Comments?
Corrections? Information?
Comments?
Corrections? Information?
Comments?
Corrections? Information?
Comments?
Corrections? Information?
By way of example, the following grants
were awarded to Bemidji State in Fiscal Year 2008 (2007-2008
Data Book):
Comments?
Corrections? Information?
Comments?
Corrections? Information?
Comments?
Corrections? Information?
Graphic Banner Here (narrow, to distinguish between single column above and double column below) – repeat at end/beginning of double columns.
Summary of Evidence
Criterion Three
The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission.
Core Component - 3a The organization’s goals for student learning outcomes are clearly stated for each educational program and make effective assessment possible.
Core Component - 3b The organization values and supports effective teaching.
Core Component - 3c The organization creates effective learning environments.
Core Component - 3d The organization’s learning resources support student learning and effective teaching.
DRAFT—Chapter Four, Criterion Four
Bemidji State University-HLC 2010 Reaccreditation Self-Study Report
Below is a draft of Criterion Four of Bemidji State’s 2010 HLC self-study document. The self-study writing team invites you to comment freely on the content and to provide information regarding notes that are shaded in gray.
The writing team thanks the five criterion committees for their ongoing work. They are providing content and evidence for the document and are commenting on drafts. To view their work, visit the self-study web site <http://www.bemidjistate.edu/hlc/> and click on Committees in the left column. Other information about our self-study process is also available on this site.
Please send your comments to Marty Wolf (mwolf, # 23, 2825). We would like them by November 6 so that we may consider them as we complete the document. Questions may also be addressed to Marty.
Self-Study Deadlines
|
Due Dates |
Actions |
|
10/16/09 |
Draft to campus. |
|
11/06/09 |
Comments due to writing team. |
|
12/01/09 |
Completed copy to Production Office. |
|
01/22/10 |
Self-study due at HLC offices. |
|
02/15/10 |
Mock visit. |
|
03/22-24/10 |
HLC team campus visit. |
READING & COMMENTING ON THE 10/16/2009 DRAFT
On weird things in the text:
Gray highlighting indicates that the text is in progress. Comments and suggestions are especially welcome regarding these passages.
A tilda (~) indicates a link, even if it is not yet active. Please feel free to provide URLs.
In Chapter One, double letters (MM, etc.) indicate placement for sidebar pieces.
Regarding your comments:
Notes written on hard copy are preferred.
If you provide your comments in an email, please point to the relevant text by including four or five words from the beginning of the nearest paragraph, so the writing team can easily locate the section you are critiquing.
Send comments to Marty Wolf, mwolf, # 23, 2825.
Questions may also be addressed to Marty.
Regarding previous Criterion Committee comments:
Some Criterion Committee comments delivered to the HLC co-chairs are not yet incorporated into this draft. To the committees: please assured that we have your comments, that we will address them in subsequent iterations of the document, and that you will have a chance to review the edits.
Regarding the Core Components
The criterion chapters are not organized by core components. Rather, the core components are embedded in an organization suited to our story. Core components will be identified throughout the finished document and in the summary at the end of the document.
HLC Writing Team
Elizabeth Dunn, HLC Co-chair (Interim Dean, College of Arts & Sciences)
Marty Wolf, HLC Faculty Co-chair (Math & Computer Science Department)
Susan Hauser, Writer (English Department)
Shaping Potential/Shaping Worlds
Story here...
Criterion Four: Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge
The organization promotes a life of learning for its faculty, administration, staff, and students by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity, practice, and social responsibility in ways consistent with its mission.
Core Component 4a The organization demonstrates, through the actions of its board, administrators, students, faculty, and staff, that it values a life of learning.
Core Component 4b The organization demonstrates that acquisition of a breadth of knowledge and skills and the exercise of intellectual inquiry are integral to its educational programs.
Core Component 4c The organization assesses the usefulness of its curricula to students who will live and work in a global, diverse, and technological society.
Core Component 4d The organization provides support to ensure that faculty, students, and staff acquire, discover, and apply knowledge responsibly.
Organization of Chapter Four
Introduction
University Commitment (4a, 4c, 4d)
Faculty and staff (4a, 4c)
The Learning Journey: Student Development and Enrollment (4b, 4c, 4d)
Liberal Education (4b, 4c, 4d)
Undergraduate Study (4a, 4b, 4c)
Graduate Study (4a, 4b, 4c)
External Communities of Interest (4b)
Priorities for Improvement
Summary of Evidence
Graphic Banner Here (narrow, to distinguish between single column above and double column below) – repeat at end/beginning of double columns.
|
Evidence/Information Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
|
Introduction Bemidji State University is unequivocal in its commitment to the acquisition, discovery and application of knowledge. This commitment is evident in its primary and foundational mission documents and in its actions, which are mission-motivated. The university promotes lifelong learning for all of its constituents, internal and external; promotes and models the values of an educated life; and supports, through its actions, an informed and active citizenry.
|
||||||||||||||
|
Primary Mission Document, The University Plan
Foundational Mission Documents
Evidence/Information Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
|
1. University Commitment (4a, 4c, 4d) The university demonstrates and models its commitment to higher education in its mission documents, its policies and procedures and its budget, and by attending to the societal currency and relevancy of its programs.
