Continuous Improvement in Library Standards and Distance Learning Perspectives
This presentation discusses the comparison between previous and new models of library standards, focusing on continuous assessment and improvement. It highlights the key elements of mission-driven processes, measurement, and planning, emphasizing the true payoff in the third cycle. The implications of the new process and the review of new library standards are also explored, offering insights into enhancing educational quality and efficiency.
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Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Standards and Oversight Revision Project Library and Distance Learning Perspectives Andrew Tudor / Wenatchee Valley College Library Teaching and Learning Conference, April 2010
Presentation Overview Comparison of the Previous and New Models A Few Words On Continuous Assessment / Continuous Improvement Review of the New Library Standards Comparison of the Previous and New Standards WVC Library s Report Preparation WVC Library s Site Visit Experience Review of the new Distance Learning Standards Comparison of the Previous and New Standards Your To-Do List
Comparison of the Previous and New Models Previous Model Average Of 4 Reports And 2 Visits In 10 Years Report Written To Standards Every 10 Years 5 Year Checkup On Recommendations Oriented Toward The Standards
Comparison of the Previous and New Models New Model New Sequence Yr. 1 Report (std. 1) Yr. 3 Report Visit (std. 2 prev.) Yr. 5 Report (stds. 34 prev.) Yr. 7 Report Visit (std. 5 prev.) New Sequence Yr. 1 Report (std. 1) Average Of 4 Reports And 2 Visits In 7 Years Yr. 3 Report & Visit (std. 2 & prev.) Continuous Assessment / Continuous Improvement Yr. 5 Report (stds. 3&4 & prev.) Unresolved Recommendations Examined at Each Visit Yr. 7 Report & Visit (std. 5 & prev.) Oriented Toward The College s Mission
Continuous Assessment / Continuous Improvement Key Elements Mission Driven Standardized Processes Measurement of Process Output Planning Includes Activity Aimed at Process Improvement Based On Deming s Work Suppliers, Inputs, Processes, Outputs, Customers, Feedback True Payoff Comes in Third Cycle 1st Cycle Baseline Measures 2nd Cycle Point of Comparison, Improvement Efforts 3rd Cycle Trends Observable; Assessment of Improvement Efforts Mission Inputs Suppliers Processes Revision Outputs Feedback
Discussion Implications of the new process
Review of the New Library Standards (draft 4) Policies and Procedures 2.A.11 Policies regarding access to and use of library and information 2.C Education Resources 2.C.6 . . .library and information resources . . . integrated into the learning process. 2.E Library and Information Resources 2.E.1 . . . the institution holds or provides access to library and information resources . . .to support the institution s programs and services . . . . 2.E.2 Planning for library . . .involves affected users and . . . library . . . Staff . . . 2.E.3 The institution provides appropriate training . . . for students, faculty, staff, and administrators to enhance their effectiveness . . . obtaining, evaluating, and using library and information resources . . . . 2.E.4 The institution regularly . . . evaluates the . . . library and information resources and services . . . .
Review of the New Library Standards (draft 4) Policies and Procedures 2.A.11 Policies regarding access to and use of library and information resources regardless of format, location, and delivery method are documented, published, and enforced.
Review of the New Library Standards (draft 4) 2.C Education Resources 2.C.6 Teaching faculty, in partnership with library and information resources personnel, ensure the use of library and information resources is integrated into the learning process. (Minor wording change in draft 5: Faculty with teaching responsibilities, in partnership . . . . )
Review of the New Library Standards (draft 4) 2.E Library and Information Resources 2.E.1 Consistent with its mission and core themes, the institution holds or provides access to library and information resources with an appropriate level of currency, depth, and breadth to support the institution s programs and services wherever offered and however delivered.
Review of the New Library Standards (draft 4) 2.E Library and Information Resources 2.E.2 Planning for library and information resources in support of the institution s programs and services involves affected users and appropriate library and information resources faculty, staff, and administrators.
Review of the New Library Standards (draft 4) 2.E Library and Information Resources 2.E.3 The institution provides appropriate training and support opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and administrators to enhance their effectiveness and efficiency in obtaining, evaluating, and using library and information resources related to its programs and services, wherever offered and however delivered.
Review of the New Library Standards (draft 4) 2.E Library and Information Resources 2.E.4 The institution regularly and systematically evaluates the quality, adequacy, utilization, and security of library and information resources and services, including those provided through cooperative arrangements, wherever offered and however delivered.
