Accreditation 101 - Email Communications

The Year-7 self-study accreditation report is in the hands of our reviewers and our accreditation visit draws near!   You should have received an invitation to the faculty and/or staff forums.  Those emails can be found here: https://www.montana.edu/accreditation/forum_notifications.html if our listservs are not reaching you. 

To help you prepare for your visit with the accreditation review team, we have designed Accreditation 101 modules.   Modules 1 & 2 were emailed last spring and can be found on our accreditation website: https://www.montana.edu/accreditation/#. 

This week’s Accreditation 101, Module 3, focuses on our Core Curriculum. For Module 3, see the figure below or our accreditation website with more details: https://www.montana.edu/accreditation/#. 

As always, I am more than willing to visit your department or college upon invitation to discuss the crucial role of faculty, staff, and departments in the accreditation process. Please hold Oct 9-11, 2024 on your calendar for NWCCUs on-site visit and meetings with the review team.

Module 3 – What’s at the Core (Curriculum) of MSU?

Thank you,

Dr. Tracy A.O. Dougher

Vice Provost for Curriculum, Assessment, and Accreditation

Accreditation Liaison Officer

Dear Colleagues,

The initial draft of our Year-7 self-study accreditation report is nearly complete.  We were able to answer most of the accreditation standards from the evidence on our MSU websites.  Because transparency to the public and to our external and internal stakeholders is a requirement of accreditation, being able to direct our accreditors to our websites for this evidence is critical. 

Likewise, the departmental websites that share a program’s assessment processes and outcomes are critical evidence of meeting our accreditation standard of transparency to our students and stakeholders.  Most importantly, key information and expectations are available and helpful to students.  To be sure the evidence is apparent to our accreditors, please review your department’s website for clarity and transparency of your programs, program assessments, and departmental advising processes for your students.

This month’s Accreditation 101, Module 2 focuses on how program assessment ‘ties-in’ to MSU’s strategic priorities. For Module 2, see the figure below or our accreditation website: https://www.montana.edu/accreditation/#.  We ask for the same transparency of information on administrative webpages as we do departmental webpages. Can you answer the question in Module 2 from the information on our Choosing Promise website?

As always, I am more than willing to visit your department or college upon invitation to discuss the crucial role of faculty and departments in the accreditation process.

Thank you,

Dr. Tracy A.O. Dougher

Vice Provost for Curriculum, Assessment, and Accreditation

Accreditation Liaison Officer

MODULE 2 – The ties between Program Assessment and our Strategic Plan.

As we embark on a significant year within Montana State University's accreditation cycle by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), I am reaching out to highlight a crucial milestone in the journey of our 7-year accreditation cycle.

This milestone marks the culmination of our Year-7 magnus opus self-study accreditation report and an on-site review by an external accreditation team that will visit our campus on Oct. 9-11, 2024. It is imperative that we all recognize the importance of this process as we collectively contribute to showcasing the strength and excellence of Montana State University to the accreditors.

Over the next ten months, I will regularly share brief summary updates with you, featuring concise info-modules and diagrams designed to reinforce our commitment to continuous improvement, particularly in academic areas. These modules will serve as valuable resources to help prepare us for the accreditation site visit in October. You can access these modules, along with other pertinent information and updates on the accreditation process, on our website: https://www.montana.edu/accreditation/

I encourage you to review each accreditation module when it arrives in your email, to explore the website, and to please reach out to me with any questions you have about accreditation and assessment. Additionally, if you wish, I am more than willing to visit your department or college upon invitation to discuss the crucial role of faculty and departments in the accreditation process.

The effort you invest in preparing for this visit is invaluable, and together, we can ensure the continued success and recognition of Montana State University.

Thank you.

MODULE 1 – The difference between Program Assessment and Program Review; two key pillars of the accreditation process.  

Dr. Tracy A.O. Dougher

Vice Provost for Curriculum, Assessment, and Accreditation

Accreditation Liaison Officer