Accreditation Team Gives USF Top Marks
Five years after an accreditation team made four recommendations for the improvement of operations and learning at the university, a supplemental visit by members of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) found USF to be effectively progressing toward its goals.
“It was a very positive visit,” said Provost Jim Wiser. “They have seen great progress in each of these four areas. Essentially, they said keep doing what you are doing.”
WASC teams evaluate member schools every 10 years. In 1997, on the occasion of USF’s regular accreditation, the WASC team recommended improvement in four areas: better assessment of student learning, a more thorough integration of a culture of learning in campus life, stabilization of the university’s long-term budget process, and better integration of the College of Professional Studies into university life.
Since that visit, USF has embarked on several educational and administrative changes according to a report published by the university in preparation for the visit. The largest of these, beginning in 1998, was the design and implementation of a new general education curriculum (GEC) set to begin in January. (Read the story) Learning outcomes for each class were articulated by faculty and fully evaluated as part of that process. Steps were also taken to integrate learning in every aspect of student life, beginning with the hiring of a new vice president for university life.
A new budget reporting process and the appointment of Robert Niehoff, S.J. as vice president of planning and budget have addressed the WASC directive to prioritize planning goals and strategize on ways to implement them. Finally, the appointment of Larry Brewster as dean of CPS in 1999 and more effective oversight of programs by faculty directors have helped meet WASC recommendations concerning the college.
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