Self-Study
Preparing Documentation for the Accreditation/Certification Process
The accreditation and certification process usually begins with either the unit contacting an accrediting agency or the agency notifying the unit with regards to initiating or renewing accreditation. It is extremely important that Institutional Effectiveness be informed of this and all parties should be cognizant and appreciative of the timeline necessary to review and organize the process, prepare and vet the appropriate documents, and submit materials in the required and proper format.
Organizing the Self-Review Process
Deans and chairs/directors typically appoint a person to lead the self-review process. The dean, chair/director, and self-study leader thoroughly review the standards and requirements of the agency and seek the information needed to develop an effective response. This may take some time since, in addition to information internal to the unit, information from the accrediting agency, other units at Texas State, and accredited units at other universities may be required to best address the standards or questions. In particular, data from the Office of Institutional Research, University Libraries or outside agencies may take several weeks, especially if tables or data are required. In view of this, the self-study leader should develop reasonable timelines and take advantage of the data/information gathering time lag to form working groups and seek out individuals who will assist in compiling responses, analyses and providing summaries.
Drafting the Self-Study Report
The report should adhere to the guidelines and standards specified by the accrediting/certifying agency. (Note that these not only vary by agency, but even may change within the same agency from accreditation period to accreditation period.) The report typically provides an understandable, clear and succinct summary of the standards or requirements addressed. Supporting data and details may be provided in attachments and all materials should be clearly organized and easily accessible for reviewers. Keep in mind that the reviewers will know the discipline/field being examined, but will not know Texas State or any particular contextual information.
The report should be completed in plenty of time to be vetted by appropriate faculty and administrators in the unit and college. It would also help to include the associate vice president for Institutional Effectiveness, because reviewer questions relating to the self-study often get asked at the administrative level. Please note that, in every case, the more careful and thorough the information gathering and analysis in the report, even should it reveal weaknesses, the easier the later phases become.
Routing and Timing the Self-Review Report
The accrediting agency may request submission of the report in hard copy and/or electronic format and may specify type font, electronic software, etc. The academic unit should consider the time needed to comply with the agency's requirement. In addition, several Texas State requirements must be fulfilled when submitting the self-review report:
Texas State University Profile
The university requires that the most recent copy of the Texas State University Profile be submitted with the report. Though this may not be required by all agencies, it must be submitted in order for Texas State to comply with regional accreditation standards and maintain institutional accreditation. [Texas State University Profile]
Signature Page
Time must be allocated to acquire the appropriate signatures needed for submission. If the president’s or provost and vice president for Academic Affairs' signature is required, a copy of the full self-study report including executive summary will be needed at least two weeks in advance. These must be routed through the associate vice president for Institutional Effectiveness.
Retaining Records
Regardless of the format of submission, a copy of the self-review report must be retained in order to address subsequent questions or recommendations from the accrediting agency, to provide a basis for any required action plan, and to provide evidence of submission. Copies of all materials submitted to the accreditation agency must be sent to the associate vice president for Institutional Effectiveness.