The Snapshot: An Art-Infused Event Promoting Inclusive Institutional Accreditation

Session Number: A-FRI-0445-a

When: 4/5/2013 from 4:45 PM - 5:30 PM

Where: Water Tower, Bronze Level, West Tower

 

Keywords:

Description:

EMU Snapshot, launched in January 2012, was an inclusive event that captured our institutional accreditation process. Can an event using artwork, social media, and targeted messaging increase engagement in accreditation? Learn how one university took this route, and in the process created a unique experience that transcended university divisions.

Target Audience:

Individuals charged with coordination and oversight of their institutional accreditation process.

Speaking:

Professor Jessica 'Decky' Alexander, Associate Professor & Director, Office of Academic Service-Learning, Eastern Michigan University
Dr. Jeanne Thomas, Professor, School of Social Work, Eastern Michigan University
Mr. Evan Finley, Academic Catalog & First Year Programs and Adjunct Faculty , Eastern Michigan University

Issues to be Addressed:

The efforts undertaken for Institutional Accreditation including overlapping committees to oversee the process, creation of data collection and management systems, and the crafting of the systems portfolio narrative are time intensive. The findings demand larger university conversations on processes, improvements and results. What do we do with all this information? How do we generate conversation around institutional accreditation to result in making effective change and improvements? How do we link our accreditation process with the University strategic planning process? And finally, how do we make sure that the work done through this process is not simply put on a shelf or an efolio and forgotten?

The EMU Snapshot served multiple purposes: to increase awareness of our institutional accreditation process, to foster greater inclusion in the accreditation process, and to begin a conversation of ‘what’s next?’ using the information gathered through the process. Whereas a Systems Portfolio, Self-Study, and similar products are often a major milestones in institutional accreditation, we wanted that milestone to also launch broader, more inclusive and directed conversations on institutional improvement and forward movement.

Expected Learning Outcomes:

Participants will learn general mass communication principles and practices, and how these methods can be successfully applied to engage a large and diverse campus community in institutional accreditation work. The session will focus on the timelines, strategies, events, and messaging that created an inclusive approach to creating a Systems Portfolio and educated key stakeholders about the institution’s processes, strengths, and challenges with regards to continuous improvement.