A Successful Visit
Dear Colleagues,
In a bit of news worth celebrating, I am pleased to report that last month we hosted a successful visit by Dr. Walter Iwanenko, president of Gannon University and the chair of our Middle States Commission on High Education (MSCHE) peer review evaluation team.
I want to start with an overview of the progress we have made in preparation for this upcoming November, when the full site team arrives on campus to conduct its evaluation. Over the course of the fall semester, we completed initial drafts of the seven Self-Study chapters, which are organized by Middle States standards. Those drafts were posted online for review, and the Steering Committee additionally held open forums where members of the campus community could discuss the drafts and give feedback. The chapters were revised based on the feedback and combined into a single document that we posted again for review and shared with Dr. Iwanenko in February.
The purpose of the evaluation team chair’s visit is to get to know us a little better, see where we stand in preparation for the full team visit, and offer comments, observations, or suggestions. Dr. Iwanenko’s April 6 visit included individual meetings with me, our reaccreditation co-chairs Provost Ann Damiano and Professor Rachel Wolfe, the Steering Committee, and select members of the Board of Trustees as well as a student-led tour. By the conclusion of his visit, he was impressed by our students, our campus, and the level of preparation and detail that everyone here had invested in the Self-Study Report.
Specifically, in terms of overarching feedback, he was very positive about our work on the Self-Study. He commented that the report provides a very clear picture about where we are strong according to the Middle States Standards and where we need to improve, and that the report was very evidence-based. Furthermore, it greatly pleased Provost Damiano – as it should all of us – that he saw assessment as a clear institutional priority and strength of Utica University.
Additionally, Dr. Iwanenko provided the following guidance and suggestions as we make final minor edits and updates to the Self-Study and finalize preparations for the full evaluation team visit November 1-4.
- Ensure that we clearly articulate how the KPIs associated with the Strategic Plan align with our mission and goals;
- Make outcomes of retention initiatives more explicit;
- Develop a 3-5 year financial sustainability model;
- Ensure that all planning decisions and resource allocation are guided by mission;
- Engage in ongoing review of institutional policies and procedures;
- Demonstrate the institution’s willingness to and appetite for making changes to strengthen our financial resilience; and
- Show how governance groups use assessment findings for continuous improvement.
The feedback Dr. Iwanenko offered reflected the recommendations made in each of the chapters based on an analysis of how well we are achieving the standards for accreditation.
The fact that we are in such good shape heading into our final evaluation and the conclusion of this reaccreditation cycle is testament to the great work of the Steering Committee, the able leadership of Ann and Rachel, and the active participation of members of the campus community. This is an enormous accomplishment for the University, and I couldn’t be more proud.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Nesbitt
President