2024 Higher Learning Commission Focused Visit
Following our mid-cycle review in 2023, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) identified three primary areas for improvement at Bismarck State College (BSC): the Program Review/Discipline Review process, Assessment practices, and the Evidence Documentation Process. These areas were highlighted as critical for enhancing our institution's academic quality and operational effectiveness, aligning with HLC’s accreditation standards.
BSC will host a focused visit, from the HLC, on December 2-3, 2024. This visit will provide us with the opportunity to showcase the progress we’ve made in these areas. We are dedicated to making the necessary improvements to uphold our standards of excellence and continue providing high-quality educational experiences to our students. Our efforts to address the feedback from the mid-cycle review are comprehensive and reflect our institution's commitment to continuous improvement and adherence to the highest standards of academic integrity and effectiveness.
HLC Focused Visit Report
When available, the HLC Focused Visit outcomes will be made public.
2024 Higher Learning Commission Focused Visit
About the HLC Focused Visit
Evidence File
HLC Focused Visit Report
About the HLC
Listening Sessions
About the HLC Focused Visit
BSC will host a Focused Visit on December 2-3, 2024, during which a peer review team will evaluate the extent to which the college has met the three most recent findings of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
The details of the three HLC recent findings include;
Criterion 4.A.
- Ensure academic program review cycle documents are consistent with current plans for the program review process.
- Demonstrate full implementation of academic and co-curricular program review, including evidence of any claims for the integration of program review with institutional planning and budgeting processes.
- Demonstrate the impact of program review on specific decisions taken to improve programs.
- Provide detailed evidence of the process for oversight over dual credit courses offered at high schools.
- Provide evidence of currency for all specialized accreditations claimed by the institution in its public statements, as discussed in 2B.
Criterion 4.B.
- Demonstrate, with evidence, the practice of regular, ongoing assessment of academic and curricular program learning outcomes consistent with program assessment plans.
- Demonstrate substantial faculty and instructional staff engagement in the assessment process.
- Demonstrate, with specific evidence, that the assessment process is used to inform decisions and actions to improve student learning.
Criterion 5.C.
- Evidence of minutes and action by key standing committees.
- Documentation of processes and outcomes related to Criterion 4 as discussed in that section.
- Documentation of the strategic planning review process, data gathering, analysis, and action to make changes and improve institutional outcomes. Evidence that the current mission and strategic plan are presented consistently and clearly to the public.
How has BSC addressed the HLC findings?
Criterion 4.A. – The Institution ensures the quality of its educational offerings.
BSC, specifically Academic Affairs, updated the existing “Unit Review” process and it was rebranded as Discipline Review. The committee structure included combining the Assessment Committee and Unit Review Committee as the Assessment and Discipline Review Committee (ADRC). The process was rescheduled from a five-year to a three-year process (three phases). The first phase was completed on the 5th of June. The first phase included a program/pathway Self-study and Action Plan for continuous quality improvement (CQI). Summary: There was 100% engagement of the faculty and academic administration in the first phase. A total of 70 Self-studies and Action Plans were submitted on time. For further details, see the Evidence File.
Criterion 4.B. – The Institution engages in ongoing assessment of student learning as part of its commitment to the educational outcomes of its students.
As noted above, we have instituted a new committee (ADRC) of faculty and academic administration leaders to support the necessary changes and growth in our efforts toward student success. Historically, BSC has struggled in this area to “close the loop” on Assessment. In this last year, BSC has re-established an improved communication and monitoring system, including designating staff to coordinate this monitoring and data collection process, hence identifying programs/pathways that do not have an Assessment Plan or have not reported in years, as required. Additionally, BSC is collaborating with other Assessment Coordinators across the University System and exploring best practices for implementation, fostering an ongoing effort to improve our Assessment systems. For further details, see the Evidence File.
Criterion 5.C. – The institution engages in systematic and integrated planning and improvement.
