In the preceding chapters, we discussed the purposes, resources, accomplishments, continuous improvement, and integrity of educational programs, research efforts, faculty, staff, and support services. Here, we will briefly recap our conclusions and identify additional patterns of evidence in order to demonstrate that we satisfy the five criteria established for accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools - Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.

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

Michigan Tech fulfills the requirements for Criterion One. In Chapter 2, we demonstrated that the University mission and vision are consistent with our legislative mandate and appropriate to a technological university. In subsequent chapters, we demonstrated that the purposes identified with undergraduate and graduate education, research, and support services were also consistent with the University mission and vision. Each college, school (Appendix 6), and department [2.6] now has a mission statement which reinforces and supports University purposes. Because the University and unit mission statements are published in documents available to faculty, staff, and students, and because these constituencies are accomplishing our purposes, we conclude that our constituencies understand our stated purposes. Moreover, alumni, the legislature, and other external constituents are also kept informed of our purposes through University publications [7], our WWW page, and regular presentations to legislative bodies.

In Chapter 2 we also described the current strategic planning process based on our eight University goals. This annual planning process invites regular participation by faculty, staff, and students in setting objectives, measuring our progress, and thereby evaluating our purposes. We also involve external constituencies in the planning process through advisory boards at the university, college, school, and departmental levels. A significant outcome of our 1996/97 self-study process has been the review of University goals established in 1994 and recommendations for revision, discussed in Chapter 15.

Two purposes appropriate to an institution of higher education, and important to Michigan Tech, are freedom of inquiry and excellence in teaching and learning (see Chapters 3 and 6). Michigan Tech's Board of Control guarantees freedom of inquiry to students and faculty in its policy on academic freedom, which is published in both the Faculty Handbook [1.2A] and the Student Handbook [1.2C]. Tenure also provides freedom of inquiry to faculty. Teaching excellence is part of every academic unit’s mission. Commitment to excellence in learning is documented in our Program for Assessment of Student Academic Success [2.7A].

Criterion Two: The institution has effectively organized the human, financial, and physical resources necessary to accomplish its purposes.

Michigan Tech fulfills the requirements for Criterion Two. Throughout this Self-Study Report, we have demonstrated that we have effectively organized our human, financial, and physical resources to accomplish our purposes. Specifically, we have organized them in ways appropriate to a technological mission; balance in undergraduate teaching, graduate education, and research; and a residential and largely full-time student population.

Our human resources include an informed Board of Control (Chapter 2), qualified and experienced senior administrators (Chapters 1 and 12), a faculty appropriately qualified for undergraduate and graduate teaching and research (Chapter 6), and a professional and unionized staff qualified to accomplish its support services (Chapters 4, 5, 9, 11, and 12). University administration has been restructured since 1991 to optimize communication (Chapter 1; see also Appendix 7: Organization Charts) and University policies and procedures have been updated and published in newly revised Faculty Handbook [1.2A] and Student Handbook [1.2C]; the Policies and Procedures Manual [1.5E] is being revised and a Staff Handbook is being developed.

University administration is also committed to shared governance (discussed in Chapters 1, 2, 6, and 9). Shared governance generates multiple processes through which faculty, staff, and students participate in decision making. Departments are governed by departmental charters, and faculty, staff, and students participate in governance through the University Senate, Staff Council, Undergraduate Student Government, Graduate Student Council, and various standing committees and task forces (Appendix 8: Standing Committees). The recommendations of many committees and task forces have been implemented over the past decade. There is some concern, however, that the number of committees and task forces required to accomplish the University's purposes is growing, which adds to the responsibilities of both a faculty that is trying to balance expectations for teaching and research and of a lean professional and unionized staff.

One aspect of shared governance is evaluation of senior administration (see Chapter 6). In 1991 and again in 1996, a commission was convened by the University Senate and chaired by a tenured faculty member to evaluate senior administrators. In 1991, senior administration did not receive positive ratings from the faculty, but in 1996 the President and Executive Vice President and Provost received positive ratings from approximately 75% of respondents (approximately 50% rated them as good or very good and 25% as "OK"), a significant turnaround. The Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School also received positive ratings from faculty, and external reviewers evaluated him an effective and highly qualified administrator. One concern identified by the commission, that about 25% of the faculty did not know the Vice Provost for Research, is being rectified by meetings of the Vice Provost with all departments. Complete results of the commission’s survey is available in the Resource Room [5.3E].

