Criterion Three: Summary

The self-study for accreditation is a process of self-review seeking affirmation of important components of higher education existing in the College, as well as, paying attention to areas of need emerging from this conversation. The following bulleted summary is the result of reflective dialogue of an institution that seeks the highest quality of education for its students.

Criterion Three A

Strengths

• Curriculum reflects the demanding standards of external constituencies.
• Small size makes adjustment to state and local work standards efficient.
• Core Courses.
• Emphasis on written and oral communication skills anticipate graduate school rigor.
• All courses and sections are aligned using the World Instructional Design System (WIDS).

Areas for Improvement

• Increased curriculum assessment of area graduate schools to more exactly understand curriculum and instructional expectations at that level.

Future Focus

• Examine graduate course syllabi in representative programs for content and process expectations and share in collaborative settings, i.e. Academic Affairs.

Criterion Three B

Strengths

• Advisory Committees—outside coming in.
• Every class has an artifact, research, presentation, communication skills.
• Require globally-oriented Core Courses.
• Courses designed with relevant connections to students.
• Business Internship Program.

Challenges

• Instructional consistency in multiple sections.
• Quality advisors on committees.
• Keeping information relevant to the student in different content areas: nursing, education, business.
• A more diverse student population for practical application purposes.
• Faculty development with emphasis in programs for adjunct professors.

Future Focus

• One class leads to another, scaffolding, more professor discussions in multiple sections.
• Need more employer interaction on a continual basis.
• Focus on constant improvement ultimately to a publishable product.
• Increase more embedded diversity and global awareness in all classes.
• Increase adjunct professional development.

Criterion Three C

Strengths

• Continually developing classes and programs to meet students’ needs.
• Constant evaluation of faculty and courses.
• Faculty and staff members that are collaborative and service-oriented.
• Faculty and staff are highly accessible to students.
• Involvement of faculty and staff in community is encouraged and supported.

Challenges

• Finding quality faculty to teach increasing demand for online courses.
• Finding a balance for faculty and staff to meet demands of teaching and non-teaching roles.
• Limited funding for professional development activities.

Future Focus

• In-house training for faculty in online teaching.
• Increase the number of full-time faculty.

Criterion Three D

Strengths

• Many services are available to aid students and faculty.
• Miller College makes an effort to meet the needs of students as indicated on the various student and alumni surveys.
• The College makes the effort to provide services when requested.

Challenges

• There is a need for technology support for faculty and students.
• Difficult process for acquiring wireless service on campus.
• Effectively communicate the extent of resources available to students.

Future Focus

• Effectively communicate the extent of resources available to students.
• As technology support is increasing new staff positions will be required to meet the need for technology support and data collection and analysis.

Criterion Three E

Strengths

• Service learning requirements.
• Communicating opportunities for service learning requirements, i.e. The Trillium Society and others.
• Co-curricular programs offered at regular intervals, i.e. Job Fair, Career Service Center generated programs.
• Student clubs.
• Opportunities to engage in Alumni fundraisers.
• Opportunities for students to hear key business presenters from around the country and world.

Challenges

• Create more options for learning that are non-credit and complement program interests, i.e. non-credit internships.
• Keeping current with changing State criteria in education is a challenge .

Future Focus

• Identify additional service learning opportunities in Trillium Society offerings.

Closing Summary

Miller College meets the challenge of providing a high quality education, wherever and however its offerings are delivered. This is especially noteworthy given the reality of a small college established seven years ago. Programs, curriculum, and instruction are the obvious foundation pieces of any college and Miller College has those in place and often in exemplary fashion. The surrounding elements of support and expansion that accompany effective student and staff support, as well as an expanded and enriching environment, are additional challenges for the small and growing college. These considerations have never taken a secondary role in the College’s development, and they have always been considered concomitant to a quality baccalaureate experience. Challenges remain. The College needs to do more of what it does: provide quality courses and an enriched educational environment. The primary focus for the future is to expand with this focus and then continue to assess the expansion for continued quality.