Educational Program And Its Effectiveness
Standard 2.A – General Requirements
The institution offers collegiate level programs that culminate in identified student competencies and lead to degrees or certificates in recognized fields of study. The achievement and maintenance of high quality programs is the primary responsibility of an accredited institution; hence, the evaluation of educational programs and their continuous improvement is an ongoing responsibility. As conditions and needs change, the institution continually redefines for itself the elements that result in educational programs of high quality.
2.A.1 The institution demonstrates its commitment to
high standards of teaching and learning
by providing sufficient human, physical, and
financial resources to support its
educational programs and to facilitate student
achievement of program objectives whenever and however
they are offered.
2.A.2 The goals of the institution’s educational
programs, whenever and however offered, including
instructional policies, methods, and delivery systems,
are compatible with the institution’s mission.
They are developed, approved, and periodically
evaluated under established institutional policies and
procedures through a clearly defined process.
2.A.3 Degree and certificate programs demonstrate a
coherent design; are characterized by appropriate
breadth, depth, sequencing of courses, synthesis of
learning, and the assessment of learning outcomes; and
require the use of library and other information
sources.
2.A.4 The institution uses degree designators
consistent with program content. In each field of study
or technical program, degree objectives are clearly
defined: the content to be covered, the intellectual
skills, the creative capabilities, and the methods of
inquiry to be acquired; and, if applicable, the
specific career-preparation competencies to be
mastered.
2.A.5 The institution provides evidence that students
enrolled in programs offered in concentrated or
abbreviated timeframes demonstrate mastery of program
goals and course objectives.
2.A.6 The institution is able to equate its learning
experiences with semester or quarter credit hours using
practices common to institutions of higher education,
to justify the lengths of its programs
in comparison to similar programs found in regionally
accredited institutions of higher education, and to
justify any program-specific tuition in terms of
program costs, program length, and program
objectives.
2.A.7 Responsibility for design, approval, and
implementation of the curriculum is vested in
designated institutional bodies with clearly
established channels of communication and control. The
faculty has a major role and responsibility in the
design, integrity, and implementation of the
curriculum.
2.A.8 Faculty, in partnership with library and
information resources personnel, ensure that
the use of library and information resources is
integrated into the learning process.
2.A.9 The institution’s curriculum (programs and
courses) is planned both for optimal learning and
accessible scheduling.
2.A.10 Credit for prior experiential learning is
awarded only in accordance with
Policy 2.3 Credit for Prior
Experiential Learning.
2.A.11 Policies, regulations, and procedures for
additions and deletions of courses or programs
are systematically and periodically
reviewed.
2.A.12 In the event of program elimination or
significant change in requirements,
institutional policy requires appropriate
arrangements to be made for enrolled students to
complete their program in a timely manner and with a
minimum of disruption.
Standard 2.B – Educational Program Planning and Assessment
Educational program planning is based on regular and
continuous assessment of programs in light of the needs
of the disciplines, the fields or occupations for which
programs prepare students, and other constituencies of
the institution.
2.B.1 The institution’s processes for assessing
its educational programs are clearly defined, encompass
all of its offerings, are conducted on a regular basis,
and are integrated into the overall planning and
evaluation plan. These processes are consistent with
the institution’s assessment plan as required by
Policy 2.2
Educational Assessment. While key
constituents are involved in the process, the faculty
have a central role in planning and evaluating the
educational programs.
2.B.2 The institution identifies and publishes the
expected learning outcomes for each of its degree
and certificate programs. Through regular and
systematic assessment, it demonstrates that students
who complete their programs, no matter where or how
they are offered, have achieved these outcomes.
2.B.3 The institution provides evidence that its
assessment activities lead to the
improvement of teaching and learning.
Standard 2.C – Undergraduate Program
The undergraduate program is designed to provide
students with a substantial, coherenst, and articulated
exposure to the broad domains of knowledge.
The Commission encourages a tripartite structure for
baccalaureate and academic or transfer associate degree
programs: (1) general education requires students to
master competencies for independent learning and to
develop an awareness of the fundamental areas of
knowledge; (2) the major requires students to achieve a
knowledge base in a specific area of concentration; and
(3) electives provide the opportunity for students to
pursue other intellectual interests. The instructional
program, as a whole, is based on a clear rationale with
the component parts designed to reflect that rationale.
Degree and certificate programs are characterized by
clarity and order which are discernible in model
curricula shown in official publications and are
recorded in official student records of actual programs
pursued.
Baccalaureate and academic or transfer associate degree
programs include a substantial core of general
education instruction with identifiable outcomes and
require competence in (a) written and oral
communication, (b) quantitative reasoning, (c) critical
analysis and logical thinking, and (d) literacy in the
discourse or technology appropriate to the program of
study.
Associate degree programs are designed to prepare
students for careers in vocational and technical
fields, and for transfer to a senior institution.
Accordingly, the educational requirements for these
degrees must be carefully determined in order to
fulfill their respective purposes.
Programs of study for which applied or specialized
associate degrees are granted, or programs of an
academic year or more in length for which certificates
are granted, contain a recognizable body of instruction
in three program-related areas: (1) communication, (2)
computation, and (3) human relations described in
Policy 2.1 General Education/Related
Instruction Requirements.
2.C.1 The institution requires of all its degree and
pre-baccalaureate programs a component of general
education and/or related instruction that is published
in its general catalog in clear and complete
terms.
2.C.2 The general education component of the
institution’s degree programs is based on
a rationale that is clearly articulated and is
published in clear and complete terms in
the catalog. It provides the criteria by which the
relevance of each course to the general education
component is evaluated.
2.C.3 The general education program offerings include
the humanities and fine arts,
the natural sciences, mathematics, and
the social sciences. The program may also include
courses that focus on the interrelationships between
these major fields of study.
