SJSU Capacity and Preparatory
Review Report
Introduction
This Preparatory Review report is organized around four
essays each addressing one accreditation standard. The essays contain
information and links to documentation regarding policies and procedures
demonstrating institutional capacity. Additional information is found
within this report's Appendices.
For example, Appendix
A contains the response to the issues raised following the previous
WASC accreditation visit and outlined in the Commission
action letter (1995), the chancellor's office provides CSU system level information on accreditation, Appendix
F contains SJSU program and service information, and Appendix
G is where reflective statements from each Division are found.
Context and Updates Since Institutional Proposal
Since the submission of the Institutional Proposal, President Robert
Caret (1995-2003) resigned after a successful eight-year tenure. An
update of the status of the initiatives outlined in the Institutional
Proposal includes: the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Library opened in
August 2003; a major university housing project presently under construction,
due for occupancy in 2005; plans are underway to convert the old Clark
Library to faculty offices, classrooms, and an academic success center;
the Metropolitan University Scholars Experience (MUSE) is in its second
year of operation; and all student records are administered on the California
State University Common Management System (using PeopleSoft). As this
response is being written, Interim President Joseph Crowley is the presiding
chief administrative officer. Under his leadership the campus continues
to move forward. Dr. Paul Yu will assume the presidency of SJSU on July
15, 2004.
The state of the economy in California continues to affect the institution's
ability to realize its potential. In addition, the uncertainty of the
actual budget situation is a challenge to SJSU's ability to plan its
course of action. The Governor has initiated a “compact”
with the CSU and the legislature continues to negotiate the actual budget
for 2004/2005. SJSU has managed the projected budget by following these
principles:
protect instruction where possible, aim to make the enrollment targets
set by the CSU, and retain our faculty and staff. One strategy being
employed is to use funds in the “1 time category” to accommodate
the current cuts to the “base budget”. Clearly the budget
remains a challenge, but one that the institution is managing as proactively
as possible. To keep the campus apprised of budget issues a 'budget
central' web page is available on the SJSU site.
SJSU seeks to make an opportunity of these budget challenges and has
taken steps to restructure its operations to improve resource utilization
and increase collaborative efforts. For example, in the Academic Affairs
Division, two discrete sets of mergers have occurred in spring 2004.
The first involved the consolidation of the Center for Faculty Development
and Support with the Wireless Laptop Project into a Development Center.
The Associate Vice President (AVP) for Academic Technology has assumed
the role of interim director for the Center for Faculty Development
in addition to her duties as AVP. Provost Goodman points out, "the
salary savings will be used to partially offset anticipated budget reductions."
The second dealt with three units, the Enrollment Services Department,
Academic Services Department, and Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations.
These have been organized into an “Enrollment
and Academic Services Department” reporting to the Associate
Vice President of the former Enrollment Services Department. The objectives
of this merger are to build on the strengths and heritages of these
units while providing tools to the campus for effective Enrollment Management.
Reflective Essays
The preparatory review team has established realistic goals for the
review process, focused attention on a manageable set of data for review,
and developed essays clearly tied to the four WASC standards. The first
essay, related to institutional purposes and objectives, provides
the context within which San José State University (SJSU) provides programs
and services in support of student development and success. Highlighted
in this essay, under institutional integrity, are the many and varied
activities related to diversity that the campus supports. Essay
two, which focuses on SJSU's capacity to achieve its educational
objectives through core functions, takes a look at policies and processes
related to internal and external reviews, program planning and innovation,
and programs in support of student learning. Under the section on scholarship
and creative activity, details pertaining to campus involvement in the
successful Metropolitan Technology Center are provided. The third
essay, pertaining to resources and organizational structures provides
a look at the institution's human, fiscal, and information resources
with specific attention drawn to recruitment, retention, and faculty
development. In the area of information resources, an extended view
of the institution's transition to a collaborative management system
is given. Essay four
examines the institution's capacity with respect to planning. An extended
case study pertaining to the planning, development, and operation of
a joint library with the City of San José illustrates the capabilities
of the institution. The concluding
essay summarizes, in an integrative manner, information supporting
our commitment to capacity. This essay reflects on our strengths and
challenges and poses recommendations in areas of need. In addition,
information pertaining to our preparedness to undertake the educational
effectiveness review are presented.
