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player ready...Triton College has been directed to improve the way it measures student learning after a recent visit from an accreditation agency.
The school’s trustees and other officials heard a presentation on the Higher Learning Commission’s visit from Triton’s director of planning and accreditation, Pamela Perry, during the board’s meeting Aug. 28.
Overall, the outcome of the visit was positive. Triton’s accreditation was continued through 2023, and in some ways the school improved over its last commission visit in 2013.
During that visit, two of the commission’s accreditation criteria were categorized as “met” by Triton and three were categorized as “met with concerns,” according to the presentation. This year, when the commission came to Triton in early March, four of the criteria were met and only one — evaluation and improvement — was met with concerns.
“We’re not done, but we’re definitely doing well,” Perry said.
The area of particular concern to the agency was Triton’s approach to assessment of student learning, according to the presentation. The commission plans to return to the school in April 2020 for a focus visit addressing only the assessment of specific programs and general education.
To prepare for the focus visit, Triton must develop and put in place a structure for assessing student-learning outcomes, according to the presentation. Specifically, this includes developing a common assessment language, establishing assessment data as a factor in prioritization and budgeting, and identifying learning outcomes for students, public relations coordinator Stephen Butera stated in an email.
So far, the school has developed a project plan and stipend structure for involved faculty, identified a professional development conference for the college’s assessment committee, contacted a speaker and scheduled faculty forums, according to the presentation.
“I am seeing the assessment committee really step up,” Perry said.
Other areas for improvement Perry noted in her presentation include Triton’s diversity, policies and procedures, and institutional assessment.
In a written statement, Triton President Mary-Rita Moore thanked college employees for their involvement in the commission’s visit.
“We agree with the Higher Learning Commission team’s findings and are pleased with the positive report,” she stated.
Also at the board’s August meeting, Perry gave a presentation on plans to evaluate and revise Triton’s mission and vision statements.
Trustees adopted the current mission and vision statements in 2011, according to Butera. Perry noted that few people can recite the mission statement, which she said should be clear, concise and useful, while a vision statement should explain what the school intends to accomplish.
Triton’s current mission statement is: “Triton College is committed to student success through institutional and academic excellence, and providing a student-centered, lifelong learning environment for our diverse community.”
Its vision statement reads: “Triton College is a model of teaching excellence and student success. We are a community college that embraces the educational, training, and personal development needs of the diverse communities we serve through innovation in our programs and approach to learning.”
A coffee and conversation event to discuss Triton’s mission and vision will be hosted by the college council this fall, according to the presentation. In spring 2019, the school plans to release draft statements and hold open forums on the drafts.