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Self-Study Process

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Last Updated March 20, 2008

The Process
 
Policies, Procedures and Guidelines
Handbooks
  •  Faculty Handbook
  •  Department Chair Handbook
  Position Planning Guidelines
  •  Procedures for Planning Faculty Positions
  •  Guidelines for Applications for Faculty Positions
  Guidelines for the FPAC
  Self-Study Guidelines
  •  Self Study Timeline
  •  Self Study Process
  •  Questions to Consider
Selecting the outside reviewers
Three external reviewers are selected in consultation with the office of the Dean of the College. The department is to send a list of at least six individuals, with curricula vitae, phone numbers, email addresses, and a rationale for their selection, to Associate Dean Wolf. These names need to be discussed and approved by all continuing members of the department before being submitted. The Dean may decide to select an individual not on the list, but will discuss this with the department or program before doing so. The three external reviewers will normally include at least one person from a comparable liberal arts college and at least one person from a graduate institution. The latter will be better placed to provide feedback on how well we are preparing our students for further study; the former to appreciate the unique character of liberal arts colleges. The three reviewers should also include at least one person who is or has been a department chair.

The department/program will indicate the dates it would like the outside reviewers to visit campus. This requires ascertaining beforehand that the Dean and the President will be on campus on these dates. The Associate Dean then contacts the reviewers to determine their willingness to serve on these dates and in this capacity. Being flexible with your dates makes it easier to get your top-choice reviewers.

Once the reviewers have accepted, the department/program arranges the travel, housing, and on-campus scheduling of the reviewers.

Preparing the self-study document
The department/program creates an internal report that it will give to the external reviewers, the President, and the Dean and Associate Dean of the College before the outside reviewers arrive. The department/program should assign two faculty members to be responsible for organizing and writing up the self-study. A senior major should also be identified to help gather student opinion.

At a minimum, the internal self-study document should include and reflect on the following information:
  • A history of the department/program, including changes in faculty, facilities, etc.;
  • A statement of the department/program’s educational objectives;
  • A full description and critical analysis of the current department/program curriculum in light of these objectives;
  • Data on enrollments and majors, disaggregated by gender and ethnicity (the College will supply initial raw data for the department/program to build on and analyze);
  • Feedback from and profiles of current students and alumni (this information is crucial and should be obtained early in the process, so that it can inform the department/program’s discussions);
  • Comparative data from departments or programs at similar colleges;
  • Faculty profiles, such as curricula vitae or biographies, lists of courses taught, etc.;
  • Catalogue copy and course syllabi;
  • Recent financial support within the college for faculty and students, including grants received for research, travel, and senior projects

In preparing its self-study document, the department should take all or most of the following steps:

  • Review national studies of general curricular issues. American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) publications are a good starting point.
  • Consult studies by national organizations in your field.
  • Review self-studies conducted at Pomona and other liberal arts colleges, including other Claremont Colleges. Pomona self-studies may be found in the Dean of the College’s Office.
  • Consult with Director of Institutional Research Jennifer Rachford before beginning to collect and analyze data and periodically thereafter. Jennifer can offer advice on topics such as web-based survey design and interpretation and can supply existing data from institutional surveys to inform the review. The Senior Survey and the Enrolled Student Survey that her office administers cover many topics relevant to your self-study (http://www.pomona.edu/institutionalresearch/surveys/).
  • Survey current and graduated majors in the department/program. This step is crucial and should be taken early in the process, so that the responses can inform the department/program’s discussions.
  • Review the evidence of student learning collected and evaluated in the department/program’s annual reports. The self-study is a good opportunity for comprehensive, longitudinal reflection on this evidence and any steps taken in response to it.
  • Set aside time for intensive discussion of the self-study issues in the department/program. This can be done at a one- or two-day retreat or over a series of meetings. To facilitate discussion, you might want to begin with a written proposal that can serve as a focal point.
  •   Vendor Payment Information

Hosting the outside reviewers’ visit
The department/program arranges the reviewers’ travel, housing, and on-campus schedule. Reviewers will spend a minimum of two days here, meeting with the Dean and Associate Dean of the College at the beginning of their visit and with the President and the Dean together at the end of their visit. Please give the reviewers’ curricula vitae to the Deans and the President at least three days before the visit. During their visit, the reviewers should meet with all department/program faculty, support staff, and students, as well as individuals in joint or related departments or programs--including those at the other Colleges—so that they can get the fullest possible picture of the department/program being reviewed. Division II departments may wish to have the reviewers meet with the Associate Dean who oversees research support.

Within two months of their visit, the reviewers are expected to submit a report or reports (it is up to them whether they want to submit a joint report or separate reports) to the Dean and Associate Dean, who will then forward it to the department or program, the President, and other senior administrators. The Dean’s Office will issue the $1000 honorarium to each reviewer after receipt of their report.

Following up
After digesting the reviewers’ report, the department/program meets with the Dean and Associate Dean to discuss it. The chair or administrative assistant should contact the Dean’s Office to arrange this meeting, normally within a month of receiving the report.

Over the following summer, a small working group headed by the Dean of the College reviews the self-study and external report. Its task is to consider how the self-study and report have addressed curricular issues (in particular, how well the curriculum supports department/program goals for student learning), diversity, faculty and student research, and 5C cooperation. It is to give feedback to the department/program as well as advise the College regarding resources needed to implement the self-study recommendations.

A year after completing its self-study, the department/program submits a brief follow-up report to the Dean, with a copy to the Associate Dean. The report outlines which recommendations have been implemented and why, which have not been implemented and why, what impact the changes have had, and where the department/program intends to move in future. The report can also provide an opportunity to nudge the administration on any steps it should be taking. Finally, the chair/coordinator meets with the Dean to discuss the follow-up report, helping ensure a productive outcome to the self-study.
 

The Budget
  The budget for each self-study is $7000. Most of this amount will be used to cover the travel expenses and honoraria for the outside reviewers, whose standard fee is $1000 apiece. The rest can cover other costs, such as photocopying, mailing, and meals or space rental for a retreat. Although the Dean’s Office will issue the three $1000 honoraria directly, individual departments/programs manage the other expenses as they see fit. Please be sure to send the outside reviewers the Vendor Data Record (VDR) form below.  This must be filled out by the reviewers, returned to the department's administrative assistant and sent to Rhonda Beron with a completed Request For Check (RFC) form attached for processing.

Vendor Payment Information


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