2.C.4 The institution’s policies for the transfer
and acceptance of credit are clearly articulated.
In accepting transfer credits to fulfill
degree requirements, the institution ensures
that the credits accepted are comparable to its
own courses. Where patterns of transfer from other
institutions are established, efforts to formulate
articulation agreements are demonstrated.
2.C.5 The institution designs and maintains effective
academic advising programs to meet student needs
for information and advice, and adequately informs and
prepares faculty and other personnel responsible
for the advising function.
2.C.6 Whenever developmental or remedial work is
required for admission to the institution or any of its
programs, clear policies govern the procedures that are
followed, including such matters as ability to benefit,
permissible student load, and granting of credit.
When such courses are granted credit, students
are informed of the institution’s policy of
whether or not the credits apply toward a degree. (See
Glossary,
Ability to benefit)
2.C.7 The institution’s faculty is adequate for
the educational levels offered, including
full-time faculty representing each field in which
it offers major work.
2.C.8 In an effort to further establish an
institution’s success with respect to student
achievement, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and
Universities shall require those institutions that
offer pre-baccalaureate vocational programs to track
State licensing examination pass rates, as
applicable, and job placement rates.
Standard 2.D – Graduate Program
A graduate program is a set of advanced academic
experiences beyond the baccalaureate level which must
be satisfactorily completed to warrant the award of a
graduate degree such as a master’s or
doctorate.
Graduate degree programs may generally be classified
into two categories: those that prepare students mainly
as scholars and researchers and those that prepare
students for a profession. The objective of a
research-oriented graduate degree program is to develop
scholars — that is, students with skills
necessary to discover or acquire, organize, and
disseminate new knowledge. The objective of the
professional graduate degree is to develop in students
their competence in interpreting, organizing, and
communicating knowledge and to develop the analytical
and performance skills needed for the conduct and
advancement of professional practice.
2.D.1 The level and nature of graduate-degree programs
are consistent with the mission and goals of the
institution.
2.D.2 Programs of study at the graduate level are
guided by well-defined and appropriate educational
objectives and differ from undergraduate programs in
requiring greater depth of Study and increased
demands on student intellectual or creative
capacities.
2.D.3 When offering the doctoral degree, the
institution ensures that the level of
expectations, curricula, and resources made
available are significantly greater than those provided
for master’s and baccalaureate level programs.
Standard 2.E – Graduate Faculty and Related Resources
Essential to graduate education are the recruitment and
retention of a faculty that excels in scholarship,
teaching, and research. To provide an acceptable level
of instruction for the graduate student, faculty whose
responsibilities include a major commitment to graduate
education are involved in keeping pace with, and
advancing the frontiers of, knowledge.
Successful graduate programs demand a substantial
institutional commitment of resources for faculty,
space, equipment, laboratories, library and information
resources.
2.E.1 The institution provides evidence that it makes
available for graduate programs the required
resources for faculty, facilities, equipment,
laboratories, library and information resources
wherever the graduate programs are offered and however
delivered.
2.E.2 The institution demonstrates a continuing
commitment of resources to initiate graduate programs
and to ensure that the graduate programs maintain pace
with the expansion of knowledge and
technology.
2.E.3 Institutions offering graduate degrees have
appropriate full-time faculty in areas
appropriate to the degree offered and whose
main activity lies with the institution. Such faculty
are related by training and research to the disciplines
in which they teach and supervise research.
2.E.4 aculty are adequate in number and sufficiently
diversified within disciplines so as to provide
effective teaching, advising, scholarly and/or creative
activity, as well as to participate appropriately in
curriculum development, policy development, evaluation,
institutional planning, and development. Small graduate
programs ordinarily require the participation of
several full-time faculty whose responsibilities
include a major commitment to graduate
education.
2.E.5 In the delivery of off-campus programs, full-time
faculty whose responsibilities include a major
commitment to graduate education provide physical
presence and participation in the planning, delivery,
and assessment of the programs.
2.E.6 The institution that offers the doctoral degree
has a core of full-time faculty active in graduate
education at its main campus and at each off-campus
location where doctoral programs are offered.
Standard 2.F – Graduate Records and Academic Credit
Graduate admission and retention policies ensure that
student qualifications and expectations are compatible
with institutional mission and goals. Graduate program
faculty are involved in specifying admission criteria,
transfer of graduate credit, and graduation
requirements.
2.F.1 Graduate program admission policies and
regulations are consistent with and supportive
of the character of the graduate programs
offered by the institution. These policies and
regulations are published and made available to
prospective and enrolled students.
2.F.2 Admission to all graduate programs is based on
information submitted with the formal application such
as undergraduate and graduate transcripts, official
reports on nationally recognized tests, and evaluations
by professionals in the field or
other faculty-controlled evaluation
procedures.
2.F.3 Faculty teaching in graduate programs are
involved in establishing both general
admission criteria for graduate study as
well as admission criteria to specific graduate
programs.
2.F.4 Graduation requirements for advanced degrees
offered by the institution are determined
by the faculty teaching in the applicable
graduate programs. At minimum, the
policies governing these graduation requirements
include:
- the specified time period in which the degree must be completed;
- the number of credit hours that must be completed at the degree-granting institution, normally at least two-thirds of those required for the degree;
- the minimum number of graduate-level credits, normally at least 50% of those required for the degree;
- for the master’s degree, a minimum of one academic year of full-time study or its equivalent, with a minimum of 24 semester or 36 quarter hours;
- the number of graded credit hours that must be earned for the degree;
- the minimum standard of performance or acceptable grade point average, normally a B or its equivalent;
- the types of qualifying and exit examinations which the candidate must pass;
- the proficiency requirements the candidate must satisfy; and
- the thesis, dissertation, writing, or research requirement which the candidate must satisfy.
