St. Petersburg College: Fifth Year Interim Report

1. St. Petersburg College:Fifth Year Interim Report Dr. Julia Pet-Armacost Dr. Robert L. Armacost SACSCOC Steering Team March 1, 2013

2. Overview • FYIR requirements • How is SPC doing? • Who is the reviewer? • Critical success factors • What makes a good narrative? Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC

3. SPC Fifth Year Interim Report • Mini-compliance certification • Due: September 15, 2013 • Part III: 17 standards • Two Core Requirements • Six Comprehensive Standards • Nine Federal Requirements • Part V: QEP Impact Report Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC

4. How Are You Doing? • Seven months from submission • Very complete initial drafts • No obvious fatal flaws that can’t be fixed • GOOD WORK! Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC

5. What’s Next? • Narratives not perfect • One chance to provide evidence • Must be sufficient to demonstrate compliance • Communication challenge Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC

6. Standards Requiring Attention Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC

7. Communicate To Whom? • Review team • Experienced reviewers for specific standards • Reviewing documents from multiple institutions • Expecting to easily see evidence • Do not intend to look for evidence to make your case for you Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC

8. Review Teams • Reviewers are your peers • Reviewers will probably read your document on their laptops while sitting in their living rooms in Mississippi, Texas, Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina • Possibly slow internet connections • They still have a day job • May not read the entire report • May be from “Missouri” • Reviewers will vary in their interpretation of the same evidence • Incomplete evidence will lead to interpretations based only on reviewer’s experience Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC

9. Critical Success Factors • Address every element in the standard and only address the elements in the standard • Organize the content and use subtitles related to the elements in the standard • Keep each narrative as self-contained as possible • Try to avoid language that is specific to your institution • Remember that integrityis key • KISS principle Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC

10. SACSCOC Guidance for Reviewershttp://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/ANALYZING%20A%20CASE%20FOR%20COMPLIANCE_SEPT2010%20_2_.pdf (October 2010) • Narrative statement • Statement is focused solely on the requirement and addresses each of the components of the requirement • Rationale • Clear and concise statement of the reason(s) for the assertion regarding the institution’s perception of compliance with the requirement • Evidence—at least three of the following • Reliable, current, verifiable, coherent, objective, relevant, representative • Evidence-based analysis of compliance • Addresses all aspects of requirements in coherent, concise and focused manner Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC

11. SACSCOC Guidance for Reviewershttp://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/ANALYZING%20A%20CASE%20FOR%20COMPLIANCE_SEPT2010%20_2_.pdf (October 2010) • Overall judgment of case for compliance • It directly addresses all aspects of the requirement • The evidence provided is sufficient • The analysis provided is sufficient • The case is coherent Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC

12. Policies and Procedures--Guidance • Applies whether SACSCOC-mandated or internal SPC policy or procedure • Policy or procedure • Is in writing and has been approved through appropriate institutional processes • Is published in appropriate institutional documents accessible to those affected by the policy or procedure • Is implemented and enforced by SPC. If you have never had to apply the policy (e.g., removal of a Trustee), say so. • See http://www.sacscoc.org/policies.asp Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC

13. What Makes a Good Narrative? • Start with a brief summary/abstract • Do not repeat the standard • Briefly describe the evidence that shows why you are in compliance • Make it usable for the reviewer to cut and paste into her report • Do not use future tense—it shouts “NON-COMPLIANCE”. • Do not make the reviewer have to search for evidence to make the case for you. • Make sure that you address each point in the requirement or standard. Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC

14. What Makes a Good Narrative? • Consider using an outline to structure the narrative to create the story line. • Consider using a format with appropriate headings to direct the reviewers focus. • Include references whenever you make an assertion. • Only include references that are needed to support the narrative—no extra uncited references. • Use relevant excerpts from references • Include relevant content in the narrative • Put a box around it in the attachment • Do not force the reviewer to search through the whole reference to find the relevant information Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC

15. What Makes a Good Narrative? • Do not use superlatives (e.g., outstanding program) without evidence. This is not a PR marketing document. • It is better to be modest and direct • Do not challenge the reviewer to find unsubstantiated claims • Do not include material that is not directly relevant to the standard. If you raise it, it is fair game for the reviewer to find problems. • Be PARISMONIOUS. Use as much relevant narrative as needed to make the point, but do not include more. • Limit the use of acronyms. Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC

16. What Makes a Good Narrative? • Read each reference carefully. There may be some content that you did not intend to share. • The reviewers do not know anything about how higher education works in Florida. • If you are not in compliance or partial compliance, say so and present an action plan. • Use the spelling and grammar checkers. • Have someone else review your narrative. Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC

17. Questions and Discussion • More to follow in individual sessions • Thank you and good luck on your accreditation journey. ??? Fifth Year Interim Report for SPC