Mission Documents: As noted in Chapter One, the University Plan promotes and supports excellence in higher education. That excellence is defined, in part, by the university’s vision and mission~, by its signature themes~ and by the Strategies for 2008-2013~.
By way of example:
Strategy A: Engage Students for Success in Careers, Communities and Life • Strategic Imperative: Create opportunities for student success through high quality programs and services. Bemidji State recognizes the value of higher education as a public good, provides student-centered access to learning, meets the needs of our diverse, rural and nontraditional students, and promotes lifelong learning.
Also as noted in Chapter One, the spirit and letter of the primary mission documents permeates the foundational documents, including master plans and college plans.
By way of example: Master Academic Plan (MAP):
Effective 2008-2009, the Bemidji State reorganized its colleges~. The new college visions and missions clearly embrace the university’s vision and mission as well as reflect the personality of each college and its departments:
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
College of Health Sciences and Human Ecology (HSHE)
College of Business, Technology and Communication (CBTC)
As noted in Chapter One, the MAP informs the Facilities Master Plan, Technology Master Plan and Student Enrollment and Development Master Plan, thus carrying forward the university’s mission.
By way of example: J-Plan: The Learning Journey, Student Development and Enrollment, 2008-2013~ Mission: We’re here for the journey, investing in our students’ success through excellent programs and services focused on learning and development.
Strategies to Achieve the Mission Strategy 6: Promote and support staff professional development. Hallmarks of a strong, unified and successful staff include collaboration and collegiality; scholarship, participation in conferences and knowledge of professional literature; the framing of work in a common language of learning; and the modeling of learning and growth. ====
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Policies and Procedures Handbooks Student Handbook~ Faculty Handbook~ Adjunct Faculty Handbook~ ??Staff Handbook~ ??Other handbooks??
Evidence/Information Yet to Be Included
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Policies and Procedures: In its policies and procedures, the university both promotes and models values and behaviors that address integrity in behavior and actions, including research, teaching and learning.
By way of example: Integrity Policies
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Budget: Through its budget alignments and allocations, Bemidji State supports the acquisition, discovery and application of knowledge. Priorities for the budget are set in the University Plan:
Strategy D: Optimize Resources to Achieve the University’s Vision and Mission • Strategic Imperative: Effectively manage and increase enrollment and resources in support of the university’s vision and mission. Bemidji State recognizes and honors the role of the university in the stewardship of its resources and the importance of accountability.
D.2 Manage revenues in support of educational programs and services. Support student success through stewardship of revenue streams including tuition and fees, scholarships, state allocation, and external fundraising.
D.3 Create institutional capacity through improvement in efficiencies. Support student success through efficiencies and improved utilization of internal financial resources.
D.4 Through intentional analysis, utilize data to inform decision-making in support of the university’s vision and mission. Improve generation and allocation of resources through a process of discovery, identification, collection and interpretation of data.
D.5 Maintain financial strength through priority program growth and development. Expand capacity for existing programs with high regional or national demand while identifying new programs and markets that have the potential to strengthen enrollment.
In the spirit of that commitment, and utilizing data sources such as IPEDS, the university has moved from one-year, budget plans that addressed the situation of the moment to forward-thinking, longer-term planning. As noted in Chapter Two, a three-year, 2007-2010 budget responded primarily to internal pressures and increased the percent of the budget dedicated to direct instructional costs. The current four-year, 2010-2014 budget responds primarily to external economic pressures. It was constructed prior to the fall 2008 state and national financial crisis. As a result of that planning, the university has been in a good position to weather the economic storm that included an additional state of Minnesota unallocation in 2009. For example, the university has not had to resort to faculty retrenchment.
Part of the success of the budgets can be attributed to transparency in the budget process, including frequent budget forums open to the campus, and budget statements by the president of the university.
By way of example:
As noted in Chapter Three, the university also supports learning through reassigned time for the Directors of Liberal Education~, Honors~, the Center for Professional Development~, People and the Environment~, and other positions related to curriculum, learning and teaching.
((Other examples here of allocation of resources for the acquisition of knowledge, etc.??))
