2010 HIGHER LEARNING COMMISSION SELF-STUDY REPORT HIGHER LEARNING COMMISSION SELF-STUDY REPORT August 18, 2010 OPSU Self-Study 1 Contents List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................................ 3 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Prefatory Remarks ...................................................................................................................... 5 Historical Background of OPSU ................................................................................................. 5 Concerns of the Previous Visit ................................................................................................... 6 A Comprehensive Strategic Plan for OPSU ............................................................................... 7 Major Accomplishments at OPSU since 2001............................................................................ 8 Document Organization .............................................................................................................. 9 Criterion 1: Mission and Integrity................................................................................................. 10 Core Component 1a: The mission documents are clear and articulate publicly the organization’s commitments to its various constituencies. ....................................................... 10 Core Component 1b: In its mission documents, OPSU recognizes the diversity of its learners, other constituencies, and the greater society it serves. ............................................................. 12 Core Component 1c: Understanding of and support of the mission pervade OPSU. ............... 19 Core Component 1d: OPSU’s governance and administrative structures promote effective leadership and support collaborative processes that enable OPSU to fulfill its mission. ......... 22 Core Component 1e: OPSU upholds and protects its integrity................................................. 24 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 33 Criterion 2: Preparing for the Future ........................................................................................... 35 Core Component 2a: OPSU realistically prepares for a future shaped by multiple societal and economic trends ........................................................................................................................ 35 Core Component 2b: OPSU's resource base supports its educational programs and its plans for maintaining and strengthening their quality in the future. ........................................................ 44 Core Component 2c: OPSU's ongoing evaluation and assessment processes provide reliable evidence of institutional effectiveness that clearly informs strategies for continuous improvement. ............................................................................................................................ 55 Core Component 2d: All levels of planning align with OPSU's mission, thereby enhancing its capacity to fulfill that mission................................................................................................... 58 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 60 OPSU Self-Study 2 Criterion 3: Student Learning ....................................................................................................... 62 Core Component 3a: OPSU's goals for student learning outcomes are clearly listed for each educational program and make effective assessment possible ................................................. 62 Core Component 3b: OPSU values and supports effective teaching ........................................ 74 Criterion 3c: OPSU creates effective learning environments ................................................... 85 Criterion 3d: OPSU's learning resources support student learning and effective teaching ...... 88 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 97 Criterion 4: Acquisition, Discovery and Application of Knowledge ............................................. 98 Core Component 4a: OPSU demonstrates, through the actions of its board, administrators, students, faculty, and staff, that it values a life of learning. ..................................................... 98 Core Component 4b: OPSU demonstrates that the acquisition of a breadth of knowledge and skills and the exercise of intellectual inquiry are integral to its educational programs. ......... 105 Core Component 4c: OPSU assesses the usefulness of its curricula to students who will live and work in a global, diverse, and technological society ....................................................... 108 Core Component 4d: OPSU provides support to ensure that the faculty, students, and staff acquire, discover, and apply knowledge responsibly.............................................................. 111 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 115 Criterion 5: Community and Constituency .................................................................................. 116 Core Component 5a: OPSU learns from the constituencies it serves and analyzes its capacity to serve their needs and expectations ...................................................................................... 116 Core Component 5b: OPSU has the capacity and commitment to engage with its identified constituents and communities. ................................................................................................ 122 Core Component 5c: The institution responds to the diverse needs of its constituents .......... 126 Core Component 5d: Internal and external constituencies value the services OPSU provides ................................................................................................................................................. 127 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 129 Summary and General Conclusions ............................................................................................ 130 OPSU Self-Study 3 List of Acronyms ADA Americans with Disabilities Act AITP Association of Information Technology Professionals BOR Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges CIS Computer Information System CFFA Collegiate Future Farms of America COP Collegiate Officer Program FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FERPA Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act HALO Hispanic American Leadership Organization HLC Higher Learning Commission IHSA Intercollegiate Horse Show Association IT Institutional Technology NACUBO National Association of College and University Business Officers NCA North Central Association NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association NCATE National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education NIRA National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association NLNAC National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission NVRHA National Versatility Ranch Horse Association ODEQ Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality OGET Oklahoma General Education Test OIRA Office of Institutional Research and Assessment OPSU Self-Study 4 OPSU Oklahoma Panhandle State University OSRHE Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education OSU Oklahoma State University PREDCI Panhandle Regional Economic Development Coalition, Inc PSVN Panhandle Share-Ed Video Network PTCI Panhandle Telephone Cooperative Incorporated TEC Teacher Education Council VPAAO Vice President for Academic Affairs and Outreach VPFA Vice President for Fiscal Affairs UC University College OPSU Self-Study 5 Introduction Prefatory Remarks In this document, the Oklahoma Panhandle State University (OPSU) self-study team evaluates and recounts its findings concerning itself and its programs reached during its preparation for the team evaluation visit by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Various sections of this introduction provide basic background about the history of OPSU, briefly address the concerns of the last evaluation team visit, introduce the history of strategic planning at OPSU, suggest some of the major accomplishments in the areas of physical plant, funding, and the assessment of student learning since the last visit, and finally lay out the organization of the document. More information about the outcomes and concerns of the last evaluation team visit-- external funding, faculty development, faculty load, and assessment--can be found in subsequent chapters, particularly those covering Criterion 2 and Criterion 3. Historical Background of OPSU OPSU’s vision builds upon its century-long tradition of providing education to the people in the Oklahoma Panhandle and surrounding areas. OPSU was created by an act of the Oklahoma State Legislature in 1909 as Panhandle Agricultural Institute offering secondary agricultural education for the Panhandle area. In 1921, the legislature authorized the school to offer a two- year college curriculum and changed the name of the institution to Panhandle Agricultural and Mechanical College. In 1925, the State Board