Draft November 22, 1999

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, MORRIS

NORTH CENTRAL ASSOCIATION SELF-STUDY

VOLUME I

On April 10-12, 2000, a team from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools will visit the University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM) to evaluate its programs and to make a recommendation about accreditation for another ten year period. The starting point for the team's deliberations will be the self-study report presented here. This chapter explains why UMM did a special emphasis study, discusses the campus wide effort in organizing and shaping the self-study, and then outlines the scope of this report.

Acknowledging the importance of the five criteria for accreditation, UMM addresses them first in Volume I of the report and provides further documentation in Volume II. In addition to the five criteria, this report reviews the eight concerns that emerged from the 1990 accreditation visit and our efforts to resolve them. But the heart of this self-study is the special emphasis focusing on the quality of student academic life at UMM, a public liberal arts college which is a part of a large research university. This introduction will outline the reasons for, and the theme and goals of the self-study, describe the organization of this report, discuss the hypothesis approach and the hypotheses chosen here, and the nature of the data collected. It assesses important issues for the institution and identifies key recommendations for the future.

The special emphasis self-study is a relatively new option to the traditional comprehensive one that UMM has completed in the past. In the former, the institution commits "serious attention to a select group of critical issues in order to contribute to institutional improvement and educational excellence." In the latter, it assesses itself globally with respect to five criteria. UMM has chosen the special emphasis option for two reasons: 1) it better serves the goals of institutional planning by providing a focused study of the relationship between UMM's distinct features--a residential liberal arts college which is a part of a large, public research university; and 2) it will help to improve the quality of student academic life by providing a focused study of UMM's successes and needs that can be shared with the campus, with the central administration and Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota, with the state legislature, and with interested members of the public.

The theme of this self-study is the quality of student academic life at the University of Minnesota, Morris, a public liberal arts college which is part of a large research university. There are three goals:

The term "student academic life" is likely to mean different things for different people, but for purposes of this self-study, it means a core of curricular and co-curricular work--credit earning and non-credit earning pedagogy (e.g. non-credit student research). The "college's expectations or aspirations for its students' academic life" means the production of liberally educated, socially responsible citizens creative in their intellectual life on the campus. The phrase "students' expectations of academic life in the college" means that students expect to find good teachers who are accessible and that the college provides opportunities for intellectual growth and stimulation.

The fabric of student academic life is so intricately interwoven that a quick glance might not reveal an essential bond between the core and periphery. The aim of producing socially responsible citizens, for example, is fostered to a degree if a college has a sense of community and hindered to a degree if it does not.

By definition, residential life is peripheral to this study, yet it cannot be ignored. Residential life plays an important part in creating socially responsible citizens.

The completion of the self-study was a campus wide effort led by a steering committee which had seventeen members, including the Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean, the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, the Vice Chancellor for Finance, two students, a faculty member from each of the four academic divisions, the Director of Assessment (who is also a faculty member from the Division of Science and Mathematics), the five subcommittee chairs, the writer of the self-study report, and the self-study coordinator, who also chairs the steering committee. The charge to the steering committee was to design the self-study plan, aid in its implementation, and to assist the writer and coordinator in preparing the self-study report.

To further assure broad representation in the preparation of the self-study, the steering committee formed five subcommittees composed of faculty, staff, and students to explore various facets of this special emphasis self-study as noted below. (See Appendix A for membership of the steering and subcommittees).

The Steering Committee charged the subcommittees to compare wherever possible to those institutions which were identified as the peers of UMM--the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) and the Morris 14 colleges (both public and private colleges). See Appendix F for the members of these peer groups. Further, whenever possible insofar as it produced insight into the quality of student academic life, they were to assess the impact on UMM of being part of a large research university.

The Steering Committee also charged each subcommittee to explore a specific aspect of the self-study. They were backed by a host of institutional resources, including the Committee on Assessment of Student Learning, the Coordinator of Institutional Research, the former Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, the Director of the Career Center, and others who have prepared substantial institutional surveys.

Subcommittee I addressed the quality of student academic life, pre- and post-UMM years. The eight members included the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, the Director of the Career Center, the Director for Alumni Affairs, a counselor from the Minority Student Program, an alumnus from the community, two faculty, and one student.

Subcommittee IIa examined the curricular and co-curricular quality of student academic life. The seven members included the Director of Academic Advising, four faculty, and two students.

Subcommittee IIb examined the importance of extra-curricular life to the quality of student academic life. The five members included a faculty member, two students, and the Directors of Residential Life and Student Activities.

Subcommittee III looked at the resources for maintaining and improving the quality of student academic life. The eight members included the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Physical Plant, the Director of Computing Services, the Director of Grants Development, two faculty, and one student.

The fourth group, the entire Campus Resources and Planning Committee--a standing committee of the Campus Assembly--measured how UMM met the five criteria for re-accreditation.

The intent of the special emphasis self-study is to establish that the institution meets the five criteria for re-accreditation without providing the detailed analysis required by a comprehensive self-study. Permission to do a special emphasis self-study is given only to those institutions where it is assumed that the essential quality for accreditation already exists.

The Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota established UMM as a coordinate campus of the University of Minnesota in 1959 to replace the existing agricultural high school which had operated at the University's Morris facility since 1909.

UMM's distinctive features are that, with 1900 students and 121 FTE faculty in 1999, it is a small, selective, rural, public, residential liberal arts college that is a part of a large research university. Collectively the features make it unique. In a time when many college programs are evolving towards a comprehensive curriculum and colleges are disbursing information to commuter populations or diffusing it electronically to remote ones, UMM affirms the value of liberal learning acquired in a residential setting. Through this special emphasis self-study, UMM seeks a deeper understanding of how being part of a large public research university enhances or diminishes that traditional approach to higher education. The self-study explores the interconnections of the features that make the college unique.

Given the limitations of time, the collective expertise of the committee members, and the decision to pursue the special emphasis self-study, the steering committee determined that the best approach was to pose carefully chosen propositions about the quality of student academic life at UMM which could be validated from existing data or from data that was to be collected as a part of the self-study process. These hypotheses were to be developed by each of the four major area subcommittees in consultation with faculty, staff, and students who were most informed about each area.

The scope and depth of data--new, current, historical and comparative--is substantial. Even before the special emphasis self-study was finally formed, the steering committee reviewed the existing institutional data. It included external reviews; assessments of the freshman course, Inquiry; alumni surveys; and a host of other studies dealing with new students, retention, and graduation rates, follow-up on students who have left UMM, and student/faculty program evaluations. There were studies developed by UMM, those conducted by the University of Minnesota as a whole, and studies conducted by, for example, the American College Testing Service (ACT) or ACE/UCLA Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP). In essence, there existed a solid foundation of institutional data to support this self-study.

Wanting the most current information, the committee decided to develop a unified survey of students and faculty designed to elicit responses to key issues related to the quality of student life at UMM. This unified Student Quality of Life Assessment Survey (SQALS) combined several different questionnaires into one instrument, one for students, another for faculty. The student survey looked at an assessment of learning in the major, an evaluation of coursework and instructors, and comments from students on a host of co-curricular activities such as study abroad. It concluded with an overall assessment of students' satisfaction with their university experience. The faculty survey explored many of the same issues.