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Bemidji State Wireless Services for Students, Faculty, Staff ~http://www.bemidjistate.edu/its/wireless/index.htm
Technology Services for Students Including Email and Residence Halls ~http://www.bemidjistate.edu/its/students/index.htm
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Information Technology: ~ http://www.bemidjistate.edu/its/ Bemidji State is nationally recognized for moving campus-wide to the dual Macintosh and Windows platform, allowing maximum flexibility for software and hardware choice. It also maintains current-standard software across the university, including programs in manufacturing, architecture, graphic and media design. Software excellence and cross-platform coordination among programs helps assure that students have the opportunity to enter the workforce with competitive skills and knowledge.
Other information technology support includes a laptop program for faculty (new hardware every few years), open and specialized computer laboratories, technical support and related services.
By way of example:
The university also supports students knowledge and understanding of information technology through its growing use of web-enhanced courses using D2L. ~ By way of example: (((INFO HERE FROM LYNN JOHNSON)) ~
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External Guidance and Confirmation: Bemidji State recognizes that today’s academy does not function in isolation from the larger world. This understanding is especially confirmed in its vision statement: “Shaping Potential, Shaping Worlds,” and in its Strategies for 2008-2013:
Strategy B: Promote Vital Communities through Involvement • Strategic Imperative: Support and promote community vitality through Bemidji State’s commitments within our local, regional, national and world spheres. Bemidji State values the supportive relationships between the university and its communities.
Bemidji State further recognizes that its relationship with external communities is mutual: that influence, support and benefits flow in both directions.
To assure that its mission-motivated actions are responsive to the realities of the larger world, the university solicits, accepts and acts on commentary and feedback in multiple forms.
By way of example:
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2. Faculty and staff (4a, 4c) Through professional development activities, faculty and staff at Bemidji State engage in, embrace and model lifelong learning. As noted in Chapter Three, support for individual activities includes the following:
The university also supports professional development through programs such as the following:
Professional development activities include research, creative work, study, publishing and travel. These activities are developed and reported in Professional Development Plans and Reports.
By way of example, faculty and staff report the following professional development activities:
The university also recognizes faculty and staff development and accomplishments through publication in the BSU Insider. |
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Student Development & Enrollment Mission We’re here for the journey, investing in our students’ success through excellent programs and services focused on learning and development.
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University Services Support the Academic Journey
Student Life Opportunities Support the Academic Journey
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ADD Cedar apts, linden, res halls in general (support)
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3. The Learning Journey: Student Development and Enrollment (4b, 4c, 4d) One of the most significant changes for Bemidji State since the 2000 Self-study is the opening of the Office of Student Development and Enrollment which is led by a vice president. While most of its constituent offices and programs had been operational for many years, the office brought a new focus to their purpose and new energy to their commitment.
Through Student Development and Enrollment, Bemidji State promotes students’ academic journeys and provides opportunities for co-curricular experiences and development. As noted in the Student Development and Enrollment Master Plan (the Learning Journey Plan, or J-Plan):
From the Preface: With its 2008 mission statement, Bemidji State University turns its attention toward “a future that can only be imagined” and the recognition that a primary responsibility of higher education today is to prepare students not only for immediate careers, rich personal lives and citizenship, but for the entire arc of their life journeys. The Student Development & Enrollment Master Plan acknowledges the breadth and depth of that challenge, and guides programs, services and staff in their efforts to meet the challenges of a thousand unpredictable tomorrows.
See the Learning Journey (J-Plan) Feature Story~ for further information on the evolution of the Office of Student Development and Enrollment.
Planning Document Support for the Learning Journey: As noted above, the J-Plan is based on a commitment to learning and development. That commitment is carried out especially through the first four Strategies to Achieve the Mission:
Support for the Academic Journey: Support for students’ academic journeys include advising, first-year programs, and tutoring and related services.
Level CAdvising Success Center (ASC): In consultation with faculty advisors, the Advising Success Center provides comprehensive information to students regarding their academic programs. See the Learning Journey Feature Story for information on the development of ASC and the university’s support for the office.
Level CFirst-year Programs: The university supports two programs taught by faculty that especially promote academic and personal success for first-year students:
Level CAcademic Support through Tutoring: The university offers tutoring support for students.
By way of example:
Level CLibrary Services TEXT HERE
Support for Co-curricular Experiences and Development: Bemidji State recognizes that students who come to the university have diverse backgrounds and needs. Student services range from advising, as noted above, to specialized services such as on-campus childcare, counseling, veterans services and disabilities services. Opportunities include participation in student programs and organizations.
