WU Self-Study Report Chapter 5

Washburn is accomplishing its educational and other purposes. The University is making progress in implementing its assessment plans. Its formal Program Review process has brought about substantial change in the first six years of its operation. Academic units are progressing toward effective assessment of student academic achievement in ways that will provide information to enhance academic programs.

General education continues to be foundational to all programs, and the revised general education program is underway. The new program has clearly defined purposes, and assessment techniques for measuring these purposes have been and continue to be developed. Institutional assessment methods have been developed based on the University's mission and purposes.

Quality of academic programs is ensured through a number of interrelated and mutually reinforcing procedures. Washburn students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of research and other individual educational opportunities. Academic and student support services are effectively meeting the needs of a diverse student population. Training and professional development activities are available for faculty and staff. Faculty participate in substantial amounts of research activity, given their teaching loads and other responsibilities.

The University meets the needs of the community in numerous ways. It provides numerous continuing education programs, and hosts many cultural and civic activities on the campus.

Section B: How is the University progressing in the implementation of its Assessment Plan?

Part 1: How successful is the Program Review process in effecting departmental or institutional change?

The best measurement of the success of a program review system is the quality and quantity of the improvements generated by the assessment process. Therefore, each year all previously reviewed programs are questioned to determine what changes have taken place since the unit's self-study. Over 60 units, both academic and non-academic, have undergone review in the first five-year review cycle. Both the number and the magnitude of these changes have been extensive. Since most of the enhancements were at the unit level, many have gone unnoticed by the University as a whole. Listed below is a summary of these changes initiated in the reviewed units, either totally or in part because of their participation in the review process. Many faculty and staff had given a great deal of effort and thought to ways of improving their units before the start of our new assessment program, so it would be unfair to imply that all improvements in the units were due to the review process. Although it would be very difficult to ascertain the exact agent for each improvement, the really important point which must be made is that considerable positive change has taken place.

All unit heads were interviewed to determine the present status of those items listed in their program review in the "Suggestions for Change and Future Work" section. This information is summarized below by schools and type of non-academic unit. The report titled "Summary of Changes During the First Five Years of Program Review," which details these changes, will be made available to the evaluation team in the resource room.

ART - Art has separated from Theater and now stands alone as an independent academic department. Increased interest in computer graphic design led to development of a BA in art with an area of emphasis in Photography and Electronic Art. Other emphasis areas have also been developed in Drawing/Painting and 3-dimensional Art. The computer lab is no longer shared with other departments, allowing for more focus on hardware and software for design applications. Internships, portfolio reviews, papers and senior exhibits have been established as capstone experiences of BA and BFA programs. A new tenure track position will be added in Fall '98 to fulfill needs in art education, computer design, and design foundations.

BIOLOGY - Biology has strengthened its service function by consulting with other academic units that use its courses, and adjusted its tutoring program to more readily assist beginning biology students. A computer-assisted tutorial program is also available. The department has established a capstone course, and obtained funds to build and equip a class-laboratory building at Karlyle Woods (a field study area for botany students).

CHEMISTRY - A Chemistry Day has been instituted to serve and recruit area high school sophomores and juniors, and interaction with area chemistry teachers has increased. The department has worked with the physical plant to improve compliance with safety regulations. A capstone seminar course has been added. Outcome data from administration of American Chemical Society examinations indicates that Washburn Chemistry students rank above the national norm. The department has added three major instruments. A Fourier transform infrared spectrometer was acquired through an N.S.F. grant, and GC-MS and Fourier transform nuclear magnetic spectrometers were obtained through gifts. Beginning at the freshman level. chemistry students acquire data electronically, and the department incorporates computer analysis of data throughout its curriculum. A biochemistry degree has been considered, but not implemented.

COMPUTER INFORMATION SCIENCES - A new emphasis in "Networking and Telecommunication" has been added. A new faculty position was obtained based on the need that was clearly identified during program review. Funding for a new tutorial program has been obtained. Some outside funding for equipment has been obtained. The 2+2 program with Johnson County Community College is being updated, and an articulation agreement with the Kaw Area Technical School has been reached. A new course (Network Fundamentals and Design) has been developed for graduate education and pre-service students. Discussions have been held with the School of Business about a course on technology for the MBA students. A major curriculum overhaul is underway, moving from a reliance on program languages to an emphasis on tools of programming.

EDUCATION - Education has reallocated faculty assignments to increase involvement with national and local groups such as the Yale-Comer project, Goals 2000, and Shawnee County Staff Development Committee. Many faculty are involved with the State Department of Education folio and QPA reviews. The department is considering having faculty work in local schools, and offers professional development programs for public school teachers. Several steps have been taken to improve cultural diversity. A teacher education advisory council has been formed to assist in getting greater involvement of part-time faculty, adjunct faculty, and professional practitioners in departmental decisions. More computer hardware and software has been made obtained, but the need for still more continues to exist. Five courses in technology for returning teachers have been added. The department and the Kansas Regents institutions are developing a statewide doctoral program in educational administration.

ENGLISH - This department is identifying ways to become less dependent on adjuncts, to improve the placement system for Freshman English, to strengthen student assessment, and to increase uniformity of objectives in multi-section writing courses.

The goals for the all-University composition requirements have been reviewed, and new requirements are now in operation. Dependence on adjunct faculty has been decreased by hiring three 3/4-time instructors. These 3/4 time faculty members keep office hours and are more available to the students. All advanced composition sections are now taught by regular faculty members. A portfolio system with guidelines for what should be included has been introduced for all sections. There is now a full-time coordinator for the Freshman and Advanced Composition courses. A system has been implemented which assesses students on the first day and connects the Writing Center with those students who need writing assistance. The English faculty is now more closely linked with the Writing Center.

GENERAL STUDIES - A task force was appointed by the VPAA to review and make recommendations for this program. A revised program was passed by the general faculty in August, 1997. The General Studies program allows for individualized courses of study to meet special student needs, and is administered by the General Studies Committee (appointed by and reporting to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences).

HEALTH, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND EXERCISE SCIENCE - The department has completed the process of changing the general education P.E. requirement to a wellness focus, terminated the AA in Dance degree, and the previous two years hired three new faculty with terminal degrees, including a new department chairperson.

HISTORY - A sophomore level course introducing students to careers in History has been added to the curriculum. The department has prepared exams for their general education courses, using a pre-post testing approach.

MASS MEDIA - A new mission statement has been prepared, differentiating the program from those at other institutions in Kansas. Two out of five faculty members now have terminal degrees. Additional General Education courses are being developed. Methods for obtaining information on alumni are being discussed. Reliance on adjunct instruction continues to be a concern. A curriculum change requiring most Mass Media students to have an internship in order to graduate is going through the approval process. Relationships with the Media Center and KTWU are being more clearly defined. Discussion with the Chief Student Affairs Office regarding the relationship of the department to student publications is taking place. A national journal, The Journal of Radio Studies, is being published by WU under the editorship of a faculty member.

MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS - This department has developed a new general education course, increased technology in classes, completed a curriculum review, established a placement waiver system, replaced a faculty who retired with a full-time faculty to enhance K-12 math education, started an adjunct mentoring program, and increased tutorial services for students. A $50,000 Washburn Competitive Grant was awarded for acquiring and implementing computer and algebra software MAPLE. An Alumni Council and a Campus Advisory Group have been formed.

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES - Now the Institute for International Studies, this unit has obtained approval of general education courses, has worked closely with Continuing Education to meet language needs of business in the community, is developing an assessment plan, and is increasing the feedback process from majors who have studied abroad. An intensive English program for international students has been developed in cooperation with Continuing Education. An international scholars program has been developed, and more than 30 such scholars have come to the campus

MUSIC - Music developed new courses for general education purposes, received Board of Regents' approval for an increase of fees for private instruction of non-majors, is attempting to use more adjuncts for private lessons, has upgraded the musical technology laboratory, and is working towards increasing community college recruiting. The department is working more closely with area musical organizations (including a violinist-in-residence position shared with the Topeka Symphony) and has stepped up activities involving the Friends of the Music Department. A database of high school music students has been developed. CD's that include performances of the ensembles and individual students and faculty have been produced.

PHILOSOPHY - This department has increased secretarial support, and is developing a student assessment plan. A capstone course has been created.

PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY - This department has increased its recruiting efforts and upgraded computers, including increased use of video technology. A capstone experience has been added.

POLITICAL SCIENCE - A new chairperson with expertise in public administration has been hired, searches are underway for additional tenure track positions in Public Administration and Geography, and progress has been made to restore departmental harmony and collegiality. A revised public administration curriculum is proceeding through the formal approval process. A 15-member advisory committee has been established.

PSYCHOLOGY - The Psychology Department is working on a capstone course, offering major courses in a two-year cycle at non-traditional hours, and continuing to develop an assessment plan. Information about careers in psychology has been integrated into a number of courses, and a career-paths database has been created. Network computer use has been integrated into most classes, and a tracking system for graduates has been improved. In the psychology graduate program, the funding of graduate scholarships is being examined, course offerings to accommodate non-traditional students has been done, and a change in course load for faculty who teach graduate courses has been accomplished.

SPEECH COMMUNICATION - This department now has a full-time secretary, is working on a speech laboratory, and has increased the number of tenure-track positions. Participation in the Forensics program has increased four-fold over the last three years. A new curriculum, with emphases in legal, corporate and political communication, is being developed.

SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY - Curriculum changes have been made. A post-graduate assessment inventory is being developed. A more open and collegial environment has led to improvements in departmental morale.

THEATER - Now separated from Art, the Theater Department has substantially increased its general education offerings, has been active at state acting conventions, and doubled the number of majors in the last four years. Student attendance at performances has increased. The Children's Theater program offers 30-40 performances per semester, and has reached its maximum in terms of staff. An international involvement with Russia has been developed, and an endowment has been created for the theater and for special activities involving women's issues.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE - A Masters program in Criminal Justice was launched in Fall 1996. A Center of Violence and Public Policy has been established in cooperation with Continuing Education, Human Services and Social Work. Three new faculty positions have been added, and the departmental SOE budget has been increased. Departmental curriculum is being reviewed. The department has been designated a federal training site, and will host training sessions for federal law enforcement officers. A mentoring program linking students with alumni has been started.

HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - Several new clinical sites have been added. Computer labs have been added to the three directed practice on-campus schedules. Two existing clinical sites are developing computer-based patient record systems, providing students first-hand experience in how these systems develop and are implemented. The program has been almost entirely an evening program; this change has resulted in increased enrollment.

HUMAN SERVICES - The faculty have reviewed the curriculum of the four-year-degree program. Based on input from the students as well as the community, some changes were made in both the general HS requirements and the area of concentration. The Alcohol and Drug curriculum is now being revised using community input. A new brochure explaining the program was developed for the Admissions Office. Other flyers were designed and distributed. Due to these efforts, the enrollment has been increasing each year. The department continues to study whether to seek external accreditation through the Council on Standards in Human Service Education.

LEGAL ASSISTANT - Several new internship sites have been added. Curriculum changes were made in response to the program's self-study survey completed during the summer of 1995. The program has applied for American Bar Association approval and is awaiting the site team visit. A Certificate of Complete was added for non-degree seeking students.

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION - Program enrollments have been increasing. A revised system for identifying majors has been implemented. Beginning with the Fall 1994 class, graduates are being surveyed. An advisory board which includes alumni as members has been added and is quite active. Study with faculty at Kaw Area Technical School is underway regarding course duplication and other curricular issues.

PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT PROGRAM - The department is seeking grant funding, working on evaluating future space needs, and investigating a "bridge program."

RADIATION THERAPY - A chemotherapy rotation has been added. Graduate and employer surveys are now being conducted. There is now only one student at each clinical site, providing one-on-one clinical experience. Student/faculty communication in the distance learning program has been improved.

RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY - Resources for film and processing in the laboratory remains a problem. Course work in radiology disciplines such as mammography, CT and MRI is being considered.

RESPIRATORY THERAPY - Restructuring in health care has resulted in curricular restructuring. Additional laboratory and storage space has been acquired. Faculty credentials now meet professional standards. The program recently received full reaccreditation through the year 2002.

SOCIAL WORK - A policy for the termination of majors, who are academically proficient, but otherwise unsuited to social work, has been developed and appears in the student handbooks of both programs. Several instruments to measure individual student outcomes and course outcomes have been developed and others are in process. Stronger ties with the Menninger Clinic have been made, including representation of the clinic on various departmental committees. The MSW program is now fully operational. The department has created a development program for adjunct faculty.