The subcommittees contributed questions to the SQALS to elicit more precise data for their hypotheses. For example, the subcommittee dealing with the hypothesis "too many students leave UMM on the weekends, which is detrimental to the quality of student academic life," wanted to know about students living in the residence halls and how frequently they went home during the course of an academic year. Some subcommittees went beyond the SQALS data and gathered additional information. The subcommittee dealing with the hypothesis that the library enhances the quality of student academic life did a careful comparison of library resources--staff and holdings--at both the COPLAC and the Morris 14 institutions. And, in examining the hypothesis that UMM effectively recruits, supports, and retains quality faculty and staff, the American Association of University Professors publication ACADEME provided valuable comparative data about UMM salaries.

The results of the self-study--the response from student surveys, analysis of data, consultation with faculty and staff, and reports from subcommittees-demonstrate that this institution has been successful in serving its students. Indeed they are enthusiastic about UMM, as are the faculty and staff, though they note, and rightly so, that we do a great deal with few resources.

There have been significant accomplishments at UMM which provide an important context for this special emphasis self-study. This is not to suggest that the news is all "good" but most of it is encouraging. Here are a number of examples that make this point:

At the same time, there are areas of concern. Enrollment which was to grow to about 2000 has actually declined moderately over the last two years and there has been a slight diminishing in the overall quality of the student body in terms of high school rank and ACT scores. Retention of students is lower than at the best private liberal arts colleges. While UMM's funding situation has improved through the 90's, all evidence suggests that the campus is still seriously under-funded given its size and aspirations. UMM has an excellent faculty, but there is difficulty in attracting and retaining faculty in this rural environment, particularly when there is a spouse with professional qualifications.

The picture that emerges from this special emphasis self-study is that UMM has a strong academic program as measured by student evaluations, faculty assessment, and comparison with other institutions within the COPLAC and Morris 14 groups. At the same time, there is compelling evidence that the institution, in comparison with the best public and private liberal arts colleges, lacks essential resources to attract able students, hire and retain outstanding faculty, and maintain a strong academic program and modern physical plant. Still, what has been accomplished over this decade is most impressive, given the chronic under-funding of the institution. There emerge from this study recommendations for strengthening the institution. Among the most important are:

Increase the scholarship resources for recruiting and retaining students.

Improve salaries and support for both faculty and staff

Enhance the visibility and development capacity of the institution.

The next part of this report examines the five criteria of accreditation and includes responses to the eight concerns that were raised in the 1990 NCA Self-Study Evaluation.

Criterion I--The institution has clear and publicly stated purposes consistent with its mission and appropriate to an institution of higher education.

The mission and purposes of UMM are clearly and publicly stated; they are appropriate for a liberal arts institution of higher education and, in fact, guide the programs and operations of the institution. The most recent statement of mission for UMM was adopted in 1984 by the University of Minnesota, approved by that body again in May 1989 and reviewed by the Board of Regents as recently as December, 1988 and it is published in the 1999-2000 UMM Catalog.

UMM confers the bachelor of arts degree in 27 of the majors commonly available in undergraduate liberal arts colleges. Teaching licensure programs in elementary and secondary education, as well as pre-professional coursework, are offered in the context of the liberal arts tradition. The University of Minnesota Charter, adopted by the legislative assembly of the territory of Minnesota, and in 1858 by the State Legislature, entrusts the power "to confer such degrees and grant diplomas as usually conferred by the university to the Board of Regents." Typically, degrees are conferred by the Board of Regents upon the recommendation of the UMM faculty.

Conceived at the outset as a four year liberal arts college, UMM was to serve not only the population of west central Minnesota, but also to provide an educational opportunity for students throughout the state and later elsewhere, who sought a University of Minnesota undergraduate liberal arts education in a small college setting. The guiding principles of selective admission, controlled growth, and academic excellence in a residential campus atmosphere have not changed for almost four decades, since the establishment of UMM in 1960.

The current mission statement of UMM has been endorsed by the university's governing body, the Board of Regents, and has been modified only slightly over the years:

The institutional mission and purposes are clearly and strongly supported by the campus community and have been affirmed by successive Central Administrators of the University of Minnesota over the past nearly 40 years. They guide many of the operational activities, provide a framework for planning and orderly change, shape UMM curriculum, define the qualifications of faculty, and determine the criteria for admitting students. Even in our teacher preparation program, the emphasis is on a strong liberal arts foundation, instilling in our student teachers the importance of conveying the value of a liberal education to another generation.

In fact, UMM aspires to be in the forefront of the nation's small undergraduate liberal arts colleges and to be the best public liberal arts college in the country. This view finds its fullest expression in the following vision statement, crafted in the early 1990's and endorsed by the faculty, staff and students.

This vision is rooted in reality in a number of ways. As indicated, UMM has characteristics of the best liberal arts colleges: small size, residential setting, controlled admission, commitment to attracting an able and diverse student body, and undergraduate liberal arts education with a highly coherent general education curriculum and high expectations of faculty scholarship. UMM's student body already ranks highly among the institutions in COPLAC as measured by ACT and SAT results, percentage of incoming freshmen in the top 10% of their high school graduating classes, the number of graduating seniors attending graduate school, and the percent of minority students in the overall student population. There is also a vigorous extra-curricular life, with over 85 student organizations, and over 20% of graduating seniors in 1999 reported having studied abroad during their undergraduate careers. The excellence of the student body is matched by the faculty. Since 1966, 27 UMM faculty members have received all-university recognition for outstanding undergraduate teaching, a much higher proportion than in any other college of the University of Minnesota. Outstanding teaching is reinforced by strong scholarly activity. From a tenured and tenure-track faculty which has averaged 90 people over the 40-year history of the institution, it is impressive to find that the paintings of one are in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, that the psychological theories of another are included in major textbooks on personality throughout the world, that another has emerged as a national authority in vernacular architecture, another is a distinguished scholar in radical Protestantism, that several have been recognized by their professional associations for major achievements and several others have held leadership positions in their national and regional associations. A UMM faculty member serves as the editor of the scholarly journal Conradiana. Over the years, UMM faculty have been editors and founders of journals in philosophy and in American popular culture. Another UMM faculty has been at the center of important research in frog deformities. Over the past decade, five UMM psychology members have been recognized by the Minnesota Psychological Association for excellence in undergraduate teaching.

The commitment to teaching and research are to the benefit of UMM's students; in a recent survey, faculty affirmed that the institution was doing an excellent job in getting students involved in research. They value joint student/faculty research projects which result in student and student/faculty authored papers, presentations, and performances. As a public institution, UMM shares the liberal arts experience with the broader community through community service projects, public lectures, art exhibits, musical and theater performances, and through credit and non-credit courses and programs.

As further measure of its leadership and commitment to liberal education, UMM led in the establishment of COPLAC in 1992. The national body with 17 member institutions has shared a common commitment to academic excellence and concern for undergraduate student development.

In sum, in its publicly stated mission and vision and in virtually every dimension of the institution's operations--in the selection of students, faculty and staff, in its curricular offerings, in its rich curricular and co-curricular activity, in its service to the broader community, and its national leadership among public liberal arts colleges--UMM affirms its commitment to the liberal arts.

Criterion II includes a presentation and evaluation of the organizational structure of the campus, its physical resources, the academic program, and its human resources.

The University of Minnesota was established by an act of the Minnesota Territorial Legislature in 1851. The resulting charter, and later the state constitution, granted to the Board of Regents autonomy in the management of the university's internal affairs, independent of all other executive authority. The Board of Regents, made up of 12 members selected by the state legislature to serve six-year terms, is the chief governing body of the University of Minnesota, including its Morris Campus. One regent is chosen from each of Minnesota's congressional districts and four are chosen from the state at large. One of the four at-large regents must be a university student. The President of the university is an ex-officio member of the Board of Regents. The board's major responsibilities are the selection of the President, the enactment of rules, regulations, and policies governing the university, control of university expenditures, and approval of all staff changes.

