CHAPTER  4

ACTIVITIES  BEFORE  THE  VISIT

 4.1        Introduction 

Faculty staff are asked to complete a self-evaluation report before the team visit.  This is studied by the team before and during the visit.  It is part of the evidence the team considers as it forms its judgements. 

The self-evaluation should be open and honest.  It is divided into the seven domains of the standards.  At the end of each domain, faculty staff write their own evaluation of their performance.  They should indicate the weaknesses and the plans to improve them. 

Faculty staff will also make available to the visiting team files and other documents which give the information the team needs.  To assist in the presentation of data in a standardised way for each faculty, the documents list has nine forms attached to it. 

This chapter contains the self-evaluation report form (section 4.5), and the documents list (section 4.7).  The nine forms are given in Appendix 1.  Included in Appendix 2 is a fictional self-evaluation report from Piri Reis University faculty of education.  It shows the kind of detail requested in the self-evaluation report 

The faculty accreditation coordinator has an important role to play before and during a visit.  Section 4.3 gives the jobs he/she, together with the accreditation commission, are expected to do.  Section 4.2 discusses preparing for and hosting a visit. 

One of the things to be done before the visit is planning between the heads of programs to be visited and the faculty accreditation coordinator.  Each member of the team will meet the relevant program head at the start of the visit.  During this first meeting, the details of the time to be spent looking at all aspects of the program will be finalised.  However, before the team arrives, the program head must prepare a full timetable for the hours to be spent within the program.  This will include meetings with the program head, staff, research assistants, students; looking at the classrooms, specialist rooms and equipment, and observing classes.  Section 5.3 gives details which should be followed as plans are made before the visit.  Section 4.6 explains how the process of self-evaluation can be used for faculty improvement. 

4.2        Preparing for and hosting the visit 

Preparing for the visit

Much work goes into preparing for an accreditation visit.  Preparation is essential.  The visit itself is an intense period of work for the faculty as well as the team.  The tasks in preparing for the visit are described below. 

1        Appointing a faculty accreditation coordinator and a faculty accreditation commission   The work of the faculty in preparing for the visit is overseen by a faculty accreditation coordinator appointed by the dean.   The coordinator will be someone familiar with accreditation, with a good overall knowledge of the work of the faculty.  He or she will also work with a faculty accreditation commission which will be responsible for preparing the self-evaluation, compiling the documents, and generally getting the faculty ready for the visit.  The work of the coordinator and commission are described in section 4.3. 

2        The  self-evaluation  The self-evaluation report follows the format given in section 4.5, to describe and analyse how well the programs being reviewed meet the standards for accreditation.  Section 4.6 on Using the self-evaluation for improvement can help faculty staff to get the maximum benefit from preparing the self-evaluation. 

The self-evaluation accomplishes several purposes.

·            It organises the thinking of faculty staff about how well their programs meet the standards, and what areas of improvement are needed. 

·            It orients the team to the faculty and the programs.  Assessors read the self-evaluation before coming to campus. 

·            It provides the basis on which the team will review the programs against the standards.  An accurate and candid self-evaluation will give the team confidence in the faculty judgements. 

3        The documents   The self-evaluation is supported by a set of documents which provide additional evidence to the team about how the programs meet the accreditation standards.  The list of required documents is given in section 4.7.  There are also nine forms included in Appendix 1 to help organise the presentation of the material to the team.  

4        The pre-visit  Two weeks before the accreditation visit, a member of the team makes a pre-visit to the faculty.  The team member ensures that the logistics will be arranged to let the team do its work efficiently.  Most of the pre-visit work is done by the faculty accreditation coordinator.  The visiting team member also meets with the dean and program heads and explains the work of the team. 

5        The logistics for the team  The logistics concern transportation, accommodation and meals, working facilities and equipment for the team, and arranging the schedule.  These are outlined in section 4.3.  The arrangements should be thorough and detailed so that the team can concentrate on its work.    

6        The team schedule   The team schedule for the visit is outlined in section 5.1.  All the designated meetings should be scheduled   The meetings should be arranged by the faculty accreditation coordinator before the team arrives, with consultation with colleagues as necessary.   

Individual team members meet with the heads of the respective programs at lunch on the first day to finalise the portion of the schedule in which team members meet with the programs being reviewed (see section 5.3).  This portion of the schedule should be arranged before the team arrives.