The School of Business continues to work toward AACSB accreditation. Faculty scholarly output has increased, with some publications of special interest to local business. An alumni database has been developed. A benchmarking study is being conducted with schools of business from six similar institutions. Scholarships have been used to attract academically talented freshmen to the program. Alumni and campus advisory boards have been established. A new computer server for use by faculty was installed this past fall.

Test scores for entering students increased significantly during the decade since the last North Central visit. A multicultural component has been added to many classes. The legal systems course has been moved into the first semester to broaden the students' prospective. A team taught course using faculty, judges and practicing lawyers was offered for advanced students in order to give them a better understanding of the profession. In the National Jurist-Princeton Review Student Satisfaction study Washburn finished second overall and first in student satisfaction of faculty and facilities. A faculty member in business/corporate law has been hired. New certificate programs have been created.

The School's Curriculum Committee is working on student outcome measures. The California Critical Thinking Test is being administered to incoming majors and to graduating students. The computer lab has been upgraded and expanded. Computer-assisted instructional software is being used to improve student comprehension. The School now requires a course in anthropology, and various nursing courses are including cultural diversity in their curriculum. Methods of measuring cultural sensitivity of students are being developed. Pre-nursing students are now advised by nursing faculty rather than by Academic Advising. The RN articulation program has been revised. A grant-funded program, operated in conjunction with Continuing Education, provides nurse certification in child assessment.

The Division has reviewed its mission and strategies. Much greater emphasis will be placed on programs which reflect WU's academic strengths and promote professional development. Another area of enhanced emphasis will be multi-day professional development programs and high technology training, such as computer and video toasters. The Intensive English Program for foreign students in need of enhanced language skills is another area of focus.

ACADEMIC ADVISING CENTER - A Comprehensive Advising System is being introduced over a three-year period. The plan includes formal outcome measurements for undeclared academic advising as well as for faculty advising in major areas. An "early warning" system has been implemented. Staff positions were increased from three-quarter to full-time, and a full-time Coordinator of Academic Advising was hired January 1, 1996. The Center has become more actively involved in student orientation sessions, and orientations are being offered for every enrollment period. (Academic Advising is now a unit of the Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS).)

ACADEMIC COMPUTER CENTER - Two new staff positions have been added. The University's Electronic Technology Committee has developed long-range-equipment plans for Washburn. The ACC also has a long-range-capital expenditures plan which is coordinated with the all University plan. Nearly 250 network computers have been added to labs and faculty offices in the past two years. Digital video will soon be transmitted via the network into classrooms.

KTWU - Washburn's public television station has reinitiated the TV action auction, increased its efforts to enlarge the membership base, looked for teleconference partners and activated more contract production projects with non-profit organizations, such as the State of Kansas and the Lung Association. The process of changing from analog to digital television has begun, with the help of a sizable grant. KTWU staff are now given adjunct teaching assignments in the Mass Media Department.

MABEE LIBRARY - Future program and staffing requirements are being studied. New network computers have been purchased for staff and public areas, and an electronic classroom is being constructed. The Kansas Supreme Court Law Library has been integrated with Washburn's on-line system. All the area libraries are working together on developing a library disaster plan. A technology grant has allowed the Library to purchase full text subscriptions.

MULVANE ART MUSEUM - Under its new direction, the museum has pursued increased cooperation and collaboration with the Art Department. The museum director and the director's assistant both teach regularly for the Art Department and participate in Art faculty meetings. The museum continues to present Student and Faculty exhibits as a regular part of its exhibition program. Planning for expansion of the museum's space has begun.

MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS - The principal efforts of this unit have been in facilitating students' participation in existing programs (both academic and social). The name was changed in 1993 from Minority Affairs Office to Multicultural Affairs. Along with the name change came a change in focus. This office has now become a service for the entrie campus. Development of goals and outcome measures is in progress.

RESIDENTIAL LIVING - A University housing task force has made recommendations to the Board of Regents. Issues such as the future of Carruth Hall, additional construction and proper resident mix are being considered.

STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES - The University Physician now meets with freshmen students and parents during orientation to address their inquiries and health concerns. Pamphlets on different aspects of health care have been made available at the Student Health Services Office. A video tape addressing comprehensive health care issues has been produced for the benefit of freshmen students.

VETERAN AFFAIRS OFFICE - To increase recruitment of veterans, the VAO and Admissions Office have joined together in renewing contact with the Federal Department of Veteran Affairs and being involved with the Veterans Advance Discharge System (VADS). To improve efficiency of service, this office has merged with the offices for non-traditional students and students with disabilities to form the STUDENT SERVICES OFFICE.

OFFICE OF STUDENT FINANCIAL AID - By adopting the enrollment management model and creating the Office of the Dean of Enrollment Management, the functions of recruitment, admissions, financial aid, registration services and registrar have been tied administratively and will be integrated to provide seamless service to students from first contact to graduation. Financial Aid has been restructured to improve service to students. The entire awards system has been reviewed and is being redesigned. The goal is to reduce processing time from the current 10-12 weeks to a time period not to exceed three weeks. An Outstanding Kansas Student Early Admission Scholarship Program has been developed in cooperation with the Admissions Office.

OFFICE OF THE UNIVERSITY REGISTRAR - An academic summary has been implemented to enhance student advising. The University Registrar's Office, Student Financial Aid, Business Office and Administrative Data Processing have produced a student account system that links registration, financial aid and financial records. The "Registrar's Record" newsletter was developed as an educational tool and distributed to the University community to provide information about important developments, dates and deadlines, and the answers to frequently asked questions.

ADMINISTRATIVE DATA PROCESSING - Staff training in new technology has increased. The AS/400 system has been upgraded to a state-of-the-art model. ADP attends regular meetings with various departments including all levels of staff. These meetings are improving feedback and communication between ADP and other departments. Office space has been remodeled for better utilization. Space remains a long-term problem, however. The number of departmental training sessions has been increased.

BUDGET DIRECTOR/INVESTMENT MANAGER - Wire transfers are now used for all the state and county government transactions, such as the Municipal Investment Pool activities. Work on computerization of the budget is on-going.

BUSINESS OFFICE - A new automated fee payment system, crediting Financial Aid and employee authorizations to student charges, was implemented during Spring 1997 enrollment. Terminals were placed at all cashiering windows, and the cashiering area was remodeled to more efficiently serve students. Wire transfer of student loans was implemented during Spring 1998 enrollment. Reporting and drawing down funds for federal student loan programs are now accomplished electronically.

MEMORIAL UNION - Major renovations will be needed within 10 years. State and peer institutions' funding methods, including additional student fees and rent for university functions, are currently being investigated. A Master plan has been developed, and includes changes to enhance student services, including a new ballroom, health club, and a student activities suite. The Bookstore is reducing costs to make up for losses in revenue and pursuing additional sales opportunities.

PERSONNEL OFFICE - An attempt to obtain a fund for purchase of training materials and payment of fees to guest speakers is being made. The office is coordinating its activities more closely with the VPAA office. A home page has been developed.

PHYSICAL PLANT - A study of software to computerize work orders and scheduled maintenance is underway. To better inform the University of health and safety regulations, the Physical Plant has subscribed to the Regulatory Reporter, an environmental regulatory update sponsored by APPA. Some architectural services have been outsourced, and the arrangement seems to be working well. The process of putting all faculty and staff parking in gated lots is nearing completion. A building trades supervisor position is being added to make more efficient use of the work force. Several campus beautification projects have been completed.

PURCHASING OFFICE - The Purchasing Agent has attended regional meetings of the National Association for Educational buyers. Benchmarking data are being used to make improvements in the operation. Additional computer equipment has been obtained.

SERVICE AREA - The University has appropriated some monies for the walk-up copier replacement. However, it is insufficient to replace both the walk-up and high-volume copiers as requested by the Service Area. It is hoped that additional monies will be approved next year for the upgrade. The department has increased mail services and equipment. Plans for full centralization of mail processing continue to be considered. Steps have been taken to provide the switchboard operator with additional information about campus units and their functions to improve the direction of calls.

SECURITY DEPARTMENT - The department has upgraded from security to police status, with armed officers. The electronic surveillance system is being upgraded and repaired over a period of years. Seven emergency "help phones" have been installed on campus. A bicycle patrol has been started in order to increase mobility and visibility of WU security officers. An e-mail crime statistics and information newsletter is prepared monthly.

TELEPHONE SYSTEM - A voice mail system has been implemented. A large number of new extensions have been added, and new cabling has been installed.

INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH - The Director of Institutional Research is working with ACC to develop a master information index to put on WUINFO, the campus-wide computer information service. Funds have been made available for the Director's membership in the Association for Institutional Research and for her participation in their regional meetings. Computer equipment has been upgraded.

PLANNING OFFICE - Working with the Assessment Committee, the Planning Office has assisted in the development of a general education assessment system and in the review of institutional and student outcome measures.

UNIVERSITY AND GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS - Goals for University Relations have been defined. A major effort has been made to increase the number and quality of news releases. A program for student interns has been started.

While some of the changes above occurred for reasons other than program review, it is clear that the program review process has led to substantial changes in unit operations. A faculty member from mathematics wrote: "In our department (Program Review) precipitated some important changes. Based on student responses we extended the hours and added technology to the Math Center....Our graduates supported the direction the department was moving in by requiring substantial writing assignments, group work, and appropriate use of technology in all classes. In addition, we revamped the secondary education specialization to include Real Analysis. These are selected examples but they demonstrate the influence of the program review process on departmental change."

Agreement with this assessment, while pervasive, is not universal. Members of the library faculty indicated that the experience of self-assessment was valuable, but the response to the results was "ineffective and not helpful."

Part 2: What are the purposes of general education at Washburn University, and how well are we meeting those purposes?

The purposes of general education are outlined in the "General Education Statement" in the University Catalog, 1997-98: "The primary function of a liberal education is to teach those students who have the capacity and the desire to learn how to learn." As stated in Chapter 2, the University has recently adopted a new general education program after years of intense debate. The program was adopted in 1995, and was phased in over two years, so that it became fully operational at the start of the Fall 1997 semester.

In a nutshell, the general education requirement at Washburn consists of distribution requirements along with mathematics, composition and physical education/wellness requirements. That alone is certainly not unique. The uniqueness of Washburn's general education program arises from the manner in which courses become part of the distribution requirement. To be considered part of the general education program, a course must demonstrate (to a committee of faculty) that it teaches one or more specific skills. (See chapter 2, GIR #16 for details.) Not only must the course assist the student in acquiring some of the nine identified skills, but provision must also be made for assessing student outcomes in those skill areas.

To a substantial extent, then, assessment is foundational to the general education program. However, this assessment is still at the individual course level. The Assessment Committee was charged with the responsibility of developing a plan to answer the question of whether the purposes of general education are being met. An assessment plan has been developed for general education (see the next section in this chapter), but refinement of the general education assessment plan continues.

The principal concerns about the new general education requirements have been with regard to transfer equivalencies. Every academic department in the College of Arts and Sciences that has general education courses is working with the Dean of the College to develop articulated transfer statements for Washburn's primary feeder institutions. Some faculty have also expressed concern that too many hours are now required for certain two- year degree programs.

Part 3: To what extent is the University meeting its purposes as stated in chapter 1? How is the measurement of the "institutional outcomes" affecting the decision-making process?

Comments about the extent to which the University is meeting each of the purposes listed in chapter 3, section B of this report are given below, followed by a discussion of a system the University has developed for providing numerical measurements related to these purposes.

Washburn is a public metropolitan educational institution. Washburn attempts to fill this role in a number of ways. The College of Arts and Sciences provides the foundation of a liberal arts education required of all students and provides traditional majors in the natural and social sciences, the arts, humanities, education and physical education. Graduates of programs in the College are employed throughout the city, state and nation. At the same time, Washburn provides through its professional schools numerous programs that are essential to the metropolitan environment. Programs in nursing and allied health fields, criminal justice, social work and human services, business, law and others meet important community needs. Graduates of Washburn's programs are employed in great numbers in Topeka's hospitals, social service agencies, business and courthouses. Washburn is a cultural and intellectual center for the community (see section F, part 2 of this chapter). Non-credit programs are continually being devised to meet the special needs of the city and state (see section D of this chapter). The University also is involved in a number of programs that meet very specific urban needs. Examples include the Law Clinic, Small Business Institute, the Comer Project and the Art After School program. Students intern in a variety of agencies, gaining valuable experience while contributing to the productivity of the agencies that employ them.

Washburn's emphasis is on quality instruction in the learning/teaching process. The emphasis on quality teaching is documented in several places in this report. See, for example, section G of chapter 3.

Washburn University will have a diverse student body, faculty and staff. This purpose is addressed in Chapter 7, section D.3. Washburn actively recruits students from minority populations, and the percentage of minority students has exceeded the city's minority population percentage for a number of years. The University's policies and practices demonstrate a commitment to employing a diverse faculty and staff.

