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The Commission emphasizes that the self-study is the most important and valuable aspect of the accrediting process, and the benefits it brings to an institution are proportional to the incisiveness of its inquiry. The self-study process enables the campus community to examine the institution’s strengths and its weaknesses, to develop solutions to problems, and to identify opportunities for growth and development. The aim must be to understand, evaluate and improve, not simply to describe or defend. The
fourteen areas of study, with the charge to the task team for each, are
listed below. The first seven focus on aspects of Institutional
Context. The second
group of seven deals with issues of Educational Effectiveness.
Each entry provides a
link to a membership list for that team. I.
Mission, Goals and Objectives. The charge is to examine AUB’s mission statement
and related goals and objectives in terms of their history,
comprehensiveness, clarity, distinctiveness, integrity, implementation,
utility, adequacy, visibility and means of change. II.
Integrity. The charge is to examine how, in the conduct of its programs and
activities, AUB demonstrates adherence to ethical standards and to its own
stated policies. It should look at how AUB creates an intellectual and
scholarly environment that promotes openness and honesty, protects
academic freedom and freedom of expression and thought. It should also
look at how AUB creates an atmosphere conducive to higher learning, while
at the same time maintaining institutional autonomy. III.
Planning, Resource Allocation and Institutional Renewal. The
charge is to examine the effectiveness of AUB’s strategic
planning process in establishing the priorities and directions for the
continued advancement of and innovation within the university. The primary
focus will be on planning and resource allocation at the university-wide
decision-making level while also examining the extent to which these
processes are followed at academic and administrative unit levels. IV.
Institutional Resources. The
charge is to examine AUB’s current and future financial stability
and to assess the adequacy of its human, technical and physical resources,
both internal and external, to the implementation of its mission and
goals. V.
Leadership and Governance. The charge is to examine AUB’s leadership and
system of collegial governance. It will focus on the structure and role of
the corporate, administrative and academic governing bodies, and on their
adequacy, appropriateness and effectiveness in furthering AUB’s mission
and goals. VI.
Administration. The charge is to examine the effectiveness of AUB’s administrative
structure, administration and communication systems in facilitating
learning and research, fostering quality improvement, and supporting the
institution in achieving its mission, goals and objectives. VII.
Institutional Assessment. The charge is to examine to what extent the
assessment of outcomes, particularly learning outcomes, is an ongoing
activity at AUB. It will also determine how the information obtained is
used as a basis for assessing AUB’s effectiveness in achieving its
stated goals and in institutional planning and allocation of resources. VIII.
Student Admissions. The charge is to study to what extent AUB’s admissions policies,
procedures and practices are part of an overall enrollment strategy that
is consistent with, and contributes to the realization of, the
university’s mission and goals. In particular this includes its goal to
serve, without discrimination, its constituencies at the local, regional
and international levels. IX.
Student Services. The charge to assess the effectiveness of student services as
contributors to the enrichment of the quality of life of AUB students from
the time of enrollment to the time of graduation, and to determine how
well these services are integrated and coordinated. X.
Faculty. The charge is to examine the extent to which, and the effectiveness
with which, faculty fulfill their primary responsibilities of teaching,
research and service, as well as their related roles in student advising,
curriculum development and academic policy-making. It will also examine
the role of the faculty in rebuilding and sustaining AUB’s academic
environment and intellectual climate. XI.
Educational Offerings. The charge is to examine the university’s
undergraduate and graduate academic programs as to their content, rigor
and coherence. It will also ask to what extent these programs serve
AUB’s goals of developing in its students both professional competence
and the habits and skills for life-long learning. XII.
General Education. The charge is to establish the extent to which the general education
requirement illustrates and implements AUB’s unwavering commitment to
the ideal of liberal arts education. XIII.
Related Educational Activities. The charge is to examine all non-degree educational
programs, activities, and contractual and affiliated relationships carried
out by AUB to make sure that they meet appropriate standards and
are consistent with and serve AUB’s mission and goals. XIV.
Assessment of Student Learning. The charge is to examine the process by which
AUB evaluates the learning outcomes of its academic courses and programs
and demonstrates that its students have the knowledge, skills and
competencies consistent with the mission and goals of the institution. |
