Self-Study Report Prepared for the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, 1992-93

Abstract

This report is submitted by Kalamazoo College in partial fulfillment of requirements for continued accreditation by the North Central Association (NCA) of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. More broadly, however, it should be understood as an element of a continual process of self-examination and self-renewal in an institution which, despite being the oldest institution of higher learning in Michigan, is nevertheless characterized by a commitment to innovation as well as to excellence. During the less than two-year tenure of the Self-Study Steering Committee, for example, the following major initiatives occurred: 1) formation of four coordinated task forces on multiculturalism and diversity; 2) development of a master plan for long-term use, improvement, and maintenance of the College’s physical plant; 3) work on issues of recruitment and retention of students by a marketing task force; and 4) comprehensive reviews of five academic departments, including evaluation by external reviewers. These initiatives are above and beyond the normal processes of evaluation which occur through the agencies of the Provost’s Office, the Educational Policies Committee, the Academic Standards Committee, and individual department and program units. The NCA reaccreditation process, then, is a natural extension of the College’s own activities. A particular focus of this report is the College’s plan for assessing student academic outcomes, as means of both program improvement and documentation of the College’s effectiveness. Along with other colleges and universities, Kalamazoo College is struggling to develop an assessment program in keeping with its mission and goals, one which will be integrated with and facilitate its ongoing evaluating, planning, and decision-making processes.