Factors influencing administrator /faculty cooperation and collaboration in NCA acceptance of college assessment plans.
Vega-Rodriguez, Linda Spanki
2001
Abstract
In 1988, the U.S. Department of Education issued a federal mandate requiring all postsecondary institutions seeking regional accreditation to submit a detailed assessment plan for documenting institutional effectiveness and educational quality. As used by regional accrediting associations, a college assessment plan is the basis for determining whether an institution is accomplishing its educational purposes and is the universal standard for providing evidence of accountability. In more recent years, cooperation and collaboration between college administrators and the faculty in assessment planning has become critical for successfully implementing an institutional assessment plan. Given these newer requirements, the primary research question examined in this study is: To what extent does a college's approach to cooperation, degree of collaboration experienced in assessment planning, and teamwork processes used to accomplish assessment goals influence NCA acceptance of assessment plans? Specifically, this study examines team-based assessment planning processes at 9 community colleges that achieved accreditation through the North Central. Association (NCA) regional accreditation agency under new federal regulations. A case study method involving community colleges as units of analysis is used to examine the primary research question. Four colleges accredited in 1994 did not have an acceptable assessment plan, while the five colleges accredited in 1995 submitted acceptable plans. There are three independent variables (i.e., institutional approach to cooperation, degree of collaboration experienced in assessment planning, teamwork processes used to jointly accomplish assessment goals) and one dependent variable (i.e., NCA acceptance of college assessment plans). To cross-compare sample colleges across these variables, data were analyzed from archival institutional documents, a written survey (n = 60) and follow-up interviews (n = 43) with administrators and faculty members of assessment planning teams. Kurt Lewin's classic 'force field' theory provides a theoretical framework to guide an examination of forces driving/restraining collaboration and teamwork in assessment planning environments (i.e., macro/micro). Four Lewinian conditions of cohesion are central in those examinations: Action Unity, Cooperative Action, Commitment and Organization Cohesion. Likert survey responses were analyzed through SPSS, while content analysis techniques were used to interpret qualitative survey and interview data. Archival data indicate that colleges with acceptable NCA assessment plans demonstrate six key attributes: (1) well-organized planning process/structure; (2) well-defined assessment planning strategy; (3) ongoing commitment to institutional resources; (4) strong leadership/management; (5) frequent, ongoing communication and interaction; and (6) strong liaison relationship with NCA consultants. Survey and interview findings suggest that four key factors influence the acceptance of assessment plans: (1) institutional culture/climate; (2) institutional resources; (3) planning process/structure; and (4) strategic leadership/management. Study chapters include a brief introduction, historical overview of assessment, review of the literature, discussion on the theoretical and research framework, methodology, in-depth case studies, comparative analysis, and conclusions.Subjects
Acceptance Administrator/faculty Cooperation Collaboration College Assessment Factors Influencing Nca North Central Association Plans Regional Accreditation
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