The faculty accreditation coordinator also arranges for the dinner the first night the team is on campus (see below).

 Hosting the visit 

There are three main components to hosting the visit. 

1        The dinner 

The faculty will host a dinner for the team the first evening the team is on campus.  This event gives key members of the faculty and members of the team a chance to meet each other and begin to discuss the programs and the visit.   

       The dinner should take place in a campus facility or other suitable venue.  It should last no more than an hour and half, as the team will meet together alone after the dinner.   The following people should be invited to the dinner with the team: the dean, deputy deans, the faculty accreditation coordinator, program heads of the programs being visited, and the faculty partnership coordinator. 

2        Answering team questions

      Much of the time of the team will be spent in meetings with faculty staff, students and others on campus.  The purpose of the meetings is to gather evidence about how the programs meet the accreditation standards.  In section 5.11 there are samples of the types of question that the team will ask various groups.  They will expect frank and thoughtful answers from the faculty staff and others who meet the team.  This will help the team develop an accurate report, and also a sense of confidence that the faculty staff are aware of the strengths of their programs and the areas which need improvement. 

3        Being available and helping with schedule re-arrangements

       The overall schedule of the team is arranged before the visit begins.  Because the work of the team must be accomplished quickly, faculty staff, students, and others should be available to meet with the team. 

       During the visit the team may ask for the schedule to be changed to accommodate their work.  It may be useful, for example, to visit an additional class.  Or a team member may want to meet with a randomly chosen group of students.  It is important that faculty staff and others help the team in this way.  The team will do its best to minimise the changes needed, but it carries the final responsibility of ensuring that the work is completed satisfactorily.

A visit involves a lot of work for faculty staff. However, it gives them an unusual opportunity to learn about their work.  The preparation and discussions before the visit, and the discussions and interactions during the visit, can be stimulating and professionally useful. 

4.3          Faculty accreditation coordinator 

What is the role of the faculty accreditation coordinator? 

1        The faculty accreditation coordinator is appointed by the dean to help ensure that the purposes of the accreditation visit can be accomplished.  The coordinator should be a person with a good overview of the faculty, including the programs to be reviewed. 

2        Often the person selected for this role will be a deputy dean or someone familiar with accreditation. 

3        The coordinator serves as the link between the faculty and the visiting team. 

4        The coordinator ensures that faculty staff are prepared for the visit and that the team can concentrate on the work to be done. 

5        The coordinator chairs the commission to write the self-evaluation. 

What does the faculty accreditation commission do before the visit? 

1        Ensure that the self-evaluation is completed for the programs to be reviewed.

·            It is complete for each program to be reviewed

·            It follows the prescribed format

·            It includes a description and an assessment for each standards domain

·            Faculty staff were involved in the preparation of the self-evaluation and understand and support the findings

·            The dean has approved the final version 

2        Ensure that the documents are available to the visiting team at the beginning of the visit, and that they follow the prescribed format. 

·            A complete set of documents is available for each program

·            Documents are organised and clearly labelled so that the team can find what they need 

3        Ensure that faculty staff and students understand the purposes of the visit.

·            Quality assurance:  to ensure the quality of the programs so that every child in Turkey is taught by a well-qualified teacher

·            Quality improvement:  to provide feedback to the faculty so that the programs continue to improve. 

4        Ensure that the faculty staff and students understand their role during the visit.

·            To be available

·            Not to interfere with the work of the team by, for example, too much social conversation

·            To be straight-forward and frank with the team, helping the team understand the strengths and weaknesses

5          Arrange the logistics of the visit.

At the university:

·            Work room for the team: a place for documents and for the team to work.  A conference room is usually a good choice.

·            Computers and printers in the work room, at least two.  One should be a laptop.

·            Schedule meetings with dean, rektor, program heads, head of library and partner schools. 

Program heads to schedule meetings with:

·            Program head

·            Staff in the program

·            Students (selected by students)

·            Special facilities and support staff, such as labs and lab technicians 

At the team’s accommodation:

·            Single rooms for each team member according to travel schedule

·            Work room for the team until midnight each night

·            Meal arrangements 

Travel

·            From airport or place of arrival to accommodation, and return at end of visit

·            Daily travel as necessary 

6        Coordinate the pre-visit of the team chair

·            Meet with dean to discuss visit purposes

·            Review documents

·            See the team room

·            Ensure the schedule will be complete

What does the faculty accreditation coordinator do during the visit? 