UMM is one of the three coordinate campuses of the University of Minnesota headed by a chief executive officer, the chancellor. The chancellor, appointed by the Board of Regents, is responsible for administration of the campus and is a representative of the faculty and to the board. The chancellor reports directly to the president of the university.

Authority and responsibility for educational policies and procedures of UMM campus are vested in the Campus Assembly, which is composed of all faculty and academic staff and representatives of the students and civil service/staff. The Chancellor of the campus serves as the chair of the Assembly; other officers include a vice chair, secretary and parliamentarian, who are elected by the Assembly. Elected committees include: 1) The Consultative Committee composed of faculty (academic staff are included with the faculty for purposes of representation on committees), students and civil service/staff; 2) the Academic Grievance Committee composed of faculty, students and civil service/staff, which considers grievances by faculty or students concerning alleged violations of academic freedom and responsibility; and 3) the Executive Committee composed of faculty, students and civil service/staff members including the Chancellor (Chair), Vice Chair and the Secretary of the Assembly. The Executive Committee recommends membership on standing and adjunct committees, requests reports for information to the Assembly and prepares the agendas and calls meetings of the Campus Assembly.

The campus governing system at UMM may be characterized as broadly representative, participatory, and democratic. All faculty and academic staff are members, as well as one student for each 100 enrolled and one civil service/staff for each 50 employed, assuring wide representation. And the open nature of the Assembly structure includes ready access to a governing structure. Educational policy and procedure includes the broad perspectives of the entire campus community. The current membership of the Campus Assembly is 199.

Members of the standing committees of the Campus Assembly are recommended by the Executive Committee for approval by the Assembly. There are five Assembly Committees: Assessment of Student Learning Committee, Campus Resources and Planning, Curriculum, Scholastic, and Student Services. In addition, there are at present six adjunct committees: Academic Support, Faculty Development, Functions and Awards, International Programs, Minority Experience, Student Academic Integrity, and Teacher Education. These committees for the most part are composed of faculty, students, and civil service/staff, and their charge typically consists of major areas of responsibility of the Campus Assembly.

With the exception of faculty in their first year on campus, and those on leave, most faculty serve on one Assembly or adjunct committee. To maximize faculty interest in committee service, all faculty are asked to submit committee preferences for the succeeding year. (Again, the academic staff are included here.) Typically, representation from civil service/staff and students is determined by the association representing civil service/staff and upon the recommendation of the Morris Campus Student Association. To the extent possible, the Executive Committee attempts to match faculty interests to committee assignments. A similar mechanism is employed for student and civil service/staff appointments.

The best measure of the adequacy of the campus governance to meet its goals and objectives is its record over the past ten years; it has reviewed the governing structure, responded to all-university directives, dealt with controversial issues, addressed campus plans and initiatives, and has embarked upon a broad evaluation of student learning. At each step, decision making has moved forward, according to the constitution, with substantial consultation and debate at all levels of the institution.

This is not to suggest that the process is perfect. There is chronic complaint about a complex governing structure with onerous committee work. Yet, recent efforts to downsize the number of committees resulted in few modifications. Quite frankly, the campus has a strong tradition of open dissent, and characteristic difference of opinion on educational matters. This democratic spirit is not tangential but rather goes to the heart of the institution. Democratic decision making, broad consultation, and full and lively debate are important to faculty, staff, and students of this institution.

Org Chart

The chief academic officer for the campus is the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean. The Dean reports directly to the Chancellor and is administratively responsible for the four academic divisions and interdisciplinary programs such as directed studies, internships, and interdisciplinary majors which cut across divisional boundaries. In addition, the Dean is responsible for the Academic Assistance Center, Academic Advising, the Center for International Programs, the Center for Student Learning and Faculty Teaching, Computing Services, the Library, Media Services, and University College. The Dean shares responsibilities with four division chairpersons and several academic support unit directors. The organizational structure is shown in Table 1 on page 17.

The Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean makes recommendation to the Chancellor concerning all academic matters, especially academic planning, resource allocations, curriculum development, and academic personnel matters. Among the specific duties assigned to the Vice Chancellor are working with the divisions, committees and other academic units, reviewing programs, developing new initiatives, guiding the Curriculum Committee, preparing budgets, and carrying out academic planning. The Dean makes recommendations for the allocation of all positions and operating funds for instructional and academic support programs. Working with the Division Chairs and other academic administrators, the Dean makes recommendations to the Chancellor on all academic personnel matters including initial appointments, salary, and tenure and promotion decisions.

During the past year, and continuing into 1999-2000, the current Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean is serving as Interim Chancellor. In his place, there are three Interim Assistant Deans for Academic Affairs, one for faculty affairs, another for student affairs, and a third for semester conversion. The Chair of the Division of Science and Mathematics serves as Chair of the Curriculum Committee, a function usually performed by the Dean.

In 1998-99, Academic Affairs had a staff of 51.3, including 10 academic staff and 20.75 clerical/technical staff. In addition, there are 6.35 FTE professional and clerical staff in University College who are not carried on UMM's roster because they are technically employees of the university-wide University College. In 1997-98 the total expenditures for Academic Affairs including both compensation and Supplies, Expense and Equipment (SE&E) funds were $9,931,832; the total expenditures for the instructional program amounted to $7,841,380. Taken together, this represents 56% of the institution's expenditures from the general operations and maintenance fund. An additional 9.3 staff positions have been allocated to Academic Affairs during the past five years and expenditures for compensation and SE&E have risen by 21%. Resources have increased, but under-funding still remains, especially for permanent positions, for instructional and computing equipment, and for funding that does no more than keep pace with inflation.

The basic academic organizational units of the campus are the four divisions: education, humanities, science and mathematics, and social sciences. Membership in each division consists of its faculty, staff, and student representatives. Student representatives are selected for one year terms by student constituents and include at least one student from each discipline within the division.

The division chairperson is the chief administrative officer and representative of the division. Each division chair carries a one-third teaching appointment as well. The chair is responsible for directing the division's administrative work, approving the expenditure of divisional funds, guiding policy formulation, maintaining compliance with the university and divisional policies and procedures, monitoring the teaching and research of faculty, academic planning, and representing the division to the academic administration and on the Curriculum Committee. Division chairs serve five-year terms. Most disciplines within a division are represented by a discipline coordinator who leads the discipline in the preparation of curriculum proposals and teaching schedules and serves as liaison for the discipline's faculty to the chair on matters of common concern. Some disciplines have internally-assigned allocations, but the primary budgetary unit is the Division. Discipline coordinators usually serve without compensation or reduced teaching load.

In matters of faculty hiring, search committees composed of faculty and students review files and interview candidates, then make recommendations to the Division Chair, who in turn consults with the Academic Dean. In cases of promotion, appropriate peers recommend to the Dean; for tenure, only the tenured faculty recommend. The Divisions conduct at least one meeting per term with additional meetings as needed. The meetings are usually devoted to the discussion and approval of curriculum proposals submitted by the disciplines, the development of divisional policy and procedure, and advice to the chair on matters of campus policy, planning, resource requests and other matters of general concern.

