First Town Meeting

March 27, 2007

MINUTES:

Carl Lovitt conducted the meeting to orient the campus community about the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) self-study, due in 2008.  The self study entails the submission of 100 single spaced pages in August to NEASC; CCSU may also include appendices as evidence to the 11 Standards. Information will also be placed in a documentation room and On-line.  (Approximately 70-80 people were in the audience.)

The Self-study culminates on October 19-22, 2008 with a site visit.

The Steering Committee is composed members of the CCSU Executive Committee and Tim Craine, Chair of the Faculty Senate. Each member of the Steering Committee chairs a standard committee. Dr. Lovitt will help to facilitate the self-study for two standards that have multiple subcommittees: “Academic Standards” and “Faculty”; each subcommittee for these standards will have its own chair.

Each section of the Self Study is to be organized into three sections:

1)  Description

2)  Appraisal

3)  Projection

NEASC most interested in sections 2 and 3

The Standards are intended to be “aspirational,” representing the characteristics to which all institutions should aspire. Minimal compliance with the standards is to be expected.

Instead, the Self Study should provide an opportunity for institutions to present a frank assessment of their strengths and weaknesses. Candor is seen as Institutional strength

No surprises should occur during site visit.

The Projections section should address plans for addressing weaknesses: who/what/when/how/Resources

It is also very important to tie the report to CCSU’s mission and strategic plan.

Question from Audience:

Q: How will we know if responses are related to Mission description

A: Website will be available to see drafts

A: VISTA: shared folders for committee to communicate with each other

TIME TABLE: 

This semester calls for information to be gathered on the Description and Appraisal sections.  Each committee is to develop an action plan; one part of the action plan should address how each committee will conduct appraisals.  Action plans should be submitted to Carl Lovitt by April 20, 2007.  These will be placed on the web site along with the list of meetings for anyone to attend.

Peggy Maki will be on campus May 10 to present more information on NEASC

Web survey will be developed (June-July) for campus community to complete in fall semester (August-September).  Next town meeting in November will discuss survey results.

Money has been set aside for completion of Description Section during the summer

End of December: Appraisal done

Site team leader will come spring 2008

Drafts of the projection sections should be completed by April 2008

Q:  Will deadlines be posted on website?

A:  Yes. 

Mission Differentiation   We need to document/demonstrate what makes CCSU distinct from other Connecticut State Universities.

Town meeting meant to share information and obtain input.

Need to make website live: Start by including the timetable, members and action plan.

Appraisal from Audience

1. Advising: (was noted in NEASC1998 report).
2. Space:  office, teaching, research.
3. Writing across the curriculum as a campus initiative.
4. Availability of classes for first year and evening students.
5. Document processing: how information flows and what the procedures entail.
6. Diversity of student body, given urban location.
7. Financial Support to cut down on number of hours our students need to work.
8. Number of part-time faculty vs. full-time faculty results in uneven quality of who teaches the courses and the lack of consistency across the courses.
9. Teaching load.
10. Ability to obtain accurate data, both to access it and what to do with it.
11. Continue to improve admission process and all that it entails – to include admission of transfer students
12. Improving student retention and graduation rate.
13. Banner has made life harder.  Try to put some money into fixing some of the Banner complaints.
14. Track “Request Not Honored.”
15. How to notify students when classes are cancelled or are full.
16. Improve student support.
17. Optimize use of space: improve room allocation and scheduling of classes (program).
18. Greater advertising of programs (for example, nursing).
19. Integration of transfer students; find ways for CCSU to get credit for serving transfer students as part of the graduation rate; include transfer students into retention data (those who transfer in to CCSU or leave to get a degree at another University).
20. Residential Life and activities that make campus rich.
21. Improve library space and equipment.
22. Improve communication to student and faculty.
23. Are we maximizing use of facilities for classes?
24. Have a formal mentoring program and guidelines.
25. Online distance learning:  Improve instruction and methods.
26. Survey Alumni for their feedback. 

Back to Main Page