In three weeks Northwestern will undergo a substantial review of its educational and financial practices during a once-a-decade reaccreditation review.
Thirteen representatives from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, the university’s accrediting agency, will visit both the Evanston and Chicago campuses from Oct. 11-13.
The representatives will meet with students, faculty and campus organizations to review the university’s undergraduate, graduate and professional programs.
The U.S. Department of Education requires accreditation from all institutions that use federal financial aid.
Although several schools and programs within NU receive individual reaccreditation at different times, the university as a whole undergoes re-evaluation every 10 years.
Receiving reaccreditation is a type of “Good Housekeeping seal of approval,” said Stephen Fisher, NU’s associate provost for undergraduate education.
Fisher, who is coordinating the reaccreditation, said the process results in an official certification that “people who attend the university will get their money’s worth, relatively speaking.”
The commission contacted NU officials in spring 2002 to begin discussion of the process.
Provost Lawrence Dumas and the deans of the university’s schools then chose a special emphasis self-study review for NU, which focuses on a specific educational issue.
The other choice for the university, a comprehensive self-study review, covers every aspect of the university.
NU’s self-study will center on interdisciplinary teaching and research.
Fisher said the undergraduate, graduate and professional programs, as well as NU’s 80 centers on varying topics, use interdisciplinary studies. The university has focused on bridging academic disciplines for many years, Fisher said.
“We thought (our interdisciplinary focus) was a strength of NU,” he said.
Four faculty committees — which explored the role of cross-disciplinary programs in undergraduate education, graduate and professional education, faculty research and faculty career development — met from January 2003 to fall 2003.
Last December these committees compiled a report on their findings. The finalized NU report was submitted to the commission in late August.
Schools and programs within the university contributed to the report. Stephen Carr, associate dean for undergraduated engineering for NU’s McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, said his school continuously evaluates its curriculum and improves its practices.
McCormick works with other schools, such as the School of Education and Social Policy, to create interdisciplinary programs for its students.
As a result the school’s work fits in with the reaccreditation topic of interdisciplinary teaching and research.
“The theme that the university has chosen reflects the things we’ve been doing all along” Carr said.
Kellogg School of Management, which also offers several interdisciplinary studies, outlined its curriculum, educational objectives of what students are expected to learn and the ways in which student work is assessed, said Robert Magee, Kellogg’s senior associate dean for faculty and research.
Kellogg officials also assembled examples of successful and unsuccessful student work to demonstrate how graduate and doctoral students are evaluated.
Since the university’s last reaccreditation 10 years ago, Kellogg’s international partnerships program have grown, offering partner MBA programs in Tel Aviv, Germany, Toronto and Hong Kong.
Kellogg’s JD/MBA program also saw restructuring. Magee said the changes in the curriculum and programs offered will contribute to the evaluation of the university.
Magee said the business school is ready for October’s re-evaluation.
“The associate provost did a pretty good job of keeping after us to get everything in place,” Magee said.
“We’re about as ready for them as we’re going to be,” he continued.
When the 13 commission representatives come to NU in October, they will examine for five criteria for reaccreditation.
NU must demonstrate it has a clear purpose that fits with its mission; it effectively organizes the human, financial and physical resources it has; and it accomplishes its purposes.
The university also must demonstrate that it practices integrity in its relationships both internally and externally and that it can continue to meet its goals.
The visiting team will meet with several organizations and faculty members to gauge the educational and financial environment at NU, and an initial report will be given to University President Henry Bienen on Oct. 13.
Fisher said the representatives’ findings will be evaluated by “several layers” and receive final approval from the commission.
Although Fisher said he could not forsee any difficulties, he said the reaccreditation process could present unexpected hurdles for university administrators.
“Until it happens, you’re not quite sure of every nuance that will happen during the visit,” Fisher said.
Reach Angela Tablac at [email protected]
Getting in shape:
How the university prepared for reaccreditation in the past two years
Evaluation focuses on specific departments as well as human, physical, financial resources
Winter 2002
Stephen Fisher, associate provost for undergraduate education, was appointed the reaccreditation coordinator for Northwesternn.
Spring 2002
Higher Learning Commission contacted officials to remind them of the upcoming reaccreditation.
Late Spring 2002
Provost Lawrence Dumas and deans made the decision to select a special emphasis self-study review.
Jan. 2003–Fall 2003
Fisher met with four different faculty committees to gather information and draft the special emphasis self-study report for the commission.
“We’re about as ready for them as we’re going to be.”
Robert Magee,
Senior associate dean for faculty and research at NU’s Kellogg School of Management
Summer 2004
NU’s report was linked to the provost’s Web site. Officials submitted a hard copy of the report to the commission in late August.
Oct. 11 and 12, 2004
A team of 13 representatives from the Higher Learning Commission will meet with students, faculty and administrators that represent the NU community during its visit. Team members will visit both the Evanston and Chicago campuses.
Oct. 13, 2004
A preliminary report will be submitted by the team to University President Henry Bienen. The report will outline initial findings.
Beyond Oct. 13
After the preliminary report is given to the president and the Higher Learning Commission, the findings will be reviewed by “many layers” and passed onto the commission for final approval, said Fisher, who expects the formal report will be completed before the end of this academic year.
