Charges for Steering Committee and Working Groups

The Steering Committee is comprised of the two Middle States Co-Chairs, the Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO), and 14 Working Group co-chairs (representing the seven groups). In addition, three members serve in an ex-officio capacity: the Dean of Faculty Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Manager of Assessment and Accreditation for Academic Affairs, and Senior Associate Director for Institutional Research. The Executive Team meets often to oversee implementation and includes the Middle States Co-Chairs, the ALO, and the Manager of Assessment and Accreditation.

The role of the Self-Study Co-Chairs is to direct the Steering Committee through collaboration, inclusivity, and accessibility. They will promote collaborations across Standards, and will respect individual differences, boundaries, and responsibilities. They will sustain open and honest opportunities for dialogue in the committee and across the College.

Steering Committee Charge                                                  

1. Develop the Self-Study Design.

2. Consult with campus constituencies and identify areas of strength and opportunity associated with the achievement of Ithaca College’s mission.

3. Work with Senior Leadership Team to identify 3-4 institutional priorities to be addressed in the self-study.

4. Ensure institutional priorities are adequately addressed in the Working Groups’ analysis.

5. Define shared lines of inquiry for all Working Groups. (Note that all lines of inquiry should relate directly to our institutional priorities and self-study outcomes.)

6. Define additional Working Group specific lines of inquiry.

7. Provide leadership, guidance, and oversight as the working groups undertake the self-study process.

8. Assist in the development and support of the Self-Study Communication Plan; ensure campus-wide engagement in and understanding of the process.

9. Review interim Working Group reports that will be used for the final Self-Study Report.

10. Arrange for campus-wide review of and response to the draft Self-Study Report

11. Identify the most important opportunities for improvement and/or innovation that will be included in the final report.

12. Oversee completion of the final report, including refinement of the Evidence Inventory.

13. Be available for and participate in all campus site visits related to the Self-Study process: visit of MSCHE VP Liaison, visit with Chair of visiting team, and visit of evaluation team after submission of Self-Study.

14. Ensure Self-Study Timeline is implemented and followed.

Working Groups Charge

Our seven working groups are organized by MSCHE standard and are comprised of faculty, staff, and students and each group is led by two co-chairs. The overall objective of the working groups is to support ongoing assessment practices, help identify areas for improvement, and encourage institutional divisions to take action. Working group chairs are to address areas of improvement with the director or administrator for the corresponding division to document what actions are being taken to address the issue. The decision to take action on recommendations and requirements remains with each division. The working groups are accountable for the gathering of evidence and preparation of reports.

a. Develop a thorough understanding of Middle States standards for accreditation, including criteria for evaluation.

b. Utilize Evidence Expectations and Data Audit to identify and collect data and evidence.

c. Based on the analysis of data and evidence, determine to what extent the institution meets the standard and its criteria. Identify and communicate gaps in compliance to the Steering Committee.

d. Determine the college’s strengths and challenges. Affirm where and how we are meeting the standard, identify areas for improvement and potential opportunities for innovation.

e. Develop up to four additional lines of inquiry to supplement shared lines of inquiry as needed. Lines of inquiry are similar to research questions.

f. Collaborate with other Working Groups researching shared lines of inquiry related to institutional priorities.

g. In consultation with Steering Committee to coordinate efforts, confer with campus community members with key areas of expertise related to their Standard.

h. Use information gathered along with feedback from the steering committee, to prepare gap analysis and emerging recommendations document.

i. Hold regular meetings (6+/semester) to distribute tasks, identify, collect, and analyze evidence, and to draft reports. Use shared Middle States Reaccreditation calendar to schedule meetings.

j. Keep and post minutes in Teams that document main topics of discussion, action items, and decisions.

k. Post monthly update reports to the Steering Committee on Teams.

l. Develop draft reports (~10-15 pages per standard) and incorporate feedback on draft into final submission.

m. Review and provide feedback on combined Self-Study report.

n. Be available and participate in all site visits including but not limited to: visit of MSCHE VP Liaison, visit with Chair of visiting team, and visit of evaluation team after submission of Self-Study.

o. Adhere to Self-Study Timeline and meet deadlines.