NEASC INTEGRITY COMMITTEE
DRAFT REPORT DATA
April 1, 2003
STANDARD ELEVEN
INTEGRITY
I) DESCRIPTION
Documentation:
Policies and Procedures, Handbooks, Manuals, Codes, Catalogs, Plans,
Statements, Surveys, Guides, Contracts (in print and electronic media)
References:
NEASC Standards for Accreditation (SA 11.1-10)
- 11.1
The institution subscribes to, exemplifies, and advocates high ethical
standards in the management of its affairs and in all of its dealings with
students, faculty, staff, external agencies and organizations, and the
general public.
- 11.2
Truthfulness, clarity, and fairness characterize the institution’s
relations with all internal and external constituencies. Adequate
provision is made to ensure academic honesty, privacy rights, and fairness
in dealing with students, faculty, and staff. Appropriate policies and
procedures related to intellectual property rights are in place. The
institution’s educational policies and procedures are applicable and
equitably applied
to all its students.
- 11.3
The institution is committed to the free pursuit and dissemination of
knowledge. It assures faculty and students the freedom to teach and study
a given field, to examine all pertinent data, to question assumptions, and
to be guided by the evidence of scholarly research.
- 11.4
The institution observes the spirit as well as the letter of applicable
legal requirements. It has a charter and/or other formal authority from
the appropriate governmental agency authorizing it to grant all degrees it
awards; it has the necessary operating authority for each jurisdiction in
which it conducts activities; and it operates within this authority.
- 11.5
The institution adheres to non-discriminatory policies and practices in
recruitment, admissions, employment, evaluation, and advancement. It
fosters an atmosphere within the institutional community that respects and
supports people of diverse characteristics and backgrounds.
- 11.6
The institution manages its administrative operations with honesty and
integrity.
- 11.7
The institution has established and publicizes clear policies ensuring
institutional integrity. Included among them are appropriate policies and
procedures for the fair resolution of grievances brought by faculty,
staff, or students.
- 11.8
In its relationships with the Commission on Institutions of Higher
Education, the institution demonstrates honesty and integrity, and it
complies with the Commission’s Standards, policies, and requests.
- 11.9
In addition to the considerations stated in this Standard, the institution
adheres to those requirements related to institutional integrity embodied
in all other Commission Standards.
- 11.10
The institution periodically assesses the effectiveness of its ethical
policies and procedures and demonstrates that mechanisms exist for the
effective implementation of its principles.
II) APPRAISAL
Evidential Basis of Appraisal
- Institutional documents
(Policies and Procedures, Handbooks, Manuals, Codes, Catalogs, Plans,
Statements, Surveys, Guides, Contracts, etc.)
- Student questionnaire
results (responses and comments)
- Administration, Faculty,
and Staff (AFS) questionnaire results (responses and comments)
- Institutional interview
results
- Institutional Actions,
Plans and Practices
Student Questionnaire:
Demographic Data
- 130 (ages 17-19); 266
(ages 20-25); 188 (ages 26-35); 167 (ages 36-50); 29 (over 50) = 780 total
- 480 females; 287 males =
767 total
- 63 African-American; 518
Caucasian; 71 Hispanic; 34 Asian; 89 Other = 775 total
- 148 freshman full time;
64 freshman part time; 279 sophomore full time; 90 sophomore part time;
192 other = 773 total
- 320 Knight campus; 268
Flanagan campus; 61 Liston campus; 16 Other = 665 total
Administration, Faculty, and Staff Questionnaire: Demographic Data
- 19 administrators; 109
faculty; 129 staff; 2 Other = 259 total
- 126 females; 102 males =
228 total
- 13 African-American; 207
Caucasian; 12 Hispanic; 2 Asian; 13 Other = 247 total
- 48 (1-4 years
employment); 59 (5-8 years employment); 44 (9-15 years employment); 34
(16-20 years employment); 67 (over 20 years employment) = 252 total
- 120 Knight campus; 94
Flanagan campus; 25 Liston campus; 3 Other = 242 total
STRENGTHS
Student Questionnaire
-
#15 College
catalog readily available 1.76 (SA 11.1)
-
#10 Respect
and support for the physically disadvantaged 1.90 (SA 11.5)
-
