Insistence on Academic and Institutional Excellence in the Self-study Process

Fall
2002
Resolution Number
02.02
 
Contact
Assigned to
President
Category
Accreditation
Status
Completed
Status Report

Covered in guidelines to the field (see above) and at the Spring 2003 session.

Whereas, The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) statement on the "Role of the Faculty in the Accrediting of Colleges and Universities" addresses the centrality of faculty in the accrediting process and contains recommended standards for institutions of higher education;

Whereas, The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Standards adopted in June 2002 have generally retreated from a commitment to such commonly accepted standards for excellence in institutions of higher education and to the baseline resources that define a quality educational institution;

Whereas, Quality higher education institutions support the needs of students in the learning process by providing them with qualified full-time faculty who have appropriate control over the assessment of students and over the content and teaching of their courses and programs; and

Whereas, The protection of academic freedom and processes of collegial governance are critical to the sound operation of a college and are essential components of providing students the opportunity to learn and explore in educational environments that are free of coercion, encourage open inquiry, and promote the development of critical thinking and multiple perspectives;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate urge local academic senates to insist that their local accreditation self-studies continue to include attention to generally accepted standards for institutions of higher education including:
The provision of qualified full-time faculty sufficient to conduct programs of academic excellence and to meet the learning and support needs of our students;
Appropriate faculty control over the assessment of students And over the content and teaching of their courses and programs;
The right of faculty to determine that grades and other current indicators of student achievement (such as degree and certificate attainment, transfer, and subsequent occupational success) are appropriate to the measurement of student learning;
The protection of academic freedom, due process, and tenure;
A substantive role for faculty in college and district governance and support for the processes of collegial governance; and
The provision and allocation of sufficient resources to support high quality educational programs, student services, and libraries.
MSU Disposition: Local Senates