What Faculty and Staff need to know about reaffirmation

General Questions

• What do you know about accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission?
• What distinguishes Kent State from neighboring institutions?
• What are Kent State’s greatest strengths?
• What are the biggest challenges facing Kent State?
• What is it like to work at Kent State?
• How is morale on campus?
• Do you believe academics are a priority at Kent State? Why or why not?
• Describe any campus processes that could be improved or made more efficient.
• What kind of changes are taking place at Kent State? Do you see these as positive or not?

Questions about Accreditation Criteria

Criterion 1

• Do you know Kent State’s mission statement? How would you describe it?
• Do you know where you would find the official mission statement?
• Do you support the mission?
• How does your college/department/school support the mission?
• How were you involved in the strategic planning processes at Kent State?
• Are you familiar with the Kent State core values?
• Do you support the core values?
• How does Kent State support students who are underprepared or struggling?
• Are budget decisions made based on the strategic goals of the university?
• Do budget decisions take into account recommendations from academic program review?
• What do you believe have been the major accomplishments of Kent State over the last ten years?
• How do Kent State’s processes/activities reflect attention to human diversity?
• How does Kent State support the community at large?
• Are Kent State’s marketing materials accurate and up to date?

Criterion 2

• Is Kent State committed to equal educational/employment opportunities?
• Describe the campus climate at Kent State.
• Describe shared governance and how faculty participate in decision-making at different levels of the university (department, college, institution)
• For some common faculty issues (workload, salary, sabbatical leaves, etc.), what works well and what needs to be improved?
• Are you satisfied with the support you receive to enhance your teaching?
• Are you satisfied with the support you receive to enhance your scholarship?
• Have Kent State administrators established a culture of trust within the university?
• Do you understand the FERPA policy?
• Does Kent State have academic and financial requirements which are presented clearly and completely to students and the public?
• What are the major responsibilities of the Board of Trustees?
• Who is responsible for curriculum additions/deletions/modifications?
• Who is responsible for academic policy creation/modification?
• Do you, faculty, believe you have academic freedom in your teaching?
• Does Kent State have policies and procedures in place to address ethical conduct in research for both faculty and students?

Criterion 3

• What is the process for making curriculum changes in your academic programs?
• What is the purpose of Kent State’s general education program? How do you know if it is achieving its purpose? How could it be improved?
• How do you know your majors are attaining the program learning outcomes?
• What is your school/department’s vision for the future? How does it relate to the university’s vision?
• How is course quality and consistency ensured in multiple section face-to-face courses? In online versions of face-to-face courses?  In concurrent enrollment courses?
• Does your school/department offer courses or programs via distance education? If so, how does your school/department ensure the quality of the curriculum?
• Does the university provide support for the development of on-line courses?
• Are the classes offered by your department taught by qualified faculty including adjuncts and concurrent enrollment course instructors?
• What is the role of faculty in ensuring academic quality?
• Can you describe the tenure and promotion process? What is your impression of the process?
• Do you know what Kent State’s Quality Initiative was these past three years?
• Does Kent State provide sufficient technology support?
• What resources are available to support faculty? Are they sufficient?
• Are you involved in research? Does Kent State’s research focus further its mission?
• What opportunities do students in your program have to gain experience with research? With community or civic engagement? With diversity or multiculturalism?
• How would you characterize the relationship between faculty and administration?
• Are students provided with adequate academic and personal support services?
• Are students provided with sufficient and relevant co-curricular experiences?
• Does Kent State have a commitment to retention and progression to graduation? How successful have the efforts been?
• Are facilities and classrooms sufficient and appropriately maintained?
• How do you track your graduates to determine how successful they are after they graduate?

Criterion 4

• Describe the academic program review process used at Kent State.
• Describe the transfer policy for general education courses.  For major courses.
• Are Kent State faculty appropriately qualified?
• Describe the general education course approval process.
• Is your school/department actively involved in assessing student learning?
• How has your school/department/program used its assessment findings?
• How is Kent State doing with regard to first year retention rates? Graduation rates?
• What is Kent State doing to improve retention/graduation rates?

Criterion 5

• What are the different streams of revenue utilized by Kent State to fund the institution?
• What challenges do you believe Kent State will need to deal with in the next 10 years?
• Do you understand the annual budget process?
• Are capital improvements (facilities, technology, equipment) based on strategic needs of the institution?
• Do you believe the Board of Trustees is aware of important initiatives being undertaken on the campus?
• What is the role of Faculty Senate?
• How are faculty given the opportunity to provide input into important initiatives?
• How are assessment results taken into consideration during the budget decision making process?
• How are academic program review recommendations taken into consideration during the budget decision making process?
• How are strategic planning goals taken into consideration during the budget decision making process?