The
University of North Dakota has again been fully accredited
by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central
Association of Colleges and Schools, one of six regional
institutional accrediting associations in the United
States.
Accreditation provides public certification of
acceptable institutional quality as well as an opportunity
and incentive for self-improvement.
The Commission reaches the conclusion that an
institution meets its requirements and criteria only
after the institution opens itself to outside examination
conducted by experienced evaluators familiar with accrediting
requirements and with higher education. Moreover, the
process of accreditation creates an opportunity for
critical self-analysis leading to improvement in quality
and for consultation and advice from persons from other
institutions.
The University has been continuously and fully
accredited since 1916, when the North Central Association
was formed.
The team visiting UND cited a high level of internal
and external “buy-in” to the University’s
mission, priorities, and actions. It also found an atmosphere
of communication and participation, with faculty and
staff expressing satisfaction with the governance and
budgeting processes.
Enrollment growth, the team observed, has exceeded
projections as the University further develops plans
to match student population with institutional goals
and resources. Notable success has been achieved in
serving off-campus students through distance education.
Administrators, faculty, staff, and students were praised
for their efforts to promote diversity and to nurture
“a welcoming environment for people of all types.”
“Native American Indian students are the
largest group of underrepresented students on campus,
and there is clear evidence of institutional commitment
to expanding equality of opportunity,” the team
report sai
| Besides the campuswide accreditation granted by
the Higher Learning Commission, other UND accreditations
include:
U.S. Division of Animal Welfare
National Association of Schools of Art and Design
Council on Aviation Accreditation
American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business
Committee on Professional Training of the American
Chemical Society
Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology
and Speech-Language Pathology
Computing Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation
Board for Engineering and Technology
Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher
Education
North Dakota Education Standards and Practices
Board
Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation
Board for Engineering and Technology
American Bar Association
National Association of Schools of Music
American Music Therapy Association
Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational
Programs
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
North Dakota Board of Nursing
American Psychological Association
Council on Social Work Education
National Association of Industrial Technology
National Association of Schools of Theatre
Liaison Committee on Medical Education of the
American Medical Association and the Association
of Medical Colleges
Committee for the Accreditation of Allied Health
Education Programs
National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory
Sciences
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education
for the Physician Assistant, Inc.
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy
Education
American Physical Therapy Association
|
The record of UND’s student athletes, the team
noted, “shows not only an institutional commitment
to success in athletic competition but also an institutional
commitment to success in the classroom.”
UND’s physical facilities were described
as “impressive,” and the team also cited
financial stability as an asset. Maintaining the resources
to meet the University’s goals may be a challenge,
however. “The program array of UND appears ambitious
for the numbers of faculty and resources available,”
it cautioned.
The Association commented favorably upon UND’s
response to concerns raised by the 1993 team about library
resources. A decade later, the team said, UND’s
library system, including the Chester Fritz Library
and the Harley French Library of the Health Sciences,
“now demonstrates the resources to meet instructional
and other educational demands for most existing programs.”
An area of continued concern is the matter of
competitive salaries. “Progress has been made
on improving faculty salaries over the last four or
five years, but more is needed,” the report said.
“Faculty salaries are significantly below the
regional average in all colleges and schools except
the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, where the
disparity, although significant, is much less.”
By far the most significant challenge identified
by the site visit team concerned the need for better
ways of documenting student learning. “The assessment
of student academic achievement at the University of
North Dakota is neither consistently understood nor
consistently implemented,” the report said.
“In our response to the team report, we
point out that no university has been able to completely
and satisfactorily assess all of student learning,”
President Kupchella remarked.
“This is a challenge faced by all institutions,
and UND is committed to making major improvements.”
The
Higher Learning Commission may be reached by phone at
(312) 263-0456 or 800-621-7440; its Web site is:
www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org
|