Level CStudent Services Offices: Students are assisted in their personal and academic journeys by campus offices such as the Advising Success Center, Career Services, the Counseling Center and Health Services. (See list and links in side panel). The personnel in these offices fulfill strategies one through four in the J-Plan:
Level CStudent Opportunities: Student participation in campus organizations and processes contributes to their personal and academic growth and to the development of lifelong learning skills.
By way of example:
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4. Liberal Education (General Education) (4b, 4c, 4d) As noted in Chapter Two, Bemidji State recently reorganized its colleges and reviewed its Liberal Education program. These efforts evolved cooperatively, both contributing to the redefinition of Bemidji State from a comprehensive university to an arts and sciences university with select professional programs.~ ((In chapter two, link to this phrase: “Reorganization, the identity statement”)) As noted in the Liberal Education Feature Story~, the proposal to revise the Liberal Education curriculum was informed by extensive assessment and in collaboration with faculty, staff and administration. The Liberal Education Feature Story also relates the university’s allocation of resources in support of the Liberal Education program.
The current Liberal Education program features breadth of study across the arts and sciences. While the Task Force was at work, assessment activities concentrated on national critical thinking standards. Assessment of the current program is based on Minnesota Transfer Curriculum goals and competencies. A schedule for current review is under development and will be monitored by the Liberal Education Committee and the Director who also serves as Liberal Education Assessment Coordinator. The position carries six credits of reassigned time each semester.
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5. Undergraduate Study (4a, 4b, 4c) As noted in Chapter Three, undergraduate study is Bemidji State’s raison d’etre.~ The university encourages and supports undergraduate students by recognizing their successes and by offering programming that reaches beyond the classroom.
Recognition for Undergraduate Student Learning: Bemidji State recognizes and supports undergraduate student scholarship and creative accomplishments.
By way of example:
Acquiring Knowledge Outside the Undergraduate Classroom: The university encourages students to explore learning, creativity, innovation and knowledge beyond their majors and related programs.
By way of example:
Preparing for Living in a Global, Multicultural and Diverse Society: Bemidji State is committed to preparing students for careers and living in a global, multicultural and diverse society. This commitment is expressed in its primary mission documents, including its Signature Themes, and in its support of dedicated academic and student services programs such as the following:
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6. Graduate Study (4a, 4b 4,c) Info from cmte 4’s school of grad studies – though some might belong in ch 3.
As noted in Chapter Three~, graduate study at Bemidji State offers opportunities for students to specialize in a field and obtain professional level knowledge and credentials. The university supports graduate students by recognizing their successes and by offering opportunities that reach beyond the classroom.
Recognition for Graduate Student Learning: Bemidji State recognizes and supports the academic success of its graduate students.
By way of example:
Acquiring Knowledge Outside the Graduate Classroom: The university promotes and supports opportunities for graduate students outside the classroom. By way of example:
Preparing for Living in a Global, Multicultural and Diverse Society: As noted above in Undergraduate Study, Bemidji State is committed to preparing students for careers and living in a global, multicultural and diverse society. This commitment is expressed in its primary mission documents, including its Signature Themes, and in its support of dedicated academic and student services programs such as the following:
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7. External Communities of Interest (4b) ADD TEXT HERE AND ALSO Refer to Chapter Five
((On CRI, Custom College, etc. Cooperation with tribal colleges, cc’s, tc’s. etc.))
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8. Priorities for Improvement
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Graphic Banner Here (narrow, to distinguish between single column above and double column below) – repeat at end/beginning of double columns.
Criterion Four: Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge
Summary of Evidence
Core Component 4a The organization demonstrates, through the actions of its board, administrators, students, faculty, and staff, that it values a life of learning.
Core Component 4b The organization demonstrates that acquisition of a breadth of knowledge and skills and the exercise of intellectual inquiry are integral to its educational programs.
Core Component 4c The organization assesses the usefulness of its curricula to students who will live and work in a global, diverse, and technological society.
Core Component 4d The organization provides support to ensure that faculty, students, and staff acquire, discover, and apply knowledge responsibly.
DRAFT—Chapter Five, Criterion Five
Bemidji State University-HLC 2010 Reaccreditation Self-Study Report
Below is a draft of Criterion Five of Bemidji State’s 2010 HLC self-study document. The self-study writing team invites you to comment freely on the content and to provide information regarding notes that are shaded in gray.
The writing team thanks the five criterion committees for their ongoing work. They are providing content and evidence for the document and are commenting on drafts. To view their work, visit the self-study web site <http://www.bemidjistate.edu/hlc/> and click on Committees in the left column. Other information about our self-study process is also available on this site.
