NEWS | SEPTEMBER 15, 2005

Administration
Process needs faculty input
Administrators: Faculty can help accreditation plan by suggesting areas to improve.

The Shorthorn: Manikandan Sachidanandan Victoria Farrar-Myers, faculty intern in the Office of the Provost, left, talks about the university’s Quality Enhancement Plan for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools while Provost Dana Dunn listens Wednesday in the University Center Rio Grande Ballroom.

By Elaine Marsilio
The Shorthorn staff

At the Faculty Senate’s first fall meeting Wednesday, administrators emphasized the importance of professor input on the university’s reaccreditation process.

UTA will need to be reaffirmed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools by fall 2007, and university officials need faculty assistance to develop a required theme by the end of the semester for its Quality Enhancement Plan, said Victoria Farrar-Myers, faculty intern in the Office of the Provost.

The theme helps decide the direction of the university.

“Faculty are critical in this process because they are the ones that are teaching,” Dr. Farrar-Myers said. “They are involved in the classes, but certainly we want to make sure the ones that are teaching understand what we are doing.”

Farrar-Myers, also the plan coordinator, presented senators with information on how faculty could assist in the process. She encouraged them to take part in an online survey that asks faculty to rank the importance of seven topics derived from strategic planning sessions between administrators and faculty last year. The survey will end Sept. 29.

Some of the topics include Freshman Interest Groups and residential learning, internationalizing curriculum and undergraduate research.

Provost Dana Dunn said the plan is based on faculty input about how the university teaches and calls for a focused path that addresses a definite subject or subjects correlated with “improving student learning.” Enhancement possibilities could range from improving critical thinking to exploring curriculum technology, Farrar-Myers said.

The Quality Enhancement Plan has to be related to the university mission statement and strategic planning or conversations President James Spaniolo had with faculty last year, she said. The association focuses on how universities implement their chosen themes.

Once the theme emerges, a committee, comprised of faculty from all academic units, will be formed to address the plan’s project. The committee plans to meet with student leaders, organizations and alumni.

Additional faculty involvement in focus groups, open meetings and e-mail conversations are planned for later in the fall.

Farrar-Myers said the plan could focus on a weakness at the university or on improving current strengths. She added that all academic departments should be involved with the project.

Faculty Senate Chair Dennis Reinhartz told senators that other universities within the UT System, such as UT-Pan American and UT-Austin, would follow UTA in accreditation.

Dr. Reinhartz said faculty should show interest to let administrators know about their concerns.

Faculty Senate Secretary John Priest said he first learned about the survey at Wednesday’s meeting and that he plans to involve his colleagues in the project.

Architecture assistant professor Rebecca Boles said she looked at the survey and plans to go back to it when she has more time.

“The format couldn’t be easier, and it gives you a chance to prioritize those issues,” she said.

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