1          Ensure the team gets settled into their accommodation. 

2     Meet briefly with the team near the beginning of their first meeting to make sure the documents are all in order, and answer any of their logistical questions. 

3     Ensure that the required meetings are arranged, and changed if necessary to meet the needs of the team. 

4     Get any other requested documents for the team. 

5     Help make sure that the faculty and students feel heard during the visit, and that enough people see the team and respond to their questions. 

6     Be the principal liaison with the team chair to ensure that the visit accomplishes its purposes.

4.4          Preparing the self-evaluation report 

The first step in the accreditation process is the faculty’s self-evaluation report.  In the self-evaluation report, the faculty staff state how they address each standard.  They also evaluate their own performance in each of the seven standard domains.  As part of the process, they assemble the required documents (4.7) for the team to review.   

Preparing the self-evaluation and gathering the required documents give faculty staff an opportunity to assess themselves against the Turkish standards for quality in teacher education.  With proper attention, the self-evaluation can be the most valuable part of the accreditation process.  It can support the curriculum, strengthen the quality assurance mechanisms, and provide a basis for forward planning.  The self-evaluation report also orients the team to the faculty and the programs to be visited.  It serves as the first piece of evidence in the visiting process. 

The schedule for the process is given in section 1.3, Accreditation schedule. 

To prepare the self-evaluation after the programs to be reviewed have been selected: 

1        The dean appoints a faculty accreditation coordinator who will oversee the process, for the faculty and the visiting team.

2        The dean appoints a faculty accreditation commission to write the self-evaluation.  The dean joins their first meeting.  The coordinator chairs the commission and ensures the timely completion of its work.

3        The commission drafts the self-evaluation using the Standards and the Self-evaluation report format.   The draft includes a description of how the faculty accomplishes each area and a self-evaluation for each domain. 

4        At the same time, the commission assembles the required documents for the visiting team.

5        Well before the self-evaluation is due, the commission discusses the draft of the self-evaluation with the dean. 

6        The final self-evaluation should have the agreement of the faculty commission and the dean.

7        It is the responsibility of the dean to send copies of the completed self-evaluation to YÖK.  YÖK distributes the report to the visiting team. 

The evaluation section for each standard domain gives the faculty’s assessment of how well the program is meeting the standards.  By recognising those areas where improvement is needed, the faculty will give the team confidence that they can accurately assess their own work.   Where a program does not meet a particular standard, and this is not reflected in the self-evaluation, the team will note two problems: 

·          the standard is not met

·          staff either do not know or are not willing to acknowledge the problem.

Also, recognising the problem in the self-evaluation lets the team begin to work on solutions to the problem. 

Assembling the required documents also gives the faculty staff an opportunity for self-evaluation.  This is particularly true as the staff select examples of student work to be reviewed by the team.  The team will want to make sure that:

·          students are given the opportunity to develop the knowledge and competencies required of beginning teachers

·          student work shows that students are, in fact, developing the knowledge and competencies

·          the staff are providing useful feedback to students so that they can improve their performance

·          the staff have set appropriate standards of performance in judging which work is minimally satisfactory, and that they also teach students to produce work which is appropriately judged as excellent. 

Together, the self-evaluation report and the documents should:

·          give the team a complete written picture of the programs under review

·          show how the programs work with partner schools

·          show how the faculty’s management and quality assurance processes support the teacher education programs. 

4.5   Self-evaluation  report

Guidelines for faculties 

Notes:  The self evaluation report is prepared under the responsibility of the visited faculty’s dean. The self-evaluation report should follow the format given below. It should be no more than 10 pages excluding the appendices.  It should be on A4 size paper, single spaced, 12 pt, Times New Roman font, 2.5 cm margins, single-sided. It should not be stapled or bound.  Ten copies should be provided. 

In the evaluation part at the end of each section under B, indicate the weaknesses you have identified and your faculty’s future plans to improve these weaknesses.  If only some of the programs carried out by the  faculty are to be visited, sections 1, 3, 4 and 5 should give information only on those programs.  

Self-evaluation report format

A            General information about the faculty  

State the location of the faculty and its distance from the rest of the university. 

State the faculty’s links with the rest of the university, particularly social science.

Explain the relationships between the faculty and national and international establishments and institutions, such as universities, governmental, private and volunteer establishments.

