Important dates coming for Chadron State

The team members have received a 200-page self-study report that Chadron State personnel prepared during the past 2½ years. While on campus, they’ll strive to determine if the report is consistent with what they observe during their visit, evaluate the college’s capabilities and write a report on their findings and recommendations.

The team’s report will be reviewed by another panel that sends its conclusions to the HLC’s Institutional Action Council, which, after even more scrutiny, passes the report on to the HLC’s Board of Trustees for validation.

“This is high-stakes stuff,” said Dr. Lois Veath, vice president of academic affairs at CSC and lead author of the self-study report. “I’m confident that we will do well. This is a good college. But we have to meet the Higher Learning Commission’s criteria and prove to the team of consultants-evaluators that we are providing our students with a quality education.”

The all-college reaccreditation processes occur every 10 years. Chadron State has been accredited by the North Central Association since 1915. It is vital that a college is accredited. Besides making sure that a quality education is available at the school being evaluated, over the years the HLC has been designated as one of the “gatekeepers,” in Veath’s words, for federal funds in higher education. Unaccredited institutions are not eligible for many kinds of federal support.

In 2004-05, HLC adopted new a new five-point “criteria for accreditation.” They are: 1, Mission and Integrity; 2, Preparing for the Future; 3, Student Learning and Effective Teaching; 4, Acquisition, Discovery and Application of Knowledge; and 5, Engagement and Service.

While assessing the self-study report and during their visit, the evaluation team members will decide if Chadron State is meeting the criteria.

While preparations for the reaccreditation process had begun prior to her appointment of president of Chadron State in the summer of 2005, Dr. Janie Park immediately named a 37-member Self-Study Steering Committee to collect and evaluate evidence pertaining to the five criteria. The reams of material were turned over to Veath, who wrote a bulk of the self-study report.

Veath does not anticipate that the evaluation team will give Chadron State an A on all the criteria immediately. The HLC reports that 75 percent of the institutions seeking reaccreditation are required to make improvements.

She noted that while the reaccreditation process has been demanding, it is and will continue to be beneficial to the college aside from (hopefully) earning it the coveted stamp of approval. The self-study thoroughly examined the college from many angles and has identified strengths and areas that need upgraded. For instance, she said the college has been proactive in recognizing its need to improve its assessment processes.

In addition, the wealth of information that was gathered and examined has been placed in a document that records how the college is faring as it nears its centennial year in 2011.

The public will be asked to play a role in the final assessments by the evaluation team. Veath said during the first or second day of the visit, an open meeting will take place when area residents will have the opportunity to discuss the value of the services Chadron State provides.

“This will be an important time in the visit,” Veath noted. “We will let the public know the time and the place for this session as soon as they are set.”