Theme: Dialogue

After reading the description below, add “comments” that identify specific activities at the college that indicate we engage in ongoing, self-reflective dialogue that is central to our institutional processes. Post a separate “comment” for each activity identified.

As the Commission was developing the new standards, it became evident that if an institution is to ensure that its resources and processes support student learning and its continuous assessment, as well as the pursuit of institutional excellence and improvement, an “ongoing, self-reflective dialogue” must become central to institutional processes. Accordingly, the subtitle of the Introduction to the Accreditation Standards is “Shaping the Dialogue.” The standards are designed to facilitate college engagement in inclusive, informed, and intentional dialogue about institutional quality and improvement. The dialogue should purposefully guide institutional change. All members of the college community should participate in this reflection and exchange about student achievement, student learning, and the effectiveness of its processes, policies, and organization. For the dialogue to have its intended effect, it should be based on reliable information about the college’s programs and services and evidence on how well the institution is meeting student needs. Information should be quantitative and qualitative, responsive to a clear inquiry, meaningfully interpreted, and broadly communicated. The institutional dialogue should result in ongoing self-reflection and conscious improvement.