Chapter 6 Academic Quality and Renewal

Question 1

What are crucial components of a healthy college?

Answer 1

A community of teachers and scholars and an innovative, robust, and contemporary curriculum

Question 2

What do prospective students and their families consider when deciding on an institution?

Answer 2

The richness and relevance of academic programs and scholarship

Question 3

What is often a good indicator of the health of an institution?

Answer 3

The ability of an academic program to help students in their pursuits

Question 4

What concerns have been raised regarding the academic core of a campus?

Answer 4

Changes in fundamental and potentially detrimental ways due to heightened emphasis on postgraduate outcomes and reliance on contingent faculty

Question 5

How can campuses maintain academic programs effectively?

Answer 5

By using data and analytics to understand student expectations and address employer and legislative needs

Question 6

What can leaders do to promote the academic health of an institution?

Answer 6

Facilitate the adoption of a comprehensive and flexible approach to using evidence within academic programs

Question 7

What is the benefit of using data to renew academic programs?

Answer 7

It can help avoid the difficult and expensive process of creating new programs or disbanding existing ones

Question 8

What have offices of institutional research, effectiveness, and assessment focused on?

Answer 8

Answering the question, ‘Are our students learning?’

Question 9

What do equitable assessments focus on?

Answer 9

Opportunities for improving teaching practices rather than identifying perceived deficits of students

Question 10

What is a notable characteristic of equitable assessment?

Answer 10

It gathers diverse perspectives from different teams and community members throughout the assessment process

Question 11

What do disaggregated data help identify in equitable assessments?

Answer 11

Structural and pedagogical deficits instead of limitations of students

Question 12

What factors contribute to pockets of excellence in data use at colleges?

Answer 12

Effective use of data to strengthen teaching, learning, and support; promote research excellence; and maintain a relevant curriculum

Question 13

What are distinguishing characteristics of academic majors or departments that lead in data use?

Answer 13

• Awareness of available data
• Continuous learning about relevant methodologies
• Use of a measurement framework aligned with strategic goals

Question 14

What is necessary for a culture of evidence to be effective in colleges?

Answer 14

Deep organizational reach and alignment among senior campus leaders

Question 15

What challenges do department chairs face during their transition?

Answer 15

Managing a department while maintaining teaching, research, and scholarship

Question 16

What percentage of department chairs receive no formal training?

Answer 16

67%

Question 17

What is a common issue with the training department chairs receive?

Answer 17

It is often inadequate, with many chairs receiving ten hours or fewer

Question 18

True or False: Department chairs are typically well-prepared for their leadership roles.

Answer 18

False

Question 19

What is a primary goal of campuses pursuing equity-driven assessments?

Answer 19

To promote more equitable outcomes while ensuring academic quality

Question 20

Fill in the blank: A comprehensive assessment framework should be ______.

Answer 20

[well established and routinely monitored]

Question 21

What are common barriers to effective use of data and analytics in colleges?

Answer 21

• Differences in priorities among leaders
• Lack of capable leadership in departments
• Narrow definitions of success

Question 22

What is the role of data in the leadership journey of college presidents and provosts?

Answer 22

They often become change agents using data to facilitate improvement

Question 23

What do department chairs typically want to know when asked to use data?

Answer 23

What is in it for their department

Question 24

What percentage of department chairs receive no formal training from their institutions?

Answer 24

67%

Question 25

How many hours of formal training do most department chairs receive?

Answer 25

Ten hours or fewer

Question 26

What is the average term length for department chairs?

Answer 26

Four years

Question 27

What type of contest is the process of becoming a department chair often described as?

Answer 27

Popularity contest

Question 28

What is a key requirement for department chairs to succeed?

Answer 28

Familiarity with and comfort using campus data

Question 29

Why is it important for department chairs to have formal training?

Answer 29

To make informed decisions based on evidence

Question 30

What can well-equipped department chairs impact?

Answer 30

The strategic and financial weight of an institution

Question 31

What do provosts and deans often introduce to create standardized approaches among departments?

Answer 31

Measurement frameworks

Question 32

What is a challenge when implementing measurement frameworks from other campuses?

Answer 32

They may not capture the distinctiveness of the institution

Question 33

What is necessary for establishing a positive culture of evidence?

Answer 33

Trust and clearly defined goals

Question 34

What significant financial challenges did colleges face during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Answer 34

Enrollment declines and state budget deficits

Question 35

What were some of the immediate financial actions taken by colleges during the pandemic?

Answer 35

Hiring freezes and budget cuts

Question 36

What metrics do provosts and deans use to measure financial health?

Answer 36

* Costs of instruction and advising * Workloads * Average teaching loads * Class sizes * Student-faculty ratios

Question 37

What is a primary challenge related to teaching capacity and student credit hours?

Answer 37

Pulling data together from integrated systems

Question 38

What is a potential issue with release time in departments?

