Chapter 6 Academic Quality and Renewal Flashcards
What are crucial components of a healthy college?
A community of teachers and scholars and an innovative, robust, and contemporary curriculum
What do prospective students and their families consider when deciding on an institution?
The richness and relevance of academic programs and scholarship
What is often a good indicator of the health of an institution?
The ability of an academic program to help students in their pursuits
What concerns have been raised regarding the academic core of a campus?
Changes in fundamental and potentially detrimental ways due to heightened emphasis on postgraduate outcomes and reliance on contingent faculty
How can campuses maintain academic programs effectively?
By using data and analytics to understand student expectations and address employer and legislative needs
What can leaders do to promote the academic health of an institution?
Facilitate the adoption of a comprehensive and flexible approach to using evidence within academic programs
What is the benefit of using data to renew academic programs?
It can help avoid the difficult and expensive process of creating new programs or disbanding existing ones
What have offices of institutional research, effectiveness, and assessment focused on?
Answering the question, ‘Are our students learning?’
What do equitable assessments focus on?
Opportunities for improving teaching practices rather than identifying perceived deficits of students
What is a notable characteristic of equitable assessment?
It gathers diverse perspectives from different teams and community members throughout the assessment process
What do disaggregated data help identify in equitable assessments?
Structural and pedagogical deficits instead of limitations of students
What factors contribute to pockets of excellence in data use at colleges?
Effective use of data to strengthen teaching, learning, and support; promote research excellence; and maintain a relevant curriculum
What are distinguishing characteristics of academic majors or departments that lead in data use?
- Awareness of available data
- Continuous learning about relevant methodologies
- Use of a measurement framework aligned with strategic goals
What is necessary for a culture of evidence to be effective in colleges?
Deep organizational reach and alignment among senior campus leaders
What challenges do department chairs face during their transition?
Managing a department while maintaining teaching, research, and scholarship
What percentage of department chairs receive no formal training?
67%
What is a common issue with the training department chairs receive?
It is often inadequate, with many chairs receiving ten hours or fewer
True or False: Department chairs are typically well-prepared for their leadership roles.
False
What is a primary goal of campuses pursuing equity-driven assessments?
To promote more equitable outcomes while ensuring academic quality
Fill in the blank: A comprehensive assessment framework should be ______.
[well established and routinely monitored]
What are common barriers to effective use of data and analytics in colleges?
- Differences in priorities among leaders
- Lack of capable leadership in departments
- Narrow definitions of success
What is the role of data in the leadership journey of college presidents and provosts?
They often become change agents using data to facilitate improvement
What do department chairs typically want to know when asked to use data?
What is in it for their department
What percentage of department chairs receive no formal training from their institutions?
67%
How many hours of formal training do most department chairs receive?
Ten hours or fewer
What is the average term length for department chairs?
Four years
What type of contest is the process of becoming a department chair often described as?
Popularity contest
What is a key requirement for department chairs to succeed?
Familiarity with and comfort using campus data
Why is it important for department chairs to have formal training?
To make informed decisions based on evidence
What can well-equipped department chairs impact?
The strategic and financial weight of an institution
What do provosts and deans often introduce to create standardized approaches among departments?
Measurement frameworks
What is a challenge when implementing measurement frameworks from other campuses?
They may not capture the distinctiveness of the institution
What is necessary for establishing a positive culture of evidence?
Trust and clearly defined goals
What significant financial challenges did colleges face during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Enrollment declines and state budget deficits
What were some of the immediate financial actions taken by colleges during the pandemic?
Hiring freezes and budget cuts
What metrics do provosts and deans use to measure financial health?
- Costs of instruction and advising * Workloads * Average teaching loads * Class sizes * Student-faculty ratios
What is a primary challenge related to teaching capacity and student credit hours?
Pulling data together from integrated systems
What is a potential issue with release time in departments?
It often results from political exercises and handshake agreements
What role do departments play in the context of enrollment?
They provide both high-cost and low-cost programs
What is the ‘fifteen-to-finish’ initiative aimed at?
Encouraging students to take fifteen credits per semester
What is a key factor influencing enrollment in programs?
Local and regional employment needs
What do department chairs need to effectively schedule courses?
Data on anticipated course demand
What is a key metric for understanding student success and equity at the department level?
Grades and time to degree
What do major flow metrics indicate?
Net major growth or decline
What is a common problem with traditional two-semester course offerings?
They do not adapt to changing student enrollment patterns
What is a significant factor when analyzing anticipated course demand?
Prerequisite grade data
What can help department chairs identify gaps in program offerings?
Net employer demand data
What percentage of students transfer at least once during their academic journey?
Nearly 40%
What type of metrics do departments need to influence student success?
Metrics they can control, such as grades and course offerings
What is a key factor that departments need to consider when evaluating metrics?
Metrics need to be related to things departments can influence.
What grades are commonly analyzed in course grade analyses?
D, F, W (withdrawn) and sometimes I (incomplete).
Why is it important to also pay attention to A and B grades in grade analyses?
They could suggest grade inflation.
What does the DFW model refer to?
The analysis of D, F, W grades to improve student outcomes.
What trend is observed in grade averages from college algebra to calculus I?
Average grades decrease while the variation in grades increases.
What are some equity gaps identified in calculus I course grades?
Gaps exist for women, students of color, and women of color.
Why are efforts to measure major graduation rates considered ill-advised?
Students declare majors at different points and transfer students have varying credits.
What is the significance of the University of Maine’s evaluation of academic departments?
It uses graduation rates and time-to-degree metrics calculated once a student reaches junior status.
How has adult education historically evolved in the US?
It has adapted to social and economic needs, leading to innovations in curriculum.
What percentage of adults aged 25 to 34 had a college degree in 2019?
More than 50%.
What is a major challenge facing higher education today?
Job automation and the gig economy.
What is a key metric for adult and continuing education programs?
Employment rate for students who complete a credential.
What does the term ‘stackable credentials’ refer to?
Credentials that can be accumulated over time for greater educational value.
What type of data can help assess the effectiveness of remote teaching?
Usage data from learning management systems.
What are some key indicators of student engagement in online courses?
Total number of logins, average minutes per login, and days since last login.
What should be tracked along with student engagement in learning management systems?
Faculty engagement metrics.
What is crucial for programs that have an exam or licensure requirement?
Percentage of students who become licensed.
What can happen if employers are not engaged in curricular renewal?
Programs tend to atrophy.
What is a critical function of academic departments beyond serving students?
Creation of knowledge and creative works.
How do institutions prioritize research metrics based on their research infrastructure?
They vary from immature to mature, focusing on quantity or quality.
What unintended consequences can arise from setting goals to increase research activity?
They can occur if parameters for grant size and indirect cost recovery are not clearly defined.
What is the conclusion about institutional effectiveness?
It depends on the quality of academic programs and effective communication between departments and leadership.
Who are the senior campus leaders mentioned in the text?
Provosts and deans
What is a common misconception of senior campus leaders regarding performance measures?
They believe that measures for the entire college are applicable to the front line
Who typically occupies the front line in a college?
Department chair
What do department chairs hold that is crucial for a college’s success?
Keys to a unique economy of scale
What does the economy of scale tell about a college?
Whether it is successfully pursuing its goals
What is necessary to unlock the collective impact of departments?
Commitment to using timely, accurate, relevant, and integrated data
What type of data is needed for actionable insights in a college?
Timely, accurate, relevant, and integrated data