Michigan Tech succeeds in attracting highly qualified students. Although the University's enrollment has declined over the past four years, it remains sufficient to meet our stated purposes in undergraduate and graduate education (Chapters 4 and 7). Coordinated recruitment and retention efforts are yielding positive results, and services to afford all students the opportunity to succeed have significantly expanded since 1988 (Chapters 4 and 5).

Our financial resources are appropriately managed and sufficient to accomplish our purposes (Chapter 12). The State of Michigan has provided adequate general fund monies as well as capital outlays and supplemental funding for technology. We have been able to keep tuition reasonable while making progress toward benchmark norms for faculty and staff compensation. Nonetheless, like most public institutions, we are acting to diversify our funding base through research grants and capital campaigns. Declining enrollments have eroded tuition revenue, but increased recruitment efforts appear to be succeeding. Increased first-year enrollment in 1997 signals a reversal of the previously discussed downward trend. Our pattern of expenditures shows a considerable growth in funds allocated to instruction (teaching and learning) since 1988, up from $24.5 million to $41.5 million, in spite of a smaller student body; this represents a stable allocation of nearly 40% of the total general fund budget. Consistent with our goals to achieve Carnegie Doctoral I status, our sponsored research expenditures have doubled since 1988, from $11.3 million to $20.9 million, thanks largely to success in attracting external funding for research.

Our physical resources are excellent. The physical plant (Chapter 11) is well-maintained and is expanding to provide additional classroom and laboratory space for the teaching, learning, and research appropriate to a technological university. Computing (Chapter 10) is state-of-the-art, and all faculty, staff, and students have access. Michigan Tech provides an exceptionally safe and healthy environment for students, thanks in part to its physical location. Two weaknesses are particular concerns, given our residential student population and remote location. One concern is the Library, which, while it continues to meet the service needs of the Michigan Tech community, is challenged to maintain a materials collection adequate for a technological research university. Another is the limited space for student life activities.

Criterion Three: The institution is accomplishing its educational and other purposes.

Michigan Tech fulfills the requirements for Criterion Three. Throughout this Self-Study Report, we have demonstrated that we are accomplishing our purposes of undergraduate education (Chapter 3), graduate education (Chapter 7), and research (Chapter 8) with a focus on science and technology. Graduating technologically competent leaders and communicators and disseminating the results of our basic and applied research demonstrates accomplishment of our public service mission.

Because we have organized this Self-Study Report around our strategic goals, we have not examined particular curricula within the body of this report. However, the college and school self-studies (Appendix 6), the departmental self-studies [2.6], the Undergraduate Catalog [1.3A], and the Graduate School Bulletin [1.3B] all document courses of study that are clearly defined, coherent, intellectually rigorous, and responsive to the needs of the region and its industries. Specialized accrediting bodies accredit programs in engineering and forestry, and our business program is in candidacy for specialized accreditation.

We have set new goals for General Education (Chapter 3) that will stimulate the understanding of personal, social, and civic values, and promote an understanding of scientific inquiry, fundamental to our science and technology mission. Cooperative learning strategies, teamwork, capstone courses, research opportunities for undergraduates, computer-assisted instruction, and electronic media all create interaction between students as well as between students and faculty and increase the use of research in undergraduate programs. We have taken the first step toward assessment of student academic achievement: every academic unit has a written plan for assessing student academic achievement in skills, competencies, and knowledge [2.7A], and preliminary results are available in some units.

Effective teaching is required by all faculty for reappointment, promotion, and tenure, and teaching evaluations document student satisfaction with teaching (Chapters 3 and 4). Learning Centers, the Library, computer laboratories, academic advising, and other academic support programs, as well as automated administrative support systems (i.e., BANNER®) contribute to effective delivery of our educational programs and preparation of accurate student transcripts. A diverse array of student organizations, student services and student life programs, and cultural programming (Chapter 5) provide significant opportunities for students' personal development and assure their well-being.