Especially on matters of curriculum and of promotion and tenure, the decision process originates at the division level. Discussion and decision making regarding any of these matters may be initiated by the chair or any member of the division faculty. While the procedures vary slightly among divisions, in most instances they can be described accurately as follows:

Curriculum proposals are initiated by disciplines. In the case of interdisciplinary courses and majors, more than one discipline will usually concur. Proposals are then reviewed and voted upon by the division. After division approval, the corrected proposals are forwarded to the Curriculum Committee for approval and presentation to the Campus Assembly. Proposals involving honors or general education designation are also reviewed and approved by the Curriculum Committee. On a rare occasion, when the proposal involves a substantial change in program for the campus, such as adding or deleting a major, the Board of Regents makes a final decision for approval.

Divisions follow university-wide principles, procedures, and regulations concerning faculty tenure for making personnel decisions. Each division has its own set of procedures as well, similar but with some slight dissimilarity among divisions. Decisions to retain, promote, or grant tenure are based upon evidence of teaching effectiveness (including advising), scholarly or artistic distinction, and professional outreach, which includes on campus, within the profession, and to the community and/or region. Of these three major criteria, teaching and scholarship or artistic achievement are considered most important.

Here are the procedures for considering awarding tenure at UMM:

All faculty on a tenure track receive an annual review from the Committee of Tenured Faculty within their Division, and from their Division Chair, and both documents become part of the individual's dossier.

1. Notice. Early applications for tenure require notification of the Division in the Spring of the year before the review takes place (different dates for different Divisions). Individuals regularly scheduled for a tenure review will be notified by their Division.

2. File. A dossier has been accumulating within the Division, and needs to be brought into presentational condition by the candidate. It includes a resume; list of teaching and other assignments, committee service records, student evaluations, outside evaluations, reports of probationary evaluations, etc. In some Divisions, the Chair, or a deputy, helps prepare the file.

3. Division. The Committee of Tenured Faculty within the Division meets and votes on the candidacy of members. The Division Chair is a voting member of the Division Committee. Meetings are usually between November 15-January 1.

4. Division Chair. The Chair prepares a report of the Divisional decision, which requires approval of the Committee of Tenured Faculty of the Division. She/he also prepares an independent recommendation, in either agreement or disagreement. The faculty member sees, and has the opportunity to comment upon, the report of the Division and Division Chair. Sent to the Dean by January 20.

5. Dean. The Dean makes the file available to the "Level II" Committee. Date: [c. January 25]

6. Level II Committee. This group serves as a consultant to the Dean, and assesses cross-institutional fairness, equity, etc. A copy of the recommendation of this group must be supplied to the candidate, and becomes part of the file. Date returned to Dean: [c. 10 February]

7. Dean. The Dean makes an evaluation and recommendation, which must be sent to the candidate and the Division Tenure Committee via. the Division Chair, which is then forwarded with the recommendations of the Level II Committee, Division Chair and Division Committee to the Chancellor. Date: [c. 25 February]

8. Dean of the Graduate School. Serving as a consultant to the Chancellor, the office of the Dean of the Graduate School at the Twin Cities campus makes an assessment of the candidate's professional career in the context of the greater University of Minnesota. Date sent and returned: [c. 25 February; 10 March]

9. Chancellor. The Chancellor makes his/her decision. If it differs with that of any individual or group earlier in the process, that individual/group and the candidate must be notified.

10. Senior Vice President. The Chancellor informs the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs (Twin Cities) of the decision by March 15, for entry into the data base and presentation to the Regents at their May meeting.

11. The deadline for final written notification of the candidate is May 15.

Appeals are made to the all-University Judicial Committee on the Twin Cities campus, within 30 days of receipt of written notice.

The organizational structure and responsibilities, from the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to the Division Chairs and the faculty, are clear and effectively carried out for the most part. Policies--some prescribed as they should be at the all-university level--are appropriate, widely publicized and provide appropriate recognition of the role of the governance structure, the Campus Assembly and its committees.

Academic decision making, especially on matters of faculty promotion and tenure, class schedule and curriculum, flows from the discipline faculty to the division, through the governing structure when necessary and on to the administrative. The one-third position of Division Chair, as conceived of almost forty years ago, is not equal to the task of divisions that have grown in faculty and complexity over the years. Additional help for the Vice Chancellor and the Division Chairs is needed.

Student Affairs at UMM has two fundamental and integrated goals: it provides an array of essential and ongoing services necessary for the operation of the college, and at the same time, through its various programs, contributes to the intellectual, personal and social development of the student body. Student Services recruits and admits students; provides financial aid; manages student employment; schedules classes; registers students, keeps the records; monitors; provides personal, educational and career counseling and placement; gives support for internships; provides personal and educational support for minority students; furnishes the organizational and technical assistance for social, cultural and educational extra-curricular activities; and is responsible for intercollegiate athletics, recreation, outpatient medical care, a living and learning environment for residential students, and a disciplinary system.

The goals and objectives for Student Affairs are consistent with the mission of the institution and the level of development and staffing is characteristic of student personnel activity across the University of Minnesota system. The student affairs program at UMM is headed by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and is organized around administrative units: Admissions and Financial Aid, the Career Center, Health Service, Minority Student Program, Student Activities, Residential Life, Student Counseling, the Registrar's Office and Intercollegiate Athletics. In 1998-99 there were sufficient academic professional staff to allow for a high degree of professional specialization: 31 professional, 21 clerical, and 7 custodial employees. Professional staff is distributed as follows: the Vice Chancellor holds a P&A appointment; there are four in Admissions and Financial Aid, one in the Career Center,12 FTE in Athletics, one in Student Activities, five in Residential Life, three in Counseling, one in the Registrar's Office, three in the Minority Student Program.

It is the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs who coordinates policy formulation, resource allocation and working relationships among student services units and provides leadership in planning, staffing, budgeting, and program evaluation as well. The Vice Chancellor represents the student personnel point of view for the Chancellor and the campus administration and governance system, and represents UMM's student affairs at the all-university level. The responsibilities of each of the student services units are conventional and related to their descriptive titles. Each has a public statement of mission and responsibility which are found in the college's annual reports (see Appendix G) There are, however, a few unique organizational characteristics that bear mentioning.

During the early 1990's a single Student Life unit which included both Student Activities and Residential Life was returned to two separate directors. This came at the request of students who saw considerable distinction between the two functions. There is now a Director of Residential Life and a Director of Student Activities which are separate offices. Given the vibrant student organizational activity on campus, having a separate student activities office overseeing a wide range of student organizations appears to have been a positive move.

Although Academic Advising is a distinct unit within Academic Affairs, the activities of the unit are closely allied to Student Affairs units. The current Director of Advising also serves as the Secretary of the Scholastic Committee, and consequently is in a position to know the entire picture of academic advising policies and procedures. In the past five years, the academic advising program has been strengthened by better training for faculty and staff advisers, by providing prompt, reliable academic information about students to advisers, and by a clearer and more systematic student academic progress system.

The Minority Student Program (MSP) has responsibilities to support the minority student population which cross organizational lines. MSP is involved in recruiting, counseling and academic advising, tracking student performance, academic assistance, support for student organizations, extra-curricular educational programming and occasionally internship and placements--all where minority students are involved.

The Student Services Committee, Scholastic Committee, and the Minority Student Experience Committee work directly with several of the Student Affairs units and in some instances control some of their policies. There is also an effective student government with representatives in the Assembly and on all campus committees; this provides many opportunities for discussion, criticism and control.

