HLC Bulletin: November 2022

HLC Bulletin header

 

NOVEMBER 2022

In this issue:

  • Reaffirmation of Accreditation & Continuous Quality Improvement
  • Next Major Event on the Path to Reaffirmation

HLC Reaffirmation of Accreditation: Demonstrating KU’s Continuous Quality Improvement and Accountability

As a research-intensive, AAU-member institution, the University of Kansas is held to high standards in educational quality and scholarly discovery and innovation. Our university accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), follows a review cycle that requires a comprehensive self-study every 10 years to reaffirm our institutional accreditation, which KU first garnered in 1913. The self-study process is an opportunity for us to reflect on our institutional performance and demonstrate how well we’re doing in achieving those high standards. Equally important, it reveals areas where we can do even better.

Since our last comprehensive self-study in 2015, HLC has moved to a reporting format that requires institutions to emphasize documented evidence over narrative description to demonstrate we’re meeting the needs and expectations of our students, faculty, and staff while maintaining a balance of excellence and equity. This means KU’s self-evaluation must occur continuously, not just once a decade. By installing processes that contribute to continuous quality improvement, we can most effectively adhere to the HLC criteria and core components and, at the same time, achieve our Jayhawks Rising institutional priorities for Student Success, Research & Discovery, and Healthy & Vibrant Communities.

In recent months, KU’s continuous quality improvement processes have focused on the university’s activities and systems to increase efficiency and ensure accountability. For example, following the submission of our mid-cycle Assurance Argument in 2019, the HLC peer review team gave Core Component 4.B a ranking of “Met with Concerns.” This core component states, “The institution engages in ongoing assessment of student learning as part of its commitment to the educational outcomes of its students.” The ranking required us to prepare an interim monitoring report that identified steps KU has taken to strengthen our assessment processes. Our report, submitted to HLC in September, was accepted, though it was noted KU’s
work is in its early states and the institution should expect the HLC review team that visits in spring 2025 to look for continued progress on assessment.

The report included the adoption of institutional learning goals that reflect the university’s values around student learning. The institutional learning goals don’t change requirements for students. They establish a visible conceptual structure for assessing student learning outcomes and evaluating the knowledge and skills students gain as they progress through their academic programs and other aspects of student success.

The institutional learning goals help make sure faculty and students have a clear understanding of the expectations for academic programs. Matching learning outcomes to learning goals is an important aspect of assessment of student learning. A campaign designed to raise awareness about institutional learning goals will roll out soon.

Several other continuous quality improvement processes added or revised include:

  • Program Assessment – In spring 2022, Gina Wyant was hired to serve as Director of University Assessment. Along with Jen Roberts, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs & Graduate Studies, Gina led the effort to develop and begin implementing a well-defined process for improving program assessment. The process was elucidated in the interim monitoring report, which the HLC accepted. Program assessment efforts will receive close attention in our reaffirmation self-study for 2025. The plan requires programs to submit by February 24, 2023, curricular maps for undergraduate programs and updated learning outcomes for graduate programs. These best practices activities are aligned with recent recommendations made by the Boyer Commission of the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities.
     
  • Revised Academic Program Review Process – The Kansas Board of Regents has paused its mandatory academic program review process and will be revising requirements using academic workload and portfolio data provided by rpk GROUP, a higher education consulting firm. Reviews will commence in AY 2023/24 for submission in 2025. The Office of Academic Affairs has drafted a process for KU Lawrence/Edwards that aligns with HLC requirements, and academic unit leaders are currently reviewing the draft. Feedback will be incorporated and the program review process will then be aligned to the forthcoming KBOR requirements. A calendar of scheduled reviews will be provided to academic unit leaders for review in spring 2023.
     
  • Ongoing Fiscal Improvement – The Lawrence/Edwards campuses are rolling out the Continuous Improvement Strategic Initiative called Jayhawks Elevate to ensure the best use of time and resources across all activities and operations. This strategic initiative will have executive sponsorship from KU’s Chief Financial Officer, Jeff DeWitt. This initiative, which will first roll out in the administrative areas, is designed to facilitate employee empowerment and accountability and lead to a culture of cross-collaboration. Craig Alexander, Senior Director of Financial Services, is leading this effort. There are preliminary teams piloting the use of a portal for process improvement ideas to be submitted, and development is underway on a webpage designed to provide idea and project updates related to the initiative. Over the next year, plans are to extend the program to the full university.

HLC expects KU to establish and utilize structures like these that promote continuous quality improvement. The expectations for these academic programs and institutional process structures mirror the high standards that guide our research and scholarly activities. In the same way that discovery and innovation are guided by inquiry, data collection, reflection, and refinement to achieve optimal outcomes, we can use the habits of scholarly practice that define KU’s identity as a research-intensive university to provide innovation and quality across the institution.

The reaffirmation of accreditation process culminates with the submission of our self-study and evidence documents in December 2024, followed by a peer review team visit to KU’s campuses on March 3 & 4, 2025, to conduct an evaluation. The team will then craft a report of its findings and make a recommendation regarding continued accreditation by the HLC.

Detailed information about the HLC process, including committee memberships and key milestones that must be reached on the way to reaffirmation, is available at hlc2025.ku.edu. For questions or comments, email hlc2025@ku.edu.

Next Major Event: HLC Multi-location Visit to KU on April 10, 2023

An HLC peer reviewer will visit KU locations in Salina and Leavenworth the week of April 10. HLC conducts on-site visits of additional locations for accredited institutions with three or more active additional locations in Years 3 and 8 of the 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation cycle. At each location, the peer reviewer will look for evidence that demonstrates KU provides effective instructional oversight, evaluation, and assessment; effective student, faculty, and staff support; continuous quality improvement; and accurate marketing and recruiting information. KU will submit a required report for HLC by March 10.

A list of key milestones (.pdf) in KU’s path to reaffirmation of accreditation cycle is available online.