Please send your comments to Marty Wolf (mwolf, # 23, 2825). We would like them by November 6 so that we may consider them as we complete the document. Questions may also be addressed to Marty.
Self-Study Deadlines
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Due Dates |
Actions |
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10/16/09 |
Draft to campus. |
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11/06/09 |
Comments due to writing team. |
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12/01/09 |
Completed copy to Production Office. |
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01/22/10 |
Self-study due at HLC offices. |
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02/15/10 |
Mock visit. |
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03/22-24/10 |
HLC team campus visit. |
READING & COMMENTING ON THE 10/16/2009 DRAFT
On weird things in the text:
Gray highlighting indicates that the text is in progress. Comments and suggestions are especially welcome regarding these passages.
A tilda (~) indicates a link, even if it is not yet active. Please feel free to provide URLs.
In Chapter One, double letters (MM, etc.) indicate placement for sidebar pieces.
Regarding your comments:
Notes written on hard copy are preferred.
If you provide your comments in an email, please point to the relevant text by including four or five words from the beginning of the nearest paragraph, so the writing team can easily locate the section you are critiquing.
Send comments to Marty Wolf, mwolf, # 23, 2825.
Questions may also be addressed to Marty.
Regarding previous Criterion Committee comments:
Some Criterion Committee comments delivered to the HLC co-chairs are not yet incorporated into this draft. To the committees: please assured that we have your comments, that we will address them in subsequent iterations of the document, and that you will have a chance to review the edits.
Regarding the Core Components
The criterion chapters are not organized by core components. Rather, the core components are embedded in an organization suited to our story. Core components will be identified throughout the finished document and in the summary at the end of the document.
HLC Writing Team
Elizabeth Dunn, HLC Co-chair (Interim Dean, College of Arts & Sciences)
Marty Wolf, HLC Faculty Co-chair (Math & Computer Science Department)
Susan Hauser, Writer (English Department)
Chapter Five, Criterion Five Engagement and Service
Core Component 5a The organization learns from the constituencies it serves and analyzes its capacity to serve their needs and expectations.
Core Component 5b The organization has the capacity and the commitment to engage with its identified constituencies and communities.
Core Component 5c The organization demonstrates its responsiveness to those constituencies that depend on it for service.
Core Component 5d Internal and external constituencies value the services the organization provides.
Organization of Criterion Five
Criterion Five is organized according to the University Plan 2008-2013 Strategy B
Strategic Imperative B: Support and promote community vitality through Bemidji State’s commitments within our local, regional, national and world spheres. Bemidji State values the supportive relationships between the university and its communities.
Introduction
University-wide Commitment to External Communities of Interest (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d)
University Plan Strategy B.1. Support and promote educational vitality (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d)
University Plan Strategy B.2 Support and promote economic vitality and quality of place (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d)
University Plan Strategy B.3 Support and promote cultural and recreational vitality (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d)
University Plan Strategy B.4 Promote environmental vitality (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d)
Priorities for Improvement
Summary of Evidence
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Introduction Bemidji State University has meaningful, productive and enduring service relationships with its external constituents, as evidenced by the breadth, depth and success of its collaborations with communities of interest.
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Bemidji State External Constituents
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1. University-wide Commitment to External Constituencies Advance educational opportunities in the university’s communities through customized training, concurrent enrollment, PSEO, online and on-campus programs and related offerings.
Introduction Bemidji State University is located in rural northern Minnesota where the winters are long and hard. Survival in this robust place has always depended on community, the community of American Indian tribes, of settlers, of neighbors. Early in the twentieth century, when the community needed trained teachers, citizens organized a campaign for their own college and Bemidji Normal School opened in 1919.
The community tradition of the Bemidji area continues today. In 2005, after the fateful high school shootings on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, Bemidji State and the town of Bemidji embraced its neighbors: healing ceremonies were held at the American Indian Resource Center and at North Country Regional Hospital. In 2009 when Minnesota State University Moorhead was forced to close by the flood waters of the Red River, Bemidji State opened its dormitories to their students.
Also in 2009, construction began in Bemidji on a regional Event Center, the culmination of years of work and collaboration that paired the community’s desire to improve its services to the region with the university’s need for a new sports facility.
The Higher Learning Commission Criterion Five asks for evidence that the university takes seriously its role in communities of interest. Better than that, Bemidji State has a symbiotic relationship with its communities, its neighbors. It is a north country tradition that assures not only survival but quality of life, including access to services, resources and opportunities, and preservation and enjoyment of cultural heritages.
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Cedar Apartments for Single Parents Housing for twenty-eight single parent families contributes to student success.
The first of Bemidji State’s residence halls to be transformed into suites, Linden is a popular choice for academic-year students and for summer conference housing.