Like the entire UMM operation, resources for the student affairs area are limited. Yet, they are still highly successful in completing their work. Staffing remains merely adequate in Student Counseling and the Minority Student Program. Admissions and Financial Aid, Student Activities, Residential Life are short-staffed but still remarkably effective. The Registrar's office with its many operations and responsibilities is understaffed and Athletics is seriously under-funded in terms of salaries for the coaching staff and operational expenses. Operating funds are adequate in those units and activities which have a source of income from fees--residence halls, student activities and organizations for extracurricular programming, Health Services, and the Career Center. The Admissions and Financial Aid program spends more than its budget, but because its activities are essential to the quality of the academic program, funds have been reallocated from other areas to sustain the program.

Financial Aid funds for scholarships, grants and loans have been inadequate to meet the students' needs. With substantial increases in tuition through most of the 1990's, more student financial aid has come in the form of loans. Students with advanced standing, in particular, must carry a large proportion of loan debt for their final two years. Financial aid has been "front ended" for incoming students, so student employment dollars are an important source of student funding. Beginning in 1999, aid will be distributed on a four-year renewable basis. Table 2 shows the distribution of financial aid for the past five years.

The facilities for student activities were a cause of concern in the 1990 NCA study. Since then, in the first major construction on the campus in almost 20 years, UMM received funding from the State Legislature to build a student center, which included an expansion and renovation of an existing building, Edson Hall. The building has emerged into a campus center with major events (convocations, recitals, meetings, and luncheons) occurring there. The Student Center houses the Office of Student Activities, student organizational offices including the Morris Campus Student Association, the International Study and Travel Center, the Outdoor Center, the campus radio station, a major auditorium, lounges, major meeting rooms, and a cafeteria.

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The Student Affairs program is effectively organized and administered. Goals and objectives are clearly designated and compatible with the liberal arts mission of the institution. The Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs has direct access to the Chancellor and other senior officers and an ample opportunity to influence college policy. Policies affecting student life, as well as specific policies for student affairs units, are well publicized in the UMM Catalog, in the Residential Life Handbook, and in other college publications. Resources available to student affairs, while less than optimum, are generally adequate, but there is serious under-funding in financial aid.

How well is Student Affairs accomplishing its goal and objectives? The answer is, "very well indeed." It is no exaggeration to say that there is a vibrant student life at UMM. There is a high level of student involvement in campus life. Indeed, it is among the strongest characteristics of the institution. Students are involved in all aspects of governmental, cultural, and recreational life at UMM. The ACT student opinion surveys throughout the 1990's show a high level of student participation in campus activities and high satisfaction as well. Students continue to appreciate the opportunity to exercise leadership, and find the accessibility, commitment, and support of student affairs personnel.

The Vice Chancellor for Finance is responsible for financial administration. As a fiscal officer for the campus, the Vice Chancellor advises the Chancellor on allocation of funds, prepares and monitors budgets, directs business office operations, and is responsible for all non-academic personnel management at the campus level. In addition the Vice Chancellor is the senior officer responsible for General Services, which under the direction of its manager includes the Bookstore, Business Office, Food Services, and Human Resources. The administrative and service units which report directly to the Vice Chancellor for Finance are largely self-supporting for their operating expenses, funded from assessments and other income producing enterprises, or directly from revenue such as cross charges to other units, fees, and sales.

In an effort to increase income to help the overall funding of the campus, UMM underwent substantial increases in tuition starting in the early 90's and ending relatively recently. The hope was that the tuition at a higher level would be sufficient to make up for the inadequacy in other sources of funds. Unfortunately, increased tuition revenue has been insufficient to keep up with the financial demands of the campus; it remains chronically under-funded. At the same time, with an enrollment likely not to exceed 2000 students, tuition, even with substantial increases, has only a limited probability of really helping the overall financial situation of the campus. Similarly, legislative funding, while more generous in recent years, is not likely to provide sufficient resources for the institution to prosper. Clearly their interest is in non-legislative funds provided by private contributors. That amount of money for the institution has grown modestly over the past decade, restrained by limited staff to cultivate contributors.

The principal goal of plant services is to provide clean, safe, high quality physical facilities which enhance the educational program at UMM. The Associate Vice Chancellor for Physical Plant and Master Planning, who reports directly to the Chancellor, is responsible for Campus Security, Duplicating Services, the Post Office, and Vending and Transportation, as well as for maintenance and operation of the academic and auxiliary campus buildings, utilities, grounds, and public communications. The Associate Vice Chancellor also has a major role in physical facilities planning, legislative building requests for the campus, and serves on the Campus Resources and Planning Committee. Whereas operations and maintenance of the campus buildings and grounds is a local responsibility, new construction and major remodeling, which requires direct legislative funding, are controlled by the Central Administration's Department of Physical Planning.

In 1998-99, the Plant Services unit had a staff of 41.3 supervisory, clerical, skilled trade, maintenance, custodial, and heating plant personnel who operate and maintain 500,092 GSF: academic buildings 109,009 GSF; housing 227,855 GSF; and auxiliary enterprise programs 163,228 GSF along with 265 acres of campus grounds.

The present campus was planned and built beginning in the 1960's on an already landscaped site with several major existing buildings constructed in the early 20th century and characteristic of the University of Minnesota, St. Paul agricultural campus. Most of the major facilities are contemporary, including the original Science complex (1968), Briggs Library (1973), the Humanities Fine Art Center (1973), the Physical Education Center (1973), the heating plant (1970), three of the Residence Halls (1966, 1970, 1971), and Food Service (1971). The older classroom buildings--Humanities (1954), and Social Science (two phases: 1920 and 1949)--received major renovation in the 1990's. All of the major instructional areas and most of the administrative space are accessible to persons with impaired mobility

The long range plan for the development of physical facilities included five major buildings-a university center, a classroom/office building, a public performance auditorium, a field house, and an addition to the science building. At the same time, during the 90's, a key issue was the gradual deterioration of the classroom spaces on campus due to inadequate funding. At the end of the decade, additional legislative appropriations have made it possible to substantially improve the physical plant, including some classroom upgrading. The campus master plan lays out in comprehensive detail the plans for the renovation and reconstruction of the campus over the next five to ten years, including the renovation of the existing science facility, the library, and the older classroom/office buildings. This plan also calls for a public performance auditorium, a field house, and a classroom office building. The Central Administration and the Regents tightly control all legislative building requests. A current approved long-term plan is required by Central Administration and forms a basis for campus legislative building requests, but political strategies and university-wide campus priorities and time tables are often compromised.

Plant Services is well organized and effectively managed, but under-staffed and under-funded to optimally meet its goals and objectives. The work of Plant Services in the 1990's has been substantial with new buildings, remodeling of old buildings, and maintenance of campus grounds. The perception in the early 90's was that this beautiful campus has become a little ragged around the edges, particularly the grounds. Further, classrooms simply in need of upgrading and repair and labs without adequate ventilation have made what was once an exceptional campus, less so today. The construction boom of the late 90's and the systematic, detailed master plan for renovation of existing facilities give considerable hope that the new century will see a return to what is basically a beautiful campus.

All University of Minnesota degrees are granted by the Board of Regents upon the recommendation of the faculty of the university school or college in which the student is enrolled. While requirements vary to some extent among the undergraduate colleges of the university, there is no distinction among the degrees granted because of the campus of enrollment. At UMM each discipline and division has articulated the goals and objectives for majors and programs, and a more comprehensive statement on the objectives of the curriculum is contained in the description of the general education and other degree requirements, also found in the current UMM Catalog on pages 55-58 (see Appendix H).

In 1997, the campus approved a new general education curriculum that would become effective in fall 1999. The move to a new GER was prompted by at least two major reasons. The first was that the Minnesota State Legislature required all public colleges in Minnesota, including the University of Minnesota, to move to a semester-based academic program no later than 1999. This change served as an opportunity to review and rework the existing academic program. Second, the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum was implemented to facilitate easy transfer within higher education institutions in Minnesota. The previous General Education Requirements (GER) did not easily translate in the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum. The campus took the opportunity to review and revise its existing GER into a more streamlined curriculum that was compatible with the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.