The University will employ qualified and well-trained faculty who are interested in enhancing their students' knowledge. Faculty qualifications and the processes used to maintain faculty quality are discussed in chapter 4, section B.5, and in chapter 2 under GIR's 9 and 10. The University's faculty development program is discussed in section C.4 of this chapter.

Washburn will prepare individuals for productive careers. Washburn graduates are found in every county in Kansas and in every state in the U.S. A glance through the University's Alumni Magazine, for example, illustrates the variety of types of successful and productive employment of our graduates. Copies of this publication will be available to the evaluation team in the resource room.

The University will prepare its graduates for a lifetime of continuous learning. Students are prepared for a lifetime of continuous learning by being provided the tools for such learning, and by being exposed to models of such learning. The tools are general education and specific preparation in the major. The faculty model continuous learning for students through their involvement in research, scholarship and creative activity. Students are exposed to other role models through guest speakers in classrooms, lecture series, the Alumni Fellows program, and the like, where successful graduates tell students to expect to be constantly learning new skills after college if they wish to succeed. The University itself models this need and provides additional tools through its Continuing Education offerings.

Washburn will have an open admissions policy on the undergraduate level. Student quality will be kept by testing, advising, and maintenance of graduation standards instead of admission requirements. The University continues an open admissions policy for Kansas residents. See page 45 of the Washburn University Catalog, 1997-98, for details. Academic standards are maintained principally by the faculty, and measured through a variety of means (see the next section in this chapter, section C.3).

The University will make available services to help students reach their full academic potential. Details on these services are given in section C.5 of this chapter.

Washburn will provide educational opportunities for the residents of Topeka, Shawnee County, and Northeast Kansas. The University is clearly fulfilling this purpose, since the vast majority of its students come from these locations. Washburn will also attract students from the entire state, nation, and the world. Washburn has students from virtually every state in the nation, and over 200 international students attend the institution.

A strong general education program will be the common foundation for all the University's undergraduate degrees. See section B.2 of this chapter, and GIR 16 in chapter 2 for discussion of the University's general education program.

Washburn will offer bachelor programs in the basic disciplines, and provide preparatory programs in career and selected professional areas. This has been discussed above. Details on individual programs can be found in the catalog.

Washburn will offer associate degrees in technical areas, applied fields and selected academic areas. Washburn offers numerous two-year programs, detailed in the catalog. Programs are developed to meet specific community needs, and are phased out when the need appears to have ceased or when other local institutions can meet the needs. The University's joint programs with Kaw Area Technical School and Johnson County Community College illustrate these points. See chapter 1, section G.4a for details.

The University will offer degrees in law and selected masters programs. Washburn's graduate programs are in Law, Business, Education, Psychology, Criminal Justice and Social Work. Proposals for new graduate programs must not only be approved through the University's governing and administrative processes, but are also taken before the Kansas Board of Regents for review. Additional programs are considered only when a community need can be identified, and this need cannot be met by other state universities.

Washburn will be responsive to the needs of the recent high school graduate, but will also be committed to provide educational opportunities for other adult learners. One of the most challenging and exciting tasks facing the University is meeting the needs of these diverse groups. Washburn attempts to recognize the diversity of needs in all of its student and academic support services (section C.5 of this chapter). Admission counselors are assigned to traditional and non-traditional students in order to be able to provide specific guidance upon entering the University. Classes are scheduled at a variety of times, including many evening and some weekend classes, in order to meet the needs of adult learners and traditional aged students who must work to support themselves.

The University has a responsibility to participate in the broad educational needs of the area.Washburn's Division of Continuing Education has primary responsibility for this area (section D of this chapter). However, Washburn participates in the broader educational community in a number of other ways. Washburn's president and vice-president for academic affairs meet regularly with area school superintendents. College courses are taught on local high school campuses, through direct instruction and through interactive TV (compressed video) delivery. The University also closely cooperates with the area vocational school, and offers general education programs at that school. The Dean of the School of Applied Studies meets monthly with superintendents of the area vocational schools.

Washburn will work with the community to make sure the University meets its community responsibilities. In addition to the ways already mentioned in which Washburn meets community needs, the University has attempted to be a "good neighbor" to communities around the campus through its involvement in neighborhood improvement associations. Also, the University serves an important community function by providing public television through KTWU Channel 11, and special education programs on the University's cable channel 16.

Washburn's faculty and staff will engage in scholarly and creative activities to improve teaching effectiveness, meet community needs and contribute to the extension of knowledge.This is addressed in Section E of this chapter.

Washburn will participate with other post-secondary institutions and organizations to offer appropriate cooperative educational opportunities for the people of Kansas. Discussed above.

Washburn is responsive and accountable to itself, the students, the citizens of Topeka, and the taxpayers of Kansas. Much of this is addressed in Chapter 7. Washburn maintains accountability through its involvement in North Central accreditation and in individual program accreditation. Through Program Review, the University continually evaluates itself for the purpose of improving quality. The University operates under the open meetings and records laws of Kansas. Financial records receive an external audit annually.

As discussed in chapter 3, Washburn University has attempted to develop a system of both institutional and student outcomes to determine quantitatively the extent to which the University is meeting its purposes, and thereby to identify strengths and weaknesses and provide data that might assist in effecting change. Methodologies for measurement and criteria have been developed for determining the degree of institutional success in attaining established goals based on the purpose statements. The complete description of these criteria and methods of measurement will be available to the evaluation team in the resource room. To illustrate, however, the descriptions for three of the mission-based purpose statements are included below.

This process has been in development for several years, and was formally approved by the University Council during the Spring, 1997 semester. Thus, it will be a year or more before some measures are actually available.

It is extremely important to remember the listed objectives are aims or goals Washburn University is striving to reach. They are not intended to be a perfect description of the institution at a given instant. Their purpose is to extend the institution and encourage it to improve.

Washburn University is relatively inexperienced in the quantitative measurement of outcomes. In some cases we do not have baseline data to set reasonable numerical goals, and can do this only after the measurement system has been in operation for a few years. In others, the initial levels chosen will need considerable additional discussion and refinement. The preliminary methods used for measuring the extent that Washburn University is reaching its outcomes must be frequently examined to make sure they are actually giving information that is directly related to the outcomes, and are providing information at a reasonable expenditure of time and/or money.

The intent is that these measurements will become an integral part of the decision making process. The information obtained will be made widely available.

The following are the criteria and measurement methodology descriptions for three of the 20 mission-based purpose statements listed in chapter 3 of this self-study report. Descriptions for all 20 have been developed and will be available to the evaluation team in the Resource Room.

B. Mission Statement: Washburn's emphasis is on quality instruction in the learning /teaching process.

1. Objective: The major portion of the University's financial resources will be used for instruction and academic support.

Measurement System and Criteria: Administrative Review. At least 60% of the University's education and general expenditures will be used for instruction and academic support.

2. Objective: The University will provide support to maintain a university library and computer center to support the needs of the institution.

Measurement System and Criteria: Faculty Surveys. No baseline data is available, but as a preliminary goal no less than 80% of the faculty respondents believe that Washburn's library and computer center are meeting the needs of the institution.

Measurement System and Criteria: Student Surveys. No baseline data is available, but as a preliminary goal no less than 75% of the student respondents believe that Washburn's library and computer center are meeting their educational needs.

3. Objective: A Washburn undergraduate education will maximize student-faculty interaction.

Measurement System and Criteria: Graduate Surveys. At least 80% of the students know at least three faculty (including one or more not from their major field) who know and can write letters of recommendation on their behalf.

4. Objective: The faculty will be knowledgeable in the field they are teaching, able and interested in conveying that knowledge to students, accessible to students and willing to assist students to prepare for lifelong learning.

5. Objective: Students graduating from Washburn will have basic educational skills.

Measurement System and Criteria: Graduate Survey. At least 70% of the respondents believe their education at Washburn contributed to their personal growth in being able to learn on their own.

Measurement System and Criteria: Ten-year Graduate Survey. The University has no baseline data to set this criteria, but, as a goal no less than 80% of our alumni, after 10 years past graduation, believe that they learn and adjust to new requirements in their careers and personal lives.

7. Objective: Graduates will be adequately prepared in an academic concentration.

Measurement System and Criteria: External Examinations. At least 75% of our graduates who sit for external exams, such as licensure, will receive passing grades.

Measurement System and Criteria: Graduate Survey. At least 80% of our graduates who find employment in their academic discipline will respond positively to the question, "Washburn has adequately prepared me in my academic concentration for success in my employment?" At least 80% of our graduates who have entered graduate school in their academic discipline will respond positively to the question, "Washburn has adequately prepared me in my academic concentration to successfully compete in graduate school?"

D. Mission Statement: The University will employ qualified and well-trained faculty who are interested in enhancing their students' knowledge.

Measurement System and Criteria: Administrative Review. At least 70% of the full-time faculty will have terminal degrees in areas directly related to those they are teaching.

Measurement System and Criteria: Administrative Review. At least 70% of the full-time faculty will be active in scholarly and/or creative work including publishing articles, giving professional presentations, and participating in national, regional or local conferences and workshops.

2. Objective: The faculty will be able and interested in assisting students in obtaining an education.

Measurement System and Criteria: Student Evaluations of Faculty Survey. At least 80% of the respondents will give a positive response on the evaluation form to the question, "The instructor was an effective teacher of the course."

Measurement System and Criteria: Graduate Survey. At least 80% of the respondents will give a positive response on the evaluation form to the question, "The Washburn faculty was interested and able in conveying their knowledge to their students."

Measurement System and Criteria: Administrative Review. At least 60% of the full-time faculty will participate in a given year in the University's faculty-development program for the improvement of the learning/teacher process.

Measurement System and Criteria: Student Evaluation of Faculty Survey. At least 70% of the respondents will agree that Washburn faculty are available to students for outside assistance.

Measurement System and Criteria: Alumni Survey. At least 70% of the respondents will give a positive response to the question, "The Washburn faculty was interested in and accessible to students."

Measurement System and Criteria: Administrative Review. At least 50% of the full-time faculty participate in student activities outside of class.

K. Mission Statement: A strong general education program will be the common foundation for all the University's undergraduate degrees.

1. Objective: Washburn's graduates will receive both the skills and the general knowledge which are the foundation for a lifetime of learning.

Measurement System and Criteria: Administrative Review. All associate and bachelor degree graduates will complete the University's general education requirements.

Measurement System and Criteria: Alumni Survey. At least 80% of the respondents will answer positively to the question, "Did your education at Washburn contribute to your personal growth in learning on your own?" (See the following objectives and measurements for more specific items.)

Measurement System and Criteria: Administrative Review. All associate and bachelor degree graduates will have completed the appropriate degree writing requirements.

Measurement System and Criteria: Junior Composition Writing Test. All students, before entering the required Junior Composition course, must show mastery of basic writing skills.

Measurement System and Criteria: Junior Composition Students' Portfolios. All students receiving a passing grade in Junior Composition must show mastery of advanced writing skills with particular emphasis being placed on written projects related to the students' major areas of interest.

Measurement System and Criteria: Alumni Surveys. At least 80% of the respondents will answer positively to the question "Did your education at Washburn contribute to your personal growth in writing effectively?".

3. Objective: A graduate will be able to reason mathematically and understand numerical data.

Measurement System and Criteria: Administrative Review. All associate and bachelor degree graduates will have completed the appropriate degree mathematics requirements.

Measurement System and Criteria: Random Transcript Reviews. The University has no baseline data to set the criteria, but, as a goal no less than 80% of all students will have successfully completed two or more general education courses which require outcome measurements in reasoning mathematically and/or understanding numerical data. (Note: The new general education course approval program began in the Fall of 1997. All courses which are approved to meet the requirement for general education must first state what skills and/or areas of knowledge they will emphasize, and what methods of outcome measurement will be used. Unfortunately, it will take a few years under this new program before transcripts of students graduating from Washburn can be analyzed meaningfully.)

Measurement System and Criteria: Random Transcript Reviews. The University has no baseline data to set the criteria, but, as a goal, no less than 80% of all students will have successfully completed two or more general education courses which require outcome measurements in thinking creatively (see note under objective 3).

Measurement System and Criteria: Random Transcript Reviews. The University has no baseline data to set the criteria, but, as a goal, no less than 80% of all students will have successfully completed one or more general education courses which required outcome measurements in working cooperatively (see note under obj. 3).

7. Objective: A graduate will be able to use human values to interpret knowledge.

Measurement System and Criteria: Random Transcript Reviews. The University has no baseline data to set the criteria, but, as a goal, no less than 80% of all students will have successfully completed two or more general education courses which required outcome measurements in the use of human values to interpret knowledge (see note under objective 3).

