Dakota State University’s
NCA Update

NCA Organizing Committee
Mark Lee, Linda Brozik, Nancy Moose, Carrie Ahern,
Lynette Molstad, Evan Gough, Ethelle Bean, Cecelia Wittmayer

 Focused Visit 

The North Central Association will be conducting a focused visit at DSU to evaluate our proposed master's degree in computer education and technolgy.  A two-member team will be on campus November 22nd and 23rd.

Team members for the focused visit are:
·   Dr. Judith Powell, Associate Provost, Academic Affairs; University of Wyoming
·   Dr. Hsi-ping Shao, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Technology and Information Resources, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

The proposed 36-hour master's degree in computer education and technology is designed to meet the growing need for classroom teachers in the field and for practitioners who are knowledgeable and skilled in the integration of technology into the K-12 school curriculum.  DSU and USD have collaborated in the development of five common courses for this master's degree program.

The schedule for the visit has been sent to all faculty and staff via e-mail.  There will be meetings with various groups, including faculty, staff and students.

Faculty/Staff Meet NCA Team--Nov. 22nd
All faculty and staff are invited to attend the open meeting with the NCA team at noon in the Trojan Center Hideaway and the reception at 4:00 pm in the Mundt Foundation Both of these meetings provide an opportunity for informal interaction with the team members.  The complete schedule is on the NCA website at http://www.departments.dsu.edu/nca under "focused visit".

NCA Comprehensive Evaluation Overview of Criterion 3

The NCA comprehensive visit is scheduled for October 16-18, 2000.  Campus committees have begun writing selected sections of the self-study report.  The report will demonstrate that DSU meets all five criteria for accreditation.  Each criterion has associated patterns of evidence which are formally-approved lists of typical areas that relate directly to the satisfaction of each criterion.  

Criterion 3: The institution is accomplishing its educational and other purposes.

In determining appropriate patterns of evidence for the criterion, the NCA Commission considers evidence such as:

¨       Educational programs appropriate to an institution of higher education.
¨       Graduate programs that meet selected criteria.
¨       Assessment of appropriate student academic achievement in all its programs.
¨      Transcripts that accurately reflect student learning and follow commonly accepted practice.
¨       Effective teaching that characterizes its courses and academic programs.
¨       Ongoing support for professional development for faculty, staff, and administrators.
¨       Student services that effectively support the institution's purposes. 
¨       Staff and faculty service that contributes to the institution's effectiveness.
The next update will provide an overview of Criterion 4 

Students win first NCA contest!