Answer 38

It often results from political exercises and handshake agreements

Question 39

What role do departments play in the context of enrollment?

Answer 39

They provide both high-cost and low-cost programs

Question 40

What is the 'fifteen-to-finish' initiative aimed at?

Answer 40

Encouraging students to take fifteen credits per semester

Question 41

What is a key factor influencing enrollment in programs?

Answer 41

Local and regional employment needs

Question 42

What do department chairs need to effectively schedule courses?

Answer 42

Data on anticipated course demand

Question 43

What is a key metric for understanding student success and equity at the department level?

Answer 43

Grades and time to degree

Question 44

What do major flow metrics indicate?

Answer 44

Net major growth or decline

Question 45

What is a common problem with traditional two-semester course offerings?

Answer 45

They do not adapt to changing student enrollment patterns

Question 46

What is a significant factor when analyzing anticipated course demand?

Answer 46

Prerequisite grade data

Question 47

What can help department chairs identify gaps in program offerings?

Answer 47

Net employer demand data

Question 48

What percentage of students transfer at least once during their academic journey?

Answer 48

Nearly 40%

Question 49

What type of metrics do departments need to influence student success?

Answer 49

Metrics they can control, such as grades and course offerings

Question 50

What is a key factor that departments need to consider when evaluating metrics?

Answer 50

Metrics need to be related to things departments can influence.

Question 51

What grades are commonly analyzed in course grade analyses?

Answer 51

D, F, W (withdrawn) and sometimes I (incomplete).

Question 52

Why is it important to also pay attention to A and B grades in grade analyses?

Answer 52

They could suggest grade inflation.

Question 53

What does the DFW model refer to?

Answer 53

The analysis of D, F, W grades to improve student outcomes.

Question 54

What trend is observed in grade averages from college algebra to calculus I?

Answer 54

Average grades decrease while the variation in grades increases.

Question 55

What are some equity gaps identified in calculus I course grades?

Answer 55

Gaps exist for women, students of color, and women of color.

Question 56

Why are efforts to measure major graduation rates considered ill-advised?

Answer 56

Students declare majors at different points and transfer students have varying credits.

Question 57

What is the significance of the University of Maine's evaluation of academic departments?

Answer 57

It uses graduation rates and time-to-degree metrics calculated once a student reaches junior status.

Question 58

How has adult education historically evolved in the US?

Answer 58

It has adapted to social and economic needs, leading to innovations in curriculum.

Question 59

What percentage of adults aged 25 to 34 had a college degree in 2019?

Answer 59

More than 50%.

Question 60

What is a major challenge facing higher education today?

Answer 60

Job automation and the gig economy.

Question 61

What is a key metric for adult and continuing education programs?

Answer 61

Employment rate for students who complete a credential.

Question 62

What does the term 'stackable credentials' refer to?

Answer 62

Credentials that can be accumulated over time for greater educational value.

Question 63

What type of data can help assess the effectiveness of remote teaching?

Answer 63

Usage data from learning management systems.

Question 64

What are some key indicators of student engagement in online courses?

Answer 64

Total number of logins, average minutes per login, and days since last login.

Question 65

What should be tracked along with student engagement in learning management systems?

Answer 65

Faculty engagement metrics.

Question 66

What is crucial for programs that have an exam or licensure requirement?

Answer 66

Percentage of students who become licensed.

Question 67

What can happen if employers are not engaged in curricular renewal?

Answer 67

Programs tend to atrophy.

Question 68

What is a critical function of academic departments beyond serving students?

Answer 68

Creation of knowledge and creative works.

Question 69

How do institutions prioritize research metrics based on their research infrastructure?

Answer 69

They vary from immature to mature, focusing on quantity or quality.

Question 70

What unintended consequences can arise from setting goals to increase research activity?

Answer 70

They can occur if parameters for grant size and indirect cost recovery are not clearly defined.

Question 71

What is the conclusion about institutional effectiveness?

Answer 71

It depends on the quality of academic programs and effective communication between departments and leadership.

Question 72

Who are the senior campus leaders mentioned in the text?

Answer 72

Provosts and deans

Question 73

What is a common misconception of senior campus leaders regarding performance measures?

Answer 73

They believe that measures for the entire college are applicable to the front line

Question 74

Who typically occupies the front line in a college?

Answer 74

Department chair

Question 75

What do department chairs hold that is crucial for a college's success?

Answer 75

Keys to a unique economy of scale

Question 76

What does the economy of scale tell about a college?

Answer 76

Whether it is successfully pursuing its goals

Question 77

What is necessary to unlock the collective impact of departments?

Answer 77

Commitment to using timely, accurate, relevant, and integrated data

Question 78

What type of data is needed for actionable insights in a college?

Answer 78

Timely, accurate, relevant, and integrated data