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Mission Documents: In its mission documents, Bemidji State makes it clear that it operates within a broad community of external constituents and that it values those relationships. Starting with its mission, vision and signature themes, Bemidji State acknowledges the larger world in which the university operates, and the importance of civic action in a diverse world:
Vision: Shaping potential, shaping worlds. Bemidji State University is a catalyst for shaping the potential of those it serves who, in turn, shape the worlds in which they live and work.
Mission: E3 Engage. Embrace. Educate. As northern Minnesota’s university, we engage in new worlds of thought, embrace responsible citizenship, and educate for a future that can only be imagined.
Signature Themes • International/multicultural understanding • Civic engagement • Environmental stewardship
The second (of four) strategies in the University Plan is dedicated to the university’s relationships with external constituents:
University Plan 2008-2013 Strategy B: Promote Vital Communities through Involvement • Strategic Imperative: Support and promote community vitality through Bemidji State’s commitments within our local, regional, national and world spheres. Bemidji State values the supportive relationships between the university and its communities.
The strategies are informed, in part, by the environmental scan of the SCOT: Strengths, Challenges, Opportunities and Weaknesses~. This document analyzes internal and external forces that are likely to come to bear on university planning and helps the university understand the needs of its external constituents. As noted below, it is informed by university relationships and partnerships with its communities of interest.
Goals and measurements (accountability) for Strategy B are also included in the plan:
Academic outreach programs, such as online master’s degrees, are assessed through academic department five-year reviews, as described in Chapter Two.
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EXB Solutions Opens Bemidji Office EXB Solutions, a high-end test engineering firm, has selected Bemidji to be their primary office location. They opened their Bemidji office last June with a staff of six test engineers. Other EXB offices are located in Wayzata (MN), Phoenix (AZ) and Huntsville (AL). EXB hired five seniors from the Physics Engineering Program at Bemidji State University as some of their initial employees. They have been awarded their Federal HUB Zone certification which will give them extra points in securing government contracts.
Social Work Program Field Expeditions Faculty and students collaborate in Social Work practice.
MARS Community Connection: Faculty-run, Student-directed~link to MARS story by Crit 5 Cmte Marketing Assistance & Research Solutions services include feasibility studies, Internet and exploratory research, focus groups, group interviews, telephone surveys, mail surveys and strategic management analysis.
MARS Mission
Accounting Students Help with Taxes through VITA
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Civic Engagement—The University: Bemidji State models civic engagement through its community relationships. Senior staff represent the university at organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Northwest Minnesota Foundation, and the Joint Economic Development Commission (JEDC), medical providers (e.g. North Country Regional Hospital, MeritCare Clinic) businesses (e.g. Nortech Systems, Anderson Fabrics, Black Star Dairy) and other agencies are also represented at these organizations. Community projects and needs are brought to meetings and ideas are exchanged. One example of a successful collaboration: a high-end test engineering firm opened a satellite office in Bemidji in part because of the potential employee pool among Bemidji State graduates (see sidebar)~.
In a less formal capacity, the university’s president meets personally with key office holders in the Bemidji area, such as the mayor of Bemidji, the president of North Country Regional Hospital, American Indian tribal chairs, and the superintendent of the Bemidji Public Schools. He also visits area schools, businesses and industries on a regular basis.
In addition to the above personal connections, Bemidji State continually conducts surveys to determine community needs and to ascertain its position in the community.
By way of example:
Civic Engagement—Students, Faculty and Staff: In addition to its institutional role, the university contributes to its communities of interest through the actions of its students, faculty and staff. Contributions of students are discussed primarily in Chapter Four~ ((under SD &E)). They include student organizations such as Students Today Leaders Forever, Habitat for Humanity and Relay for Life, and projects in academic programs such as VITA~ (see sidebar) in the Accounting program.
Faculty and staff contributions include outreach and partnerships. As noted in Chapter One, these are described at length in Telling Our Stories: Outreach and Partnership Efforts at Bemidji State University, Committee for Outreach and Partnership, Spring 2001.~ ((The Telling Our Stories document, three parts, in Crit Five Cmte documents.)) Civic engagement on campus and in courses has also been studied. The results are documented in Inventory of Civic Engagement, Spring 2005~, and in a Campus Compact report, December 2008.~
The 2005 Inventory of Civic Engagement report recommends that Bemidji State undertake a systematic inventory of support for civic engagement activities at the university. The 2008 Campus Compact report recommends that the university pursue the opening of a service learning and civic engagement center. Based on the results of the those reports, Bemidji State has identified civic engagement as one of its three major Priorities for Improvement.~ See Priority for Improvement: Civic Engagement. |
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Collaborations Undertaken Include
Collaborations Declined Include
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Capacity for Engagement: Bemidji State University is judicious in its development of programs and activities for its external constituents. Criteria for consideration include the university’s ability to carry out a project, especially regarding faculty resources and capacity of facilities. The university also strives to assure that there is real need for such projects. As appropriate, the president’s cabinet, the Leadership Council and the Deans’ Council evaluate initiatives in light of other university planning and relevant indicators.
