Facilitating
data collection used for accreditation decisions.
Questions to ask your accreditation agency:
What questions should team members typically ask?
What compliance issues have been identified by the agency?
What questions does the agency's decision-making body want to
be answered?
What written documentation does the agency require?
Which documents are necessary or appropriate for a team to request
from a program or institution?
What accreditation reports or background documents will the agency
provide?
Whether you are touring facilities, meeting with students, or interviewing
individual faculty, the information that you gather must effectively
support your accreditation decisions and recommendations for quality
improvement. Proper observations and documentation should be
objective and unbiased, not based on hearsay, or negative or positive
perceptions of the institution, program or people;
consistent and balanced, using the same level of detail for positive
and negative findings without letting one finding overshadow all
others; and
factual and accurate, using direct observations and specific examples
with confirmation from multiple sources
All questions and the resulting information are significant to the
team's work, so team members are encouraged to ask questions, even
if the question's importance appears uncertain. Because the evaluation
team must assess and validate the self-study that the institution
has prepared, it is important and appropriate to pose the same question(s)
in multiple sessions or to different individuals. If an area of partial
or non-compliance is found, the proper questions will help the team
to understand how the program or institution rationalizes it in terms
of its unique mission and resources.
Requests for information may include, but are not limited to:
To what extent do you agree with the self-study document? Were
there any errors of commission and/or omission?
Tell me about some of the challenges in developing a plan to collect
outcomes data for your institution.
Describe the procedures that you use for assessing outcomes data,
and how is that information used to improve the institution?
Explain how program or institutional concerns are addressed through
short- and long-term (strategic) planning?
Describe your perceptions of the students and their academic and
professional development.
What is being done to develop students' critical thinking and
problem-solving skills?
Give me some examples of how the school supports faculty and their
professional development.
Describe your perceptions regarding the professional development
process and your personal development opportunities.
What are your individual goals and objectives? What do you require
to address your individual needs and departmental, collegiate or
institutional goals?
Describe your perceptions regarding the leadership and direction
of the Dean (... Associate and/or Assistant Dean(s)) and/or your
direct supervisor (e.g., Department or Division Chair).
Do you feel there is an adequate flow of information and communication
within the College, School or institution? Do you feel involved
in the College, School or institutional affairs?
Do you have any questions for the evaluation team?
Questions should not be presented in a judgmental manner. Rather,
they should seek information and clarification. It is not advisable
for any team member to offer examples from the member's home institution;
because the institution being evaluated is unique, and such comparisons,
while offered in a positive sense, may be misconstrued. Such information
may be provided if it is not attributed to a particular institution
or if the information is specifically requested by individuals from
the host institution.
When gathering information, clearly document your findings through
your notes. When taking notes, remember to do the following:
Tell interviewees that you will be taking notes in order to remember
key points; however their remarks are confidential
Avoid letting the interviewee see your notes
Write key words/phrases as you hear them to help you reconstruct
the sessions
Only keep notes that are related to areas outlined by agency standards
Use multiple reviewers whenever possible and compare notes