Allocation of General Fund monies for graduate education and research demonstrates Michigan Tech's strong commitment to research. We successfully achieved Carnegie Doctoral II status in 1994 and now meet threshold status for Doctoral I. Research and graduate programs have grown substantially and an external review of the Office of Research and Graduate School gave it high marks (Chapters 7 and 8).

Faculty and staff provide significant levels of service on University and departmental committees and task forces, as well as to their disciplines. However, faculty development and training and development for professional staff continue to warrant institutional attention and financial commitment (Chapters 6 and 9).

Criterion Four: The institution can continue to accomplish its purposes and strengthen its educational effectiveness.

Michigan Tech fulfills the requirements for Criterion Four. Our annual strategic planning process, established in 1993 and providing our framework for self-study, evaluates our progress against strategic goals designed to ensure our future viability and educational effectiveness. We have demonstrated the involvement of all University constituencies in that process (Chapter 2) and copies of the Strategic Plan and annual updates of strategic initiatives are available in the Resource Room [2.1D]. We took advantage of the self-study process to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to each strategic goal, and in Chapter 15 we evaluate the strategic plan as a whole and recommend revisions.

The review of each goal in this self-study demonstrated the adequacy of our current resource base to meet current objectives and outlined specific recommendations for improvement. The new executive leadership has received high marks from faculty and staff; they have succeeded in overturning an earlier climate of mistrust. Our system of decentralized decision making and shared governance enables broad input into decision making, which improves our ability to respond effectively to unanticipated challenges. Our new faculty will serve us well into the future, and the new position of Vice Provost for Instruction and the new Center for Teaching, Learning, and Faculty Development will encourage continuous improvement of teaching and learning. Total quality processes are helping staff to continuously improve support services.

However, our ability to achieve some of our long-range goals for research and diversity have been questioned, and we have yet to demonstrate the effectiveness of our assessment processes for student academic achievement.

Criterion Five: The institution demonstrates integrity in its practices and relationships.

Michigan Tech fulfills the requirements for Criterion Five. University publications, including the Undergraduate Catalog [1.3A] and Graduate School Bulletin [1.3B], fairly and accurately represent Michigan Tech, our programs, and our courses (Chapters 3 and 7). As a public institution, our records are open to the public, and meetings of the Board of Control are public meetings under Michigan's Open Meetings Act (Public Act 267). Board meetings are publicized and most meetings are held on Michigan Tech's campus. Although the physical distance of most Board members from the University occasionally creates problems in generating a quorum for Board meetings, increasing sophistication in distance conferencing facilities will help to mitigate this problem; however, public access needs to be assured.

Although our focussed mission in science and technology and remote location are impediments to increasing diversity, Michigan Tech has endeavored to build a diverse educational community (Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 9). Numerous strategic objectives at the University and unit level have led to the dedication of financial resources to increasing diversity.

The Office of Affirmative Programs, which reports directly to the President, monitors fairness in hiring practice and employee treatment [2.6H3]. The Faculty Handbook [1.2A], the Student Handbook [1.2C], and the Policies and Procedures Manual [1.5E] describe policies and practices for faculty, students, and staff; these include conflict of interest, discrimination and harassment, grievances, academic integrity, and academic freedom (Chapters 5, 6, and 9). A Conflict of Interest Coordinator reviews sponsored research for conflict of interest and gives recommendations on conflict of interest issues throughout the University. Faculty, staff, and students with grievances have recourse to appeals and hearings with several internal bodies, such as the University Ombudsman, the Committee on Academic Tenure, and the Academic Integrity Committee, as well as the Affirmative Action Officer. Collective bargaining with unionized staff has yielded favorable relationships. Insofar as these policies have been tested, practice appears consistent with policy.

Relationships with external bodies are conducted ethically. These include NCAA (Chapter 5), external funding agencies (Chapter 8), businesses that provide services (Chapters 11 and 12), and the Michigan Tech Fund (Chapter 12). Research Accounting specifically monitors all research-related grants and contracts; the Intellectual Property Office keeps researchers informed about copyright and patent information (Chapter 8). A concern on the horizon is copyright issues that pertain to electronic information; a study that we anticipate will lead to a University policy will be conducted in 1997/98.

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