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Academic Affairs Planning Goal #1
 2002-2004

1. What is a visionary goal that your unit set?

  • To identify key institutional themes and issues, and prepare the initial proposal for the WASC accreditation reaffirmation process.

2. What information and data did you use to set this goal? 

  • We are required to participate in the WASC accreditation reaffirmation process.
  • WASC requires that the University submit a proposal and the proposal was due in the summer of 2004.
  • The University had just completed the process of revising the mission statement and was in the process of creating a new vision statement.  The work for the reaffirmation process should be tied to mission and vision.
  • The University needed to address issues raised by WASC in the previous accreditation visit and follow up letter (dated 1997)
  • If we are going to invest a huge number of man-hours into the process then it needs to be one that helps PLNU to improve.

3. What actions did you take to try to reach this goal?

  • Consultations were held with the Academic Council (“chairs”), Provost’s Council (“deans”) and others regarding the selection of appropriate themes and issues.
  • The themes were categorized as either Capacity and Preparatory Review (CPR) or Educational Effectiveness Review (EER).
  • CPR Themes were finalized. They are:
    • Data (WASC requirement)
    • Educational Effectiveness Indicators (this is linked to our focus on general education and assessment)
    • Standards 1 & 3 (WASC requirements)
    • Standards 2 & 4 (WASC requirements)
    • Planning (an issue from the previous WASC visit)
    • Assessment (an issue from the previous WASC visit)
    • Diversity (an issue from the previous WASC visit)
  • EER Themes were finalized. They are:
    • Assessment (an essential part of our work to enhance a “culture of evidence”)
    • New Programs (a key issue for PLNU as we expand graduate programs)
    • Program Review (critical as we review new programs and modify existing ones particularly in the area of undergraduate programs since the Point Loma campus is at the City of San Diego imposed enrollment cap - this is an area of our work that needs some concentrated reflection)
    • Teach (mission statement component)
    • Shape (mission statement component)
    • Send (mission statement component)
  • Information was gathered and a table of Educational Effectiveness Indicators was developed.
  • Information about the current status of institutional strategic planning was gathered.
  • A draft document was written and reviewed by several members of the University community.

4. What progress did you make?

A completed proposal was submitted to WASC in 2004.  It has been held up by WASC as a model.

5. What information and data did you use to evaluate your progress?

The task was completed and the proposal was turned in.  The proposal appears to meet the desired criteria for using the process as a tool for University improvement but that will only be clear at the conclusion of the process in 2007.

Supporting Documents:

WASC Institutional Proposal
WASC Committee List
Letter from Ralph Wolff of WASC dated 1997