The BSC Campus Council, over the last year, has driven the initiative to build-out a plan to improve BSC communication. Specifically, plans and action have ensued this year to establish BSC webpages highlighting the Higher Learning Commission as well as details around the upcoming HLC Focused Visit. Going forward, the Campus Council will further drive enhancing communication via a standard meeting Agenda/Minutes.
For further details, see the Evidence File.
The visiting HLC peer-review team for our Focused Visit consists of the following members;
- Rebecca Timmons, Ed.D., Director of Assessment and Accountability, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
- Perry Ninger, MBA, Dean, School of Business, Colorado Mountain College
Schedule for the Visit
The 2024 Focused Visit Evidence File identifies the documentary evidence that will be presented to the HLC. The following lists of evidence below may change as we continue to plan for this important Focused Visit.
Monday - December 2, 2024
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9-9:30 a.m.
- BSC Personnel: Dr. Jensen and Leadership
- Location: NECE 335
- Activity: Introductory Meeting
-
9:30-10:30 a.m.
- BSC Personnel: VPs, Deans, ADs, IE&R
- Location: NECE 335
- Activity: 4.B. Assessment; student learning history & program improvements
-
10:30-11:30 a.m.
- BSC Personnel: VP's, Deans, AD's, IE&R
- Location: NECE 335
- Activity: 4.A. Prog Review; history & process of Prog Review
-
11:30-12 p.m.
- Break
- Location: NECE 305
- Activity: HLC Review Team
-
12-1:30 p.m.
- BSC Personnel: Faculty Senate
- Location: NECE 431
- Activity: Lunch with Faculty to discuss Assessment; process of student learning, examples, challenges, assessment training, how has it affected student learning...
-
1:30-1:45 p.m.
- Break
- Location: NECE 305
- Activity: HLC Review Team
-
1:45-2:45 p.m.
- BSC Personnel: ADRC
- Location: NECE 335
- Activity: Assessment; history, process of student learning
-
2:45-3 p.m.
- Break
- Location: NECE 305
- Activity: HLC Review Team
-
3-4 p.m.
- BSC Personnel: Finance, Deans, ADs
- Location: NECE 335
- Activity: 5.C. Planning - History & process of planning; who was involved, what is the planing cycle, connection of long & short term planning & budget. Review of longterm plan and how the data collection/process works.
-
4-4:30 p.m.
- BSC Personnel: Dr. Jensen
- Location: NECE 335
- Activity: Day One Review
Tuesday - December 3, 2024
- 9-11 a.m.
- BSC Personnel: TBD
- Location: NECE 431
- Activity: Open for clarification meetings with specific personnel.
- 11-11:30 a.m.
- BSC Personnel: Dr. Jensen & Key Staff
- Location: NECE 431
- Activity: Exit meeting and snacks
- 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- Reserved Meeting RM - NECE 305
Evidence Files
HLC Criterion 4.A.
BSC’s Discipline Review provides an opportunity for the institution to use a data-driven process via a Self-study to review the current status, achievements, and areas to be improved of our academic and co-curricular programs and pathways. Evaluating teaching and learning leads to improved student learning outcomes and is emphasized by BSC’s accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). BSC’s Discipline Review builds upon our annual Assessments conducted by each of our academic and co-curricular departments.
Summary of BSC’s improvements
- Rebranded our process from Unit Review to Discipline Review
- Re-established a single focused committee, made-up of BSC Faculty, to lead the process of Review and Assessment; the Assessment and Discipline Review Committee (ADRC)
- Restructured the cadence of our Discipline Reviews from five years to three years (three phases) with the intent of performing a more efficient turn-around of self-studies and completion of action items
- A new Self-study survey was established to identify the current status of each academic and co-curricular program/pathway.
- A new Action Plan document was established to clearly identify areas for improving each program/pathway as well as identify the key personnel and due date to implement each action item.