8. Objective: A graduate will be able to integrate information both in terms of synthesis and analysis.

Measurement System and Criteria: Random Transcript Reviews. The University has no baseline data to set the criteria, but, as a goal, no less than 80% of all students will have successfully completed two or more general education courses which required outcome measurements in integrating information (see footnote 1).

Measurement System and Criteria: Alumni Survey. At least 80% of the respondents will answer positively to the question, "Did your education at Washburn contribute to your personal growth in making logical inferences and reaching correct conclusions?".

9. Objective: A graduate will be able to access information resources and evaluate those resources.

Measurement System and Criteria: Alumni Survey. At least 80% of the respondents will answer positively to the question, "Did Washburn University prepare you to access and evaluate information?"

10. Objective: A graduate will have a broad comprehension of a number of areas of knowledge.

Measurement System and Criteria: Random Transcript Review. The University has no baseline data to set the criteria, but, as a goal, no less than 90% of all students will have successfully completed two or more courses in at least three of the broad areas of knowledge: the world of human ideas, aspirations and values the world of nature, the political world, and the world of others (see footnote 1).

Part 4: Does our assessment process document that students (1) have proficiency in skills and competencies essential for all college-educated adults, (2) complete an identifiable and coherent undergraduate level general education component and (3) master the level of knowledge appropriate to the degree attained?

The first two portions of this question are addressed in part 2 of this section. Skill assessment is a required component for approval as a general education course. Further, every undergraduate degree program has a specific and coherent general education component. While the exact requirements vary somewhat by degree program (usually in the number of distribution hours), the essential components remain constant.

The third portion of this question addresses assessment programs in the major. Most areas have strong assessment programs in place or are well along in the development of assessment of outcomes for their majors.

ART - Art is developing a capstone course, Art Seminar, to be first offered Spring '99. Other assessment tools in place include BFA senior exhibit, BA-Art History senior research papers, and a new senior BA portfolio review. All BFA students must submit a portfolio and statement to be admitted to the program. All art students are eligible to submit works for the Annual Student Exhibition held in the Mulvane Art Museum, the most public assessment process for students.

BIOLOGY - Four years ago a master list of skills and concepts were developed. Core courses which contain these were identified as required courses. A capstone course was offered Fall of 1996. Two years prior, students who enrolled in this course were required to do a research project. This has led to students being recruited by graduate schools who have seen the outcome of student research in local or national professional meetings. Exit interviews were initiated Spring 1997. Tracking the success of graduates in entering professional programs is a future assessment goal. Also, tracking the correlation between ACT scores and success in BI 102 is being used to identify students who may need early assistance. Continued refinement of these criteria is part of the on-going departmental plan.

CHEMISTRY - The department adopted a list of knowledge and skill outcomes expected of chemistry graduates. Outcomes are assessed by multiple instruments. American Chemical Society examinations in most courses reveal above average performance. Written and oral presentations of student seminars and research projects are evaluated by at least two faculty. Assessment questionnaires are being administered to graduates of the previous 5 years. Separate surveys to evaluate our graduates' performance were directed to employers and appropriate deans or professors of graduate and professional schools. The department is considering a portfolio requirement for graduation to evaluate student competency in the use of instrumentation.

COMPUTER INFORMATION SCIENCES - Six kinds of assessment mechanisms are used in CIS: an on-going curriculum committee, advisory committee, alumni survey, student survey, graduate exit questionnaire and internship evaluation. Under consideration are four other measures: three are tests, and one is a portfolio. Consideration of a one-hour Senior Seminar also continues.

EDUCATION - Elementary education students are assessed by a student evaluation form, portfolios completed by students, and National Teacher Exam. Early Childhood students must take an Internship and provide a portfolio. Secondary students are assessed by a student teacher evaluation form, National Teacher Exam, and a portfolio. Graduate students have capstone experiences such as comprehensive exams and/or thesis. Also, alumni surveys and follow-up questionnaires are used. KSDE competencies must be completed for elementary and secondary special education students, as well as a capstone experience. Reading students complete comprehensive exams or other capstone experiences, such as practicums or post-grad questionnaires. Educational Administration graduate students are assessed by capstone experiences, Practica I & II and alumni surveys.

ENGLISH - Literature students take the ETS in English and American letters, complete EN 301 Critical Reading and Writing as a capstone course, and provide a portfolio. English Education students will have a midterm and final student teaching evaluation done jointly by the cooperating teacher and the university supervisor as a capstone course, take the National Teacher Exam, and submit a portfolio. Writing emphasis students must complete EN 351 and work with Inscape. A Writer's Workshop course is also being considered.

HEALTH, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, AND EXERCISE SCIENCE - Physical education majors in education use ED 400-410-420 as the capstone course. Physical education majors must complete PE 496. Using a problem-solving format, this course synthesizes and applies information from the core courses required for the BA degree. It is taken in conjunction with PE494 (Field Experience) or PE495 (Field Experience II).

HISTORY - Students must complete HI 299 History Forum, and HI 399 Historical Methods and Research. HI 399 serves as the capstone course.

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES - Exit exams including interviews for French, German and Spanish majors will be conducted, beginning Spring 1998.

MASS MEDIA - MM 490 Senior Seminar (1 hr) is the capstone course. A professional portfolio, which is reviewed by a faculty committee, is the primary product. Discussion for the future involves development of an academic portion of the portfolio and a required internship.

MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS - Students will take either the MFAT (Major Field Assessment Test), or two exams by the Society of Actuaries. MFAT scores will be compared to scores of students in comparable institutions, and an initial goal is that 75% of the students taking the Actuarial Sciences exams will pass one, and at least 40% will pass both by graduation. Variation from these standards will give the department information necessary to make needed changes.

MUSIC - Students seeking a BA in Music take a departmentally approved theory test as incoming Freshman and retake the same test at the end of the Music Theory sequence. Performance students must complete MU 443 Composition which is the capstone course for theory and composition, and complete the pre- and post- test defined earlier. A senior recital is also a necessary capstone experience. Music education students must pass the senior recital capstone experience, and pass the PPST (Pre-Professional Skills Test) as well as student teaching.

PHILOSOPHY - Students complete PH 399, the capstone course. No plans exist for assessment of the curriculum. Religion students are evaluated by a capstone evaluation form.

POLITICAL SCIENCE - Students take an exit exam based on the GRE. A capstone course and portfolio are being discussed as possible assessment tools for the future. Public administration students complete an internship as the capstone course.

PSYCHOLOGY - Students will take the national PACAT (Project for Area Concentration Achievement Testing) as pre-test as soon as they are declared majors, and a post-test during the senior year. Feedback from the PACAT would provide information for change in curriculum.

SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY - Sociology students complete SO 360 Sociological Theory, SO 362 Methods of Social Research as capstone courses. Anthropology students complete AN 324 History and Theory of Anthropology, AN 362 Methods of Social Research as capstone courses.

SPEECH COMMUNICATION - Students must complete SC 400 Senior Seminar which involves developing an academic portfolio. The portfolios are reviewed yearly by the faculty, and every third year by an external evaluator.

The School of Business is participating in an AACSB benchmarking study involving both undergraduate and MBA programs. All graduating seniors are polled with a 120-item questionnaire. Washburn's results are compared with similar institutions, so that weaknesses can be diagnosed and strategies devised to correct them. The first comparison data became available in Fall 1997.

All required courses are being systematically reviewed by a faculty committee for content addressing key learning objectives and to assess evaluation methods and classroom results. Several courses are being used to monitor student performance on key learning factors. Some tests from ETS are being tried on an experimental basis.

Evaluation of student learning in nursing courses is accomplished through a variety of methods, including objective tests using multiple choice format, essay test questions, student writing assignments, oral presentations, group projects and client teaching projects. In clinical courses, students are observed carrying out nursing responsibilities with clients and are evaluated using a clinical evaluation tool based on the specific objectives of the course.

A set of 10 student outcomes has been developed. All graduates take the National Council Licensure Exam within 90 days of graduation. The School also administers the Calfornia Critical Thinking Skills Test and the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory to new majors and to graduating seniors.

HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - A capstone course is required. A mock board exam is given to all senior students in the program. The American Health Information Management Accreditation Exam is used to evaluate student performance. Employers are surveyed regarding their opinions of the skills and knowledge base of HIT graduates.

PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSISTANT - A program comprehensive exam must be passed prior to going on final clinicals. A national certification exam must be passed to achieve recognition as a PTA. Students are surveyed one year after graduation, and an employer survey of student performance is also conducted.

RADIATION THERAPY - Clinical competency testing is given on specific skills and tasks. The results of the registry examination given to majors is used to evaluate the curriculum. Follow-up evaluations are sent to the graduates and their employers.

RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY - Program goals and detailed student outcomes have been developed. Assessment tools used include: competency evaluation review forms, professional development evaluation review forms, employer surveys, clinical competency evaluations, a board examination (ARRT), oral clinical evaluation, and alumni surveys.

RESPIRATORY THERAPY - Capstone courses, self-assessment exams (from the National Board for Respiratory Care) and external examinations (CRTT Entry Level Exam and RRT Advance Practitioner Exam) are used to assess student academic achievement.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE - Student objectives for individual courses have been developed, but program outcomes are still in development. Assessment tools used include internship evaluations, written assignments, evaluations by participating agency, and instructor's evaluation.

HUMAN SERVICES - Detailed student outcomes for each program have been developed. These outcomes are evaluated using traditional tests, research papers, group projects, internship evaluations, site supervisor's evaluations, and various external examinations from licensing agencies.

SOCIAL WORK - Student outcomes are evaluated using pre- and post-tests, exit surveys, alumni surveys, field placement evaluation, evaluation of practicum experience, and external licensing exams.

LEGAL ASSISTANT - Student outcomes are assessed using examinations, practical writing assignments, research papers, oral presentations, internship evaluations and site supervisors' evaluations. In addition, program efficacy is evaluated through employer and graduate surveys, as well as through advisory board input. Student evaluations are utilized in each class.

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION - A variety of techniques are used to assess student outcomes, including examinations, timed tests and problem-solving exercises. The Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) Exam is administered at Washburn annually. In addition, employer and graduate feedback is obtained through surveys and an advisory board.

TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION - In addition to traditional methods of measuring student outcomes, such as examinations and projects, a senior project class is required. Professional teamwork is the method used to complete the senior project. The projects focus on the future of the workplace.

Section C: How does the University ensure quality in its academic programs?

Part 1: Are courses of study clearly defined, coherent and intellectually rigorous? What steps must new programs go through to ensure they have these characteristics?

The university has implemented several interrelated and mutually reinforcing procedures which are designed to ensure that courses of study are clearly defined, coherent and intellectually rigorous, including a lengthy series of steps which new programs must go through to ensure that they have these characteristics.

The university catalog is the ultimate authority for defining courses of study offered in all university programs. Catalog listings are reviewed annually and revised and/or updated as needed. At the least, the internal Program Review cycle requires a systematic evaluation of each course of study every five years. However, an elaborate system for monitoring program changes ensures that modifications to courses of study will be evaluated, discussed, and approved at several levels of the organization (e.g., CAS: five different levels, with six levels if the change affects a teacher certification program). As a further guarantee of clear definition of courses of study, the registrar's office has a form which spells out the specific requirements of each program of study under each catalog to which a student could potentially be subject (typically the last six years), and academic departments work closely with the registrar to guarantee the accuracy of these program of study summaries. Academic advising for a specific student under a specific catalog can then be easily coordinated. The Academic Advising Center utilizes a similar guidance form to disseminate accurate information about programs of study. Furthermore, academic departments coordinate the development of brochures and other literature for distribution to current and potential students. This literature is validated against programs of study as defined in the university catalog. Finally, in light of the recursive nature of program development and modification, programs of study are constantly being re-evaluated by academic departments, and the resulting changes are integrated into future catalog revisions after moving through the screening process which ensures continuing clarity of program definition.

The university establishes and monitors program of study coherence primarily through department and/or school faculty. The ultimate responsibility for coherent programs of study lies with the faculty. Thus the judgment of a quality faculty is the first stage of establishing program coherence. The second stage is comparison with peer programs in other universities, national benchmarks and/or professional area guidelines. Washburn's internal program review process enforces a periodic examination of program coherence as part of the self review process, and one or more of the above comparisons are done regularly to ensure program of study coherence.

