The report addresses the Criteria for Accreditation (1992-93 edition) established by the Commission on Colleges as defining appropriate professional practice for an accredited institution of higher learning. Each must statement in the Criteria for Accreditation is referenced with a boldfaced reference number (see self-study library for an enumerated list of the SACS criteria).
The report gives a thorough and detailed review of NCSU's operations and activities in light of its mission, and a comprehensive analysis of the institution's strengths and weaknesses. It highlights issues identified through surveys of the University community as of significant concern. It offers recommendations to bring the University into compliance with SACS criteria and to help the University achieve its aspirations to preeminence as a research-intensive university in the land-grant tradition. It also groups the recommendations into a list of five initiatives that the steering committee believes capture the spirit of the self-study.
Finally, the report describes a follow-up plan for implementing the self-study recommendations and identifies groups and individuals responsible for charting and reporting progress in implementation over the next several years.
The report demonstrates that North Carolina State University is in essential compliance with the SACS Criteria for Accreditation and recommends actions to ensure that compliance is full and demonstrable.
The 1994 self-study was NCSU's first comprehensive self-study in twenty years. In the early 1980s NCSU devoted its self-study to developing a comprehensive institutional planning process and to developing a plan for external fund- raising. The self-studies of the early 1960s and 1970s had, however, been comprehensive, and had followed preparation of long-range plans in 1958 and 1968.
The 1994 self-study grounded itself in the newly established North Carolina State University Mission Statement, the product of a broadly based review process in 1990-91. This new Mission Statement prompted five decisions about the scope and emphasis of the 1994 self-study.
Work on the self-study continued in the spring of 1992 with selection of a director and chair and appointment of a twenty-two-person steering committee. The steering committee broadly represented the University community, including faculty members, administrators, a member of the Board of Trustees, staff persons, and graduate and undergraduate students.
Chairs and members of nine principal committees for review of the Criteria for Accreditation were also appointed. Each principal committee consisted of fourteen to eighteen members, representing faculty, students, administrators and staff (see forematter for complete rosters of all committees). Criteria were divided into appropriate sections and assigned to these committees for review:
In March 1992 the chair, director, chairs of the principal committees, and members of the steering committee met with Charles Nash of the Commission on Colleges for orientation in the principles of accreditation and self- assessment. Later in the process, Ann Chard replaced Nash as NCSU's liaison with the Commission on Colleges.
On July 1, 1992, the steering committee submitted to the Commission on Colleges a Proposal for University Self-Study. This proposal defined four goals of this self-study:
In fall 1992 the NCSU Office of University Planning and Analysis undertook an extensive survey of faculty, students, and staff to gauge campus opinion about the quality and effectiveness of institutional structures, resources, and procedures, and to determine what issues were widely believed to be significant for the future of the University. Later, the steering committee undertook a more informal survey of administrators to gain their input into a list of significant institutional concerns. On the basis of survey results, the steering committee identified a list of issues or concerns held to be significant by the various components of the University community. In addition, a number of the self-study committees undertook targeted surveys to determine campus practice in specific areas.
During the 1992-93 academic year, each principal committee reviewed institutional policies and practices to assess compliance and to target areas needing enhancement. In fall 1992 each committee made a preliminary report to the steering committee on compliance issues. In spring 1993 each committee presented a first draft of its full report. During summer 1993 these drafts were revised in light of steering committee response and returned to the steering committee. With further direction from the steering committee during fall 1993, each committee prepared subsequent drafts, which were distributed to student, faculty, and administrative leaders, and were made available on request to any member of the University community. Summaries of each chapter were reviewed with the NCSU Board of Trustees at their fall 1993 meeting. Comments were invited from all readers, and the resulting comments formed the basis for further revisions. Revisions of each chapter were reviewed for final changes and approved by the steering committee in January 1994. Copies of corroborating documentation and addenda were assembled in a self-study library, which will be available to the SACS visiting committee during the site visit.
At a January 1994 meeting the steering committee reviewed committee recommendations for institutional enhancement and identified five initiatives that it believes incorporate the chief findings of the self-study. These initiatives were incorporated into a summary of findings for the self- study document and were included in a separate executive summary of the self- study prepared at the request of the University administration.
In February 1994 copies of the final revised self-study were distributed to the visiting team from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, along with basic information about North Carolina State University and other supporting documentation. Copies were also distributed widely on the NCSU campus and made available to the Board of Trustees and to faculty, administrators, students, and staff both in hard copy and on electronic mail. Sessions to discuss the findings of the self-study were held for all campus constituencies. The University embarked on a follow-up plan to implement the self-study recommendations.
Implementation of the self-study recommendations is the responsibility of the chancellor. Annually, for at least five years, the chancellor will report on the progress of implementation to the NCSU Board of Trustees, to the Faculty Senate, and to student government. At the end of five years, the provost will report on the progress of implementation to the Commission on Colleges.
