Introduction

Introduction

North Central Association of Colleges and Universities (NCA)

Accreditation by NCA is extremely important. Accreditation is a mark of educational quality and a necessary requirement to receive federal funding, including student financial aid. More importantly, accreditation can signify that an institution cares deeply about its students and is committed to continually finding new ways to improve student learning and success.

Our next accrediting site visit is scheduled for 2006. While most faculty members continually assess what works and what does not in the classroom, formal assessment in preparation for North Central’s visit provides an opportunity for more in-depth conversations among faculty about what really matters most in teaching and learning.

This past Spring, NCA updated its requirements and provided more detailed guidance to institutions that were preparing for review. These new criteria place increasing emphases on teaching and learning—central activities of the institution. There are five criteria and each has a number of core components.

Briefly the five criteria refer to standards relating to the following:

1. Mission and Integrity. The organization operates with integrity to ensure the fulfillment of its mission through structures and processes that involve the board, administration, faculty, staff, and students.



2. Preparing for the Future. The organization’s allocation of resources and its processes for evaluation and planning demonstrate its capacity to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its education, and respond to future challenges and opportunities.



3. Student Learning and Effective Teaching. The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission.



4. Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge. The organization promotes a life of learning for its faculty, administration, stsaff and students by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity, practice, and social responsibility in ways consistent with its mission.



5. Engagement and Service. As called for by its mission, the organization identifies its constituencies and serves them in ways both value.

A more in-depth description is available on our website under the menu bar “Information Board” by clicking onto Assessment Briefing Report #1.

For more information about North Central and its policies, click on the the following web-link: http://www.ncacihe.org

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)

NCATE standards are richly described in publications and reflect, perhaps, more guidance for interpretation and use than any other accrediting organization. Six standards are just the beginning point for understanding all that is required.

Briefly these standards address:Candidate knowledge, skills and dispositions

1. Candidate knowledge, skills and dispositions



2. An assessment system and unit evaluation



3. Field experiences and clinical practice



4. Diversity



5. Faculty quality, performance and development



6. Unit governance and resources

For a fuller description of these standards and their use click on to NCATE’s web site at:
http://www.ncate.org/

NEIU’s institutional report can be found by clicking onto the link: http://www.neiu.edu/~ncateisb/