Comparison Between the Previous and New Standards for Libraries Library and Information Resources Standard 5.A Purpose and Scope The primary purpose for library and information resources is to support teaching, learning, and, if applicable, research in ways consistent with, and supportive of, the institution s mission and goals. Adequate library and information resources and services, at the appropriate level for degrees offered, are available to support the intellectual, cultural, and technical development of students enrolled in courses and programs wherever located and however delivered. 5.A.1 The institution s information resources and services include sufficient holdings, equipment, and personnel in all of its libraries, instructional media and production centers, computer centers, networks, telecommunication facilities, and other repositories of information to accomplish the institution s mission and goals. 5.A.2 The institution s core collection and related information resources are sufficient to support the curriculum. 5.A.3 Information resources and services are determined by the nature of the institution s educational programs and the locations where programs are offered. Standard 5.B Information Resources and Services Information resources and services are sufficient in quality, depth, diversity, and currency to support the institution s curricular offerings. 5.B.1 Equipment and materials are selected, acquired, organized, and maintained to support the educational program. 5.B.2 Library and information resources and services contribute to developing the ability of students, faculty, and staff to use the resources independently and effectively. 5.B.3 Policies, regulations, and procedures for systematic development and management of information resources, in all formats, are documented, updated, and made available to the institution s constituents. 5.B.4 Opportunities are provided for faculty, staff, and students to participate in the planning and development of the library and information resources and services. 5.B.5 Computing and communications services are used to extend the boundaries in obtaining information and data from other sources, including regional, national, and international networks. Standard 5.C Facilities and Access The institution provides adequate facilities for library and information resources, equipment, and personnel. These resources, including collections, are readily available for use by the institution s students, faculty, and staff on the primary campus and where required off-campus. 5.C.1 Library and information resources are readily accessible to all students and faculty. These resources and services are sufficient in quality, level, breadth, quantity, and currency to meet the requirements of the educational program. 5.C.2 In cases of cooperative arrangements with other library and information resources, formal documented agreements are established. These cooperative relationships and externally provided information sources complement rather than substitute for the institution s own adequate and accessible core collection and services. Return to Top of Page Standard 5.D Personnel and Management Personnel are adequate in number and in areas of expertise to provide services in the development and use of library and information resources. 5.D.1 The institution employs a sufficient number of library and information resources staff to provide assistance to users of the library and to students at other learning resources sites. 5.D.2 Library and information resources staff include qualified professional and technical support staff, with required specific competencies, whose responsibilities are clearly defined. 5.D.3 The institution provides opportunities for professional growth for library and information resources professional staff. 5.D.4 Library and information resources and services are organized to support the accomplishment of institutional mission and goals. Organizational arrangements recognize the need for service linkage among complementary resource bases (e.g., libraries, computing facilities, instructional media and telecommunication centers). 5.D.5 The institution consults library and information resources staff in curriculum development. 5.D.6 The institution provides sufficient financial support for library and information resources and services, and for their maintenance and security. Standard 5.E Planning and Evaluation Library and information resources planning activities support teaching and learning functions by facilitating the research and scholarship of students and faculty. Related evaluation processes regularly assess the quality, accessibility, and use of libraries and other information resource repositories and their services to determine the level of effectiveness in support of the educational program. 5.E.1 The institution has a planning process that involves users, library and information resource staff, faculty, and administrators. 5.E.2 The institution, in its planning, recognizes the need for management and technical linkages among information resource bases (e.g., libraries, instructional computing, media production and distribution centers, and telecommunications networks). 5.E.3 The institution regularly and systematically evaluates the quality, adequacy, and utilization of its library and information resources and services, including those provided through cooperative arrangements, and at all locations where courses, programs, or degrees are offered. The institution uses the results of the evaluations to improve the effectiveness of these resources. Supporting Documentation for Standard Five Required Exhibits: 1. Printed materials that describe for students the hours and services of learning resources facilities such as libraries, computer labs, and audio-visual facilities. 2. Policies, regulations, and procedures for the development and management of library and information resources, including collection development and weeding. 3. Statistics on use of library and other learning resources. 4. Statistics on library collection and inventory of other learning resources. 5. Assessment measures utilized to determine the adequacy of facilities for the goals of the library and information resources and services. 