Middle States Commission on Higher Education Self-Study

MIDDLE STATES COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION SELF-STUDY February 2, 2021 2 ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 INTRODUCTION 11 / MSCHE SELF-STUDY STANDARD I: MISSION AND GOALS 17 STANDARD II: ETHICS AND INTEGRITY 23 STANDARD III: DESIGN AND DELIVERY OF THE STUDENT LEARNING EXPERIENCE 31 / February 2, 2021 STANDARD IV: SUPPORT OF THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE 44 STANDARD V: EDUCATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS ASSESSMENT 55 STANDARD VI: PLANNING, RESOURCES, AND INSTITUTIONAL IMPROVEMENT 68 STANDARD VII: GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION 81 CONCLUSION 92 List of Tables Table 1 Steering Committee Membership 4 Table 2 Alignment of AU Mission with Institutional Priorities 14 Table 3 Alignment of MSCHE Standards and Institutional Priorities 14 Table 4 Faculty of Health Disciplines Accreditation 30 Table 5 Academic Staff Members (data as of October 6, 2020) 34 Table 6 Tutorial Staff (data as of October 6, 2020) 34 Table 7 Course Development Professionals (data as of October 6, 2020) 34 Table 8 Library Staff Involved in Course Design and Delivery by Process 35 Table 9 Academic Supports 37 Table 10 Supervisors and Committee Members (As at October 2020) 40 Table 11 AU Awards Distributed to Graduate Students 41 Table 12 Program Review Schedule 2019–2026 57 List of Figures Figure 1 AU Online Communication 66 Figure 2 GFC Support and Advisory Bodies 86 3 ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY List of Acronyms FGS – Faculty of General Studies FHD – Faculty of Health Disciplines AACSB – Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business FHSS – Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences ABC – Activity-Based Costing FOIP – Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Regulation / AAE – Alberta Advanced Education MSCHE SELF-STUDY FST – Faculty of Science and Technology AoL – Assurance of Learning GFC – General Faculties Council APPSC – Academic Planning, Policy, and Standards Committee GOS – Graduate Outcomes Survey AS – Accessibility Services GPRC – Grand Prairie Regional College / February 2, 2021 AU – Athabasca University HR – Human Resources AUFA – Athabasca University Faculty Association ILE – Integrated Learning Environment AUFB – Athabasca University Faculty of Business IDA – Institutional Data Analysis AUGSA – Athabasca University Graduate Students’ IRP – Integrated Resource Plan Association LMS – Learning Management System AUSU – Athabasca University Students’ Union LOA – Learning Outcomes Assessment AWS – Amazon Web Services MBA – Master of Business Administration BoG – Board of Governors MFA – Multi-Factor Authentication CAQC – Campus Alberta Quality Council MHS – Master of Health Studies CARU – Comprehensive Academic and Research MN: Gen – Master of Nursing Generalist University MSCHE – Middle States Commission on Higher CASN – Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing Education CGPSS – Canadian Graduate and Professional MSc IS – Master of Science in Information Systems Student Survey PLAR – Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition CLA – Centre for Learning Accreditation PLO – Program Learning Outcome CMEC – Council of Ministers of Education of Canada PSLA – Post-Secondary Learning Act CPD – Course Development and Production RAIC – Royal Architecture Institute of Canada CRM – Customer Relationship Management System RAID – Research and Information Discussion CUSU – Canadian University Survey Consortium SEM – Strategic Enrollment Management CWIKR – Centre for World Indigenous Knowledge and Research SIS – Student Information System EdD – Doctor of Education, Distance Education SRM – Student Relationship Management EDI – Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion UNESCO/ICDE – United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization International ETeam – Executive Team Council for Open and Distance Education FB – Faculty of Business 4 ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY Steering Committee Table 1. Steering Committee Membership / Name Position Role MSCHE SELF-STUDY Associate Vice President, Integrated Planning Dr. Margaret Kierylo Co-Chair and Assessment Interim Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Dr. Manijeh Mannani Co-Chair / Sciences February 2, 2021 Former Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Former Co-Chair (April 2019–September Dr. Veronica Thompson Sciences 2020) Professor, Centre for Social Sciences, Faculty of Working Group 1 Chair Dr. Jane Arscott Humanities and Social Sciences Standard I: Mission and Goals Working Group 2 Chair Interim Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Dr. Manijeh Mannani Standard II: Ethics and Integrity Sciences Working Group 3 Chair Associate Vice President, Student and Academic Dr. Alain May Standard III: Design and Delivery of Services Student Learning Experience Working Group 4 Chair Academic