- A new Teams site was established to improve our communication and dissemination/collection of templates, documents, and training materials.
- A Student Success Dashboard was established to support our faculty to best understand trends of student success in their program.pathway.
- An Efficiency Dashboard is currently being crafted to support Faculty and Administrators to best address costs for each Subject Area.
Resources & Other Evidence
- Link to ADRC Team’s site
- Phase 1 Self-study template
- Phase 1 Action Plan template
- Phase 1 Mid-phase report template
- Phase 1 Administrative Summary template
- Phase 1 Executive Summary template
- Phase 2 Mid-phase report
- Phase 3 Final Evaluation report
- Videos of our 2023-2024 ADRC Meetings/Training
- Links to completed Phase 1 Self-studies, Action Plans, & Admin Summaries
- AEAT - Automation, Energy, & Advanced Technologies
- CET - Current & Emerging Technologies
- HAS - Humanities, Arts & Sciences
- Co-curricular
- Link to Phase 1 Executive Summary
- Oversight operations of the dual credit processes
- Special Accreditation current letters
HLC Criterion 4.B.
BSC engages in ongoing annual assessment of student learning as part of its commitment to the educational outcomes and student success.
Summary of BSC’s improvements
- Re-established a single focused committee, made-up of BSC Faculty, to lead the process of Review and Assessment; the Assessment and Discipline Review Committee
- BSC has identified a designated staff member to audit, improve, and coordinate the Assessment process
Resources & Other Evidence
- Videos of our 2023-2024 ADRC Meetings/Training
- New Assessment Guide for reporting - 2024
- Institutional Essential Learning Outcomes (IELOs)
- Program/Pathway Assessment Plans
- AEAT- Automation, Energy, & Advanced Technologies
- CET - Current & Emerging Technologies
- HAS - Humanities, Arts, & Sciences
- Co-curricular
- Program/Pathway Assessment Reports
- AEAT- Automation, Energy, & Advanced Technologies
- CET - Current & Emerging Technologies
- HAS - Humanities, Arts, & Sciences
- Co-curricular
- Program/Pathway Learning Outcomes - Catalog
- AEAT- Automation, Energy, & Advanced Technologies
- CET - Current & Emerging Technologies
- HAS - Humanities, Arts, & Sciences
- Co-curricular
- Dashboards and Scoreboards of Faculty engagement of the Review and Assessment submission process
HLC Criterion 5.C.
BSC engages in systematic and integrated planning and improvement.
Summary of BSC’s improvements
- BSC’s Strategic Plan 2022-2027
- New Vice-president of Strategic Initiatives
- New Campus Council Charter – 2024-2025
- New standard meeting Agenda and Minutes
- Updated Academic Program Development and Approval process
- Facility improvements
- Advanced Technology Center
- Bavendick Center
- Updated our list of key standing Committees and improved our CORE site for communication and documentation
Resources & Other Evidence
- State Board of Higher Education
- Campus Council
- Teams site
- Meeting Minutes
- HLC Working Groups
- HLC 2024 Ops/Comm Plan
- HLC Accreditation webpage
- HLC Focused Visit listening sessions
- Policy Working Group
- Key Standing Committees
- BILT and Advisory meeting minutes
- Evidence of Strategic Planning
- Review process
- Data gathering
- Analysis
- Action
- Evidence the Vision, Mission, and Goals are consistently presented to the public
About the HLC
The HLC accredits colleges and universities in a 19-state region of the United States.
Listening Sessions
The BSC Office of Academic Affairs will host three listening sessions to answer questions about the Focused Visit by the Higher Learning Commission on December 2-3. All listening sessions will be hosted virtually on Teams.
Listening Session Schedule – Live in the NECE Auditorium or use the Teams link below.
We welcome your feedback and questions. You can submit comments about the HLC Focused Visit by October 30, 2024 to Dr. Dan Leingang, VPAA, at daniel.leingang@bismarckstate.edu