Give a  brief history of the faculty.

Give the  faculty’s mission statement.

Describe the buildings occupied by the faculty: offices, classrooms, laboratories, student dormitories, dining halls, sports and social facilities and their capacities/number of students using them.

Include any faculty brochures. 

B          Standards 

1               Planning, implementation and evaluation of the program  

1.1     Aims and objectives 

Give the aims of the curriculum and give clearly defined goals of the teacher education courses. Are the objectives expressed in terms of learning outcomes, and measurable?  Are the programs in line with teacher education, and carried out in accordance with the mission and vision of the faculty?  

1.2          Curriculum and programs 

Outline the programs the faculty provides at undergraduate and graduate levels.  Describe how the curriculum, plan of the course and assignments/assessments support the curriculum in each program. 

1.3          Curriculum content and organisation  

Explain how the curriculum achieves the aims and objectives, and how it gives students the necessary skills. 

Particularly state how the professional competencies are covered in the curriculum, and how they are practised and developed in schools. 

1.4     Quality of teaching, learning and student assessment 

Describe the teaching and assessment methods used. Show the links between the objectives of each course and the learning opportunities given in the course. Show the links between teaching/learning and assessment.  To this end, briefly explain how you carry out continuous assessment and final assessment (mid-term and final examinations, assignments, projects, practices).  

State the level of success at the end of the assessment, giving attention to the grading system, credits system and regulations. 

1.5          Evaluation of Section 1. 

2        Faculty staff and staff development 

2.1     Staff numbers and qualifications 

          Give the number of staff (according to variables such as full-time, part-time, title).

Give other relevant staff information such as gender ratio, age bands.

Comment on staff experience and expertise in relation to the courses they teach.

Give the academic lecturer: student, faculty staff (excluding research assistant: student ratio for program).

Say how staff are supported in the pursuit of relevant research.

Give the staff weekly teaching hours

2.2         Staff development 

Summarise the ways available to help the professional development of the faculty staff in teaching and learning. Include: access to information technology, providing participation in national and international conferences, seminar activities within the department, support for research, projects, and publications. 

Give information on awarding and promoting systems. 

2.3          Evaluation of Section 2. 

3          Students: intake, progress and achievement, support and guidance  

3.1        Student intake

·            Indicate national exam minimum and maximum grades and the rank of choice (the rank among their choices in the exam) of the students registered in the past three years.  Show the place and development of your faculty in Turkey by comparing these data with equivalent programs of other faculties of education, excluding programs which use special examinations.  

·            Indicate the total number of students in the past three years (according to day and evening classes and gender variables). 

·            Comment on students’ attendance at their courses and indicate, if possible, the absence rate for some courses. 

3.2     Student progress and achievement 

          For each program give 

·        the pass rates

·        average course completion time 

3.3     Student support and guidance 

Describe the arrangements made for the reception and orientation of new students. Describe the personal guidance and academic counselling systems available to students. 

State what remedial measures are available for less successful students. Provide information about procedures for giving feedback, and about summer courses, if any. 

3.4          Evaluation of Section 3.

4        School partnerships

4.1     Partner schools and partnership arrangements 

Give the number and type of partnership schools.

List the criteria used to select these schools.

Give the partnership faculty staff: student and mentor teacher: student ratio per program.

Describe the partnership administrative arrangements.

          What were the activities carried out in the previous year to improve partnership?

          Describe the mentor training arrangements and the facilities provided to mentor teachers, such as postgraduate programs, university social activities.

State how faculty staff are involved in work in schools. 

4.2     Student progress in schools 

       Describe the procedures for supporting and helping students in schools  

4.3          Evaluation of Section 4. 

5   Learning resources: facilities and equipment, library, usage 

5.1          Accommodation and equipment 

Describe the teaching accommodation, including specialist rooms such as science labs, music, art rooms, taking their numbers and size into consideration. 

Give information and comment on the books and journals available to students, education technology (audio-visual aids), resources for the development of computing skills.  

          List the technical and support staff available to assist in teaching and learning. 

          Comment on how sources in the library support teaching.  

5.2     Use of facilities 

          Explain how the facilities contribute to the quality of the education received by your students.  Explain the level of capacity usage. 

5.3          Evaluation of Section 5. 

6   Mangement 

6.1          Management 

Describe the internal management procedures such as posts with special responsibility, working groups, or committees. 

