Vol. 19, No. 25

March 23, 2000

Faculty satisfaction a topic
for Middle States self-study

Faculty are being asked to complete a faculty satisfaction questionnaire as part of the University’s ongoing self-study in preparation for reaffirmation of its accreditation by the Commission on Higher Education, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The questionnaire includes sections on the University environment, the effect of technology, employment climate, University administration and governance, faculty time allocation and classroom facilities. The questionnaire should take less than one hour to complete and should be returned to Institutional Research by April 5. “I hope every faculty member will take the time to complete the questionnaire,” Provost Mel Schiavelli said. “We want to make sure that our report to Middle States reflects current faculty opinion and concerns, and this is one way for faculty to have direct input.” The self-study for Middle States is being led by a Steering Committee cochaired by Bobby Gempesaw, vice provost for academic programs and planning, and Michael Middaugh, assistant vice president for institutional research and planning. The Steering Committee is overseeing the work of eight task forces, focusing on University Mission, Goals and Objectives; Students; Faculty; Educational Program and Curriculum; Library and Learning Resources; Institutional Effectiveness and Outcomes; Planning and Resource Allocation; and Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources. The task forces are currently gathering information and writing reports. The written reports of the task forces will form the basis for a draft self-study document, which will be available for campus examination and open hearings in this fall. Following revision based on comments from the campus community, the self-study document will be sent to the Middle States Evaluation Team, which will visit the campus in spring of 2001. This self-study and reaffirmation process occurs every 10 years. In 1921, when the Middle States Association was formed, the University of Delaware was among the first institutions accredited by the group, and it has been continuously accredited since that time. “The University is in an excellent position to undergo the reaffirmation process,” Middaugh said, “as we are continuously involved in self-examination and planning. This is an opportunity for the entire campus to participate in the process, through a critical examination of where we are and where we want to be.” Gempesaw pointed out that care was taken in the appointment of the task forces to include a broad cross-section of University constituencies. “This self-study is truly a grass-roots effort,” he said. “Faculty represent over half of the 90-some members of the task forces, and an effort was made to keep senior administrative staff representation to a minimum.” In addition to the faculty satisfaction survey, the task forces are gathering information through interviews of key personnel and through analysis of the vast array of data compiled by Institutional Research. A special focus for this report is the effect of technology on instruction and routine campus business. Gempesaw urged members of the campus community with questions or input for the report to contact a task force member. More information on the self-study process is available on the web at <http://www.udel.edu/ middlestates/>.