The university has released online a draft of its 2009
Periodic Review Report, a 140-page self-examination of the
university and its academic divisions that will help set
the stage for Johns Hopkins'
upcoming reaccreditation in 2014.
The formal evaluation, which occurs every 10 years and
involves a site visitation, is performed
by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The
university's last accreditation site visit
occurred in 2004, following extensive self-study
preparation focused on undergraduate education.
The Periodic Review Report allows the university an
opportunity to reflect meaningfully on its
current status and future aspirations as a world leader in
higher education.
The report planning and preparation process began 18
months ago and is being led by a 15-
member committee of faculty and administrators who
represent each academic division. The
committee, which is chaired by Edgar Roulhac, vice
provost for academic services, first assembled on
Jan. 24, 2008, and has met regularly since.
For this type of report, the Middle States Commission
on Higher Education asks its member
institutions to focus on three of its 14 accreditation
standards: planning, resource allocation and
institutional renewal; institutional assessment; and
assessment of student learning. Roulhac said that
in a climate of greater accountability, there is heightened
awareness and interest in each of these
areas.
The report gives an overview of the university and
each academic division, assessment plans and
processes, and examples of how assessment results are
linked to future planning and resource
allocation. For example, the report points out how more
professional staff support has been allocated
for undergraduates in public health, one of the largest
majors, in order to give them more
individualized attention in advising on course selection
and other matters.
The document also gives an overview of budget and
enrollment projections, and includes a
chapter on universitywide accomplishments, challenges and
opportunities.
Scott Zeger, acting provost and senior vice president
for academic affairs, said that the study
provides important information that will be used to advance
the institution's academic enterprise and
mission.
"We are not just generating a report and putting it on
a shelf," Zeger said. "Contained within
this self-study is important guidance that comes directly
from each academic division that will enable
us to assess our status, enhance our strengths, address our
weaknesses and focus our resources
wisely."
Zeger said the report is significant in that, for
perhaps the first time in the university's
history, representatives from all the divisions came
together to focus on the issue of assessment. As
a result, a universitywide standing committee will be
formed and report to the provost on how
different assessment approaches and successes can be better
shared among all academic divisions.
"What was very gratifying is that the members of the
2009 Periodic Review Report Committee
asked to continue to meet and focus on assessment even
after this planning process was done," he
said.
In addition to providing a blueprint for each
division, the report serves to tell the accreditation
story to the entire university community, Roulhac said.
"The report doesn't so much lay out all the specifics
of what we will do next as much as set
forth a process by which such judgments can be made and
appropriate activities developed," he said.
The draft report, including a list of committee
members, can be found at:
www.jhu.edu/provost/2009prr.
A final version will be submitted to the Middle States
Commission on Higher Education on June 1. The
university community is encouraged to review the report and
provide feedback.
GO TO