# 9 Respect
and support for diversity 1.96 (SA 11.5)
-
# 1 Adequate
level of physical safety in buildings and on grounds 1.98 (SA 11.1,
11.2, 11.6)
-
# 16 CCRI
college catalog provides sufficient information to make educational
decisions 2.03 (SA 11.1, 11.2, 11.7)
-
# 24 Adequate
academic freedom 2.07 (SA 11.3)
-
#13 High level
of academic integrity 2.11 (SA 11.2)
-
# 30 Fair and
efficient registration process 2.12 (SA 11.1, 11.2, 11.6)
-
#2 Healthy
level of environmental safety inside college facilities 2.12 (SA
11.1, 11.2, 11.6)
-
# 20 Faculty
and counselors consistently treat students in a non-sexist manner 2.13
(SA 11.5)
-
# 28 CCRI’s
payment policies and procedures are accessible and clear 2.13 (SA
11.1, 11.2, 11.6)
-
#17 CCRI’s
policies and procedures are applied equally to all students. 2.14
(SA 11.1, 11.2, 11.6)
-
#35 Student
confidentiality is respected at CCRI. 2.15 (SA 11.2)
-
#32 The
grading system at CCRI is fair. 2.18 (SA 11.1, 11.2, 11.6)
-
#25 Students
are free to express their concerns to administrators. 2.19 (SA
11.1, 11.2, 11.6)
-
#19
Prerequisite and/or basic courses have adequately prepared me for more
advanced coursework. 2.23 (SA 11.1, 11.2, 11.6)
-
#22 CCRI’s
Student Handbook is readily available. 2.26 (SA 11.1, 11.2, 11.6)
AFS Questionnaire
-
#10 Respect
and support for the physically disadvantaged 1.88 (SA 11.5)
-
#9 Respect and
support for diversity 1.95 (SA 11.5)
-
# 31
Appropriate academic freedom 2.25 (SA 11.3)
-
# 30 Adequate
technical support 2.30 (SA 11.6)
-
#13 High level
of academic integrity 2.31 (SA 11.2)
-
#14 Adequate
procedures to resolve college-related concerns 2.39 (SA 11.7)
-
#29 The
department of Information Technology publicizes and follows
pertinent copyright and confidentiality policies. 2.41 (SA 11.4,
11.6)
-
#1 CCRI
provides an adequate level of physical safety in its buildings and
grounds. 2.44 (SA 11.1, 11.4, 11.6)
-
#7 The CCRI
No Harassment policy effectively deters harassment of any kind
(sexual, racial, religious, etc.) throughout the college. 2.46 (SA
11.5)
-
#15 Overall,
relations between administrators and faculty serve CCRI students well.
2.46 (SA 11.1, 11.2, 11.6)
-
#23 CCRI
policies regarding my position and job description are clearly spelled out
in detail. 2.56 (SA 11.7)
Institutional Interviews
WEAKNESSES
Student Questionnaire
-
# 5 Not read
CCRI Code of Ethics 3.25 (SA 11.1, 11.2)
-
# 6 CCRI Code
of Ethics does not set clear standards for integrity 2.62 (SA 11.1,
11.2, 11.10)
-
# 4 CCRI Code
of Ethics is not readily available 2.62 (SA 11.1, 11.2)
-
# 3 CCRI does
not provide a secure area for personal possessions 2.56 (SA 11.1,
11.2, 11.6)
-
#31 CCRI weak
in policies and procedures to deal with unprofessional faculty behavior
2.56 (SA 11. 1, 11.2, 11.4, 11.6, 11.10)
-
#26 Student
knowledge of appropriate steps to resolve academic or personal problem is
weak 2.55 (SA 11.7)
-
#34 CCRI
admissions and transfer counselors are not always available or
knowledgeable 2.54 (SA 11.1, 11.2, 11.6)
-
#27 Academic
advisors do not always provide accurate information about degree
requirements 2.49 (SA 11.1, 11.2, 11.6)
-
#33 Student
orientation is not completely adequate 2.42 (SA 11.1, 11.2, 11.6)
AFS Questionnaire
-
# 17 Budget
allotments to and within CCRI are insufficient 3.53 (SA 11.6)
-
# 2 Unhealthy
level of environmental safety inside college facilities 3.24 (SA
11.1, 11.4)
-
# 21
Promotions and hiring practices are not open and fair 3.20 (SA
11.1, 11.2, 11.5, 11.6)
-
#24 Academic
department inadequately staffed 3.18 (SA 11.1, 11.6)
-
# 19
Accountability of administrative decisions and actions is lacking 3.13
(SA 11.6, 11.10)
-
# 27
Inadequate orientation of administrators, faculty, and staff 3.13
(SA 11.1, 11.2, 11.6)
-
# 5 Not read
CCRI Code of Ethics 3.12 (SA 11.1, 11.10)
-
# 32 Adjunct
faculty not included in departmental decisions and policy making 3.10
(SA 11.1, 11.2, 11.5, 11.6)
-
# 18
Administrative policies at CCRI are not fair to all stakeholders 3.09
(SA 11.6, 11.10)
-
# 3 CCRI does
not provide a secure area for personal possessions 3.03 (SA 11.1,
11.2, 11.6)
-
#28 CCRI
orientation policies, procedures, and process are not well designed and
efficient. 3.01 (SA 11.1, 11.2, 11.6)
-
#16 The CCRI
budgetary process is not available for public scrutiny. 2.99 (SA
11.1, 11.2, 11.6)
Institutional Interviews
AFS Comments/# of respondents out of a total of 39
-
#1 CCRI does not provide an adequate level of
