Commended for progress
Middle States reaffirms UD accreditation
3:31 p.m., July 21, 2011--The Middle States Commission on Higher Education has officially reaffirmed its accreditation of the University of Delaware, commending the institution for its progress.
In its overview, the evaluation committee wrote, "Over the last several years, UD has earned a reputation for its strong undergraduate programs and national prominence for selected graduate and research programs." Calling the University's "Path to Prominence" strategic plan "a significant achievement of the University and its new administration," the report said, "In less than four years, the University has accomplished a great deal, and there is a sense of momentum and excitement on the campus."
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The committee noted that the University's strategic plan was created "in an open and inclusive process that engaged faculty, staff, students, community members and the Board of Trustees," adding that "there is an almost universal belief that this is the right plan at the right time for UD."
According to the committee, the University's efforts to build on its already strong undergraduate programs by strengthening research and graduate education are the "the right emphasis for the next chapter in UD's history."
The committee also praised the documents provided by the University, commending them for being very complete and well organized and adding that the computerized indexes, documents and annotated roadmaps were "especially helpful."
In its review, the committee found the University to be in compliance with all 14 standards: mission and goals; planning, resource allocation and institutional renewal; institutional resources; leadership and governance; administration; integrity; institutional assessment; student admissions and retention; student support services; faculty; educational offerings; general education; related educational activities; and assessment of student learning.
"We are thankful for the thoughtful and illuminating report of the evaluation team," UD President Patrick Harker said. "The commendations of the committee -- honors that are given sparingly --are really tributes to the work of the many members of our community who participated in the evaluation process and to the efforts made every day by our faculty and staff to help our University achieve its stature."
"An outside perspective on our direction and progress is always helpful," UD Provost Tom Apple said. "The team organized its review to follow the themes of our own self-study report, which focused on a diverse and stimulating undergraduate academic environment, a premier research and graduate university and excellence in professional education. I was particularly pleased to see that many of their observations mirror our own findings from the self-study and Path to Prominence review," he said.
"In its unanimous action, the commission commended the University of Delaware for its progress to date. Clearly the University of Delaware is a model of best practice with respect to institutional accreditation activity," said Michael F. Middaugh, now retired associate provost for institutional effectiveness who co-chaired UD's Middle States self study.
Recommendations for follow-up action
The team made recommendations for follow-up action in several areas.
The implementation of the Responsibility-Based Budget (RBB) system "pushes decision making out and down throughout the institution," the report said. The team recommended that "the University, especially through the Office of the Provost, ensure that the new budget system's metrics are leavened with judgments about educational quality."
The team also recommended that UD leadership make it clear that some part of University revenues are necessary for general University operations and should include funds controlled by the Office of the Provost for University-wide initiatives.
Opportunities for increased fundraising are substantial, the report said, and the team recommended investment in development and alumni relations infrastructure to "raise the sights of alumni when it comes to giving back to the University."
In the area of diversity, the team recommended that the University "should commit itself forcefully and visibly to improving the diversity of the whole community," adding that campus leadership has an important role to play in this area.
The team recommended that UD study why underrepresented minorities, especially African American students, have a lower graduation rate and suggested that concrete steps for improvement be developed.
Also recommended was a plan to enhance gender diversity among science and engineering faculty and to make more progress in racial diversity among all faculty.
Finally, the team recommended that in recruiting faculty, particularly junior faculty, "the language in tenure and promotion documents be consistent with the expectations that are set for them."
Moving forward
The University is committed to addressing the issues raised by the evaluation team. For example, in response to the recommendation that the University have funds available for University-wide initiatives, Harker said UD will continue to balance sustaining academic quality, providing public service and generating revenue.
"We need to be clear that we’ll require funds to support essential, cross-cutting, and interdisciplinary University operations—that not all revenue will be siloed," he said.
With regard to diversity, Harker said that the University will commit forcefully to improving diversity in student, faculty and staff recruitment and retention as well as improving the campus climate. "We will never achieve what I know we can until we guarantee that UD is a welcoming campus to all, and that every member of this community can fully and actively contribute to our mission. The Diversity and Equity Commission has provided thoughtful and impactful recommendations based on their expertise and from findings of the UD Climate Survey. UD's senior leadership looks forward to working with the Commission and the University community on implementing several of the recommendations in the coming year."