2.F.5 Transfer of graduate credit is evaluated by
faculty based on policies established
by faculty whose responsibilities
include a major commitment to graduate education, or by
representative body of such faculty who are
responsible for the degree program at the receiving
institution. The amount of transfer credit granted may
be limited by the age of credit, the institution from
which the transfer is made, and the appropriateness of
the credit earned to the degree being
sought.
2.F.6 Graduate credit may be granted for internships,
field experiences, and clinical practices that are an
integral part of the graduate degree program.
Consistent with
Policy 2.3
Credit for Prior Experiential Learning,
credit may not be granted for experiential learning
which occurred prior to the student’s
matriculation into the graduate degree program. Unless
the graduate student’s faculty advisor structures
the current learning experience and monitors and
assesses the learning and its outcomes, no graduate
credit is granted for current learning experiences
external to the student’s formal
graduate program.
Standard 2.G – Continuing Education and Special Learning Activities
The changing nature of the demands placed upon
individuals in today’s society requires many of
them to engage in life-long education. Many higher
education institutions have incorporated into their
missions an extension and public service component to
provide for life-long learning opportunities. These
opportunities are referred to as continuing education,
professional development, extension education,
outreach, special programs, public and community
service programs. Such programs may be for either
undergraduate or graduate credit, or non-credit, may be
offered on and off campus, and may be offered through a
variety of instructional formats.
The provisions of this standard apply to:
- Off-campus programs and courses for credit, including those at branch campuses, extension centers or satellite sites, external degree programs, and military base programs.
- Degree-completion programs.
- Distance learning courses and courses taught exclusively on or off campus by special delivery systems, such as computer-based instruction, correspondence,television, video or audio cassette, or through other electronically-accessed means.
- Practices providing credit for prior experiential learning.
- Travel/study and study abroad programs.
- Courses certified by the institution offered in secondary schools for college or university academic credit.
- Non-credit community service programs and courses, including those that offer Continuing Education Units (CEU).
- Relicensure courses, in-service, and credential programs.
- Testing, evaluation, and examination procedures for granting degree credit.
- Workshops, seminars, short courses, conferences, institutes, special evening and summer programs.
Off-Campus and Other Special Programs Providing Academic Credit
Continuing education and special learning activities,
programs, and courses offered for credit are consistent
with the educational mission and goals of the
institution. Such activities are integral parts of the
institution and maintain the same academic standards as
regularly offered programs and courses. The institution
maintains direct and sole responsibility for the
academic quality of all aspects of all programs and
courses through the management and supervision by
faculty and institutional administrators. Adequate
resources to maintain high quality programs are
ensured.
2.G.1 The institution provides evidence that all
off-campus, continuing education (credit and
noncredit), and other special programs are compatible
with the institution’s mission and goals,
and are designed, approved, administered, and
periodically evaluated under establihed institutional
procedures.
2.G.2 The institution is solely responsible for the
academic and fiscal elements of all instructional
programs it offers. The institution conforms to
Policy A-6 Contractual Relationships with Organizations
Not Regionally Accredited.
2.G.3 Full-time faculty representing the appropriate
disciplines and fields of work are
involvedin the planning and evaluation of
the institution’s continuing education and
special learning activities.
2.G.4 The responsibility for the administration of
continuing education and special learning activities is
clearly defined and an integral organizational
component of the institution’s
organization.
2.G.5 Programs and courses offered through
electronically-mediated or other distance delivery
systems provide ready access to appropriate learning
resources and provide sufficient time and
opportunities (electronic or others) for students to
interact with faculty.
2.G.6 There is an equitable fee structure and refund
policy.
2.G.7 The granting of credit for continuing education
courses and special learning activities is based
upon institutional policy, consistent throughout the
institution, and applied wherever located and
however delivered. The standard of one quarter hour of
credit for 30 hours one semester hour of credit
for 45 hours of student involvement is maintained
for instructional programs and courses.
2.G.8 Continuing education and/or special learning
activities, programs, or courses offered for academic
credit are approved in advance by the appropriate
institutional body and monitored through
established procedures.
2.G.9 Credit for prior experiential learning is offered
only at the undergraduate level and in accordance with
Policy 2.3 Credit
for Prior Experiential Learning.
2.G.10 An institution offering an external degree,
degree-completion program, or special degree has
clearly articulated policies and procedures concerning
admission to the program, transfer of prior-earned
credit, credit by examination (e.g., College Level
Examination Program (CLEP) of the College Entrance
Examination Board and the institution’s own
examinations), credit for prior experiential learning,
credit by evaluation, and residency
requirements.
2.G.11 When credit is measured by outcomes alone or
other nontraditional means, student learning and
achievement are demonstrated to be at least comparable
in breadth, depth, and quality to the results of
traditional instructional practices.
2.G.12 Travel/study courses meet the same academic
standards, award similar credit, and are subject
to the same institutional control as other courses and
programs offered by the sponsoring or participating
institution. Credit is not awarded for travel alone.
The operation of these programs is consistent with
Policy 2.4 Study Abroad Programs,
and Policy A-6 Contractual Relationships with
Organizations Not Regionally Accredited.
Standard 2.H – Non-credit Programs and Courses
Non-credit programs and courses, including those that
award Continuing Education Units (CEU), are consistent
with the mission and goals of the institution. These
offerings are characterized by high quality instruction
with qualified instructors.
2.H.1 Non-credit programs and courses are administered
under appropriate
institutional policies, regulations,
and procedures. Faculty are involved, as appropriate,
in planning and evaluating non-credit programs.
2.H.2 The institution maintains records for audit
purposes which describe the nature,
level, and quantity of service provided
through non-credit instruction.
2.H.3 When offering courses that award Continuing
Education Units (CEU), the institution follows
national guidelines for awarding and recording such
units which call for one CEU being equivalent to 10
hours of instruction and appropriate to the objectives
of the course. (See Glossary,
Continuing Education Unit, and Policy A-9 Non-credit, Extension,
and Continuing Education Studies.)
