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vii IV. Introduction The twin aims of accreditation, quality assurance and institutional improvement, are longstanding and ongoing priorities at Curry College. This ten‐year self‐study afforded Curry College a welcome and timely opportunity to examine itself in a formal and structured manner. Shaping the endeavor has been an institutional commitment to collaboration, integrity, and thoughtful consideration. The primary goal of Curry’s reaccreditation self‐study, which has been undertaken in a period of institutional change and growth, is to shape and improve our College’s effectiveness. Curry College very much believes that this report and the work surrounding it will help Curry become a stronger institution of higher education. Building off the collaborative effort that prepared the 2010 Interim Report to NEASC, Curry’s leadership envisioned the NEASC self‐study in the context of two other significant institutionwide initiatives: the drafting of the College’s next strategic plan and the revision of our institution’s general education requirements. Curry’s previous strategic plan had expired and the institution was ready for new goals and directions. Linking the next strategic planning process with the self‐study afforded a synergy to both. With respect to general education, Curry’s faculty widely recognized that the institution’s existing requirements needed to change and to be integrated and more outcomes focused. The broader objective, therefore, was to support each of these independent activities and to keep them mutually informed and integrated. In addition, aware of the demands that these initiatives would place on the institution and its resources, Curry’s leadership made the decision to defer a review of the College’s mission statement. Primary responsibility for drafting the self‐study was assigned to a 22‐member Steering Committee, chaired by the Chief Academic Officer. Cognizant that the effort’s success would be best achieved through a balance of faculty and administration, each standard was assigned a faculty member and administrator with responsibility for gathering data, drafting a section of the report, and sharing in the overall responsibility of drafting a frank, accurate and substantive document. The selection of individuals for the Steering Committee was made by the President and the Chief Academic Officer in the Spring of 2010. Their decisions were informed by recommendations from faculty and staff, as well as recognition of the constraints of time, as there is significant overlap among the participants in the three major initiatives previously mentioned. Work on the self‐study began in earnest in September of 2010 at the steering committee’s inaugural meeting. The committee was asked to create a self‐study that was a complete and honest reflection of the College, while employing a process that was both inclusive and transparent. Members studied the NEASC standards, which were distributed to all of Curry’s faculty, and the self‐study guidelines. Steering Committee members reached out to other groups of stakeholders who might have relevant information as they undertook their research and writing assignments. The Steering Committee normally met every two weeks. The Curry College 2012 Self-Study
viii Academic Dean’s Office coordinated the effort, sharing information and facilitating communication. Early in the self‐study process, communication with the College community was prioritized as an essential component to the process. Monthly and semi‐monthly e‐mail updates from the Academic Dean’s Office were sent to the community; brief reports were presented at faculty meetings; and key constituent groups were identified for outreach and consultation. Research and preliminary data collection consumed most of the Committee’s early work. The College’s most recent self‐study was reviewed, as were the significant changes in the self‐study guidelines. Curry was among the small population of institutions for which the significant revision in Standards occurred during the course of the College’s visit preparation. In addition to securing and identifying the necessary data and documentation, the Steering Committee also collected new data from various constituencies. Particularly close collaboration was forged between the Steering Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee and the General Education Task Force. Drafts were circulated in the Spring of 2011. The Steering Committee made a commitment to use existing data and reports whenever possible. Simultaneously, processes were put in place for data gathering and document identification and collection, and a NEASC site was established on the College’s web portal. By the end of September a full draft was distributed to the entire Curry College community – faculty, staff and students – for initial review and comment. Over the following two weeks in early October, the community shared comments with the Steering Committee through a series of six open forums and via e‐mail. Each open forum focused on six‐to‐eight standards, and Steering Committee members were present to field questions and record comments. The input and feedback from the open forums and other feedback were reviewed, considered and incorporated where appropriate. A penultimate public version of the draft was again shared with the full Curry Community at the end of the 2011 Fall semester. Curry College 2012 Self-Study
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Page 3 and 4: ii III. Institutional Characteristi
Page 5 and 6: iv 12. List all programs accredited
Page 7: vi CHIEF INSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS Fun
Page 11 and 12: x assessment learning goals and mea
Page 13 and 14: xii Significant program expansion w
Page 15 and 16: 2 accessible in multiple locations:
Page 17 and 18: 4 Of these multiple efforts, Strate
Page 19 and 20: 6 the College’s Mission Statement
Page 21 and 22: 8 academic units. In addition, the
Page 23 and 24: 10 writing sequence xxv ; and stand
Page 25 and 26: 12 • Offer distinctive, relevant,
Page 27 and 28: 14 Standard Three: Organization and
Page 29 and 30: 16 policy and planning and peer fac
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Page 33 and 34: 20 process of reviewing their self
Page 35 and 36: 22 NEASC visit in 2002, the organiz
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Page 39 and 40: 26 • MACJ: Police Career Incentiv
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Page 45 and 46: 32 management data helps department
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46 attendance. xcvii Faculty are al
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48 articulated only for full‐time
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50 initiatives to move the College
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52 Advisors actively participate in
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54 Standard Six: Students With a lo
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56 class members by cohort, allowin
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58 programs are described in detail
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60 Staffing within Student Services
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62 College has placed a priority on
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64 continue to hear from students o
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66 structures and supports for dive
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68 systematic oversight for what ar
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70 The curriculum and student learn
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72 the Appraisal section. Students
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74 faculty “selectors,” each re
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76 technological environment. The C
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78 Standard Eight: Physical and Tec
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80 Facilities are constructed and m
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82 technology through hosted applic
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84 Standard Nine: Financial Resourc
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86 of May 31, 2011 with the majorit
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88 gradually developed a culture of
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90 making that provides for suffici
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92 requirements. As described withi
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94 Standard Eleven: Integrity Descr
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96 available; it also appears in ga
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98 consider developing and implemen
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100 ix Mission Statement Survey in
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102 cvi First Year activities in wo
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