Middle States Reaccreditation Self-Study U p d a t e a n d R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s 1 Middle States Self-Study Executive Committee October 2023 “Middle States” Reaccreditation • Johns Hopkins University has been continuously accredited since 1921 by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE or Middle States), a voluntary, nongovernmental, peer- based membership association dedicated to promoting standards of excellence and improvement in higher education. • Accreditation by Middle States enables the University to establish eligibility for participation in federal financial aid programs administered by the US Department of Education and to receive research funding from federal agencies. • Institutions are re-accredited by Middle States on an 8-10 year cycle. • Johns Hopkins is being evaluated for re-accreditation in 2023-24. • Reaccreditation consists of an extensive institutional self-study process that culminates in a written self-study report. The report and MSCHE’s accreditation standards will serve as the basis for on-site evaluation by a team of peer evaluators. 2 Accreditation Cycle 3 JHU Self-Study and Peer Evaluation • The JHU Self-Study is being co-chaired by Janet Schreck, Senior Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, and Douglas Mao, Russ Family Professor in the Humanities. • Chris Eisgruber, President of Princeton University, is chairing our Peer Evaluation Team. Team members also confirmed. • Peer Team Evaluation Visit is scheduled for November 5 – 8, 2023 • SAIS Europe Bologna campus visit took place on October, 3-4, 2023 • The Self-Study Steering Committee and Working Groups completed evaluation and reporting between April and December 2022, leading to a first draft that was shared for review with selected groups in April. • Feedback from internal stakeholders and President Eisgruber informed a second draft shared with the community in late August. • Following endorsement by the Board of Trustees, the university submitted the finalized self-study report to Middle States on September 22, 2023. 4 JHU Self-Study Timeline NOV 2021 MAR 2022 APR 2022 MAY 2022 JUN 2022 JUN – SEPT 2022 OCT 2022 DEC 2022 JAN- FEB 2023 MAR - APR 2023 JUN 2023 JUL- AUG 2023 AUG- SEP 2023 SEP 2023 NOV 2023 DEC 2023 5 Attend self- study institute Name and charge Steering Committee and work groups Self-Study website and university communication Submit Self-Study Design to Middle States liaison Host Middle States liaison preparatory visit Work Groups begin analyses Progress updates from work groups Work Groups submit reports and evidence Tri-chairs compose Self- Study first draft Review and discussion of complete first draft Evaluation Team Chair preliminary visit Final institutional approval of Self- Study Self-Study draft available to the JHU community for comments Submission of Finalized Self- Study and Compliance Report Evaluation Team Visit MSCHE meets to determine accreditation action First Steering Committee meeting We are here! Self-Study Recommendations 6 Notes Regarding Self-Study Report • JHU selected the standards-based self-study approach, which means that the self-study report is organized according to the Middle States Standards of Accreditation and Requirements for Affiliation. • Middle States requires universities to provide evidence to support evaluation and assertions. This evidence is included in an evidence inventory that will be accessible to the peer evaluation team via hyperlinked footnotes. • While the self-study provides opportunity for celebration of accomplishments, it is also meant to be an authentic assessment of strengths and weaknesses. • Recommendations in the self-study should reflect targeted areas of improvement that will meaningfully impact the institution. 7 Chapter 1 Mission and Goals Recommendations
- Ensure that goals set forth in the
Ten for One, the Second JHU Roadmap on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the Second Committee on Undergraduate Education report, and other strategic statements continue to guide decision-making and resource allocation at Johns Hopkins in the coming years. 8 Chapter 2 Ethics and Integrity Recommendations
- Continue to assess the university’s success in realizing the
Second Roadmap goals, using tools such as the climate survey conducted in spring 2023, and to develop initiatives and allocate resources in consideration of assessment results. 9 Chapter 3 Design & Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
- Fully execute all elements of the CUE2 undergraduate curricular reform, including establishment of
an instructional framework ensuring that all students acquire the six foundational abilities named in the CUE2 report’s first recommendation.
- As outlined in
Ten for One, enhance Johns Hopkins’s already world-class graduate and postdoctoral programs by leading in the invention of new models of instruction, mentorship, and professional preparation.
- Develop and implement a plan for routine assessment and evaluation of master’s programs at the
university level, leveraging recommendations from the UPCEA external evaluation and successful models such as the PhD program review process. 10 Chapter 4 Support of the Student Experience
- Continue to assess the outcomes of the first phase of SSEI and adjust initiatives accordingly. Fully
support SSEI’s focus, in its second phase, on improving advising technology, developing an integrated digital experience platform for students, and identifying a replacement for its current student information system.
- Identify and address undergraduate and graduate student challenges in recognizing, locating, and
accessing the variety of services and forms of support available to them. 11 Chapter 5 Educational Effectiveness Assessment
- Fully implement the JHU CLR vision and continue to evaluate its effectiveness.
- Adopt a standard mechanism for incorporating program learning objectives into the university
course catalogue so that these are easier for students to locate.
- Homewood schools: In consultation with the UCLA and the director of institutional assessment,
develop tools, consonant with the JHU CLR framework, for assessing student acquisition of the foundational abilities outlined in the report of the Second Committee on Undergraduate Education. 12 Chapter 6 Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement
- Establish a partnership between the central Technology Solutions Working Group and Johns
Hopkins’s schools to develop an integrated approach to the selection and deployment of IT solutions.
- To ensure that Johns Hopkins remains at the forefront of research worldwide, upgrade core
facilities and shared infrastructure and develop a unified assessment and planning program for new research investments.
- Enhance the student experience, advance academic priorities, and strengthen community
connections via a visionary reimagining of the Homewood physical environment in the form of the Homewood Campus Master Plan. 13 Chapter 7 Governance, Leadership, and Administration
- Evaluate recent enhancements of campus constituencies’ contribution to decision-making (via new
bodies such as the Cross-Institutional Student Advisory Committee, the Staff Advisory Council, and the Johns Hopkins University Council) for their effectiveness in supporting the university’s mission and improving the work life and general well-being of students, faculty, and staff. 14 Next steps • November 5-8, 2023, the university hosts President Eisbruber’s evaluation team. • November 15, 2023 Evaluation Team draft report to institution. • November 22, 2023 institution provides corrections to any factual errors. • November 27, 2023 Evaluation Team submits report to Middle States with copy to the institution. • December 4, 2023 Institution submits response to report. • December 9, 2023 Evaluation Team Chair submits confidential brief to Middle States • Early 2024, Middle States issues re-accreditation action with any concomitant recommendations or requirements 15