Over the past decade, the Division of Education has seen dramatic departure from its emphasis on placement of student teachers in schools in West Central Minnesota, or in about a 50 mile radius of Morris. Up until 1992, it was unusual to find students who did student teaching in other parts of Minnesota, including the metropolitan and Twin cities area or even more unusual, out of state. Occasionally, students would do international student teaching. All of that has changed in the decade of the 90's. Many students, particularly in the elementary education, continue to do their student teaching in selected schools within a 50-mile radius of Morris, but there has been an aggressive effort to place students in student teaching situations in environments that reflect the demographic trends of the country and the global economy. A significant portion of UMM students are now being placed in selected major metropolitan centers with diverse populations--El Paso, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois, as well as in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. In the early part of the decade, students wishing to teach abroad were limited to two countries: England and Australia. Now, ten years later, UMM places student teachers in 20 different foreign countries. Student teaching, the culminating experience of the teacher education program, has become an opportunity to become immersed in a multicultural or international experience in schools in this country and abroad. Creating this diverse teacher education experience for our students simply builds upon a program already acknowledged to be excellent by the National Council for Accreditation in Teacher Education (NCATE).

During most of the decade, UMM operated on the quarter system with a late-starting fall quarter unique in Minnesota. Beginining in Fall 1999, UMM has moved along with the entire University of Minnesota to a semester system with fall term starting in late August and spring semester ending in early May. Introduced at that same time will be an "intersession" of about three weeks, from mid-May to early June, where students will have an opportunity to engage in unique learning opportunities on campus, in other parts of the United States, and abroad. Under semesters, it is expected that students will average 16 credits (4 courses) per semester. During the latter part of the 1990's, UMM changed its ABC/N grading system with S/N grading available in most courses to an AF/SN grading system. The F was reintroduced in the Fall of 1997.

UMM has a rigorous and somewhat unique academic progress requirement system. UMM established minimum academic progress requirements that apply to student status and eligibility for financial aid, provisions for possible suspension, and loss of eligibility for aid. The authority for administering the requirements and taking action, when necessary, rests with the Scholastic Committee.

Academic progress is audited annually at the end of spring semester; students who meet the annual requirements will continue in good standing. Students who do not meet the requirements for good standing but fall within specified guidelines will be placed on a Level I probation. Students who fall below the requirements for Level I probation will be suspended. Students who successfully appeal their suspension will be allowed to return on conditions for one semester, the period of conditions is called Level II probation. Students on probation remain eligible for financial aid. There are two criteria for meeting minimum academic progress requirements: 1) performance over time (cumulative GPA); and 2) performance during the short term (annual completion ratio of 75%). Student must meet both. Students whose annual completion ratio is between 50% and 75%, or whose cumulative GPA falls in a certain range, will automatically be placed on probation.

The specific goals and objectives which guide the development of the faculty are most clearly articulated in the mission statement of goals, objectives, and priorities. They include maintaining all-university standards in hiring, retaining, and promoting faculty; pursuing equal opportunity and affirmative action principles with an emphasis on increasing the representation of black and native American faculty; promoting faculty exchanges and visiting professorships; retaining tenured faculty; and promoting faculty development in teaching, advising, and scholarships; and providing funds for leaves, equipment, and funds in support of scholarly activity.

The teaching effort in 1998-99 totaled 120.1(FTE) permanent, temporary, full and part time faculty. They were distributed among four divisions and twenty seven disciplines: 11.2 in Education; 42.9 in Humanities; 35.5 in Science and Mathematics; and 29 in Social Sciences. The 1998-99 FTE for teaching faculty reflects 114 permanently budgeted positions called "lines" with the remainder made up of temporary, full time and part time faculty. Some of the temporary positions are continued so that permanent faculty can go on leave, but most are hired on a short-term basis in the absence of permanent positions. A positive development over the past years is that UMM is increasing the proportion of permanent lines and just recently converted four temporary enrollment-related positions to tenure track. In addition two more undergraduate initiative positions will become permanent in fall 1999.

Institutional data on the academic preparation, experience, and other characteristics of the faculty show an instruction staff that is well qualified to carry out the educational mission of the institution. As a whole, the faculty represent a cross section of graduate schools in the United States and several foreign countries. They are committed to undergraduate liberal education and as members of the faculty of a major research university, many who have strong commitments to research, scholarship, and artistry. Skill in teaching is their most distinguishing characteristic. Fifteen members of the current faculty have received the university-wide Horace T. Morse Alumni Foundation Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Education, including two in 1998-99. Two have received the All-University Tate Award for Excellent in Undergraduate Academic Advising. In addition, five psychology faculty members have received the Minnesota Psychological Association's Walter Mink Award for Outstanding Teacher of Undergraduate Psychology and one has been named the CASE Minnesota Professor of the Year Award. Another has been active in co-publishing papers with her students, two of whom received first-place recognition at the Minnesota Academy of Sciences annual meeting. The current faculty includes an internationally recognized artist; the editor of a major national journal on Joseph Conrad; the editor of another in Latin American Popular Culture; a nationally recognized scholar of vernacular architecture, and an internationally recognized scholar of radical Protestantism.

And there's more. In the Division of Education, the chair is the co-editor of the Journal of the International Society for Teacher Education; another faculty member is a member of the committee that selects the Minnesota Teacher of the Year; still another is the president of the Minnesota Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators and also serves on the executive board of the Minnesota Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

In the Science and Mathematics Division, a faculty member in mathematics serves as the associate editor of Biometrics, a scholarly journal in statistics; a geologist was a session chair for the International Glacialogical Society Symposium held in Sweden in 1998; another geologist is a councilor for the Council for Undergraduate Research, a distinction held by only a handful nationally. A computer scientist serves as a reviewer for the Computer Journal.

An historian in the Social Science Division has been president of the Meiklejohn Education Association and co-author of an article in 1992 that was the recipient of the Harry Pratt Memorial Award for the best article in the Illinois Historical Journal in 1992. A sociologist is the co-editor of the Elsevier/JAI Press annual volume, Advances in Gender Research, as well as serving as president of the North Central Sociological Association.

These distinctions are not unusual for UMM and provide compelling evidence of a faculty that is truly distinguished.

A list of the current faculty showing discipline, rank and degrees is published in the UMM Catalog. Complete statistical information on the characteristics of the faculty over a period of years is published in the Data Book and the UMM academic profile data (see Appendix I). This information includes budgeted and FTE faculty positions by discipline, number of courses taught, class size, student credit hours, instructor credit hours, student faculty ratios, and instruction workload index, percentages of minority and female faculty, tenure rates, and average salaries. In 1998-99, 93.7% of the permanent faculty had received terminal degrees: 89.5% held a doctorate and an additional 4.2% held an alternate terminal degree.

*In 1998-99, 18.6% of permanent positions were filled by temporary or split appointments.

In 1998-99, 72% of the permanent faculty were tenured; 38.5% were women, and 18.9% were minorities. The mean age of the permanent faculty was 48.1 years, and 17/114 or 15% were 60 years of age and older.