Policy 2.1 General Education/Related Instruction Requirements
The Commission endorses the concept of general
education and, as described below, requires of all
undergraduate programs a substantial and coherent
program of general education or a program of related
instruction. By design, the policy is intended to be
qualitative rather than quantitative in nature. No
formula for specific application or particular pattern
of general education is endorsed. However, every
institution is expected to publish in its general
catalog a clear and complete statement of its
requirements for general education and/or related
instruction, as appropriate.
A substantial core of general education instruction is
regarded as an essential component of all baccalaureate
degree programs and of all academic or transfer
associate degree programs. Similarly, a core of related
instruction is regarded as a necessary integral part of
all applied or specialized associate degree programs
and of all certificate programs of an academic year or
more in length. General education in degree programs
shall be of collegiate level. The contents of general
education, and of related instruction in applied or
specialized degree and certificate programs, should be
comparable, though not necessarily identical, to
traditional academic offerings and should be taught by
faculty who are clearly appropriately qualified. In
some cases, institutions may provide for general
education through admission or graduation requirements.
Institutions are encouraged to include broad general
education instruction as part of non-degree specialized
programs in addition to directly utilitarian-related
instruction.
General Education. General education
introduces students to the content and methodology of
the major areas of knowledge - the humanities and fine
arts, the natural sciences, mathematics, and the social
sciences - and helps them develop the mental skills
that will make them more effective learners. General
education may, of course, be taught in different ways,
and an institution must judge whether its students are
better served by curricula or requirements that
approach the disciplines through content and
methodology, or that approach the disciplines by
concentrating on outcomes. The rationale and plan for
the general education requirements should be
cooperatively developed by the faculty, administrative
staff, and trustees, and the expected outcomes should
be stated in relation to the institution’s
mission and goals.
Related Instruction. Programs of study
for which applied or specialized associate degrees are
granted, or programs of an academic year or more in
length for which certificates are granted, must contain
a recognizable body of instruction in program-related
areas of 1) communication, 2) computation, and 3) human
relations. Additional topics which should be covered as
appropriate include safety, industrial safety, and
environmental awareness. Instruction in the related
instructional areas may be either embedded within the
program curriculum or taught in blocks of specialized
instruction. Each approach, however, must have clearly
identified content that is pertinent to the general
program of study.
Adopted 1988
Policy 2.2 Educational Assessment
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
expects each institution and program to adopt an
assessment plan responsive to its mission and its
needs. In so doing, the Commission urges the necessity
of a continuing process of academic planning, the
carrying out of those plans, the assessment of the
outcomes, and the influencing of the planning process
by the assessment activities.
As noted in Standard Two, implicit in the mission
statement of every institution of higher education is
the education of students. Consequently, each
institution has an obligation to plan carefully its
courses of instruction to respond to student needs, to
evaluate the effectiveness of that educational program
in terms of the change it brings about in students, and
to make improvements in the program dictated by the
evaluative process. Assessment of educational quality
has always been at the heart of the accreditation
process. In earlier times, this assessment tended to
focus more upon process measures and structural
features; hence, there was considerable emphasis placed
upon resources available to enhance students’
educational experiences such as the range and variety
of graduate degrees held by members of the faculty, the
number of books in the library, the quality of
specialized laboratory equipment, and the like. More
recently, while still stressing the need to assess the
quantity and quality of the whole educational
experience, the communities of interest served by the
accreditation enterprise have come to appreciate the
validity and usefulness of using output evaluations and
assessment as well as input measures.
Nearly every institution accredited by the Northwest
Commission on Colleges and Universities engages in some
type of outcomes assessment. Some are more formalized
than others; some more quantified; some less so; some
well- developed and long-utilized, and some of more
recent origin and implementation. The intent of
Commission policy is to stress outcomes assessment as
an essential part of the ongoing institutional
self-study and accreditation processes, to underline
the necessity for each institution to formulate a plan
which provides for a series of outcomes measures that
are internally consistent and in accord with its
mission and structure, and, finally, to provide some
examples of a variety of successful plans for assessing
educational outcomes.
Central to the outcomes analyses or assessments are
judgments about the effects of the educational program
upon students. These judgments can be made in a variety
of ways and can be based upon a variety of data
sources. The more data sources that contribute to the
overall judgment, the more reliable that judgment would
seem to be. There follows a list of several outcomes
measures which, when used in appropriate combinations
and informed by the institutional mission, could yield
an efficacious program of outcomes assessment. This
list is intended to be illustrative and exemplary as
opposed to prescriptive and exhaustive.
- Student Information.
From what sources does the institution acquire its students? What percentage directly from high school? Community college transfers? Transfers from other institutions? What blend of gender, age group, and ethnicity has the institution attracted over time? Retained over time? Graduated over time? What is the mean measured aptitude, over time, of entering students? What are the local grade distribution trends? What changes have appeared over time? - Mid-Program Assessments.
If the institution has some kind of required writing course or an emphasis on writing across the curriculum, what evidence is there that students are better writers after having been exposed to the course or curriculum? How are these judgments rendered? If student writing improves, do students appear to retain this newly acquired proficiency? If so, why, and if not, why not? What changes are planned as a result of the assessment exercise?
A required course, program, or sequence in mathematics can be assessed in a similar fashion. What evidence is there that the skills improved or declined as a result of the program? How are these judgments rendered? Does the improvement appear permanent or transitory? How has the program been changed as a result of the assessment program?
A required course, program, or sequence in any subject matter can be addressed in a similar fashion, as can nearly any part of the program in general education or the program as a whole. - End of Program Assessment.