6.2     Use of resources 

Comment on effective use and distribution between programs of staff and resources.  Explain faculty policy and procedures on the employment of staff. 

6.3     Student relations with management 

Explain how student representatives relate with, and their participation in, management 

6.4     Evaluation of Section 6. 

7        Quality assurance 

7.1     Quality assurance 

Are there written quality assurance policies and related procedures within the university or the faculty? Is there an organisational structure in this respect? Explain. 

Explain criteria for the overall evaluation of courses, students’ evaluation of courses and faculty staff, appointment of faculty staff, extending time of assignment and promotion, student success rates and processes for collection and evaluation of related systematic data  

7.2          Evaluation of Section 7.

4.6   Using the self-evaluation for improvement 

Preparing the self-evaluation and the accompanying documentation requires much work on the part of the faculty.  It also provides an opportunity to learn more about the programs being reviewed and their effectiveness.  Properly done, the self-evaluation will be the most valuable part of the accreditation process.  It offers the faculty an organised way to assess its programs and develop a plan for improvement. 

Below are some suggestions for how the self-evaluation process may be used as a means of improvement. 

Composing the commission 

1        Appoint a commission which is large enough to provide a variety of points of view.  In addition to faculty staff from the programs being reviewed, appoint staff from educational sciences and other areas of the faculty.   

2        If there is a trained accreditation assessor in the faculty, appoint that person to the commission. 

3        For programs in which students take their content courses in the arts/science faculties, consider appointing a faculty staff member from the relevant program area. 

Involving others in the work of the commission 

4        Involve representatives of mentors from the partner schools in the self-evaluation, or in that portion of the self-evaluation which concerns work in schools. 

5        Find a way to gather student opinions as part of the self-evaluation.  Surveys, open meetings, or focus group sessions are among the possibilities. 

6        Invite one or two colleagues from other institutions to review a draft of the self-evaluation or review student work.  Their feedback can provide a useful perspective. 

7        In large faculties, only a sample of programs will be reviewed at any one time.  Involving faculty staff from other programs will help them prepare for reviews of their own programs.  Ways of involving other faculty staff include membership on the commission, holding a faculty seminar, and asking others to review drafts of the self-evaluation. 

Anticipating the work of the team 

·          Use the guidelines for team members in Chapter 5 as part of the self-evaluation.  In particular, use 5.11 Questions for the dean, program head, faculty staff and students, and  5.8 Looking at teaching and learning. 

·          Invite a colleague from a faculty whose programs have been reviewed to conduct a seminar for the commission.

Learning from the self-evaluation 

1        Begin the quality assurance section of the self-evaluation first.  Identify areas in which quality assurance can be strengthened and try to make improvements before the self-evaluation is completed.  For example, conducting a survey of recent graduates can strengthen this section of the self-evaluation and provide useful information for program improvement. 

2        Prepare the data on the required forms early in the process.  Involve the commission in reviewing the material generated on the forms as a way of identifying possible concerns. 

3        Review a draft of the self-evaluation and identify probable strengths and weaknesses.  Identify ways to remedy the weaknesses and begin to work on them before the team arrives 

4        Discuss the results of the self-evaluation with other commissions and working parties in the faculty.  Use the results for forward planning for the faculty. 

5        Anticipate what might be common areas of concern among all faculty programs,  such as using library resources, providing students with useful feedback, strengthening faculty research in school-related areas.  Produce a faculty development program to help build strength in these areas. 

6        The first round of accreditation visits focuses on input and process standards, with a preview of the output standards.  The next round of visits will focus on output standards, with particular emphasis on determining how faculties prepare students who have the expected knowledge and meet the competencies of beginning teachers (Standards 1.3.1 and 1.3.2).  By keeping the second visit in mind, the commission can use the self-evaluation process of the first visit to help ensure that the program is preparing well-qualified teachers. 

The self-evaluation, along with the report of the team, can help faculty staff to develop an agenda for improvement.  Staff can consider how the areas identified through the accreditation process can be productively aligned with other areas identified for improvement, such as strengthening graduate programs.

4.7         Documents to be prepared by the faculty for accreditation visits           

Below is a list of documents to be prepared for the accreditation visit.  They should be clearly labelled and available to the visiting team in the workroom.   Use the standard forms when listed.  (If the faculty uses a similar form for its own purposes, ensure that all the required information is available in a format easy for the visiting assessors to review.)