Recently a graduate student in Higher Education asked me several questions and I thought I would share my answers:
1. What should be the role of higher
education in today’s society?
I believe there must be a synergy reached between
knowledge creation and knowledge application/critique. In our current political climate, there has
been a strong emphasis placed on the knowledge application/critique and it is
essential to the American model to find a balance for both knowledge
creation/exploration and knowledge application/critique. While finding a balance is admirable, I
believe the American model of higher education calls for movement beyond simple
balance to a level where knowledge creation and knowledge application/critique
contribute to the greater good at a level outpacing the need for knowledge
consumption.
2. What primary actions are needed to
fulfill the office of Institutional Effectiveness’s role in higher education?
The primary action needed is the saturation of
intentionality, assessment, and progress into all sectors of the
university. Often the Office of
Institutional Effectiveness is a reporting entity which chases information
rather than partner hand-in-hand with the administration and faculty to
intentionally shape knowledge creation and application/use.
3. What challenges does the world of
accreditation face? What challenges have they faced in the past, and what are
predicted challenges as the role of accreditation changes?
There is a great deal of criticism
in public secondary education regarding “teaching to the test” modes of
education. Because of the intense
spotlight that has been placed on higher education by entities such as the
Academically Adrift work, colleges and universities have begun to worry, to
fret almost over retention, persistence, and graduation rates.
(Arum, R., & Roksa, J. (2011). Academically adrift:
Limited learning on college campuses. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago
Press.)
Will we, in the future, begin to realize that for the sake of
a good numbers report we sacrificed the overall American model of
education? Will we point to the U. S.
News and World Report rankings as students are technically skilled while
transformation is unaltered?
How do noble values such as ethics get reported in a format
that is easy to compare across a grid as expectant and wise parents seek the
“best” option for their student?
I believe the challenge in the world of accreditation is to
find the level of inquiry which is rigorous and rich but which does not
simplify the notion of human transformation.
While graduation rate is an easy marker to show movement, we must
examine the content of the movement to assure we are not simply existing but
rather creating a more noble individual who can speak to and contribute to his
or her own greater good-whatever that marker may be.
4.
How does the accreditation process
measure success with differing types of institutions?
In a couple of weeks, a large part of my office will attend
the Texas Association of Institutional Researcher’s annual meeting. In preparation for that meeting, our group
reviewed the program offerings today. In
so doing, we noted a majority of the presentations being offered are presented
by individuals working for community colleges.
In speculation, I wondered if, because of the intense scrutiny community
colleges are under if they have had to advance in their documentation and
examination processes while four-year institutions lag a bit? Purely my anecdotal proposal, but I do wonder
if four years, while still intensely examined, have gotten a bit of relief that
community colleges have not been afforded.
5. What would you change, if anything, in
the accreditation process?
I would assure that
intentionality saturates every aspect of the university as documentation of
accreditation, assessment, and strategic planning are partners in the
progression of the university. I would
demolish siloes as they are a constriction to every aspect of knowledge
creation and application/critique. I
have witnessed strategic planning done in isolation, Institutional
Effectiveness documented in isolation, and everyone, especially students, are
on the losing end of such a formula. I
believe a university must ask itself “what is our purpose” often and
administrators should question themselves with “how will this decision
contribute to the purpose of this institution” with every choice they make.
Is the purpose of
higher education burning red hot in American right now or is higher education
dodging the bullets from accreditors, the general public, parents, and other
stakeholders? I would challenge (and
change) that instead of dodging, universities stand bold and hold firm to the
purposes of knowledge creation and application/use. I would allow for the worthy criticism (not
always formulated in a positive or constructive way), dedicate the process and
systems to continuous improvement, and weather the storm of current political
panderings. I think of Jim Collins’
worthy work in Good to Great and I note the remarkable thriving experienced by
entities which know their purpose and hold firm to that purpose regardless of
the “hits” they take. More universities
need to take this approach rather than watering down their purpose to
accommodate everyone who wants to voice an opinion.