What percentage of those students who enter an institution graduate? Is the percentage increasing or decreasing? Why? What is the mean number of years in which students graduate? Is that mean increasing or decreasing? Why? What are the criteria for these judgments? What is the severalyear retention pattern from one class to the next, such as freshman to sophomore? If patterns reflect significant losses between one level and another, what are the reasons? Similar questions may be asked by gender and/or ethnic background. If the institution or program requires a capstone experience at the end of the curriculum, are present students performing better or worse than their predecessors? What are the reasons? What are the bases for the judgments? (e.g. “The cumulative judgment of the faculty is that the quality of the senior theses in art has improved during the past five years. This judgment is based upon the following evidence . . .” or “The Psychology Department requires the advanced test on the Graduate Record Examination of all graduates. These scores have declined by an average of 2% each year for the past five years. The faculty is of the opinion that the reasons for this decline are . . ..”) - Program Review and Specialized Accreditation.
Some institutions require periodic program review of each academic program, either through an institutionally approved internal process and/or through seeking and achieving specialized accreditation, or by utilizing external experts. Either or both of these activities can provide a wealth of outcomes assessment data, particularly if the methodology remains somewhat standardized over time. - Alumni Satisfaction and Loyalty.
A number of institutions engage in a variety of alumni surveys which elicit, over time, the judgments of alumni of the efficacy of their educational experience in a program or at an institution. Use of such a mechanism can assist an institution in understanding whether alumni satisfaction with various aspects of the educational program, particularly those facets which the institution stresses, appears to be growing or diminishing over time. If satisfaction is increasing, why? If decreasing, why? What are the bases for the judgments? What curricular implications do these findings have? - Dropouts/Non-completers.
What methods has the institution utilized to determine the reasons why students drop out or otherwise do not complete a program once they have enrolled in it? What is the attrition rate over the past five years? Is it increasing or decreasing? What are the reasons? What programs or efforts does the institution engage to enhance student retention? Which tactics have proved to be effective? - Employment and/or Employer Satisfaction
Measures.
One relatively straightforward outcomes measure used by some institutions concerns that number and/or percentage of former students who have sought and found employment. Are they happy with what they have found? Do they think the program prepared them well for their chosen occupations? If trained in a particular area, teacher education, for example, have they found a teaching position?
Other institutions have found qualitative comments of
frequent employers to be particularly helpful in
assessing educational outcomes. Do the employers
regularly recruit program graduates? Why or why not?
How well do program graduates perform in comparison
with graduates from other similar programs? Are there
areas of the curriculum in which program graduates are
particularly well prepared? Which areas? Why is
preparation judged to be particularly good? Where are
the weaknesses? Why? What is being done to provide
remedial activity?
Adopted 1992
Policy 2.3 Credit for Prior Experiential Learning
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities recognizes the validity of granting credit for prior experiential learning, provided the practice is carefully monitored and documented. Credit for prior experiential learning may be offered under the conditions enumerated below. This policy is not designed to apply to such practices as CLEP, Advanced Placement, or ACE-evaluated military credit. Credit for courses taken from non-accredited institutions must be addressed pursuant to Policy 2.5 Transfer and Award of Academic Credit.
- Policies and procedures for awarding experiential learning credit must be adopted, described in appropriate institutional publications, and reviewed at regular intervals.
- Credit for prior experiential learning may be granted only at the undergraduate level.
- Credit may be granted only upon the recommendation of teaching faculty who are appropriately qualified and who are on a regular appointment with the college on a continuing basis.
- Credit may be granted only for documented learning which ties the prior experience to the theories and data of the relevant academic fields.
- Credit may be granted only for documented learning which falls within the regular curricular offerings of the institution.
- An institution that uses documentation and interviews in lieu of examinations must demonstrate in its self-study that the documentation provides the academic assurances of equivalence to credit earned by traditional means.
- Credit for prior experiential learning should not constitute more than 25% of the credits needed for a degree or certificate.
- No assurances are made as to the number of credits to be awarded prior to the completion of the institution’s review process.
- Credit may be granted only to enrolled students and is to be identified on the student’s transcript as credit for prior experiential learning.
- Policies and procedures must ensure that credit for prior experiential learning does not duplicate other credit awarded.
- Adequate precautions must be provided to ensure
that payment of fees does not
influence the award of credit.
Adopted 1988
Policy 2.4 Study Abroad Programs
Study abroad can be an important phase of undergraduate and graduate programs in American colleges and universities. Carefully planned and administered, foreign study may add significant dimensions to a student’s educational experience. As guidelines for institutions which conduct programs of foreign study or whose students participate in such programs, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities urges that a study abroad program should:
- be clearly related to the mission and goals of the sponsoring or participating institution;
- have a well-defined rationale stating the specific nature and purposes of the program, and be accurately represented in the institution’s catalog and all promotional literature;
- provide educational experiences related to the institution’s curriculum;
- be available to students carefully selected according to ability and interest;
- have a carefully articulated policy regarding the availability of financial assistance to students for programs required by the institution;
- have clearly specified language proficiency requirements when appropriate to the programand place of study, and clearly defined methods of testing proficiency prior to acceptance into the program;
- provide extensive information to intended participants, honestly and specifically describing the program’s opportunities and limitations, indicating how and where instruction will be given and the relationship to the foreign institution, describing grading practices, identifying especially significant differences between a home campus experience and what can be expected abroad, including information about local living conditions and the extent of responsibility assumed by the program for housing participants;
- provide extensive orientation for participants
prior to departure for, and on arrival in,
the foreign country with respect to the matters in
item 7 above, augmented with more detailed information
and instruction related to the specific program;
have a resident director carefully selected on the basis of professional competence and interest, appointed for a minimum of two years with provision for overlapping replacement appointments to allow for transition, and assured of the same professional rights, privileges, and consideration as colleagues on the home campus, with due respect for the responsibilities of the overseas assignment; - provide counseling and supervisory services at the foreign center, with special attention to problems peculiar to the location and nature of the program;
- guarantee adequate basic reference materials to
offset any limitations of local libraries or
inaccessibility to them;
include clearly defined criteria and policies for judging performance and assigning credit in accordance with prevailing standards and practices at the home institution; where several institutions are involved with a single overseas institution or in a consortium, a common basis or determining grade equivalents is essential; - stipulate that students will ordinarily not receive credit for foreign study undertaken without prior planning or approval on the students’ home campuses;
- include provisions for regular follow-up studies on the individual and institutional benefits derived from such programs; and
- ensure fair reimbursement to participants if the program is not delivered as promised for reasons within the sponsor’s control.