Ultimately, the intellectual rigor of our programs is dependent on the quality of the faculty. These comments by members of the Washburn Student Association are encouraging: "The University insures quality by maintaining a qualified and enthusiastic faculty who are more than capable of adhering to and enhancing academic programs that are in place. Academic programs can only succeed if the people who operate them are willing to put in the effort and work to see them through. The faculty of Washburn are enthusiastic and show the kind of concern in their own programs that enable their students to feel that their work is important and means something."

The College of Arts and Sciences has a multi-step process which ensures quality programs. All new degrees, programs within degrees, and courses within programs proceed from origination by faculty to approval by the academic department, approval by the appropriate division, approval by the dean, approval by the Department of Education (if the proposed new course, program or degree relates to a teacher certification program), approval by the College Faculty Council Curriculum Committee, and finally, to approval by the College Faculty Council. Modifications to existing degrees, programs or courses require passage through the same multi-step process (above) and approval at all levels before the change(s) can be implemented.

In the School of Law, all new courses and new certificate programs proceed from origination by faculty to consideration by the Curriculum Committee. Upon a favorable recommendation by that Committee, the proposal is then submitted to the full faculty for acceptance or rejection. Modifications in graduation requirements, required hours, prerequisites and course descriptions must also pass through the same process.

Within the School of Applied Studies, all new courses, programs or degrees are originated by a faculty member and must be approved by the appropriate department, by the Curriculum Committee of the School, by the School Faculty Council and by the dean. Other ways that quality is ensured are through the use of departmental/program advisory committees, graduate surveys and employer surveys. Nine programs have external accreditation bodies that conduct periodic reviews. Another department has adopted the standards of a national organization as a benchmark for its programs. Eight programs also have registry, certification or licensure scores that indicate graduate performance.

School of Business curricula have been designed and implemented with AACSB accreditation standards as the principal frame of reference. New degree programs or major modifications of existing programs and majors are reviewed, in sequence, by the Program Review Committee, which looks at the proposal in the context of its fit with the School's mission and its market feasibility, the Curriculum Committee, the School faculty as a whole, and the dean. Individual course proposals must include detailed syllabi, and are reviewed by the curriculum committee, the faculty as a whole, and the dean.

All proposed new course offerings in the School of Nursing must be reviewed and discussed by the Curriculum Committee and the faculty committee-as-a-whole. The Academic Policy Committee, comprised of full-time faculty and student representatives, must then give final approval. The baccalaureate nursing curriculum is organized around a conceptual framework and courses are logically organized and sequenced into an integrated whole. Individual faculty members may not arbitrarily drop or add content to courses without the approval of the Curriculum Committee and the entire nursing faculty. Accreditation criteria require the program to provide rationale for all courses and sequences.

Part 2: Do we have programs that include courses and/or activities whose purpose is to stimulate the examination and understanding of personal, social and civic values? Where appropriate, do programs require or encourage the use of scholarship and/or participation in research? Where appropriate, do programs require or encourage intellectual interaction between faculty and student and between student and student?

Washburn students are encouraged to develop scholarship skills and engage in scholarship in a variety of appropriate venues. Some departments offer an independent study option for students who wish to pursue a course of study not offered. The students then work under the supervision of a faculty member whose interests and credentials provide the credentials necessary to supervise this independent work. The student is expected to produce some scholarly product such as a critical review or analysis of the available literature. This kind of independent study is often done as an honors project, or as a capstone experience or part of a capstone experience.

Other Washburn students find it more appropriate to initiate a research project under the supervision of a member of the faculty. One such option is a directed research project in which the student enrolls for credit associated with completing a research project. These projects vary depending on the department and college or school in which they are completed, and are also likely to be completed as part of a capstone experience. Where appropriate, Washburn students are encouraged to collaborate with faculty on research projects which further individual faculty research programs while at the same time providing opportunity for students to work in faculty labs and learn research skills as research assistants. A major consequence (and benefit) of these student research projects is that they often lead to student research presentations (and student recognition of research accomplishments) in local, state, regional or national competitions [e.g., Great Plains Student Psychology Conference, Kansas Academy of Science, Kansas Chapter of the Mathematics Association of America].

Since 1996, student research has been on display in the Student Union on a special "Student Research Day" in the spring. Students prepare poster presentations, and stand by them as faculty and other students visit their displays and ask questions about the research. This gives students the added opportunity to learn to discuss their work with others outside their fields, and to get ideas for further research.

Intellectual interactions between students and faculty and among students are endorsed and encouraged in a variety of settings: classrooms; collaborative learning situations; colloquia and seminars; discussion sections in courses, labs, and tutoring sessions; independent study and directed research; and in capstone experiences.

Because of Washburn's location in the capital city, many students have opportunities to serve as interns with city and state agencies. In addition, education students participate in EPIC (educational programs in the community) as a degree requirement.

Members of the Washburn Student Association wrote: "Instructors are more than willing to interact with their students, and more often than not, almost require interaction. The instructors at Washburn do not want sponges in their classrooms; they want thinkers. They provide information, and then personally help their students to analyze this information and understand it. Students are also encouraged to interact with each other and to gain knowledge from diverse insights."

Part 3: How is teaching effectiveness measured? Are programs and courses characterized by effective teaching?

A number of measures of teaching effectiveness are employed. First, each unit employs some kind of "universal" teaching effectiveness form which is used by all faculty in the unit, and thereby provides a pool of evaluations to which individuals can be compared for relative comparison, and from which general conclusions about teaching effectiveness can be drawn. Second, many programs or courses within programs have special evaluation needs which are being met by unit- or course-specific teaching effectiveness forms. Third, junior faculty have their teaching effectiveness evaluated by multiple methods (classroom visitations by deans and/or department chairpersons; analysis and critique of videotaped lectures; peer faculty evaluations) which require a very close scrutiny annually, with an even more detailed analysis in their third year, and then later in their sixth year as they undergo review for tenure. Fourth, all faculty are reviewed on an annual basis for merit salary increases by deans and/or department chairs, with emphasis on teaching effectiveness. And fifth, petitions presented by faculty seeking promotion in rank require significant articulation and discussion of evidence relating to teaching effectiveness as an integral part of the promotion petition.

The evidence submitted and evaluated in the five items above strongly suggest a uniform pattern of effective teaching. This is clearly supported by results from long-term summaries derived from the "universal" teaching effectiveness form, third-year review of faculty teaching effectiveness credentials, tenure and promotion review of teaching effectiveness results, and student opinion.

The College of Arts and Sciences maintains a database of student evaluation data from all classes dating back through 1991. From 1991-96, the student evaluation form posed a number of statements, to which students responded on a Likert scale. Four of these statements have been considered fundamental to good teaching. To the first, "The instructor seemed well-informed in the subject matter," 98.1% of students in all College classes during 1991-96 indicated agreement (agree or strongly agree). The next statement, "For assistance outside of class, the instructor was: (1) readily available and encouraged students to come, (2) readily available, (3) available when sought out, (4) generally not available, (5) never available." Again, 98.1% of all students indicated categories 1-3 (48.9%, 30.3%, 18.8%, respectively). The third statement asks "How often was the instructor well-prepared for class? (1) always, (2) very often, (3) often, (4) seldom, (5) never." Here 98.9% of the students selected one of the first three categories, with 91.4% choosing the top two categories. The last statement has been considered key by many: "The instructor was an effective teacher of this course." Of all students in College classes during this 5 year period, 92.2% responded "agree" (32.3%) or "strongly agree" (59.9%) to this statement. A new evaluation form is now being used, and the last question is still about instructor effectiveness.. In the 1996-97 academic year, 88.8% indicated agreement with the statement (agree, 23.3%; strongly agree, 65.1%).

This testimonial about teaching effectiveness came from members of the Washburn Student Association: "The instructors at Washburn are among the best in their field....Their enthusiasm for their subjects transfers to the students and results in the desire to learn."

Part 4: What is the University doing to provide professional development opportunities for faculty, staff and administrators?

Numerous programs are currently functioning to facilitate faculty and staff development including regular faculty development programs sponsored by the VPAA's office, leadership seminars for chairpersons and deans (also sponsored by the VPAA), staff development seminars and workshops sponsored by the Personnel Office, various departmental development activities, curriculum development grants, travel grants for conference, workshop and seminar participation, faculty and staff participating in the institution's free or reduced tuition program for employees, Continuing Education workshops, and administrator travel budgets.

Over the past six years, Washburn has developed substantial development programs for faculty. The faculty development program includes regular workshops on teaching effectiveness, conducted by faculty members. "Teaching Tips" and "Mabee Library News" columns appear in the Washburn Update employee newsletter, and an electronic discussion group has been formed. Nationally known experts on topics of faculty interest present lectures to the faculty once or twice a year at General Faculty meetings. New faculty are provided an orientation program in the summer prior to the start of their employment, and they receive a the New Faculty News and Notes newsletter during their first year. Videotape analysis of their instruction is provided by experienced faculty members, a mid-semester teaching assessment is conducted, and each new faculty member is mentored for two years by experienced faculty.

Five to six administrative workshops are being held annually for department chairs, academic deans and other interested administrators. Recent topics have included legal issues in hiring, promotion and tenure, faculty evaluations, recruitment and retention, faculty development, fund-raising, and of course, preparation for the North Central self-study and evaluation visit.

Individual training is given to new staff members. Each new employee (faculty, administrative or classified) receives 30-45 minutes of orientation from the Personnel Office. University policies and procedures and employment benefits are covered in this orientation. The Personnel Office also assists employees with resume writing, interviewing skills, supervisory skills and other areas of interest. Periodic training sessions are held on an as needed basis to deal with new programs or concerns. Examples include sessions on telephone etiquette, position description writing, employee performance evaluations, service excellence, stress management, health insurance programs and retirement programs. Administrative employees attend numerous professional meetings.

In addition, after a specified period of employment, employees may participate in the tuition assistance program. The University pays the tuition and fees for one course per academic sessions for each eligible employee.

Part 5: Do student and academic support services effectively support academic programs?

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

The MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS OFFICE focuses on meeting the academic, social and cultural needs of the University community, with emphasis on providing support for students of color as they pursue their academic studies. The office assesses its services through counts of student participation, post evaluative instruments, follow-up correspondence and informal student response surveys. Its recent accomplishments include the adoption of a more inclusive model for implementing diversity programming, creation of a campus-wide Diversity Committee and revitalization of interest in Black fraternities and sororities.

The role of the STUDENT SERVICES OFFICE is to help provide an environment through which students can obtain quality education within an urban setting. Assistance is provided through appropriate processing of veterans' educational benefits, working with faculty to make academic accommodations for students with disabilities, and supporting non-traditional students in their academic experiences. Student Services measures performance and services through surveys, requests for accommodative services, numbers of referrals and traffic levels. A Veterans Day Ceremony has been instituted, the Nu Tau Sigma non-traditional student group has been revived and a non-traditional student center in the Union has been established. The director serves on a number of University committees and advisory boards, and is a member of the Assistive Technology Task Force of the Topeka Independent Living Resource Center.

The OFFICE OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES AND GREEK LIFE is responsible for managing the registration of and providing leadership development for campus organizations. The office advises student groups on financial matters, marketing strategies, governmental and legal issues. It coordinates the alcohol awareness program and numerous special Greek events, and oversees the University ID project. Program assessment occurs by survey and by informal discussions with students. Recent accomplishments include an annual Alcohol Awareness Week, increased sorority rush numbers, increased numbers of student ID's being received, and a number of special programs offered in conjunction with student organizations.

The mission of STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES is to provide Washburn students with primary health care. This service enables the student to attend to immediate health care needs without the inconvenience of scheduling appointments off campus and to quickly return to their academic routine. Students with health problems of a more critical nature are referred to specialized care providers.

The OFFICE OF RESIDENTIAL LIVING provides the housing services to students in resident hall facilities. The office is responsible for the physical and social environment, maintaining order, and providing opportunities for personal development for residents. As an additional service, the office provides an off-campus housing referral service and coordinates housing for summer residents and conference and workshop groups. Performance is measured by occupancy rates, satisfaction with the living environment, retention, and the ability to attract new residents.

ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES

The Academic Computer Center (ACC), located in Bennett Computer Center, is a campus-wide, academic computing support unit which reports to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The ACC provides campus-wide computing support for students and faculty. As resources permit, the ACC endeavors to support anyone on campus who can benefit from the academic computing environment. Academic computing support includes assistance with computing and data communications equipment ("hardware") and systems and applications programs ("software"). Support is delivered via a network which connects users throughout the campus to computer servers and a central support staff.

There are five subunits within the ACC: maintenance, systems and network administration, operations, user services, and software development. The ACC provides computer systems reflective of current computing technology and supportive of the academic programs of the University. The ACC is a service organization with clearly defined policies and procedures governing the delivery of computing services for the benefit of the greatest number of academic computing users.

