How to maintain momentum after an accreditation event with Watermark Insights

What are the top three ways your institution keeps momentum going after an accreditation event?

Bird’s-eye view

1. Establish recognition opportunities to showcase exceptional efforts and develop increased engagement in continuous improvement (assessment celebration with awards, assessment leadership institute with stipend, student engagement grants).
2. Have a dedicated team providing outreach and support to faculty, staff, and leadership on related processes.
3. Incentivize professional development via mini grants to focus efforts on and encourage equity-minded assessment.
   —Jerry Edmonds, Ph.D., Senior Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs and adjunct professor at Syracuse University

1. We used the opportunity to make the move to Watermark Planning & Self-Study, as there is much more versatility than there was in Taskstream.
2. Used our Assessment Matters newsletter to encourage everyone to keep going!
3. Being a co-chair of one of the criteria of the self-study definitely helped me understand more of the big picture of what else is happening in the university with assessment. It has helped my team and me generate ideas and have some collaboration with other units.
   —Elaine Marchello, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Assessment at the University of Arizona

Deep dive

Contributed by TaLisha Givan, Ed.D., Chief Learning Officer and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Henderson State University

Debrief and reflect.

Take the time to conduct a thorough debriefing session following the accreditation visit. At Henderson State, we schedule time during our yearly fall faculty and staff conference to discuss the site visit report and outcomes. It is imperative that we openly discuss what went well and where we faced challenges.

Debriefing affords us the opportunity to acknowledge individual contributions and foster campus positivity. During this time, we also reflect on our mission, strategic plan, and vision moving forward. The goal is to streamline our processes, enhance communication, and continually strengthen teamwork.

“As times change, students change, and best practices change, our campus community must adjust to accommodate those changes.”
—TaLisha Givan, Ed.D

Immediately set new goals.

Accreditation occurs in a cycle. Mission and vision, goals, implementation, assess, evaluate, reflect…rinse and repeat. Because the cycle of accreditation is continuous, it is important to immediately set new goals.

Our faculty and staff are reminded that celebrating our success is a must; however, those successes now serve as the baseline for new goals (i.e., we achieved 10 points; our next goal is 15). Establishing new goals reminds us that we are in the business of continuous improvement, as goals provide a clear roadmap, cultivate a sense of purpose, redefine objectives necessary for goal attainment, and offer a measurable framework for success.

As times change, students change, and best practices change, our campus community must adjust to accommodate those changes. And the best way to do this successfully is to immediately set new goals.

3. Schedule periodic updates. One of the greatest factors about the accreditation cycle is its predictability. As soon as we finish an accreditation cycle, we already have the next cycle established.

Scheduling periodic campus updates and check-ins (quarterly or semesterly) concerning our accreditation cycle keeps it at the forefront of our thoughts and proves crucial to ensuring that the campus community remains vigilant in our pursuit of progress. These updates may begin via email and lead up to campus town halls and listening, reviewing, and editing sessions as we see necessary.

“The process has to become a part of the pathway towards progress.”
—TaLisha Givan, Ed.D

For those elements that have been identified as a challenge, the periodic updates may include a more targeted approach for communication and collaboration. In whatever version we choose to employ, the process has to become a part of the pathway towards progress.

—TaLisha Givan, Ed.D., Chief Learning Officer and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Henderson State University

What are your top three pieces of advice for institutions that want to keep momentum going after an accreditation event?

Bird’s-eye view

1. Keep up to date on your accreditor’s policy/standard changes, the field’s trends, and the higher education landscape. Use this information to guide professional development and foster assessment conversations and reporting.
2. Establish your self-study operations/logistic team as a standing function of your assessment/institutional effectiveness office.
3. Maintain assessment committees and oversight of assessment on campus as well as other processes required by accreditation.
   —Jerry Edmonds, Ph.D., Senior Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs and adjunct professor at Syracuse University

1. Use the event to reinforce the importance of assessment.
2. Share feedback from the review with the assessment community that includes some plans outlined to improve the reporting cycle.
3. Use your self-study report to show your faculty and staff just how much you are doing for assessment and in what areas.
   —Elaine Marchello, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Assessment at the University of Arizona

Deep dive

Contributed by TaLisha Givan, Ed.D., Chief Learning Officer and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Henderson State University

1. Break the boring cycle. Once the campus has established the cycle necessary for accrediting needs, reassigning teams for criteria and standards will help to alleviate the mundane cycle talk. In other words, changing team members breaks up the monotony of the “yet another accreditation team” blues.Oftentimes, accreditation directors assign teams according to the role and scope of campus members. However, reassigning the teams to accommodate a different perspective may prove to be beneficial.
2. Remember that your journey is unique. While accreditation is of the utmost importance, we must also remember that setting attainable goals aligned to a realistic strategic plan is essential.The campus community may become inundated with the overcomplicated nature of accreditation plans. If the accreditation plan leaves no room for mistakes or forces your campus to adjust away from their identity in order to reach the goal, a new goal may be necessary.Don’t change the fabric of who you are as an institution. Instead, adjust the pivotal stops along the way towards advancement. Our progress is not your progress; set attainable goals that suit your campus community.
   

   “Don’t change the fabric of who you are as an institution. Instead, adjust the pivotal stops along the way towards advancement. Our progress is not your progress; set attainable goals that suit your campus community.”

   —TaLisha Givan, Ed.D.

3. Celebrate every win. Last, but certainly not least, celebrate every small victory. Every time we accomplish a step toward that attainable goal, we celebrate. Every time we solve a challenge, we celebrate. Every time we fix an internal struggle, we celebrate. Every time our students succeed, we celebrate. Every time our students make progress, we celebrate.
   Our ultimate goal is student success, which means: we must strive toward excellence for our students. A tough job, I know. It can get stressful at times; however, reminding ourselves of our wins for our students makes this journey worth every step.
   Accreditation is not scary if you find ways to make it work for you and your students. They are our why, so why not strive towards continuous progress and have a little fun along the way!

   —TaLisha Givan, Ed.D., Chief Learning Officer and Vice Chancellor forAcademic Affairs at Henderson State University

“Accreditation is not scary if you find ways to make it work for you and your students. They are our why, so why not strive towards continuous progress and have a little fun along the way!”

—TaLisha Givan, Ed.D.

Conclusion

Your institution’s journey doesn’t end after an accreditation event; it enters a new phase. To be a modern institution is to be engaged in a perpetual cycle of progress. By embracing the strategies outlined, institutions can fortify their standing and foster enduring excellence in higher education. They can navigate their way forward — sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, but always with an aim for excellence.

Gain momentum with Watermark

At Watermark, we understand that information is a catalyst for transformation. For more than two decades, we’ve developed inventive solutions tailored to the unique needs of colleges and universities to help them harness meaningful data and make improvements on their campus.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Watermark can enable your institution to establish a robust framework for assessment and accreditation processes, request a demo today.