physical safety in its buildings and grounds. (14)
-
#2 CCRI does not provide a healthy level of
environmental safety (air quality, for example) inside college facilities.
(10)
-
#21
Promotions and
hiring practices at CCRI are not open and fair. (10)
-
#24
My department is not adequately staffed. (10)
-
#4
The CCRI Code of Ethics is not readily available. (7)
-
#22
CCRI does not promote open and productive communication among
administrators, faculty, and staff. (7)
-
#10
Some CCRI personnel do not respect and support people with different
physical abilities. (5)
-
#13
There is not a high level of academic integrity at CCRI. (5)
-
#27 CCRI does
not adequately orient administrators, faculty, and staff. (5)
-
#32
Departmental decisions and policymaking do not include adjunct faculty.
(5)
-
#7 The CCRI
No Harassment policy does not effectively deter harassment of all
kinds (sexual, racial, religious, etc.) throughout the college. (4)
-
#12 CCRI does
not practice these policies fairly toward all college stakeholders
(administrators, faculty, students, staff, alumni, etc.). (4)
-
#19
Accountability of administrative decisions and actions lacking at CCRI.
(4)
-
#30 Adequate
technical support is not available at CCRI. (4)
-
#8 CCRI does
have unethical policies and/or practices. (3)
-
#3 CCRI does
not provide a secure area for personal possessions. (3)
Student Comments/# of respondents
-
#27 Academic
advisors and counselors do not provide accurate information about degree
requirements. (10)
-
#29 Personnel
in the Registrar’s office are not professional and helpful. (10)
-
#32 The
grading system at CCRI is not fair. (7)
-
#1 CCRI does
not provide an adequate level of physical safety in its buildings and
grounds. (6)
-
Nursing
Program complaints (4)
-
Integrity
questionnaire (3)
III)
PROJECTION
STRENGTHS
-
College
catalog readily available
-
Respect and
support for the physically disadvantaged
-
Respect and
support for diversity
-
CCRI college
catalog provides sufficient information to make educational decisions
-
Appropriate
academic freedom
-
Adequate
technical support
-
High level of
academic integrity
-
Adequate
procedures to resolve college-related concerns
-
The department
of Information Technology publicizes and follows pertinent
copyright and confidentiality policies
-
Fair and
efficient registration process
-
CCRI provides
an adequate level of physical safety in its buildings and grounds
-
The CCRI No
Harassment policy effectively deters harassment of any kind (sexual,
racial, religious, etc.) throughout the college
-
Healthy level
of environmental safety inside college facilities
-
Faculty and
counselors consistently treat students in a non-sexist manner
-
CCRI’s payment
policies and procedures are accessible and clear
-
Student
confidentiality is respected at CCRI
PROBLEMS, WEAKNESSES OR AREAS OF CONCERN
-
Code of Ethics
is vague and not readily available
-
Budgetary
allotments to and within CCRI are insufficient
-
Lack of
budgetary openness
-
Physical
environment is unhealthy
-
Physical
environment is unsafe
-
Hiring and
promotion practices are not open and fair
-
Advising and
counseling as incompetent, misleading, unprofessional
-
Registrar’s
office seen as unprofessional
-
Academic
departments are not adequately staffed
-
Lack of open
and productive communication
-
Inefficient
orientation of administrators, faculty, staff, and students
-
Inconsistent
inclusion of adjunct faculty in departmental decisions and policymaking
-
Lack of
administrative accountability and lack of fairness toward all stakeholders
-
“State worker”
-
Suspect
security for personal possessions
-
Questionable
academic integrity
-
Lack of
periodic institutional self-assessment of the effectiveness of its ethical
principles
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
-
CCRI should
reformulate the Code of Ethics into a concise, clear, precise, and
specific guideline that incorporates our educational values, professional
principles of practice, and institutional mission. The college should also
explicitly and regularly highlight the institutional centrality and
relevance of the Code of Ethics for accomplishing our institutional
mission. It should conduct periodic institutional self-assessment of the
effectiveness of its ethical policies and clearly demonstrate that
mechanisms exist for the effective implementation of its principles.