Coordinator, Faculty of Science and Dr. Farook Al-Shamali Standard IV: Support of Student Technology Learning Experience Working Group 5 Chair Former Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Dr. Veronica Thompson Standard V: Educational Effectiveness Sciences Assessment Working Group 6: Chair Associate Vice President, Integrated Planning Dr. Margaret Kierylo Standard VI: Planning, Resources, and and Assessment Institutional Improvement Working Group 7 Chair Carol Lund University Secretary Standard VII: Governance, Leadership, Administration Working Group 8 Chair Dr. Sami Houry Institutional Research and Assessment Officer Standard VIII: Evidence Administrative Assistant, Office of the Associate Inventory and Verification of Corinna Lewis Vice President, Integrated Planning and Compliance Assessment Executive Assistant, Office of the Deputy Provost, Emily Tamm Administrative support staff Academic Operations Administrative Assistant, Office of the Associate Corinna Lewis Vice President, Integrated Planning and Administrative support staff Assessment Indigenous Land Acknowledgement Athabasca University respectfully acknowledges that we are on and work on the traditional lands of the Indigenous Peoples (Inuit, First Nations, Métis) of Canada. We honour the ancestry, heritage and gifts of the Indigenous Peoples and give thanks to them. 5 ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY / MSCHE SELF-STUDY / February 2, 2021 Executive Summary Middle States Commission on Higher Education Self-Study 6 ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY Executive Summary This Self-Study is presented to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education / MSCHE SELF-STUDY (MSCHE) as the fruit of a nearly two-year process of reflection by a broad and diverse group. Faculty, staff, and administrators were charged with examining all of the University’s functions through the Standards established by the MSCHE. Each / standard is discussed in detail to illustrate Athabasca University’s compliance with February 2, 2021 both the Standards and the Requirements of Affiliation particular to each of them. Opportunities for Improvement and Innovation, when identified, are articulated at the conclusion of each Standard. In accordance with the Commission’s Substantive and so this program also represents a significant Change Policy and Procedures, Athabasca investment by AU in training and developing the University (AU) has no substantive changes to skills of our team. To this end, AU announced report since 2018. Substantive Change Requests thirteen transformation initiatives (ES.0.07) in will be filed in the next 18 months as the University January 2020. The adaptations we are making to our implements transformative change initiatives environment are outlined in further detail in this outlined throughout the Self-Study. Self-Study. In 2018, Athabasca University began an academic Athabasca University gratefully acknowledges and administrative transformation guided by the MSCHE’s guidance and assistance in the IMAGINE (ES.0.01) plan, through which University transformative processes that have improved the will more efficiently deliver on its core mission University’s financial sustainability, enhanced a to transform lives and communities. As Canada’s mission-centric focus and strategically aligned goals, online university, we are building the digital learning and enabled AU to concentrate its administrative institution for the future. Athabasca University’ efforts on institutional effectiveness. primary focus is on the Integrated Learning Environment (ILE) program (ES.0.04). This is a Through the MSCHE processes of Self-Study, very exciting time for AU, as we build the learning periodic review, and monitoring reports, AU has environment of the future, providing learners with directed its efforts to rigorous on-going self- an engaging and immersive experience unlike any assessment as the primary indicator of the extent other in Canada. In fact, this is the first project of its and depth of the University’s transformation. kind among post-secondary institutions in Canada. Athabasca University thanks MSCHE’s staff and is grateful for the Self-Study process for assisting AU By working with industry-leading experts D2L in this important work. and Ellucian to innovate and improve the learner experience, our integrated learning environment Highlights of the Analysis will be one of the most sophisticated in the post- secondary online space. It will bring together and Recommendations all aspects of online learning as a seamless whole, including the management of learning, Standard I: Mission and Goals data records, academic and financial services, credentialing, and learner support. Achieving our AU meets Standard I by fulfilling its Mission and vision of this new learner experience will not be Goals. The University’s mission-centric focus possible without our people. Ensuring our team is embedded in the strategic

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