Cooperative arrangements are urged among American
institutions seeking to provide foreign study
opportunities for their students. In many cases,
resident directors, faculty, and facilities could be
shared, resulting in significant improvement in the
efficiency and economy of the operation. One basic
reference collection, for example, supported and used
by students from several programs is likely to be more
satisfactory than several separate ones.
Travel programs per sé or commercially sponsored
“study-travel programs” should be
thoroughly investigated by an institution before
granting degree credit for these activities. The
regional accrediting commissions do not evaluate these
activities as foreign study programs of member
institutions, nor will they evaluate independent
foreign study programs which are not related to the
curricula of specific colleges or universities in the
United States.
Adopted 1972
Policy 2.5 Transfer and Award of Academic Credit
This statement is directed to institutions of higher
education and others concerned with the transfer of
academic credit among institutions and award of
academic credit for extra-institutional learning. Basic
to this statement is the principle that each
institution is responsible for determining its own
policies and practices with regard to the transfer and
award of credit. Institutions are urged to review their
policies and practices periodically to ensure that they
accomplish the institution’s goals and that they
function in a manner that is fair and equitable to
students. Any statements, this one or others referred
to, should be used as guides, not as substitutes, for
institutional policies and practices.
Transfer of credit is a concept that now involves
transfer between dissimilar institutions and curricula
and recognition of extra-institutional learning, as
well as transfer between institutions and curricula of
similar characteristics. As their personal
circumstances and educational objectives change,
students seek to have their learning, wherever and
however attained, recognized by institutions where they
enroll for further study. It is important for reasons
of social equity and educational effectiveness, as well
as for the wise use of resources, for all institutions
to develop reasonable and definitive policies and
procedures for acceptance of transfer of credit. Such
policies and procedures should provide maximum
consideration for the individual student who has
changed institutions or objectives. It is the receiving
institution’s responsibility to provide
reasonable and definitive policies and procedures for
determining a student’s knowledge in required
subject areas. All institutions have a responsibility
to furnish transcripts and other documents necessary
for a receiving institution to judge the quality and
quantity of the work. Institutions also have the
responsibility to advise the students that the work
reflected on the transcript may or may not be accepted
by a receiving institution.
Interinstitutional Transfer of Credit. Transfer of credit from one institution to another involves at least three considerations:
- The educational quality of the institution from which the student transfers.
- The comparability of the nature, content, and level of credit earned to that offered by the receiving institution.
- The appropriateness and applicability of the credit earned to the programs offered by the receiving institution, in light of the student’s educational goals.
Accredited Institutions. Accreditation speaks primarily to the first of these considerations, serving as the basic indicator that an institution meets certain minimum standards. Users of accreditation are urged to give careful attention to the accreditation conferred by accrediting bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CHEA has a formal process of recognition which requires that any accrediting body so recognized must meet the same standards. Under these standards CHEA has recognized a number of accrediting bodies, including:
- Regional accrediting commissions which accredit total institutions.
- Certain national accrediting bodies that accredit various kinds of specialized institutions.
- Certain specialized organizations that accredit free-standing professional schools, in addition to programs within multi-purpose institutions.
The American Council on Education annually publishes
for CHEA a list of recognized accrediting bodies, as
well as a directory of institutions accredited by these
organizations. This Publication,
Acccredited Institutions of
Postsecondary Education, Programs
and Candidates, may be ordered from Praeger
Publishers (an imprint of Green Publishing Group,
Inc.), 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881-5007,
telephone (203) 226-3571 or (800) 225-5800, website:
http://www.greenwood.com.
Although accrediting agencies vary in the ways they are
organized and in their statements of scope and mission,
all accrediting bodies that meet CHEA’s standards
for recognition function to ensure that the
institutions or programs they accredit have met
generally accepted minimum standards for
accreditation.
Accreditation affords reason for confidence in an
institution’s or a program’s purposes, in
the appropriateness of its resources and plans for
carrying out these purposes, and in its effectiveness
in accomplishing its goals, insofar as these things can
be judged. Accreditation speaks to the probability but
does not guarantee that students have met acceptable
standards of educational accomplishment.
Comparability and Applicability.
Comparability of the nature, content, and level of
transfer credit and the appropriateness and
applicability of the credit earned in programs offered
by the receiving institution are as important in the
evaluation process as the accreditation status of the
institution at which the transfer credit was awarded.
Since accreditation does not address these questions,
this information must be obtained from catalogs and
other materials and from direct contact between
knowledgeable and experienced faculty and staff at both
the receiving and sending institutions. When such
considerations as comparability and appropriateness of
credit are satisfied, however, the receiving
institution should have reasonable confidence that
students from accredited institutions are qualified to
undertake the receiving institution’s educational
program.
Admissions and Degree Purposes. At some
institutions there may be differences between the
acceptance of credit for admission purposes and the
applicability of credit for degree purposes. A
receiving institution may accept previous work, place a
credit value on it, and enter it on the transcript.
However, that previous work, because of its nature and
not its inherent quality, may be determined to have no
applicability to a specific degree to be pursued by the
student.