To see how the faculty have changed, this information is compared with the faculty profile in 1991-92. The most obvious changes are that the number of permanent faculty has increased by 9.6--from 104.5 in 1991-92 to 114 in 1998-99. Beginning in fall 1999, that number has again increased by 4, and in fall 2000 will further increase by 2, bringing the number of permanent lines to 120. Further, there are more women in the faculty, particularly at higher ranks

The Data Book shows that the FTE faculty has grown by 9% since 1991-92 from 112 to 120.1, while the student body has decreased. In 1998-99 the student/faculty ratio was 15.6, which is not unusual for a public undergraduate institution with the size and mission of UMM.

Teaching loads of 5 or 6 courses per year (under quarters) on an institution-wide basis allowed time for interaction with students, committee work, co-curricular activities and scholarship. (In some cases, one lecture/lab course per term is considered a normal load.) While the average teaching load is moderate in comparison to that of many public and private undergraduate institutions, it remains favorable across the University of Minnesota system. In fact, many consider that to be one of the real strengths at UMM in the recruiting of new faculty. The teaching load under semesters will be 4 to 5 courses per year.

Table 4 shows the growth in FTE faculty among the divisions during the past six years. Table 5 shows that student/faculty ratios and teaching load vary across disciplines: the highest ratios are in anthropology (27.6), computer science (21.8), psychology (21.5), economics (20.1) and elementary education and humanities (18.5). At the same time, there are other disciplines, some of which are labor intensive--e.g., studio art--where the student/faculty ratios are low.

While the teaching load of six courses per year was the campus standard under quarters, as a practical matter, some variations existed among disciplines. UMM's academic management information system maintains several indices to try to show faculty workload such as student/faculty ratios, instructors credit hours and an instructional workload index, with factors and credit hour, advisees and class size. None of these indices adequately cover the situation for every discipline. Table 6 shows distribution of enrollment, classes, and faculty.

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Faculty salaries are currently stronger than in 1990, when UMM came through a long period of scarce resources and limited faculty salary increases. How strong they are depends upon the measures used and with whom UMM is compared. In comparison with COPLAC, UMM ranks 6^t of 13. UMM ranks 10 among the Morris 14, and 12 among 15 public and private colleges and universities in Minnesota (7, 8, and 9). Other factors that influence the comparative value of UMM salaries are the exceptionally strong University of Minnesota faculty benefit package, and the fact that UMM's relative position in salaries with other institutions includes a relatively large number of non-tenure track faculty.

1997-98 salary comparisons Morris 14 and other MN institutions

1998-99 ACADEME Morris 14

1998-99 ACADEME COPLAC

On the average, over the past ten years, 14% of the faculty is new to the campus each year. This figure includes the annual turnover tied to the replacement of faculty on leave by temporary appointments and short-term enrollment additions, almost always made at the junior level. During this same period, turnover among tenured faculty is quite small; among probationary tenure track faculty the turnover was 2%; among temporary faculty the turnover was much higher, 8%.

The faculty members have responsibilities for teaching and advising, research and artistic endeavor, and professional service. Some faculty have administrative responsibilities as well. Though scholarly/artistic productivity and service to the campus and the broader community may vary to some extent among individuals and even across disciplines and divisions, teaching effectiveness is essential for each faculty member. The system of annual review for retention, promotion, tenure, and salary determination is the core faculty evaluation. The evaluation of teaching effectiveness and a tangible reward of excellence in the classroom are fundamental to that system. Policies regarding the process of peer and administrative evaluation and decision making described in the university-wide guidelines are strictly applied. With respect to teaching effectiveness, faculty are evaluated in three ways. First, student evaluations of every course are collected and processed according to a standardized format. In addition to providing immediate feedback to division chairs, the student evaluations are given considerable weight during the review by peers for tenure and promotion and by the chairs for merit salary increases. Second, colleagues within the division make judgments of teaching effectiveness (and scholarship and service) independent of student evaluations during the review process. Finally, the chairs, the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and the Chancellor make judgments for faculty effectiveness, based upon all evidence available as they review and prepare their final recommendations at the campus level.

In a series of interviews with faculty, it was noted that younger faculty are especially concerned about the weight given course evaluations. While the emphasis is on the student opinion of teaching, younger faculty are concerned that they carry too much weight in the deliberative process.

The evaluation of scholarship, especially important for retention and tenure and merit salary decisions, is conducted during the review process by discipline, division peers, and campus peers. In formal tenure and promotion evaluation, the opinion of outside reviewers is sought. Eventually the Chairs and the Vice Chancellor must make a similar evaluation as they carry forward their recommendations. The process of faculty evaluation is rigorous, systematic, and well understood.

UMM has always had a strong faculty, but it is clear that scholarly contributions of both new and continuing faculty match their excellence in the classroom. Table 13 on page 59 shows a recent compilation of scholarly contributions of UMM faculty. This is an impressive list when one considers that in 1980, the NCA found the scholarly contributions of UMM's faculty lacking.

A number of observations about the faculty work environment can be drawn from informal discussions in the spring of 1998 with various groups of faculty and with the division chairs. Teaching loads at UMM remain a relative strong point in comparison with public and private institutions. At the same time, a critical issue for hiring and retaining strong faculty is a question of spousal hires. More and more, both spouses desire appointments in faculty positions. Division chairs noted that this is an increasing problem that has grown in prominence over the last decade as increasing numbers of faculty are hoping to find appointments for spouses when they come to UMM. Unfortunately, the relatively small size of UMM and the absence of other employment opportunities in the Morris area for highly trained faculty make this a major source of concern in attracting and retaining excellent faculty. A related concern is the start-up cost of hiring new faculty, particularly in the sciences where there is an expectation that not only will one retain faculty members with a good salary, but will provide them with a laboratory in which to carry on essential research for their scholarly program. Some faculty noted that they did not feel adequately briefed on the expectations at UMM for promotion and tenure.

There is remarkable commitment to undergraduate education, to working with students in the classroom and in scholarly research and in co- and extra-curricular activities, and to a high degree of professionalism. Faculty are concerned that there are not sufficient resources to carry out their scholarly endeavors, and needless to say the funds available for leaves, profession-related travel, or research funds for scholarly endeavors remain inadequate. One of the biggest occurrences over this past decade is that a number of UMM faculty members who started at this institution in the 1960's, the first decade as a four year liberal arts college, are now reaching retirement age. A whole generation of the founding fathers is leaving the stage of UMM. It seems that this transition is largely peaceful, in that the values of the institution--a commitment to the undergraduate liberal arts mission and a strong emphasis on the importance of the student in the learning process--are widely shared at UMM by all levels of the faculty. However, the loss of experienced faculty puts new strains on leadership across campus, especially regarding leadership on committees.

The gender mix and diversity of the faculty has improved over the decade. The number of women at all ranks of the faculty has increased by 13.1% since 1990. The number of minority faculty has also increased. These were matters of concern in 1990 and still remain so, but clearly there has been a serious effort to attract, retain, and promote female faculty members and faculty of color. The most successful efforts have been with the retaining of female faculty members. They have also moved into highly visible and important positions on the campus. Now, for example, there are three females serving as Assistant Academic Deans and another as acting Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. The Director of the Faculty Development Center is also female. While it is true that most of the division chairs and unit directors on campus are still occupied by males, the important role of female faculty at the senior ranks and at the important administrative positions has improved significantly since 1990.