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Serving on the Middle States evaluation team were Jared L. Cohon, chair, president of Carnegie Mellon University; Billy K. Cannaday Jr., dean of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, University of Virginia; Eduardo D. Glandt, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania; Michael R. Halleran, provost at the College of William and Mary; Eric F. Spina, vice chancellor and provost at Syracuse University; and James F. Trainer, director of planning and assessment at Villanova University. Working with the team was Catherin M. Davidson of Carnegie Mellon University.
The commission is a voluntary, non-governmental membership association that defines, maintains and promotes educational excellence across institutions with diverse missions, student populations and resources. It accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and several international locations.
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education has continuously accredited the University of Delaware since 1921.
The team's complete report is available in PDF format on the Institutional Research homepage in the 2010/2011 Updates listing and on the Path to Prominence website in the Resources listing.
University of Delaware team
Co-chairing the UD self study with Middaugh were Suzanne Austin, then interim dean of the College of Education and Human Development; and Michael Chajes, then dean of the College of Engineering.
Other members of the self-study committee were Amy T. Johnson, professor of nursing; Calvin L. Keeler Jr., professor of animal and food sciences; Dawn Thompson, associate vice president and dean of students; Debra Hess Norris, chair of the Department of Art Conservation; George W. Luther III, professor in the School of Marine Science and Policy; Gregory Silvis, assistant director at the Morris Library; Havidan Rodriguez, then deputy provost; Jennifer W. Davis, vice president for administration and finance; Joan DelFattore, professor of English; John Sawyer, associate provost for graduate and professional studies; Mark Barteau, senior vice provost for research; Nancy Brickhouse, then director of the School of Education; and Patricia P. Wilson, vice president and chief of staff.
Serving on the Working Group on a Diverse and Stimulating Undergraduate Experience were Margaret Andersen, associate provost for academic affairs; Avron Abraham, associate professor of behavioral health and nutrition; Bahira Sherif Trask, professor of human development and family studies; Douglas Buttrey, professor of chemical engineering; Heather Kelly, director of Institutional Research; Iveta Ziegelbauer, assistant director of Residence Life; James J. Magee, professor of political science and international relations; John A. Madsen, associate professor of geological sciences; Karen Stein, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning; Kimberly Yackoski, assistant dean, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Louis Hirsh, director of undergraduate admissions; Lynette Overby, professor of theatre; Matthew Robinson, professor of business administration; and Stephen Bernhardt, professor of English.
Members of the Working Group on Research and Graduate Education were Debra H. Norris, chairperson of the Department of Art Conservation; Mark Barteau, senior vice provost for research; Ann Ardis, deputy dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Charles Riordan, vice provost for Graduate Studies; David Kirchman, professor in the School of Marine Science and Policy; Dominic M. DiToro, professor of civil and environmental engineering; Donald Sparks, professor of plant and soil sciences; Douglas Doren, associate dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Edmund R. Nowak, associate professor of physics and astronomy; Howard B. Johnson, professor of Black American studies; James Richards, professor of kinesiology and applied physiology; Joseph Daniel, associate professor of economics; Lori Pollock, professor of computer and information sciences; Margaret Wilder, professor in the School of Urban Affairs; and Ronet Bachman, chairperson of sociology.
Serving on the Working Group on Professional Education were John Sawyer, associate provost for graduate and professional education; Gail Rys, assistant director of the School of Education; James Broomall, assistant provost for professional and continuing studies; Jeffrey Raffel, professor in the School of Urban Affairs; Jeremy Firestone, associate professor of marine science and policy; Joann Browning, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences; Joseph Pika, interim associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences; Leland Ware, professor in the School of Urban Affairs; Madeline Lambrecht, director of College of Health Sciences Special Programs; Margaret Bottorff, associate provost for administration and enrollment management; Robert Lyons, professor of plant and soil sciences; Stuart Binder-McLeod, chairperson of physical therapy; and Suresh Advani, professor of mechanical engineering.