Reviewers praise WSU

The Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities (NCCU) recently published a report for Weber State University about the school’s current standing as an accredited institution of higher education. The report did not include any recommendations for the school, which is very unusual, according to WSU’s Provost Michael Vaughan.
“It’s really just a confirmation that we’re on the right track so we’re not going to do any drastic change in direction,” Vaughan said. “We’re just going to continue to pursue the course we’re on because the report just actually validates the course we’re on.”
To keep WSU on the right track, the NCCU made two recommendations after a more extensive evaluation five years ago. They recommended that the school improve its training and evaluation of adjunct faculty. They also recommended that WSU regularly and systematically assess the general education program.
“(The report) stated that we had done an exceptional job of addressing the previous two recommendations,” Vaughan said.
After the recommendations were made, WSU made a few university-wide changes. The General Education Improvement and Assessment Committee was created to empower the faculty to monitor and improve the general education program on an ongoing basis.
The NCCU’s report called the university’s progress in this area impressive and stated that the university should be “lauded for both energy and focus in these areas.”
WSU also responded to the recommendation that it improve its training of adjunct faculty by having all-day weekend training sessions for adjunct faculty. Adjunct faculty member Adrienne Gillespie attended one of the training sessions.
“All of the workshops I attended last year were very helpful in the shaping of my syllabus,” Gillespie said. “The training that they provide gives you more in-depth detail in how to reach your students and measure the learning that’s going on.”  
­­­­­­­­­WSU also made each department chair responsible for the evaluation of its own adjunct faculty. In 2007, three years after the change was made, 70 percent of adjunct faculty said they felt they were evaluated on a regular basis, an increase of 12 percent. Despite the increased regularity of adjunct evaluations, adjunct professors reported to the NCCU that they would like input into the student evaluation questionnaire and more consistent classroom evaluation by colleagues.
Two NCCU representatives performed the evaluation and prepared the report. The report was based on WSU’s own self-study and the representatives’ visit to the university. The evaluators officially met with 38 WSU employees and 12 students. The evaluators also noted unofficial contact with students randomly around campus and even students on staff at their hotel. They reported that students were enthusiastic about their experiences at WSU and that the school is clearly a student-centered institution.
The NCCU’s report was concluded with five commendations. The representatives praised the university’s hospitality, campus appearance, morale, progress of adjunct faculty and progress in general education assessment.
“No one can visit the WSU campus without catching their breath at the natural beauty which surrounds it,” the report said. “We commend the present university community for the beautifully manicured grounds and architecture which blends together so well.”