Faculty still complain as they did in 1990 about the onerous committee and service work required by the institution at all levels from discipline to campus. Yet, this is also a highly democratic faculty which has chosen to participate in the governance system of the institution, again at all levels. The adverse side is the time that it takes to run the institution. There is frustration with the enormous amount of time devoted to committee work, discipline activities, administrative activities, campus committee assignments, or self-study committees, but there is seemingly little that we can do about it. Efforts to reduce the bureaucracy of committee assignments have generally resulted in only modest reductions in committee work. Within the past two years, there was a serious effort to reduce the number of adjunct committees. The net result of almost a year of discussion and examination was modest to say the least--two adjunct committees, Honors and General Education--were dropped. Ultimately, most members of the faculty felt the existing adjunct committees were essential in the oversight of the running of important campus programs.

The conclusion probably still prevails that the administrative and campus workload falls unevenly on certain faculty. Younger faculty particularly are protected from service responsibilities by division chairs and the Dean so that they may gain promotion and tenure. Perhaps little can be done to reduce the bureaucracy and committee work, particularly if the institution is to maintain one of its especially strong characteristics, the long-standing tradition of faculty involvement in making curricular, personnel, and educational policy decisions.

Another area of concern is that of clerical and technical assistance for faculty. The Data Book shows that staff positions for academic support have increased from 41 to 51 in the past eight years. Additions to the clerical staff on the campus during the past ten years have been modest to say the least. With the advent in widespread use of computers for word processing and related activity, faculty are certainly able to do much more of their own clerical work, but still they need to have course-related support. The faculty has grown, but course related support at the division level (clerical, computing, and student assistant) has remained relatively static over the past ten years. There is evidence that there is serious need for such assistance directly to faculty in their course related activities.

Remarkably and unfortunately, little was said in previous NCA self-studies about the role of the staff-- academic professionals, civil service, and union members. They play an important, indeed a vital, role at UMM. And it is clear that UMM has a highly dedicated and conscientious staff in all job categories. The purpose of this section is to articulate some of the issues and concerns raised by the staff. These include staff salaries, professional development, and conditions of employment. Over the past ten years, the staff has changed in size in the following ways: academic professional increased from 46 to 75; Bargaining Units (AFSCME and Teamsters) increased from 69 to 148; and Civil Service decreased from 116 to 38--a net increase in staff of 30. Salaries for teamsters and AFSCME are set through union negotiation processes, but the Academic Professional and Civil Service staff are not covered under similar contracts. The staff is a diverse group engaged in activities ranging from cleaning buildings to those directly involved in instruction. The issues of concern to each group of employees may be summarized as follows:

Staff in all categories seem to have excellent training for their work, but because there are no common measures or standards for promotion or retention as exist for faculty, it is difficult to measure precisely the expertise of the staff. There are, of course, those who have terminal degrees or certification in particular areas that demonstrate their expertise, but many staff hold positions in which their degrees or fields of study are not immediately relevant. Staff accomplishments in their positions are reflected in the number of staff who have received all-university recognition through, for example, the Tate Award, the Academic Staff Awards, and the Outstanding Service Award. Each category of staff has its own measures of professional distinction and advancement. Whatever shortcomings there are in the salaries for staff in various categories, there is a general agreement that staff are of the highest quality and that these positions at UMM remain attractive and, indeed, in some respects coveted in this region. Staff are known for their dedication, longevity of service, and knowledge of the institution. On a day-to-day basis, staff have important contacts with students which deeply affect student satisfaction with UMM. In the residence halls, the library, the student center, and the computer center, and other student services offices, students routinely work with staff members, perhaps as much as with faculty.

In 1990 the staff use of new technology was limited, but they have risen to the challenge by gaining computer proficiency, much of it self taught. Indeed it is now woven into the fabric of the institution. UMM remains a premier employer in the region with salary and benefits strong by comparison to the local economy. Staff also have a strong interest in professional advancement as evidenced by their participation in such programs as the Master of Liberal Studies or the Graduate Certificate in Computing and Educational Technology. Although the staff expresses concerns about UMM and the way they are treated, they also make it emphatically clear that they enjoy their work, they like being here and they have a commitment to the place, their colleagues, and our students.

The following section offers evidence that the institutional goals are being met, including data supporting the quality of teaching and research activity, information on the student body, evidence of internal and external services, and information on resource allocation and the adequacy of facilities.

The Self-Study concluded that beyond the broad purposes of teaching, research and service, the institution has seven major operational goals: maintaining excellence in teaching; maintaining a level of research activity expected of a campus of the University of Minnesota; maintaining a student body appropriate to the mission of UMM; providing service achievement; sustaining leadership and governance appropriate to a liberal arts campus; allocating funds equitably and appropriately; and maintaining and improving facilities. These operational goals are appropriately directed toward the achievement of UMM's official goals, overall mission and purposes.

UMM maintains a series of regularized processes to assess both the quantity and the quality of its instructional program. These include: the annual analysis of statistical information, such as enrollment and student credit hour data; grade distributions by course, discipline, and division; and retention and graduation figures. Student opinions of the quality of the instruction they receive is the subject of an intensive Student Evaluation of Teaching which collects and analyzes course evaluations for every course taught. Student opinions regarding their satisfaction with various aspects of their university education are collected periodically using standardized survey instruments. Follow-up information on the occupational and post-graduate educational success of UMM graduates is collected annually.

The primary responsibility of assessing the quality of student achievement at UMM rests with the faculty. Until recently, UMM employed no comprehensive examinations or other standardized system of assessing intellectual, personal, or educational development of the student body. Each discipline, and indeed each faculty member, was responsible for the continuing evaluation of the academic progress and completion of performance objectives of students at the level of the individual course in progress toward completion of the major. Over the past two years, however, UMM has organized a comprehensive plan to assess student learning. Further, the Coordinator of the Scholastic Committee and the Registrar monitor progress toward the entire range of degree requirements and those academic progress requirements which, if not met, could lead to suspension for low scholarship.

Assessment of the university's success in scholarship and artistic endeavor is, of course, indicated by the faculty's record of publications, compositions and artistic presentations. Annual reports of several units, such as University College, Student Activities, and University Relations, document the many educational and cultural contributions to the area. Finally, the quality of campus facilities has been judged subjectively by both the faculty and the students in evaluation surveys; certain professional judgments are available as well.

Whatever may be said about the relative importance of the primary institutional purposes--teaching, research, and service--it is the quality of teaching that is crucial to the long-range success of UMM as an undergraduate, liberal arts college of the University of Minnesota. For individual faculty, it is excellence in the classroom which is the most important criterion in the annual evaluation process which leads to determination of salary, tenure, and promotion.

Student evaluations of each course provide immediate feedback to individual faculty members and to division chairs on quality of instruction. However, when the results of the evaluations are aggregated by class size, by division, or for the campus as a whole, they provide the most direct evidence of teaching effectiveness available from the consumer, i.e. the student. Table 10, which is the aggregate of the results from the spring 1998 administration of the Student Evaluations of Teaching Form for classes with 11-30 student enrollments (the most common class size), provides an example of the format used and a clear indication of the high marks that students give the UMM faculty for their teaching skill. In conjunction with the Self-Study, UMM conducted two surveys of all current students and another of former alumni which provide valuable insight regarding the instructional program. Alumni were asked to rate the level of their satisfaction with UMM and its impact on their lives. The results of these are discussed later in this report in Chapters IV and V.

Evaluation Table 11-30

For the Self-Study, information on faculty achievement in research, scholarship, and artistic production was collected and tallied from the current vitae of each member of the 1998-99 teaching faculty. The last time a similar compilation took place was in 1989.

Table 10 below shows faculty scholars and artistic productivity in 1998; Table 11 shows similar activity of faculty in 1989. The analysis includes temporary, tenure-track, and tenured faculty and was as complete and accurate as the standardized UMM vitae sheets would allow.