chapter one

chapter two

chapter three

chapter four

chapter five

chapter six

chapter seven

chapter eight

chapter nine

chapter ten

EVOLUTION AND ENGAGEMENT
A Self-Study
in Preparation for
an Accreditation Review
by the
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
October, 2000

Chapters I through III are introductory: I provides theoretical and historical material essential to the understanding of our project, along with data on the student body; II offers an orientation to WASC's findings on the occasion of our last evaluation (1990) and Cal Poly Pomona's communications and actions in response during the interim (1992, 1994). Chapter III provides a summary and critique of the self-study methodology. Chapter IV introduces the thematic analysis of the following chapters, which are the core of the self-study. Chapter V is Theme One, "Institutional Culture", VI, Theme Two, "Teaching and Learning", VII, "Management and Enhancement of Resources", and VIII, "New Directions". Chapter IX presents the conclusions and recommendations derived from the analysis, with some suggestions for plans for action. The following abridged Table of Contents is offered along with specific major points of coverage as a guide to the reader.

Introduction: Our Story

• General description of conditions at Cal Poly Pomona as a community
• Philosophical and procedural underpinnings of the self-study
• Objectives of the self-study
• WASC 1990 challenges: leadership, diversity, and general education

A. Significant Features of Cal Poly Pomona

• Brief history of Cal Poly Pomona
• Special programs and approaches, such as IGE, Lyle Center, learn-by-doing
• Characteristics of the campus important to understanding current dynamics
• Relationship with the Chancellor's Office
• Contributions of President Bob H. Suzuki
• Timeline of significant events (table Figure 1)

B. Challenges facing higher education

• Overview of general environment of higher education
• Background challenges such as privatization, corporatization, legislative and system accountability measures, demographic change, reduction of public support, training and certification emphasis, necessity for remediation, technological change, aging faculty, academic dishonesty issues, access, student life issues (work, stress, family, financial insecurity), globalization.

C. Characteristics of the local environment

• Information on Pomona and "feeder" communities, the regional economy
• Chart on local economy (Figure 2)

D. The Student Population

• General description of student body, apart from enrollment data, such as commuting habits, family status, socioeconomic background, international background, ethnic composition, and academic performance
• Chart on growth of diversity (Figure 3)

E. Trends in enrollment

• Data from Enrollment Services, Institutional Research and Planning (e.g., SNAPS, CIRP), and Colleges and Schools on demographic and other features of student enrollment
• Chart of enrollment trends (Figure 4)

• Our recent history with WASC
• Summary of Conclusions and Recommendations from the 1990 WASC Report

1992 response (Appendix A5)

• Cal Poly Pomona's first interim report to WASC; can also be found at http://www.csupomona.edu/~wasc.

1994 report and comments (Appendix A6)

• Second interim report; can also be found at http://www.csupomona.edu/~wasc.

• Goals and values of the self-study
• Mission statement

A.Framework for self study - an overview

• Discussion of the thematic (experimental) approach
• Basic motivating questions for assessment

B. Role of the steering committee

• Selection process, composition, and role of the steering committee of the self-study
• Relationship to other campus organizations

C. Formation of sub-committees for examination of data

1. Compliance with WASC standards

• Division of labor within steering committee to oversee development of themes, compilation of documents required by Standards, and overall coherence of narrative (first assignment matrix Figure 5)
• Discussion of timing of initial research phase, secondary research, writing, documentation, consultation process, and promulgation of manuscript

2. Applicability of the Themes and Standards to Campus Life

• Use of the Strategic Planning Guidelines to identify university goals, desired outcomes, values, and plans for actions (second assignment matrix Figure 6); continuing refinement of division of labor
• Discussion of the value of this approach.

D. Assessment approach

• WASC’s nine required forms of assessment
• overview of status of assessment at Cal Poly Pomona
• the concept of internal accountability
• use of ethnographic method

E. Process of self-study

1. Format for Campus Participation

• Two phases of focus groups: staff/faculty/administration small group meetings; student classes (with preliminary survey)
• Campus climate survey

2. Format for campus consultation

• Individual interviews, group interviews, meeting attendance, meetings with organizations
• Off-campus consultation
• Committee representation and responsibilities

3.Format for campus comments

• Newsletters
• Presentations
• Web site
• Dissemination meetings
• Follow-up focus groups

4. Integration of self-study process in review cycle

• recommendations for continuous self-study: assessment and accountability at all levels
• brief discussion of WASC proposal for institutional capacity and educational effectiveness cycle

• Overview of the structure and content of the four themes
• How they are related to the over-arching theme of institutional transformation
• Over-lapping and recurring issues in the themes

1. Campus Climate Survey Response Rates (table)
2. Student Sample by Gender, College, Class and Ethnicity (table)
3. Faculty Sample by Gender, College, Rank, Ethnicity and Status (table)
4. Staff and Administrator Sample, by Gender and Division (table)
5. A Sense of Community (table)
6. Job Satisfaction at Cal Poly Pomona (table)
7. Staff Diversity (table)
8. Comparing Diversity of Staff and Faculty (chart)
9. Minorities and Women: Ten-Year Trend Analysis (table)
10. Support for Diversity at Cal Poly Pomona (table)
11. Survey Impact Beliefs (table)

1. Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Project (table)
2. Learning Outcomes Assessment in Academic Program Review (table)
3. Remediation at Cal Poly Pomona: "So Far" (table)
4. Retention Rates in the 1990s (chart)
5. Graduation Rates of Fall 1993 First-Time Freshmen (chart)
6. Persistence to Graduation Rates of Fall 1987 First-Time Freshmen and Transfer Students (graphs)

1. Development Efforts by the Division of University Advancement (table)
2. Cal Poly Pomona Foundation Resources (table)
3. Growth of Supported Research: Grants and Projects (chart)
4. Major Capital Project Workload: State and Non-State (chart)
5. Enrollment and Unit Load (table)
6. Enrollment in the Top Ten Majors (table)
7. Enrollment Projections (table)

1. Colonial and Post-Colonial Education (diagram)
2. International Students at the International Center: "Home Away from Home" (table)
3. Matrix of Centers of Excellence (table)
4. Model of Continuous Self-Study (diagram)

The principal documents, data sets, research reports, and cases or illustrations referred to in the themes or elsewhere in the self-study; some materials have multiple reference. These are printed in Volume II of the self-study.

Most exhibits will also be available through the WASC self-study web site or another Cal Poly Pomona web site; all materials will be in the Team Room in hard copy as well, along with many supplementary documents not included in the annexes or appendices.

The organizational concept of the portfolio is as follows:

• Annex and Appendix A - General
• Annex and Appendix B - Theme One
• Annex and Appendix C - Theme Two
• Annex and Appendix D - Theme Three
• Annex and Appendix E - Theme Four

Endnotes

Notes from all chapters.

Works Cited

References

• Compilations of scholarly references from chapters and sections.
• In the web format, will include useful links with other web sites.

Web Pages

• http://www.csupomona.edu/~wasc - this is the informational web page in Academic Affairs
• http://www.csupomona.edu/~wasc/working/portfolio.html - this is the part of the site that contains a lot of the working documents we have developed or are drawing from
• the existing manuscript in html form can be reviewed through the http://www.csupomona.edu/~wasc site, by clicking on Review.

Dorothy D. Wills, Coordinator
WASC Self-Study

August, 2000