Institutions have a responsibility to make this
distinction and its implications clear to students
before they enroll. This should be a matter of full
disclosure, with the best interests of the student in
mind. Institutions also should make every reasonable
effort to reduce the gap between credits accepted and
credits applied toward an educational credential.
Unaccredited Institutions. Higher education
Institutions that are not accredited by CHEA-recognized
accrediting bodies may lack that status for reasons
unrelated to questions of quality. Such institutions,
however, cannot provide a reliable, third-party
assurance that they meet or exceed minimum standards.
That being the case, students transferring from such
institutions may encounter special problems in gaining
admission and in transferring credits to accredited
institutions. Institutions admitting students from
unaccredited institutions should take special steps to
validate credits previously earned.
Foreign Institutions. In most cases, foreign
institutions are chartered and authorized by their
national governments, usually through a ministry of
education or head of state. Although this provides for
a standardization within a country, it does not produce
useful information about comparability from one country
to another. Two organizations assist institutions by
providing information or guidelines on admissions and
course placement of international students: the Foreign
Educational Credential Service of the American
Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions
Officers (AACRAO) and the National Association of
Foreign Student Affairs (NAFSA) Association of
International Educators.Equivalency or placement
recommendations are to be evaluated in terms of
programs and policies of the individual receiving
institution.
Validation of Extra-Institutional and Experiential Learning for Transfer Purposes.
Transfer-of-edit policies should encompass educational
accomplishment attained in extra-institutional settings
as well as at accredited higher education institutions.
In deciding on the award of credit for
extra-institutional learning, institutions will find
the services of the American Council on
Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service
(CREDIT) helpful. One of the Office’s functions
is to operate and foster programs to determine credit
equivalencies for various modes of extra-institutional
learning. CREDIT maintains evaluation programs for
formally structured courses offered by the military and
civilian non-collegiate sponsors such as business,
corporations, government agencies, and labor unions.
Evaluation services are also available for examination
programs for occupations with validated job proficiency
evaluation systems, and for correspondence courses
offered by schools accredited by the Distance Education
and Training Council. The results are published in a
Guide series. Another resource is the General Education
Development (GED) Testing Program, which provides a
means for assessing high school equivalency.
For learning that has not been validated through the
ACE formal credit recommendation process or through
credit-by-examination programs, institutions are urged
to explore the Council for Adult and Experiential
Learning (CAEL) procedures and processes. Pertinent
CAEL publications designed for this purpose are
available. (See
Policy 2.3 Credit for Prior
Experiential Learning).
Uses of this Statement. This statement
has been endorsed by the national associations most
concerned with practices in the area of transfer and
award of credit - the American Association of
Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, the
American Council on Education/Commission on Adult
Learning and Educational Credentials, and the Council
for Higher Education Accreditation.
Institutions are encouraged to use this statement as a
basis for discussions in developing or reviewing
institutional policies with regard to transfer. If the
statement reflects an institution’s policies,
that institution might want to use this publication to
inform faculty, staff, and students.
Adopted 1977
Policy 2.6 Distance Delivery of Courses, Certificate, and Degree Programs
Introduction. This policy is intended to apply to the
broadest possible definition of distance delivery of
instruction, including telecommunications technologies
— audio, video, and computer-based technologies
— used for instruction in either live or stored
modes. The degree program and credit courses may or may
not be delivered exclusively via telecommunications;
for example, the course may include a print component
and a degree program may include an on-campus
requirement.
The existence of these requirements for instruction via
telecommunications does not relieve an accredited
institution of the obligation to meet the Eligibility Requirements,
standards, and policies of the Northwest Commission on
Colleges and Universities. The institution’s
programs with specialized accreditation meet the same
requirements when offered through distance delivery.
Applicable institutional accreditation standards and
the Commission’s substantive change policy apply
regardless of when, where, or how instruction takes
place, or by whom taught.
Application of Requirements. These
requirements are to be addressed in the periodic review
— self-study and peer evaluation —
conducted for reaffirmation of accreditation by every
accredited institution that engages in distance
delivery through telecommunications. For the
institution that proposes to initiate distance learning
through telecommunications, these requirements will
form the framework for a substantive change review by
the Commission.
Definition. Distance education is defined, for the
purposes of accreditation review, as a formal
educational process in which the majority of the
instruction occurs when student and instructor are not
in the same place. Instruction may be synchronous or
asynchronous. Distance education may employ
correspondence study, or audio, video or electronically
mediated technologies.
Institutions offering courses, certificate and degree
programs at a distance for academic credit are expected
to address in their self-studies and/or proposals for
institutional change (Policy A-2 Substantive Change). The
following requirements will be reviewed as appropriate
by the Commission.
Requirements
Approval and Purpose
- The institution’s distance delivery programs have a clearly defined purpose congruent with institutional mission and purposes.
- Each program has been approved through established institutional program approval mechanisms.
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Programs provide for timely and appropriate interaction between students and faculty, and among students.
- The institution’s faculty assumes responsibility for and exercises oversight over distance education, ensuring both the rigor of programs and the quality of instruction.
- The institution ensures that the technology used is appropriate to the nature and objectives of the programs.
- The institution ensures the currency of materials, programs and courses.
- The institution’s distance education policies are clear concerning ownership of materials, faculty compensation, copyright issues, and the utilization of revenue derived from the creation and production of software, telecourses or other media products.
- The institution provides appropriate faculty support services specifically related to distance education.
- The institution provides appropriate training for
faculty who teach in distance education programs.
Library and Information Resources - The institution ensures that students have access to and can effectively use appropriate library resources.
- The institution monitors whether students make appropriate use of learning resources.
- The institution provides laboratories, facilities,
and equipment appropriate to the courses
or programs.
Faculty Support - Training is provided for faculty who teach via electronic delivery.
