SFU
MEMORANDUM
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
University Drive, Bumaby, BC
Canada V5.\
1S6
TEL: 778.782.3925
FAX: 778.782.5876
attention
Senate
date
March 20,2013
from
Jon Driver, Vice-President, Academic and
pages
1/1
Provost, and Chair, SCUP
NWCCU Accreditation 2012 Progress Report (SCUP 13-18)
RE:
S.13-56
www.sfu.ca/vpacademic
At its March 13, 2013 meeting, SCUP reviewed the progress report concerning SFU'saccreditation with
the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The report is attached for the
information of Senate.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
MEMORANDUM
OFFICE OF"TI IF! VICF-PRFSIDENT, ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
University Drive, Burnaby, BC
Canada V5A 1S6
TEL: 778.782.3925
FAX: 778.782.5876
attention
Senate Committee on University Priorities
date
March 4, 2013
from
Jon Driver
pages
1/1
Vice President, Academic and Provost
RE:
NWCCU Accreditation 2012Progress Report
SCUP 13-18
www.sfu.ca/vpacademic
The attached document is a progress report concerning SFU's accreditation with the Northwest
Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The Report has been produced for
information purposes for internal SFU stakeholders.
The contents of the Report include:
1. Timeline of key dates associated with accreditation for the year 2012
2. Next Steps
a. Current plan
b. Potential accelerated plan
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
Institutional Accreditation with the
NWCCU
2012 Progress Report
February 27, 2013
2012 Accrd Prgrss Rpt – Feb 2013
2
2012 Progress Report – Institutional Accreditation with
the NWCCU
Progress to Date:
January 2012:
SFU received candidacy status from the Northwest Commission on
Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
May 2012:
Senate approved the principles that will guide the development of
the learning outcomes and assessment process.
June 2012:
SFU submitted its 2012 NWCCU Annual Report.
August 2012:
NCAA approved SFU Athletics as its first internationally based
institution. Approval was granted based on SFU’s candidacy status
with the NWCCU.
September 2012:
SFU submitted the Year One Self-Evaluation Report to the
NWCCU.
Contents of Report (abbreviated below)
:
?
Institutional changes since NWCCU visit (October 2011)
?
Response to recommendations made by the NWCCU after their
site visit
?
Chapter One: Mission, Core Themes, and Expectations
?
Standard 1.A Mission
• SFU’s vision/mission statement
• Interpretation of ‘mission fulfillment’
• Articulation of an acceptable threshold, extent, or
degree of mission fulfillment
?
Standard 1.B Core Themes
• Brief description, objectives, and performance
indicators of the Three Core Themes:
?
Engaging Students
?
Engaging Research
?
Year One Self-Evaluation Report
2012 Accrd Prgrss Rpt – Feb 2013
3
October 2012:
NWCCU provided SFU with its Peer-Evaluation Report (response
to SFU’s Year One Report).
Quoting the Peer-Evaluation Report:
“The Report was straightforward, easy to read, and provided an
introduction to SFU. The information appeared to be complete and
accurate, addressed each component of Standard One, and
provided information the evaluation committee needed to provide
its review.”
?
Commendation: “
Simon Fraser University has
developed a University Planning Framework based on
the Vision/Mission, core themes, and strategic goals,
providing a consistent and integrated implementation
and assessment structure in support of mission
attainment.”
?
Recommendation: “
While the university has identified
core themes, outcomes, and indicators of achievement,
the evaluation committee found unevenness in the
indicators of achievement in relationship to the goals,
stated strategies, and outcomes. The evaluation
committee recommends that outcomes and indicators of
achievement be aligned to provide evidence consistent
with the goals and strategies for all core themes on
mission fulfillment (Standard 1.B.2).”
NWCCU’s Peer-Evaluation Report
December 2012:
SFU responded to the NWCCU’s evaluation of the Year One
Report. The response thanked the NWCCU for their efforts and
briefly addressed the evaluators’ reservations regarding SFU’s
“indicators of achievement” by stating: “
The University Planning
Framework is being updated annually and the indicators revised
and developed accordingly.”
February 2013:
NWCCU Board
advised that:
“In continuing candidacy, the Commission requests that the
University address Recommendation 1 of the Fall 2012 Year One
Mission and Core Themes Peer-Evaluation Report in its Fall 2014
2012 Accrd Prgrss Rpt – Feb 2013
4
Year Three Resources and Capacity Self-Evaluation Report.... In
taking this action, the Commission finds that Recommendation 1 of
the Fa11 2012 Year One Mission and Core Themes Peer-
Evaluation Report is an area where Simon Fraser University is
substantially in compliance with Commission criteria for
accreditation, but in need of improvement.”
Next Steps:
1. Current Plan
April 2013-Jul 2014
Year Three Report drafting
Aug 2014
Submission of
Year Three Report
Contents of Year Three Report
?
Chapter One: Update
?
Chapter Two: Resources and Capacity
Oct 2014
NWCCU visit to assess
April 2015-Jul 2016
Year Seven Report drafting
Sep 2015-Mar 2016
Core Theme assessment
Aug 2016
Submission of
Year Seven Report
Contents of Year Seven Report:
?
Chapter One and Two: Update
?
Chapter Three: Institutional Planning
?
Chapter Four: Core Theme Planning, Assessment, and
Improvement
?
Chapter Five: Mission Fulfillment, Adaptation,
Sustainability
Oct 2016
NWCCU visit to assess
Jan 2017
Accreditation granted
2. Accelerated Plan
It may be possible for SFU to forego the Year Three Report in 2014 and submit a Year Seven
Report in 2014 or 2015, which would ultimately allow the university to become accredited by the
2012 Accrd Prgrss Rpt – Feb 2013
5
NWCCU two years or one year sooner than is currently planned. This would depend on the
NWCCU president granting permission.
Letter to SFU from NWCCU January 31, 2012 states:
“Simon Fraser University may apply for initial accreditation at any time within the next five
years, but may do so only after consultation with the President of the Northwest Commission on
Colleges and Universities. If accreditation is not achieved by the end of the five-year period, the
institution will be removed from the list of candidate institutions and must wait a minimum of two
years before resubmitting an Application for Consideration to the Commission.”
a. Implications of Accelerated Plan
?
Higher workload for Accreditation Team.
?
Earlier assessment of performance in Core Themes (Theme Teams).
o
Chapters 1 and 2 will be updated. Chapter 3 will be new. Chapters 4 and
5, which also will be new, require assessment and analysis. This would
mean that “Theme Teams” would need to be appointed/established to
assess and produce written reports on institutional performance in the 3
core themes:
?
Engaging Students
?
Engaging Research
?
Engaging Communities
b. Benefits of Accelerated Plan
?
Early recognition and enhancement of reputation.
o
Would be another accolade for SFU and can help to enhance the
university’s reputation.
o
Early accreditation and an enhanced SFU reputation can be used as a good
marketing tool, particularly to attract international students.
?
Allows for extra time if needed.
o
The NWCCU gives an institution 5 years from its acceptance of candidacy
to complete its accreditation. If by some chance SFU does not attain
accreditation via the accelerated plan, the university would still have 1 or
2 years (depending on whether the final Report was submitted in 2015 or
2014) to ensure that accreditation takes place.
c. Risks
?
An early report submission might not be able to reflect the full maturation of the
implementation of SFU’s Vision/Mission. (low)
?
The NWCCU may not be able to accommodate an accelerated report submission.
(unknown)
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