The ACC provides a gateway from the campus local area network to wide area networks such as the Kansas Research and Education Network and the Internet. The ACC keeps abreast of computing and networking technologies and attempts to maintain a state-of-the-art, cost-effective computing environment with high-performance networks and computers which execute a wide variety of software packages useful in academic computing.

The ACC does not provide computing support for the general public. It does assist some off-campus government agencies and professional groups with surveys and test scoring whenever such activity appears to be in the best interest of Washburn. Nonetheless, its central mission is supporting the academic needs of Washburn students and faculty. To the extent our resources allow, the ACC provides support to Washburn administrative areas to supplement that provided by Administrative Data Processing.

Staff members of the ACC have been recruited based on their interest in and expertise in academic computing and in supporting academic computing. As such, the administrative personnel in the ACC are well qualified for the work they do. The director of the ACC has the Ph.D. in physics, and the assistant director has a BS in computer science and an MBA. Other staff members have degrees appropriate to their positions (bachelors degrees for most, associate degrees for the computer maintenance staff). The ACC has been chronically understaffed, though two new positions added at the start of the 1997-98 academic year is helping some. Nonetheless, the expertise and productivity of the ACC staff allow them to support most of the computing needs of the student body and faculty.

The question of the effectiveness of the ACC in supporting academic programs was addressed directly through a survey conducted in April of 1996 by the ACC. This survey was sent out to Washburn faculty and staff. Some results of that survey germane to this question are (the entire survey including numerous comments will be available in the Resource Room):

-97% of respondents indicated some agreement (selected "agree" or "somewhat agree") with the statement "I find the ACC staff courteous, helpful, and cooperative."

-70% indicated agreement with the statement "The input I receive from student users is that, overall, they are satisfied with ACC services." Only 7% indicated disagreement, with the rest expressing no opinion

-88% indicated agreement with the statement "I am satisfied with the help I receive when I call with a question."

-68% indicated agreement with "I am satisfied with the RS/6000 software provided." 17% indicated disagreement, with the remaining 15% indicating no opinion

One comment from the survey sums up the performance of the ACC as frequently conveyed via e-mail or in person to ACC staff: "In general, I have found Washburn's Computer capability and the staff to be the best compared to five other universities I have been associated with."

The library supports student programs by offering individualized instruction for classes and by offering one-on-one instruction at the reference desk. The reference desk is staffed all but six hours per week the library is open, and recently the library began double staffing the desk during peak hours. This was accomplished through reallocation and the elimination of tasks rather than with additional staff.

The library provides the research collection and access to other materials for the university community. Selection and provision of those materials is a shared responsibility with the teaching faculty. Library faculty and staff are active in local, statewide, national and international library information and instruction organizations. Participation in these activities enhance institutional effectiveness by both the gain of information by the participant and by increasing the awareness of and the reputation of Washburn in the global community.

The collection is under continuous evaluation. Books for College Libraries and other standard bibliographies are regularly checked against our holdings to determine how well Washburn is doing in developing the collection.

User surveys and focus groups have been conducted. These indicate the students and faculty are pleased with the service Mabee Library provides. Library instruction sessions have increased by 50% over the last five years. Reference use has increased by 150% over the same period.

The various units of CLASS work in concert with the faculty to provide study skills training, academic advising (to undeclared students), testing, counseling and career-related services essential to student success.

Each area in CLASS has developed a set of goals and outcome measurements. These goals and outcomes were developed as a part of the self-study process, and are therefore in the initial stages of implementation. A brief summary of these follows:

ACADEMIC ADVISING's mission is to provide services to assist students in achieving their academic goals and personal successes at Washburn University. To this end, they strive to meet the following goals: (1) to provide accurate and current information to students regarding degree requirements, policies, procedures, rules and regulations; (2) to keep abreast of literature and research in order to continually improve services to students; and (3) to work in partnership with other CLASS units, University departments, faculty, administration and others to promote student success. Assessment tools include student satisfaction surveys, data on exceptions granted due to advising errors, and academic progress tracking.

Academic Advising has developed several methods to identify students having academic difficulties. Tracking and follow-up identify such students much sooner than previous advising programs. In the "Early Assistance Program," faculty fill out and send to the Advising Center response forms which list warning signs that may indicate that a student will have academic problems. Advisors contact students and attempt to meet with them to provide assessment and referral to needed services. Academic advisors also review information about student GPA's, probation status, first-time student status and other indicators to identify students who might benefit from additional assistance.

The mission of CAREER SERVICES is to assist students in finding employment, to assist employers in hiring students and alumni, and to assist academic departments with career issues. Career Services intends to measure student and alumni involvement in its programs through contact logs, resume referrals, number of credential files sent, participation in on-campus interviews and job fairs, hires in full-time, part-time and intern positions and enrollment in graduate school. Academic department involvement will be measured by counting faculty contacts and consultations, invitations to speak to classes, and involvement in internship programs. Employer involvement will be measured through contact logs, job listing, on-campus recruiting and presentations, and career fair participation. Satisfaction with services will be measured by survey of students, alumni, academic departments and employers.

Career Services is expanding its services and targeting students and faculty to take full advantage of those services. Two new career fairs (the Networking Fair and the Graduate Fair) were launched in fall 1997. On-line registration of credentials is available. A variety of information for students is available on Career Services' web site. The "Substitute in Class" program allows Career Services staff to give presentations in classes for faculty members who for various reasons must be absent. Career Services has also targeted employers who are more likely to have openings for Washburn graduates. Such employers are contacted through personal visits, literature and e-mail. They are invited to attend fairs and asked to help create internships for the HIRE (Highly Integrated Real Experience) program.

COUNSELING AND TESTING SERVICES has as its mission to help students reach their educational and vocational goals. To this end, Counseling and Testing attempts to help students work through a number of obstacles which might hinder personal, educational and career development. Counseling and Testing also provides standardized testing for professional and educational advancement. Its goals include: (1) helping recruitment through the use of educational/vocational interest scales; (2) assisting students in their adjustment to the academic and social environment of the campus; (3) assisting students to cope with a number of psychological concerns that may interfere with their enrollment at the University; (4) providing the community with a testing center with appropriate information, registration and local administration; (5) providing a comprehensive testing battery for students to explore or confirm a choice of major; and (6) expanding ties with other CLASS units and academic departments. Measurement techniques include tabulation of prospective student use of services and number of national standardized examinations taken locally, logging sessions and referrals, logging use of psychometric instruments and tracking subsequent student success, and exit surveys.

The LEARNING ENRICHMENT area is the newest of the CLASS operations, created in Spring 1996 and coordinated by the director of CLASS. The mission of this area is to coordinate University-wide efforts to provide special services (such as tutors and computer-assisted instruction) that support student learning needs.

During the 1996-97 academic year, CLASS conducted a self evaluation to identify strengths and areas needing improvement. A brief summary of the results of this self-study follows:

ACADEMIC ADVISING strengths were found to be the knowledge and experience of the advising staff, including the ability of this staff to function well together and as a team. Versatility of services and on-going research projects were cited as strengths. However, the Advising Center also handles a number of functions (such as processing major declarations) that would be more logically housed in other units, and is understaffed during regular enrollment periods.

CAREER SERVICES staff members are cross-trained to be able to provide prompt, comprehensive assistance. Additional staff has improved the ability to provide walk-in service. Employer and student satisfaction with the services provided has increased. The budget for this area is very low relative to comparable state institutions. Some basic career-related resources are not available or are out of date. Database software and interviewing space is needed.

Staffing is considered a strength of COUNSELING AND TESTING. The coordinator has 27 years of experience, and the personal counselor has a background in academic and community social work. The staff organizes and administers a large number of nationally standardized exams, vocational interest batteries and personality scales. Available space has been optimized, and appropriate equipment and testing materials are readily available. The number of staff is small, however, with the ratio of students-to-counselors below national averages. Storage space and a private waiting room are needed, as are additional computers and specialized video tapes.

The LEARNING ENRICHMENT CENTER received a grant for its "Impact 2000" program, which will bring to the center state-of-the-art academic software and workstations for both faculty and students.

Faculty of the Allied Health Department perceive a need to increase the size of the personal counseling staff. They expressed concern that students must wait too long for appointments, and perhaps some drop outs could be avoided through counseling.

The MULVANE ART MUSEUM is an AAM-accredited museum which collects and exhibits art of the Mountain-Plains region and the State of Kansas. It serves the university and the community with exhibits, education programs for adults and children, visits by artists and experts, travel opportunities and cooperation with other city, state and regional art organizations. The Museum's Art Resources for Topeka, its combined education programs for children, now serve more than 36,000 children in the Topeka area each year. The Mulvane works closely with the Art Department, and the director is a senior professor in the department.

KTWU provides public and educational television to the northeast Kansas area. Numerous for-credit telecourses have been offered on the station. In addition, the station provides the opportunity for students in mass media to gain practical experience through internships.

The MEDIA CENTER provides delivery of and instruction in the use of and maintenance of numerous kinds of audio/visual equipment for use in classrooms and laboratories. The Media Center operates the University's distance education classroom, providing two-way audio and visual to remote sites. In addition, the Center is responsible for the Newtek Lab, which provides instruction in state of the art video production through the use of Video Toasters and Flyers and other products of Newtek, a leader in the video industry and formerly based in Topeka. Satellite conferencing is also provided by the Media Center to faculty, staff and the community. A 24-hour educational access channel (WUCT Channel 16) is operated through the Media Center. Programming includes Knowledge TV, Deutsche Welle, The Washburn Edition, community service announcements, local weather information, live and tape-delayed Washburn sporting events, educational television courses for credit, commencement ceremonies, and various student-produced programs.

The INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS provides the INS documentation required of all international students and works in concert with Admissions and the departments or schools where most international students pursue their programs. The Institute recruits international students on behalf of the University. There are currently about 180 of them from 41 countries (F-1 visa status). Working through the Division of Continuing Education, the institute provides intensive English services for international students. In addition, it seeks out and establishes exchange opportunities with foreign universities (currently 12 such relationships exist and are active), and promotes these opportunities among students. It maintains a fund for support of faculty exchange and recommends grants. On average 10 faculty members per year receive assistance for their international projects from this fund. The Institute also provides coordinating services for Phi Beta Delta Honors Society for International Scholars, hosts international guest professors and visitors, and coordinates an International Brown Bag Lecture series and other international forums in consortium with International Center of Topeka, Inc.

Part 6: How does staff and faculty service contribute to institutional effectiveness?

Faculty and staff service are the lifeblood of the institution. Washburn's human resources represent the single greatest source of expertise utilized in solving problems and effectively running the institution. Faculty and staff utilize their skills primarily in the context of university, college/school, division, and department standing committees which carry out a significant amount of university business. In addition, Washburn also utilizes its faculty and staff on numerous ad hoccommittees and task forces.

Part 7: Does the University follow commonly accepted practice in the maintenance of student records?

Beginning September 1990, when the current University Registrar began employment, office procedures were implemented to follow the guidelines established by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), the national organization that suggests standard procedures for maintaining student records.

The University Registrar continually monitors, through AACRAO and other information sources, changes in legislation, regulations and interpretations that affect policy and procedures in the maintenance of student records. The University Registrar, through the Dean of Enrollment Management, coordinates policy change with the academic units with the VPAA Office.

Section D: Are the University's non-credit continuing education programs meeting the needs of the community?

More and more people are becoming aware of the need for life-long education--both for credit and not for credit. Many professions now require individuals to attend a designated number of contact hours in order to maintain licensure. Employers see increased results and employees see increased job opportunities when they continue their education. Retirees often want to go back to school and learn for the pure joy of learning. We can assume, then, that in the Topeka/Shawnee county community there are a wide range of educational needs.

The Division of Continuing Education operates within the University academic community, yet it must also operate like a small business. Because the Division is charged with achieving certain financial goals, programs the Division offers must meet established criteria. The potential program must be academic in nature, and the program should have current or future financial viability.

In assessing whether or not the Division is meeting the needs of the community, it is important to recognize that the Division cannot meet all community continuing education needs. The community need must be matched with a University strength.

That said, the Division does attempt to operate in congruence with a basic tenet of marketing: Create a program that meets an existing need. Do not create programs that sound good and then try to find markets for them. The following briefly summarizes the program portfolio of the Division of Continuing Education.

The Division puts forth great effort in attempting to fill an appropriate niche for the training needs of area businesses, recognizing the extremely competitive nature of the training market and also the fact that many corporations have in-house trainers fulfilling the bulk of their training needs. One-day training programs were dropped last year in recognition that these were not filling a need. Numerous public programs are offered through the Lessons in Leadership program in addition to selected in-house programs and the new Mini MBA program.

