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Accreditation reaffirmed by SACS
Three years of work by teams of faculty and staff met with success recently, as the Commission on Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) reaffirmed NC State’s accreditation for a period of 10 years.
NC State was in the first class of institutions to be reaffirmed using new standards and a new review process implemented by SACS.
SACS will officially notify NC State of its successful re-accreditation review by letter in January.
The commission found NC State to be in compliance with all standards and requires no further reports at this time. NC State’s next step in continuing accreditation will be a report in 2009 on progress toward implementing the Learning in a Technology-Rich Environment (LITRE) plan.
Faculty and staff teams prepared compliance reports and a quality enhancement plan for LITRE. All activities were guided by a leadership team chaired by James L. Oblinger, then-provost and chancellor-designate. The team also included Dr. Alton Banks, director of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning; former Chancellor Marye Anne Fox; Karen Helm, director of University Planning and Analysis; and Susan Nutter, vice provost and director of libraries.
SACS requires, as a part of the reaffirmation of accreditation, the creation of a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The QEP is critical to the institution and must improve student learning and the learning environment.
Learning in a Technology-Rich Environment was chosen as the theme for the university’s quality enhancement plan. This theme was recommended by the Deans’ Council and endorsed by the executive officers and chancellor. In spring 2004, the final version of the LITRE Plan was released.
“Basically, we’re trying to ensure that the money invested in technology for teaching and learning is actually producing better results,” said Dr. Lavon Page, associate professor of mathematics and LITRE coordinator. “The intention is for LITRE to be a 5- to 10-year process of continually assessing how we’re using technology. Is it helping professors teach and students learn?”
Page cited an example of technology from his mathematics experience. A relatively new Web-based tool grades homework assignments and gives students immediate feedback. The former system of manually grading papers was much slower by comparison. “Students love electronic homework submission,” Page said. “Not only do they get instant feedback, but most teachers give them the option of resubmitting the homework after attempting to correct mistakes. So homework becomes a better teaching mechanism.”
Part of the plan establishing the LITRE initiative was to set up a competitive grants process.
The first round of grants was awarded Dec. 15. They include:
• Dr. Betty Black, zoology, received a $5,000 grant for a project to increase interactivity and collaborative learning in the classroom with wireless, handheld tools;
• Dr. Gary Moore, agricultural and extension education, received a $6,000 grant for a project using handheld electronic responders in the classroom to provide immediate feedback and enhance student learning;
• Dr. Marianne Niedzlek-Feaver, zoology, received a $3,500 grant for a project titled “Learning by Application: Problem-solving Web Exercises on DNA Fingerprinting and Pedigrees”;
• Drs. Natalie Ames and Linda Williams, social work, received a $5,200 grant to use video to teach social work assessment and documentation;
• Dr. Marina Bykova, philosophy and religion, received a $4,000 grant to examine hypertexts as means of interactive student-centered learning in history of philosophy courses;
• Dr. Scott Fitzpatrick, sociology and anthropology, received $4,800 to develop computer-based modules for introductory and advanced archaeology courses;
• Dr. Susan Katz, English, received a $4,500 grant to develop interactive online modules for writing instruction;
• Dr. Jonathan Ocko, history, received a $5,000 grant for building a digital library for the teaching of history;
• Tony Brock, graphic design, received a $3,500 grant for a project titled “The Digital Design Studio: Multimodal Collaboration Through the Integration of Online Design”;
• Dr. Ed Gehringer, electrical and computer engineering, received a $6,000 grant for a project to disseminate electronic peer review throughout the university;
• Dr. Vernon Matzen, civil, construction and environmental engineering, received an $8,000 grant for Web-based observation and control of an undergraduate civil engineering laboratory experiment;
• Dr. John Nietfeld, curriculum and instruction, received a $4,000 grant to examine the impact of CPS technology on monitoring, performance and pedagogy in educational psychology;
• Dr. Larry Norris, mathematics, received a $3,500 grant titled “Curriculum Enhancement: Incorporation of Technology into MA 401”;
• Dr. Laura Sremeniak, chemistry, received a $6,000 grant for computational chemistry laboratories;
• Dr. Carrie Thomas, marine, earth and atmospheric sciences, received a $4,150 grant to integrate interactive learning into the geosciences;
• Dr. Jeff Joines, textile engineering, chemistry and science, received a $5,500 grant to use tablet PCs and silicon chalk to enhance a technology-driven classroom through inquiry-guided learning;
• Laura Osegueda, veterinary medicine, received a $6,000 grant to expand access to veterinary histology and pathology slides;
• Dr. Jonathan Kramer, music, received an $8,000 grant for the development of a media-rich online course in the global approach to understanding music.
Posted January 10, 2005
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