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Bemidji State’s 20th-day enrollment count is up in part because concurrent enrollment numbers were available earlier than they were in Fall 2007. This year, 156 concurrent enrollment students were included in the 20th day headcount; in 2007, concurrent enrollment numbers were not available until October.
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2. University Plan Strategy B.1 Support and promote educational vitality. Advance educational opportunities in the university’s communities through customized training, concurrent enrollment, PSEO, online and on-campus programs and related offerings.
Bemidji State provides educational opportunities to its communities of interest, from elementary school through higher education and customized training.
Elementary, middle and high schools: In addition to maintaining personal contact between area school administrators and the university’s senior staff, Bemidji State has multiple connections with the area’s high schools, including the following: Level C Post-Secondary Education Options (PSEO): (High school students must meet eligibility requirements.) Level D On-campus: Students in area high schools attend classes on the Bemidji State campus. Fifty-five PSEO students enrolled in on-campus classes Fall 2009. Level D Concurrent enrollment: Students take Bemidji State classes in their high school classrooms. Their teachers must meet certain requirements and are mentored by a Bemidji State professor.
Level C Teacher Training: Bemidji State places ((xx)) student teachers each year in area public schools. This program provides education students with classroom experience and provides support and professional development opportunities for area teachers. ((do we have a brochure or web site or something that we use to solicit classrooms for student teachers??))
Level C College Preparatory Programs: Through special programs, Bemidji State assists area students in preparation for college.
By way of example: Math prep program: need info and link for this (I have a hard copy but do not have electronic)) 360 Degrees: This innovative program guides high school students with an interest in technology careers to programs that will help them fulfill their career goals. ~Data Site document “360 Annual Report FY'07” ((MORE HERE—Psy summer, Music Camp, others))
Level C Summer Programs at Bemidji State introduce area high school students to campus opportunities and promote college-readiness. Level D Upward Bound: This federally-funded program encourages area high school students to consider higher education and helps prepare them for success in college.
Higher education: Bemidji State serves its external constituents through course and program offerings to individuals and through collaborations with other post-secondary institutions.
Level C Distance Learning Programs~: Described in Chapter Three, these programs offer higher education opportunities to students who cannot or choose not to study on-campus at Bemidji State.
Level CCampus Support for Distance Learning: The university supports its distance learning programs through the library and student services.
Level D In response to a need identified through assessment, the A.C. Clark Library provides access to library holdings and services for distance learners. ((Do we have documentation on the assessment??))
Level DThrough its web site, the Center for Extended Learning guides distance learners to university services, including Admissions and Financial Aid.
Level CPost-Secondary Collaborations: Bemidji State has formal relationships with numerous post-secondary institutions.
Level DMnSCU has an elaborate system of course articulations, promoting seamless transfer for general education courses within the system and assisting with course transfers for majors. ((is there a page we can to with this? a # we can use, of schools, or courses??))
Bemidji State has program articulations with xx MnSCU institutions ((do we have any outside the system?)), including the following: ((examples here)) These help promote timely graduation for transfer students.
The university also collaborates with other institutions to offer degrees, including the following:
Level DBemidji State has articulations / agreements/?? with area tribal colleges, including Red Lake and Leech Lake.
Level DOther outreach programs meet specific needs or interests, such as the following:
Customized Training: Through its Center for Research and Innovation the university offers services to area businesses and industries that include networking, custom training, strategic planning development and media development. CRI currently serves ((xxx??)) businesses and industries in northern Minnesota, including ((xxx)).
CRI is also host to the Minnesota Small Business Development Center, Northwest Region. The SBDC provides management and technical assistance to small businesses.
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Bemidji State Recognizes Community Leaders
Bemidji State University Hall of Fame Recognizes Community Leaders
In Collaboration with the Northwest Minnesota Foundation, Bemidji State Women’s Hall of Fame Recognizes Regional Leaders
Endowed Chairs at Bemidji State Established in recognition and appreciation of Bemidji State’s mission to Engage, Embrace, Educate:
Endowed Chair Opportunity
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3. University Plan Strategy B.2 Support and promote economic vitality and quality of place. Build capacity for problem-solving and community building through partnerships and engagement with businesses, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other entities.