- The institution has faculty support services
specifically related to teaching via
electronic delivery.
Student Services - The institution provides adequate access to the range of student services appropriate to support the programs, including admissions, financial aid, academic advising, delivery of course materials, and placement and counseling.
- The institution provides an adequate means for resolving student complaints.
- The institution provides to students advertising, recruiting and admissions information that adequately and accurately represents the programs, requirements, and services available.
- The institution ensures that students admitted
possess the knowledge and equipment necessary to
use the technology employed in the program, and
provides aid to students who are experiencing
difficulty using the required technology.
Facilities and Finances - The institution possesses the equipment and technical expertise required for distance education.
- The institution’s long-range planning,
budgeting, and policy development processes
reflect the facilities, staffing, equipment and
other resources essential to the viability
and effectiveness of the distance education
program.
Commitment to Support - The institution offering the program demonstrates a
commitment to ongoing support, both financial and
technical, and to continuation of the program for a
period sufficient to enable enrolled students to
complete the degree or certificate.
Evaluation and Assessment - The institution assesses student capability to succeed in distance education programs and applies this information to admission and recruitment policies and decisions.
- The institution evaluates the educational effectiveness of its distance education programs (including assessments of student learning outcomes, student retention, and student satisfaction) to ensure comparability to campus-based programs.
- The institution ensures the integrity of student
work and the credibility of the degrees and credits it
awards.
Adopted 1996/Revised 1998
Supporting Documentation
General Requirements and Undergraduate Program
Required Documentation:
- Instruments and procedures used to measure educational program effectiveness.
- Inventory of documents that demonstrate the
appraisal of educational program outcomes. The
documents are to be available on campus for examination
by the evaluation committee.Examples may
include:
• annual goals and assessment of success in their accomplishment;
• studies of alumni and former students;
• studies regarding effectiveness of programs and their graduates;
• test comparisons that reveal beginning and ending competencies;
• surveys of student satisfaction. - Inventory of degree programs that have been added or deleted in the last five years.
- Number of degrees granted in each program for the last three years.
- Published statements or other written rationale for the general education program.
Required Exhibits:
- Statement of degree objectives for each degree program.
- Description of curriculum development bodies and advisory groups, with rules of procedure and recent minutes.
- Complete departmental or program self-studies prepared for part of this self-study.
- Evaluation forms and summary reports of student evaluations of faculty and courses.
- Self-study and evaluation committee reports from external reviews and the most recent professional accreditation visits and documentation of resulting actions.
- Criteria and procedures for admission and retention of students, maintenance of student records, and awarding of credit, including credit for prior experiential learning.
- Policies regarding transfer of credit, including articulation agreements with other institutions.
- Policies regarding remedial work.
- Description of the materials and forms used in the academic advisement process.
- Grade distribution studies.
- Policies governing public service.
Suggested Materials:
- Compilation of entering freshman student ability measures.
- Samples of course examinations and other instruments used to assess student achievement or competency and, when possible, available work products determined to be of different levels of quality.
- Funds devoted to research, if applicable, for each of the past three years; principal sources of such funds.
Graduate Program
Required Documentation:
- Copy of the Graduate Catalog.
- The information specified below is to be summarized
separately, or, if it is contained in the Graduate
Catalog, identified by page number(s):
• all graduate degrees offered;
• general graduate admissions requirements for master’s degrees including the use of standardized tests, and special requirements by schools, departments, or degree programs if substantially different;
• general graduate admissions requirements for doctoral degrees including the use of standardized tests, and special requirements by schools, departments, or degree programs if substantially different;
• general graduation requirements for advanced degrees and special requirements by schools, departments, or degree programs if substantially different; and
• graduate faculty by schools or program. - Inventory of documents or studies that demonstrate
the assessment of outcomes for graduate programs.
Examples on file for review by the evaluation committee
may include:
• studies of graduates or former students;
• studies that indicate the degree of success with graduates obtaining employment in fields relevant to their graduate education;
• surveys of student satisfaction;
• review of internal program;
• surveys of employer satisfaction; and
• results of national ranking data.
Required Exhibits:
- Policy on the acceptance of graduate credit, including transfer credit.
- Policy on the granting of credit for internships, field experience, or clinical practice.
Continuing Education and Special Learning Activities
Required Documentation:
- Organizational charts which show the relationship of continuing education to various academic units of the institution, including the internal organization of the continuing education unit.
- Summary listing of off-campus programs, directors, sites, and enrollments.
- Policy and procedures for institutional approval of off-campus and special programs and courses.
Required Exhibits:
- Catalogs, brochures, announcements, and class schedules for special programs.
- Policies regarding the award of credit based on prior experiential learning, including the distribution of credits, by term, for the past two years.
- Policies that address all items of Standard Indicator 2.A.10 regarding award of credit.
- List of all courses and programs taught by nontraditional instructional formats for the past three years, indicating the course, type and duration of instruction, number of credits, enrollment, and location.
- Budgetary information and financial arrangements relating to continuing education and special learning activities.
- Studies demonstrating comparability of outcomes for courses or programs offered under concentrated or accelerated time frames, or other nontraditional instructional formats.
- Policies regarding admission, transfer of prior earned credit, credit by examination (e.g. College Level Examination Program [CLEP]), credit for prior experiential learning, credit by evaluation and residency requirements as they apply to external degrees, degree-completion programs, or special degrees.
- Sample transcript with explanation of codes showing designations for credit for prior experiential learning and non-degree credit.
- Contractual agreements with other institutions or travel agencies.
- Criteria and procedures for admission of students and awarding of credit; procedures for maintenance of student records.
- Catalogs, brochures, and announcements for continuing education courses and programs, and special learning activities.
- Criteria and procedures for registration of students and awarding of units; procedures for keeping student records.
- Procedures for involving appropriate institutional personnel in program approval and development.