Professional development programs in this area are intended to supplement the education criminal justice professionals may currently have. Those in corrections or law enforcement, for example, may receive in-house programs which are focused on specific skills or training needs. WU seminars strive to strike a balance between an academic foundation or research and theory and blend that with application. Seminars also tend to focus on the commonality among the different segments of the field.

The Intensive English Program (IEP) meets the needs of the community by providing the opportunity for non-native speaking community members to improve their English skills in order to interact more effectively in society and perform better on the job. Moreover, the program serves as a tool and motivation for those who may desire (more) college education.

Nurses must attend continuing education programs specifically designed by and for nurses in order to maintain licensure. The challenge for the Division and the School of Nursing is to offer programs that reflect the strength of the School and meet the practical needs in the field.

The community has a variety of needs in regard to technology training. At the most basic level, many people need to learn how to use computers for home use and to get a job and earn promotions at work. At this level, the community's needs appear to be met by current programs. Beginning level software workshops draw a fair number of participants when they are offered to the public in spite of strong competition from the private sector. More advanced workshops tend to draw fewer participants because the pool of software users at intermediate to advanced levels of expertise is much smaller. Enrollment data appear to indicate that the demand for software training workshops does not at this time exceed the supply of such training offered by Washburn University and a growing number of computer training businesses in Topeka.

Beginning in August, 1996, the Division of Continuing Education began offering programs to meet the needs of those using desktop video and animation software produced by NewTek, a company formerly based in Topeka. This highly technical software is best learned in a hands-on laboratory environment, yet no such lab existed in the U.S. until NewTek donated equipment to Washburn University. Now up to 24 people can learn to use video editing and computer animation programs in a dedicated lab. By the Division's offering one workshop per month, users of this technology have been able to upgrade their skills to become more productive in their work. Demand for these workshops is increasing in this new program.

In the last few years, Topeka area computer programming professionals who were unable to take semester-long courses have had to travel to Kansas City or farther to participate in technical professional development programs. Beginning in 1997, Washburn faculty from the Department of Computer Information Sciences will teach one- to five- day professional development workshops on programming languages, networking, and advanced topics in corporate computing. These workshops will fulfill a need among high-end computer users for local training in fast changing technologies.

The social institutions that serve victims are increasingly being scrutinized in terms of responsiveness to victims' needs. While the number of service professionals who have attended this interdisciplinary program is small, the issue is one of growing importance. Professional needs are met through enhanced competence in service to victims. Additionally, Washburn University has been selected to be one of four host sites for the National Victims Academy, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Victims of Crime. This is an annual summer institute that educates professionals working in the field of victims services.

The Division helps meet the educational needs of many individuals through one-time or annual events. These may include public lectures on social events, the annual conferences for teachers exploring technology or the annual Office Professional Seminar aimed at office and administrative assistants.

The Division also assists in the development and coordination of regional and national events. These may attract a local audience and/or serve to promote the University and the Topeka community. For many participants, it is also their first connection with the University and may pave the way for attendance at future events or additional credit-hour production.

Part 1: How are community needs being assessed?

In some sense, needs are assessed at each and every opportunity. Every phone call is a potential customer and all support staff understand this. Support staff are responsive to the needs and questions of those who phone. They attempt to determine areas of interest and as appropriate mail them selected brochures or add them to our database. In the last two years the Division has cleaned up and now maintains a database of names sorted by areas of interest. Those who are interested in computers, for instance, will be mailed every brochure that relates to this topic.

Evaluation forms are used at all programs. Information on areas of interest or needs are routed to the appropriate program coordinator. Evaluation forms address not only topics, but program format to meet individual needs. The Division collects information that will help determine if a program should be offered after 5 p.m. or on the weekends. Evaluations also collect information on pricing. Once an interest and a need are identified, it is necessary to make sure the individual or agency has the ability to pay to attend a program. In some cases, this information has revealed the need to search for outside funding sources in order to hold registration fees to a reduced cost.

Training needs are also assessed by ongoing environmental scanning. This involves reading local and state publications, being active in local organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau, being active in professional associations such as University Continuing Education Association, and by communication (formal and informal) with other units on campus that deal with businesses and non-traditional students.

The Division's home page is also being used as an assessment tool. Currently, any visitor to the Division's home page can request additional specific course information or simply e-mail requests for certain courses. A short evaluation form is being developed that will capture additional information from visitors to the home page. Areas of interest and appropriate demographic information will be collected.

Part 2: How does the community regard these programs?

Recent programs offered by the Division have received favorable feedback from participants and area businesses. Favorable comments reflect content as well as overall professional handling of registrations. This information is gathered from written evaluations, casual participant feedback, employer feedback and instructor comments.

Another way to judge how programs are regarded in the community is by their financial success. Programs are continually evaluated and where the program lies in its own life cycle is noted. Reasons for poor attendance at an event are evaluated and corrective measures are taken.

Prior to spring of 1996, some community members had good reason to view the computer training lab as behind the times primarily due to the slow response time of the lab's computers. The introduction of new computer hardware and software in the Division's computer training lab appears to be helping the reputation of Washburn's software workshops. Evaluations by workshop participants indicate excellent performance by virtually all software instructors. Overall, evaluations of recent workshops have been overwhelmingly positive.

Workshops in the Washburn University/NewTek Technology Center have also received extremely positive evaluations. As this program grows, word of mouth is likely to be one of the best means of promoting the classes. For all workshops scheduled so far, one of the most experienced trainers for NewTek's video and animation software has served as instructor. This has been a valuable benefit in developing the program. While most workshop participants in the first few workshops have been from eastern Kansas, interest from out-of-state has grown after a regional mailing in October.

The missing link in assessing the community's regard for technology programs has been the perception of those businesses which choose not to utilize Washburn's continuing education technology programs. One of the major goals of the survey of Topeka Chamber of Commerce members will be to ascertain perceptions of the programs by those who haven't taken advantage of them.

Part 3: Do the programs fit with the University's mission and purposes?

"The University's educational objectives are to prepare individuals for careers and further study in a variety of disciplines and for a lifetime of continuous learning."

"Working with business and industry, health-care providers, government, public schools and regional educational institutions, Washburn assists others in establishing and reaching their goals and objectives."

One of first goals of the Division's new administration in 1994 was to ensure that programming meshed with a clearly stated Division mission as well as the University's mission. A new mission was formulated which states that as an integral part of Washburn University, the Division of Continuing Education has a broad mandate to extend the resources of the University to meet the educational needs of individuals, of corporate and government agencies, and of members of professional and community organizations in Shawnee County, in the state of Kansas and beyond, through quality educational events.

This certainly dovetails with the broader University mission which clearly states the University's vested interest in preparing individuals for and providing opportunities for a lifetime of continuous learning.

Programs with no academic connection--such as the personal enrichment programs--have been phased out of the Division's program portfolio. This does not mean that there is no interest in the community for such programs. It simply means the community is best served by utilizing University resources to offer programs that fulfill the University mission.

Part 4: How is quality ensured in these programs?

Quality begins with an initial overall understanding of the needs of adult learners. Coordinators plan programs with this in mind as they emphasize quality instruction and quality materials. Thus, quality is ensured is by careful selection of topics, presenters and materials. Means for selecting topics were discussed in the previous section.

In selecting instructors, coordinators access evaluations, evaluate credentials and solicit references. In some instances, coordinators observe actual instruction to make an educated assessment. Participant feedback is also a critical element in determining quality.

Promotional material is reviewed by the director and also by the Division's support staff in order to ensure quality in terms of content, spelling and grammar, and design appearance. Use of outside designers in encouraged in order to have the appropriate professional image to our marketing pieces.

Coordinators work closely with instructors to select or develop instructional materials. All instructional materials must be approved by the coordinators before they can be used in courses.

Section E: Do Washburn's graduate programs clearly distinguish graduate from undergraduate offerings? Do they expect students and faculty to value and engage in research, scholarship and creative activity? Are these programs approved, taught and evaluated by a graduate faculty that possesses appropriate credentials and experience? Are the results of regular internal and external peer review processes used to ensure quality?

These questions are answered below for each of the University's graduate programs. In addition to the department and external review systems described, the University also has a Graduate Committee to provide additional review. Committee makeup is described in the University Faculty Handbook, 10^th edition, section one, part VI.B.16. Law School programs are not part of this committee's responsibility, however, and the Law School is not represented on the committee. The Graduate Committee is responsible to periodically review admission criteria and procedures for graduate programs to ensure consistency across programs and with external accreditation guidelines, to review existing programs as part of the Program Review process, to review proposals for new graduate programs, and to recommend policy regarding graduate programs.

School of Law

An undergraduate degree is a prerequisite to admission to law school and to being permitted to enroll in any class offered by the Law School.

Each student is required to complete the course Legal Research and Writing in the first year and is required to satisfy an upper-level writing requirement by producing a substantial paper. Research and writing are at the core of a lawyer's practice, and many courses require research papers and activities, such as the two law journals and moot court competitions which require substantial research and writing. Active participation by faculty in research, scholarship and creative activity is required by the School's standards for promotion and tenure and in evaluation of post-tenure performance.

Law faculty teach exclusively in the law school and all have the J.D. degree, consistent with requirements at law schools generally. Eleven members of the faculty have advanced law degrees.

Accreditation inspections by the American Bar Association and membership inspections by the Association of American Law Schools are conducted every seven years. The law faculty conducts at least one complete self-study every seven years, has periodic retreats, and participates in the University's program review process. There is regular oversight by the Curriculum Committee and the full faculty, with periodic modifications of course requirements for graduation and offering new electives. Curriculum Committee and full faculty approval are required for certificate programs that require 96 hours rather than the normal 90 hours toward graduation.

The School of Law has one of the best student/faculty ratios among all the nation's law school's. Individual student/faculty conferences are mandated in Legal Methods and Legal Research classes in the first year as well as in the Legal Clinic course in the third year. They also are commonplace in many other classes, both in the first year and in upper-level classes and our many seminars, as required by the professor.

A separate Law School catalog is produced every two years with updated information. Washburn Law School participates in the American Bar Association's publication of pertinent consumer information.

School of Business

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program has two distinct parts. The Core-Level Program consists of 25 credit-hours of course work designed to develop proficiency in quantitative methods, accounting, economic theory, financial analysis, organizational behavior and marketing for those students with baccalaureate degrees in disciplines other than economics and business. This sector is, in effect, a streamlined set of courses to develop the tools of analysis necessary for advanced study in the various disciplines comprising a graduate degree in business. The Upper-Level Program consists of 30 hours of course work requiring in-depth studies in business subjects beyond that required of a typical undergraduate. Most courses require research reports; some entail the acquisition and analysis of original data. Since many students are full-time managers, often with years of experience, research can be focused on problem areas directly relevant to the organizations in which they are employed.

All Upper-Level and most of the Core-Level courses are taught by doctorally-qualified faculty. The School of Business participates in an educational benchmarking project (EBI), affiliated with the American Assembly of Schools of Business. Student satisfaction data are collected from MBA graduates; the results are compared with peer group institutions (AACSB accredited). Internal performance review involves the entire tenured faculty serving as a Committee on Tenure and Promotion.

School of Applied Studies

Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice graduate program is designed to prepare students to become effective criminal justice researchers, managers and educators. The content of the program is focused on the development of research and problem-solving skills which will enable graduates to be instrumental in improving the administration of criminal justice. Students are taught how to analyze criminal justice problems and develop workable solutions through the use of the latest research methods and techniques. Through systems and performance analysis training, students also learn how to identify staff development needs, develop managerial solutions and or curricula to meet the needs, and to use effective education/training delivery methods.

Graduate courses are listed as 500 and above, undergraduate as 499 and below. Instructional expectations differ between the two levels of instruction. On the graduate level, additional readings and projects are expected of the student.

Faculty and graduate students engage in research. All graduate courses have a research component. Additionally, all students must successfully complete CJ520 (Criminal Justice Research) and either CJ690 (Criminal Justice Practicum) or CJ699 (Criminal Justice Thesis).

Students are encouraged to submit articles for publication and papers for professional presentation. In 1997, a writing award was established in the Criminal Justice Department to recognize the accomplishment of our graduate or undergraduate students in the area of professional scholarship.

In addition to the possession of academic degrees and professional training appropriate to the instruction they provide, all criminal justice faculty have significant experience in the criminal justice field as practitioners, and consistently maintain extensive linkages with the professional community. This enables the faculty to provide guidance to the students in their research and field projects. Every course is evaluated by students, and each faculty member is subject to both peer assessment and review.