-
CCRI should reformulate its Mission Statement into a
concise, clear, precise, and specific statement of our institutional goals
and the fundamental educational values and ideals underlying them. The
revised Mission Statement should dovetail and complement—in tenor
and substance—the revised CCRI Code of Ethics
-
CCRI needs to
systematically address and critically assess Physical safety and
health concerns. Any existing problems need to be corrected and
suitable policies and practices designed and implemented. CCRI must be
cognizance of the letter and spirit of all legal requirements (OSHA, etc.)
and conduct all its affairs in strict compliance with them.
-
CCRI must
consistently impress upon state political leaders and legislators that the
quality of our institutional mission is drastically diminished by the
unrealistic limits imposed upon us (e.g., Full Time Equivalents [FTE]) while simultaneously pursuing
all available and appropriate avenues of financial assistance. We must
gather relevant evidence regarding our strained institutional status
in order to make a more compelling and concrete case to politicians and
legislators.
-
CCRI needs to
constructively engage the concerns of many employees regarding their
longstanding perception of unfair hiring and promotion practices.
As in other areas of the institution, CCRI needs to develop more
institutional openness and transparency regarding its hiring and promotion
integrity. The widespread perception among CCRI employees is that this
area is “politicized” and therefore unfair, inequitable, preferential, and
nepotistic. Therefore, CCRI needs to engage these widespread concerns
constructively by more clearly publicizing and, more importantly,
consistently practicing fair, equitable, non-discriminatory, open, public,
and impartial hiring and promotion practices.
-
CCRI must
critically review its advising and counseling policies, practices
and performances. On this basis, it should design appropriate plans and
implement indicated changes. At present, both students and employees
generally lack confidence in what is perceived as an understaffed and
consequently inefficient and
occasionally incompetent staff in this area.
-
CCRI must
critically review its orientation policies, process, and
practices. On this basis, it should design appropriate plans and
implement indicated changes.
-
CCRI needs to
become more open, public, inclusive, collaborative, consistent, and
productive in its intra-institutional communication
(between the various sectors of the college). It should also become less
bureaucratic, inefficient, sporadic, and irrelevant. There is a widespread
perception among CCRI employees that some serious college business are
being conducted clandestinely. CCRI should accordingly take concrete measures to
scrupulously avoid even the appearance of secrecy or lack of professional
openness. Admittedly, such a perception may not be evidentially warranted,
but it is the existence of such a perception, and not its
evidential justifiability, that needs to be constructively changed.
-
CCRI should
critically review its professional relationship with adjunct faculty.
-
CCRI should
critically review its policies and procedures regarding the security of
personal possessions and implement warranted changes. Some employees
claim that unauthorized college personnel possess, and utilize, keys they
should not have access to. Therefore, the policy and practice of key
distribution should be carefully assessed and appropriately modified.
Also, the college should create a mechanism for monitoring any abuses of
the revised policies and procedures. Perhaps key authorizations and
distributions should be made publicly available as a means of bolstering
institutional confidence in this area.
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