April
29 , 2003
Washington, DC
Summary
of Major Actions and Discussion
(These
are not official minutes of the CHEA Board of Directors.)
Chair
Arthur J. Rothkopf called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m.
Treasurer's
Report
The
board of directors received the FY03 third quarter financial report.
Chair's
Report
Recognition
The CHEA Committee on Recognition met on March 9-10, 2003 and reviewed
eligibility and recognition applications from organizations seeking
CHEA recognition.
The
board of directors accepted the committee on recognition’s recommendations
that the following accrediting organizations be deemed eligible to be
considered for CHEA recognition:
- American Podiatric
Medical Association Council on Podiatric Medical Education
- Joint Review
Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
The board of directors
accepted the committee on recognition’s recommendations for recognition
of the following organizations:
- Accrediting
Commission on Education for Health Services Administration
- American Association
for Marriage and Family Therapy Commission on Accreditation for Marriage
and Family Therapy Education
- Council on Social
Work Education Commission on Accreditation
The board of directors
accepted the committee on recognition’s recommendation for recognition
with a report from the following organization:
- American Society
of Landscape Architects Landscape Architectural Review Board
The board of directors
accepted the committee on recognition’s recommendation for recognition
and, in addition, asked for a report from the following organization:
- American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language
Pathology
The board of directors
accepted the committee on recognition’s recommendation for approval
of a change of scope for the following organization:
- Distance Education
and Training Council Accrediting Commission
Election of
2003-2006 Board Members
The following individuals were elected to serve on the CHEA Board
of Directors for three year terms beginning July 1, 2003:
Francis T. Borkowski,
Chancellor, Appalachian State University (NC)
Nancy A. Marlin, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs,
San Diego State University (CA)
Gregory M. O'Brien, Chancellor, University of New Orleans (LA)
Earl S. Richardson, President, Morgan State University (MD)
Arthur J. Rothkopf, President, Lafayette College (PA) (second term)
Election of
2003-2004 Officers of the Board of Directors
The board of directors approved the following slate of officers
for 2003-2004:
Chair: Arthur
J. Rothkopf, President, Lafayette College (PA)
Vice Chair: Malcolm Gillis, President, Rice University (TX)
Secretary: Eleanor Baum, Dean, Engineering School, The Cooper Union
(NY)
Treasurer: Richard P. Traina, Trustee, George I. Alden Trust (MA)
President's
Report
Governmental
Relations Report
Gregory Fusco, consultant to CHEA on government relations, reported
on CHEA activities in federal relations since the January 2003 board
meeting. The focus of these activities is reauthorization of the 1965
Higher Education Act as this relates to accreditation.
Mr. Fusco reported
that he and CHEA staff have meet with a number of key members of Congress
and congressional staff to discuss institution and program accreditation
and to learn of congressional interests and concerns with regard to
accreditation. He briefly described the current political climate for
accreditation as this relates to the board's consideration of the proposed
CHEA Reauthorization Agenda. Board members and CHEA staff had discussed
the political climate in some detail at the Working Session of the board
on the day prior to the public board meeting.
Mr. Fusco stressed
that accountability remains central to the interest and concerns of
members of Congress and the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) when
they talk about accreditation. Both branches of government are looking
for additional attention to areas of accountability such as student
learning outcomes, institution and program performance, and expanded
information to the public about the findings of accreditation review
as well as the basis for the judgments of accrediting organizations
about accredited status of an institution or program.
CHEA will continue
its discussion with members of Congress and USDE about accreditation
and expectations for reauthorization.
CHEA Reauthorization
Agenda
The board approved the proposed CHEA Reauthorization Agenda with
the understanding that the fundamental issue for accreditation in this
reauthorization is accountability and that CHEA needs to provide leadership
in accountability reform. The goals of the Reauthorization Agenda have
been discussed with the CHEA board at the January 2003 meeting and have
been reviewed with CHEA accrediting organizations. The goals are (1)
expanding the commitment to accountability in accreditation, (2) reaffirming
the key principles on which accreditation has operated for many years
(at the national level, a decentralized, mission-based system of higher
education committed to self-regulation as a private undertaking), (3)
taking steps to ease transfer of credit in those instances in which
accredited status may be problematic as transfer decisions are made
by institutions and programs, (4) maintaining the current role of accreditation
in distance learning and assuring that any expansion of federal support
for distance learning be accompanied by appropriate quality review,
and (5) presenting proposed legislation to affirm the value of accreditation
and accreditation's commitment to reform and accountability.
CHEA will be publishing
the Reauthorization Agenda on its Website as well as distributing it
to CHEA constituents.
2002-2003 CHEA
Survey
During 2002-2003, CHEA conducted a survey of degree-granting institutions,
CHEA accrediting organizations, and Washington-based higher education
associations to learn of their familiarity with CHEA, their views of
CHEA’s effectiveness since the 1997-98 membership survey, their
views of the most important accreditation-related issues that CHEA might
address over the next five years, and their views of the accreditation
process itself, independent of CHEA.
More than 50% of
institutions, accreditors, and associations responded to the survey.
The majority of respondents are generally familiar with CHEA and find
the organization to provide effective service in recognition, governmental
relations, and its various membership activities. Respondents identified
student learning outcomes as the most important accreditation-related
issue followed by distance learning and transfer of credit. Respondents
also indicated general satisfaction with accreditation.
The executive summary
of the CHEA survey will be available in the upcoming issue of the CHEA
newsletter, the CHEA Chronicle. This newsletter is mailed to
approximately 8,000 individuals in higher education, government, the
press, and business. All CHEA newsletters are also available on the
CHEA Website (www.chea.org).
2003-2004 Organizational
Goals and Budget
The board of directors approved the 2003-2004 organizational goals
and budget. CHEA’s primary emphasis next year will be reauthorization
of the Higher Education Act. CHEA will continue to focus on the three
priorities established by the board: accreditation and student learning
outcomes, accreditation and distance learning, and accreditation and
international quality review.
Statement on
Accreditation and Student Learning Outcomes
The board of directors reviewed the revised Statement on Accreditation
and Student Learning Outcomes. The current draft of the statement
is the result of consultation with CHEA constituents and extensive revision
of the document based on these deliberations. The will be some editing
and additional revisions based on the most recent feedback on the draft
before the board, with the intent of bring the final revision of the
Statement to the board of directors at the September 2003 meeting.
Council
of Regional Accrediting Commissions
President Eaton,
reporting for Sandra Elman, Chair of the Council of Regional Accrediting
Commissions (C-RAC), indicated that C-RAC has completed its work on
student learning outcomes that has been supported by a grant from the
Pew Charitable Trusts. A C-RAC retreat for the executive directors of
the regional commissions as well as several members of each of the eight
commissions took place in February 2003.
Specialized/National
Accrediting Association Advisory Panel
President Eaton,
reporting for George Peterson, Chair of the Specialized/National Accrediting
Association Advisory Panel, reported that the panel met on February
27, 2003. Major business included review of the proposed reauthorization
agenda, discussion of accreditation and student learning outcomes, and
discussion of the upcoming CHEA Enhancing Usefulness Workshop on June
19-20, 2003 in Washington, DC. The topic for the Workshop is accountability
and accreditation.
There being no
further business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:15 p.m.
The next
meeting of the Board of Directors is September 22-23, 2003 in Washington,
DC.
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