Criminal Justice graduate faculty and students work closely on original research and field practice projects. Graduate faculty and students interact daily, involving themselves in discussions on subjects such as the students' academic progress and faculty expectations, student needs, career aspirations, and the kinds of research in which they are interested.

The departmental governance structure consists of the department chairperson, the graduate program coordinator, and the graduate faculty. This group meets at least monthly to assess the quality of graduate offerings and the rigor and currency of courses, and to determine if educational objectives are being achieved.

Full and accurate information about the Criminal Justice graduate program is provided to students via a student handbook and frequent personal contacts between the students, the department chairperson, the graduate coordinator, and other graduate faculty. Students, potential students and the general public are provided with brochures and other written materials which describe the program in detail, including admission requirements and the speciality and delivery options available to students. In addition, graduate faculty speak to various community and professional groups about the nature and purpose of Washburn's program.

Social Work

Graduate and undergraduate courses are completely separate; none are cross-listed. Graduate courses require much more extensive reading, especially from professional journals, while undergraduate courses rely almost exclusively on textbooks. Major library research papers are a part of almost every graduate course; assignments are more extensive and require significantly greater theoretical depth than in undergraduate courses.

Students are required to take two semesters of research. The first course emphasizes fundamentals of research, while the second focuses on evaluation of clinical practice. Graduate faculty research is supported and encouraged through use of university funds and through granting of reassigned time from teaching. Faculty vitae reflect the emphasis on research/publication and scholarly presentations.

Graduate teaching faculty must have a doctorate. Those teaching practice courses must also have an MSW and a minimum of three years of social work practice experience and teaching experience. Menninger faculty are required to have an MSW, five years of practice experienced, be licensed at the advanced practice level (LSCSW) and have completed a minimum of two years of post-masters clinical social work training.

The MSW program is a candidate for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The CSWE site visit was conducted September 16-19, 1997, and word on full accreditation is expected early this spring.

College of Arts and Sciences

Education

Graduate education courses are numbered at the 400, 500, and 600 level. The 400-level graduate courses may be taken by undergraduates. Graduate students are expected to do additional work. The 500-level courses are limited to graduate students. Within the 36-39 hour MEd. programs, students must take at least 21 hours of 500-level course work. The 600-level course numbers are available for special courses.

Washburn's reading, special education and educational administration programs are certification programs. If an individual enters with a master's degree, he or she only needs to complete the graduate certification requirements. If the individual does not have a master's degree, he or she must complete the requirements for the certificate and for the master's degree.

Faculty receive .33 load credit for each 3 semester hour graduate course they teach. An NCATE standard states that faculty teaching graduate courses have their work accepted by peers (papers, articles, and so on). In the past our faculty did not publish much. The Education Department was cited for this on its last NCATE accreditation visit. During academic year 1996-97, all but two departmental faculty presented papers or had articles published (one of those two has subsequently resigned). During that time the faculty presented 23 papers, had two chapters published, published 14 articles, and had three small external grants funded.

The faculty approved several additional options to written comprehensives and the formal thesis as capstone options. The intent is to increase the number of students who are engaged with faculty in scholarly pursuits.

A faculty member is responsible for each specialty area in the graduate program. These faculty members serve as advisors and sit on the Graduate Program Committee. Faculty are responsible for creating a program of studies for each student. Faculty also are responsible for coordinating the selection and completion of one of the capstone experiences. The capstone experiences require evaluation by at least two faculty members; thus students are encouraged to visit with the faculty as they prepare themselves for the capstone experience. Further, the reading, educational administration, and special education programs have internships or practica requirements. Faculty interact with students frequently throughout these experiences. Finally, each student must take ED 565 (Introduction to Educational Research). In ED 565 the instructor covers basic principles of educational research. The course culminates with the preparation for a research proposal by each student.

Course and program changes are governed by the Department Graduate Program Committee and must also be approved by the University's graduate committee.

Last year each program in the Department of Education identified program outcomes and means for assessing those outcomes. In August the faculty approved the creation of an assessment committee to oversee the program assessment process. The department is considering filling a vacant position with someone who has an expertise in program assessment. At this point, however, the assessment of graduate programs is informal, anecdotal, and in its infancy.

Psychology

The master program in psychology has a qualified admissions process based on specific undergraduate courses, GPA, GRE (verbal, quantitative & PY subject area), letters of

recommendation, and personal statement. Non-matriculated ("Special") students may take a maximum of two courses. The graduate curriculum is completely separate from the undergraduate curriculum with no cross-listing or shared rooms, and the graduate curriculum is based on a professional training model (vs. undergraduate curriculum based on liberal

arts education model). Graduate courses and the graduate program are listed separately in the catalog. Additionally, the graduate program has a more rigorous grading criteria, with "B" representing the lowest satisfactory grade. Incoming students participate in an orientation session which emphasizes differences in graduate and undergraduate programs, and admission to degree candidacy granted only after passing a series of comprehensive exams.

A doctoral degree in Psychology is required to qualify to hold one of the department's nine tenure-track positions. (Appointments to replace faculty while position searches are being done have included qualified psychology graduate students who have completed all of their degree requirements except the dissertation.)

Graduate faculty and graduate students must by the nature of the program be engaged in scholarship involving research and practice. A thesis is required to complete the MA degree requirements. The thesis supervisor must be a psychology faculty member, and at least two other psychology faculty must serve on the thesis committee. Promotion and tenure guidelines specify faculty scholarship as a required component of faculty responsibility, and 32% of the departmental merit salary increase budget is allocated based on scholarship activities. Further, students must have a total of 24 semester hours (of 60 total) which involve the direct practice of clinical psychology techniques and/or research with direct, individualized faculty supervision.

Each incoming graduate student is assigned an advisor and required to meet with that advisor regularly. Each incoming class is limited to a maximum of approximately 15 students to ensure adequate individualized attention in every course in the program. In addition to the 24 hours of supervised practicum, internship and thesis (above), four additional courses (12 hours) are implemented with extensive individualized supervision and feedback.

The curriculum approval process is well established and has several layers and steps. The University's Graduate Committee provides additional scrutiny on graduate curriculum issues. External accreditation of the program by the Council of Applied Master's Programs in Psychology (CAMPP) is being sought. The state of Kansas has for several years served as the external "screening" body for program graduates, granting them "registration" as Masters-level Psychologists in Kansas. Effective January 1, 1997, the state of Kansas began licensing Masters-level psychologists, which is the current form of external review of the program.

Section F: How effectively is the University accomplishing its other purposes?

Part 1: Is the University providing appropriate service to and involvement with the local community?

Mabee Library allows any Kansas resident, age 18 or over, to obtain a Community Borrowers Card, check out materials and use all electronic resources on site. There are over 2500 community borrowers currently registered. Many students from other universities who commute to classes routinely use Mabee Library for their research. In addition, the library has consortial agreements and a courier service with the local libraries and meets regularly with the staffs of the local libraries to discuss issues of mutual concern including service to the community. The library participates in reciprocal agreements with state, regional and national libraries to provide better service to patrons, including a statewide courier service and regular faxing of materials to and from libraries. The library is a net lender by a 5 to 1 margin. Archives in Special Collections provides service to the community by answering questions concerning the history of Washburn. The archives are processed and indexed in an on-line index on the campus network and are being cataloged in the on-line system as time permits. In addition, Special Collections houses alumni publications, rare books and other material characterized as special.

The Curriculum Resources Center (CRC) serves as a resource for local teachers and home schoolers. The CRC librarian presents programs for local schools and daycare centers.

The Mulvane Art Museums's Art After School program serves over 36,000 students each year. Some 43% of the participants are from under-served ethnic populations or are students with mental, physical or emotional disabilities. In 1996, President Clinton's Committee on the Arts and Humanities Special Report cited this as one of 50 arts programs to serve as model programs for the United States.

About 250 high-risk students are also served every summer through the National Youth Sports Program, sponsored by the NCAA and hosted on the campus by the Education Department and Athletic Department.

Lecture series are sponsored by a number of departments on campus, including Mabee Library, the Center for Kansas Studies, and the Institute for International Programs.

A University representative serves on the Board of Directors of the Turn Around Team, Inc., an incorporated umbrella organization for improving the neighborhood around the University.

Many faculty and staff members serve voluntarily on committees and boards of state, city and private non-profit organizations.

Through its Education Department, Washburn has been involved for several years in Yale University's Comer Project, which provides training for teachers and future teachers working with inner city populations, and helps develop schools to be centers of community activity.

The Human Services Department sponsors three community service organizations: the Retired Senior and Volunteer Program (RSVP), Learning IN the Community (LINC), and the Washburn Walkers. RSVP is responsible for recruiting citizens over the age of 55 and placing them in volunteer projects in the community. LINC is a student-directed service learning program that has placed over 400 University students in volunteer projects throughout the city. LINC has also been involved on an ongoing basis with the Topeka Turn Around Team, neighborhood clean-up projects, fundraising programs and youth development programs in Topeka. The Washburn Walkers group provides educational programs for individuals 55 and over, and has established scholarships for students in the Human Services area.

The Biology Department makes its Karlyle Woods field study area available in the summers to high school science teachers.

Finally, as is pointed out in the next section, the University makes its facilities available to a vast number of groups and individuals. Most of these groups use Washburn's classrooms, meeting rooms, concert hall, and the like, for free or at a very nominal charge.

Part 2: How effectively is the University serving as a cultural center for the community?

Washburn hosts in its White Concert Hall numerous music groups and events. The Topeka Civic Symphony and the Topeka Festival Singers perform regularly in the hall. Each summer the Sunflower Music Festival brings talented musicians from across the country to Washburn. Two weeks of free evening concerts are provided to the public, with attendance averaging in excess of 1000 per concert. Music faculty perform regular recitals that are open to the public, as are the senior recitals of music majors. Student performance groups such as the Jazz Ensemble also provide concerts for the public. Many groups use the Concert Hall for speakers and multimedia presentations.

The University Theatre produces several plays each year, and hosts children's theater productions as well. The Mulvane Art Museum, the oldest art museum in Kansas, collects and displays arts of the mountain-plains region and the State of Kansas. The museum also regularly holds exhibits of world art. The museum is open daily except Mondays, and is free to the public. Museum galleries are frequently used for receptions by local cultural organizations and for poetry readings and other literary events.

Washburn has a very open facilities policy which allows numerous and diverse groups to hold events on the campus. The number of education, civic and cultural events on campus each year is amazing. Many of these events are scheduled in the newest campus building, the Bradbury Thompson Center. The Petro, Garvey, Henderson and Stoffer buildings are also heavily scheduled by community groups, and other campus facilities are used for these purposes as well. The Memorial Union hosted over 500 non-university events during 1996-97. The "schedule books" in the Facilities Use Office will be available to the evaluation team for examination.

Part 3: Is the University providing appropriate service to and involvement with the higher education community?

Washburn University has actively participated in cooperative higher education efforts. A partial list of some of these cooperative projects include the following:

Part 4: Is the type, amount and quality of research being performed appropriate for our institution?

As has been noted in many places in this report, Washburn's emphasis is on quality teaching. The typical faculty teaching load is 12 credit-hours per semester. Faculty must also serve on departmental, academic unit or university committees, advise students, and engage in professional and scholarly pursuits. Nonetheless, Washburn University faculty produce a quality and quantity of scholarly work that is quite remarkable given these teaching and service expectations.

As part of its annual report, the University publishes Plaudits, which provides highlights of faculty activities during the previous 12 months. In the previous three years (1994-96), 77 different faculty were recognized for making presentations at a variety of meetings on the local, regional and national level. During the same period, 68 different faculty published articles, books and reviews. Many of these faculty published and/or presented multiple times during that three-year period. It should also be noted that not every faculty member chooses to report activities to Plaudits.

Faculty research has resulted in studies on corporate finance, image-evoking advertising strategies, and models of resiliency in social work practice that have been published in leading journals. Washburn faculty serve on editorial boards (and, in some cases, as editor) for several national and international scholarly journals. A national research grant was awarded to an art faculty member. Faculty have led groups of educators and students to such places as China and Australia, and have conducted research in South Africa and Mongolia. Students and faculty have presented their work at national and international conferences.

Another measure of the volume of research is the number of requests received by the Institutional Review Board, the University's human subjects research review panel. Over 100 requests to perform research are received each year from faculty or from graduate students working with faculty advisors.

Faculty must participate in research activities in order to receive tenure and promotion. Details are in Section Three of the University Faculty Handbook. As mentioned in section C.2 of this chapter, many faculty involve undergraduate students in their research as well, combining in an important way the research and teaching components of their work.

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Chapter 5

Criterion Three:

The institution is accomplishing its educational and other purposes.

Section A: Quick Summary of Chapter 5