The Review Process
In response to CFR 1.9, San José State University is indeed committed
to honest and open communication with the WASC Accrediting Commission
and has taken seriously the charge to use the review process to lead
to meaningful improvement of our institution. In this spirit, the comprehensive
model of review was chosen. During the review period, two broad areas
have been examined: enrollment management, and student development and
success (see portfolio). The organizational structures, policies, and
procedures that are in place to support these endeavors are examined
in depth as well as evaluated to determine the extent to which on going
strategic changes are based on effective collection and use of evidence.
In addition, a concerted effort was made to engage the campus in discussions
designed to identify strategic issues in need of attention and enable
the collective campus to chart subsequent steps. The process that unfolded
was successful and might serve as an example of how to engage the campus
in ongoing institutional planning and review of a wide array of issues
including the alignment of resources with priorities.
Specifically, at every opportunity, faculty, staff, students, and administrators
have been involved in the WASC review process. In addition to a set
of four “Strategic Conversations” held during AY 2003/2004,
there was an initial forum in
the spring of 2003, an academic
senate forum, a forum in the student
affairs division, and a student
forum in April 2004. Each of the "Strategic Conversations"
drew over 100 participants and included members of all divisions (Administration,
Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Advancement). The first
one addressed two questions: “What is working well at SJSU?”
and “What needs improvement?” The second
forum engaged participants in a discussion of strategic issues critical
for the campus to address in the next five years. The third
strategic conversation, focused on the future and delineated characteristics
of an ideal SJSU. The fourth
in this set of conversations engaged the campus in discussion of possible
mechanisms to achieve the ideals that emerged in the third conversation.
Following the fall “Strategic Conversations” Interim President
Crowley developed four specific initiatives from areas identified by
forum participants and transformed them into specific initiatives. These
were presented at a campus-wide budget meeting. (1) He proposed, and
the Academic Senate endorsed, a Resource Planning Board composed of
representatives of the faculty, administrators, students, and staff
that will help set budget priorities and make resource allocation decisions
more transparent to the campus community. (2) To improve the fundraising
capacity of University Advancement, a new philanthropic foundation is
being created. The current SJSU Foundation will continue to administer
contracts and grants, and the new Tower Foundation will be responsible
for philanthropic fundraising. (3) An IT consultant was engaged to examine
the effectiveness of technology support across campus and to provide
suggestions for improving these services. (4) Finally,
the Academic Senate’s Task Force on Enrollment Management is working
on a plan that will assist the campus in setting specific enrollment
goals and thereby establish targeted marketing, recruitment and retention
efforts.
The campus has taken seriously and understands the value of engaging
itself fully in the review process. In addition to the campus-wide forums,
faculty, staff, students, and administrators contributed to the review
process through discussions related to WASC criteria
for review in university committees, through the preparation of
information related to university programs/services,
and through the preparation of division
reflective essays. This full engagement of the campus has generated
considerable momentum and has enhanced the institution’s ability
to use the review process to gain a fuller and shared understanding
of our strengths and challenges and discuss strategies for moving the
institution forward.
Institutional Portfolio
In addition to the information presented in this report, an institutional
portfolio has been created which contains a wealth of information designed
to support campus reflection, analysis and action well beyond this WASC
review period. The portfolio contains four sections: SJSU:
A Metropolitan University provides an excellent overview of the
institution; the other three detail student
development and success, enrollment
management, and institutional
effectiveness. The section on institutional effectiveness is the
location for the WASC required
data elements, and information pertaining to capacity in the areas
of assessment and program
planning, the alignment
of resources with priorities, and the initial identification of
institutional
performance indicators.
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