Bemidji State and its community partners work together to assure mutual economic success for their shared constituencies.
Bemidji Community: The university’s relationships with the City of Bemidji, Beltrami County, American Indian communities and the northern tier of Minnesota are manifold. They range from recreational planning to disaster planning and include a variety of shared efforts and opportunities.
Level CRegional Event Center: Bemidji State University recently signed a twenty-year lease as the anchor tenant in the new Regional Event Center being built by the City of Bemidji. The agreement process involved the MnSCU system, the State Attorney General’s office and the State Department of Finance.
Level CDiamond Point Park: Bemidji State and the City of Bemidji partnered on the recent renovation of this important city park. The collaboration includes the housing of the university’s Outdoor Program Center at the park.
Level CUniversity Facilities: The Bemidji State campus is available for rental for community events, such as an annual boat show, and for weddings and other private events. A process is in place for evaluating and scheduling rental requests.
Level CCivic Engagement: In recent years, Bemidji State has done several surveys to determine the extent of civic engagement by Bemidji State students, faculty and staff. The surveys indicate that the Bemidji State community participates in civic engagement. See Priorities for Improvement: Civic Engagement~ on plans to improve such activity.
Level CCollaboration with Government Agencies: The university maintains regular relationships with local governments, including law enforcement, to assure cooperation on matters of law, health and related issues, including disaster planning and law enforcement. ((documentation??))
Level CCommunity Appreciation Day: Bemidji State hosts an annual day of appreciation in recognition of its external constituents. The 2009 event hosted more than 2,500 guests who visited twenty information booths sponsored by academic departments student clubs and observed nine athletic teams at practice.
Level CUniversity Foundation: The Bemidji State Foundation promotes and maintains relationships with alumni and with area businesses, industries and individuals. ((additional info—evidence)) |
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Bemidji State Participates in Shared Vision “Shared Vision seeks to be a catalyst that encourages the Bemidji community to work together to expand social, economic, education and leadership opportunities for people of all races.” Indian Country Today Don Day, Director, Bemidji State University American Indian Resource Center, is a member of Shared Vision.
Research Documents Race Relations Concern A survey commissioned by Shared Vision* indicates a division between white and American communities.
The Community Responds: Bemidji Businesses Including Ojibwe in Signs “Boozhoo” welcomes patrons in Bemidji.
* “Shared Vision seeks to be a catalyst that encourages the Bemidji community to work together to expand social, economic, education and leadership opportunities for people of all races.” Indian Country Today Don Day, Director, Bemidji State University American Indian Resource Center, is a member of Shared Vision.
Bemidji State Hosts American Indian Education Summit Keynote speaker Dr. Will Antell is Bemidji State alum.
Bemidji State Supports the Literary Arts D & F http://www.bemidjistate.edu/bsutoday/news-updates/2008/07/09/early-submission-deadline-set-for-2009-edition-of-dust-and-fire or http://www.bemidjistate.edu/academics/publications/dust_and_fire/ NV http://www.bemidjistate.edu/academics/publications/new_voices/
Other Arts here... |
4. University Plan Strategy B.3 Support and promote cultural and recreational vitality. Participate in the enrichment of our communities through development and support of the arts and other cultural and recreational offerings.
Cultures and Heritage: Bemidji State promotes cultural vitality through its relationships with communities of interest.
The Arts: The university provides arts and entertainment offerings open to the public and promotes collaboration between area and university artists.
Athletics and Recreation: The university provides athletic and recreation opportunities that are open to the public and promotes collaboration between area and university athletics and recreation.
((Frozen Four, Event Center, etc.))
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5. University Plan Strategy B.4 Promote environmental vitality. Work with partners to assure the environmental stewardship of our shared communities.
As promised in its Signature Themes and its Strategies for 2008-2013, Bemidji State is committed to environmental stewardship on its campus and beyond.
By way of example:
Shoreline research & grants (Welle) Water quality research & grants (Kroeger)
Diamond Point Park Bike trail Hobson Forest
Sustainability coordinator Hobson Union wind power |
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Evidence/Information Yet to Be Included
Ideas?
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6. Priorities for Improvement
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Graphic Banner Here (narrow, to distinguish between single column above and double column below) – repeat at end/beginning of double columns.
Criterion Five: Engagement and Service
Summary of Evidence
Core Component 5a The organization learns from the constituencies it serves and analyzes its capacity to serve their needs and expectations.
Core Component 5b The organization has the capacity and the commitment to engage with its identified constituencies and communities.
Core Component 5c The organization demonstrates its responsiveness to those constituencies that depend on it for service.
Core Component 5d Internal and external constituencies value the services the organization provides.