6. Assessment measures to determine the adequacy of holdings, information resources and services to support the educational programs both on and off campus. 7. Data regarding number and assignments of library staff. 8. Chart showing the organizational arrangements for managing libraries and other information resources (e.g. computing facilities, instructional media, and telecommunication centers). 9. Comprehensive budget(s) for library and information resources. 10. Vitae of professional library staff. 11. Formal, written agreements with other libraries. 12. Computer usage statistics related to the retrieval of library resources. 13. Printed information describing user services provided by the computing facility. 14. Studies or documents describing the evaluation of library and information resources. Policies and Procedures New 2A11 2C6 2.A.11 Policies regarding access to and use of library and information resources regardless of format, location, and delivery method are documented, published, and enforced. Previous 5B3 5D5 New vs- Previous Policies & procedures are made available, enforced library/faculty partnership ensures use of library materials - vs institutionconsults the library Re collections, new standard says: holds or provides access to and wherever offered/ however delivered Planning involves faculty, students et al vs- opportunities for involvement effectiveness and efficiency in obtaining, evaluating, and using library and information resources vs- use independently & effectively Entire process about improvement vs- final sentence of 5E3 Wherever offered, however delivered vs- extend the boundaries wherever offered ,however delivered vs- facilities & access resources vs- facilities standard 2.C Education Resources 2.C.6 Teaching faculty, in partnership with library and information resources personnel, ensure the use of library and information resources is integrated into the learning process. (Minor wording change in draft 5: Faculty with teaching responsibilities, in partnership . . . . ) 2.E Library and Information Resources 2.E.1 Consistent with its mission and core themes, the institution holds or provides access to library and information resources with an appropriate level of currency, depth, and breadth to support the institution s programs and services wherever offered and however delivered. 2.E.2 Planning for library and information resources in support of the institution s programs and services involves affected users and appropriate library and information resources faculty, staff, and administrators. 2.E.3 The institution provides appropriate training and support opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and administrators to enhance their effectiveness and efficiency in obtaining, evaluating, and using library and information resources related to its programs and services, wherever offered and however delivered. 2E1 5A1 2.E.4 The institution regularly and systematically evaluates the quality, adequacy, utilization, and security of library and information resources and services, including those provided through cooperative arrangements, wherever offered and however delivered. 2E2 5B4 - 2E3 5B2 2E4 No dis- crete std. 5E3 5B5 5C 5D
Discussion Implications of the New Library Standards
Wenatchee Valley Colleges Experience to Date Participating in pilot doing 7 year process in 3 years. Pilot campuses Carroll College, MT; WVC; Columbia Basin; Univ. Alaska Anchorage Year 1 report complete; Year 3 Report and Visit complete Year 5 report complete; response received Let s see, 7/3 . . . no, 3/7 or, um, 1 month= 2.69812 weeks or maybe 1 hour= three apples travelling at 16 Kph on a rainy road Lead by Institutional Effectiveness officer and President s Cabinet NO committee formed; tasks assigned within existing structures (received commendation for integration of process into college)
WVC Librarys Report Preparation Provided some information to Institutional Effectiveness officer re year 1 report (std. one focuses on Mission, Core Themes, Goals and Outcomes) Provided draft of report for standard 2, around a page of text primarily description of current operation; had input on final copy Prepared statistics I expected evaluator to want Described process to staff, set expectations for site visit; declined to participate in discussion of answers to be given to evaluators Library Director participated in development of year 5 report (on access ) Gap in the process? When it came to the core theme analysis, there was little to say about the library . . .
WVC Librarys Site Visit Experience One evaluator assigned to library Visit included: Tour of library led by director Interviews by evaluator of staff either individually or in pairs Response by director to specific follow up questions circulation stats; square footage; security matters at Omak location; general questions about IL course Library received commendation and much praise during exit interview re the work of the Library and Information Technology areas in expanding access to and training in the use of library resources and instructional technology Heard about the library from people all over campus . . .
Whats Next for WVC: the Real Challenge Standards on Mission Fulfillment, Adaptation, and Sustainability WVC Library already has pieces in place for continuous improvement Mission and vision statements Processes identified; relevant measures being gathered (or created) Data being used in decision-making Haven t yet taken second measurements, i.e. post- improvement attempts in specific areas Can we answer the question how are you fulfilling your mission; what do you do to sustain the mission ? Mission Inputs Suppliers Processes Revision Outputs Feedback
Review of the new Distance Learning Standards The word distance appears 3 times, in this paragraph: 2.D.14 The institution maintains an effective identity verification process for students enrolled in distance education courses and programs to establish that the student enrolled in the distance education course or program is the same person whose achievements are evaluated and credentialed. The institution ensures the identity wherever offered, however delivered . . . Appears 15 times in the document verification process for distance education students protects student privacy and that students are informed, in writing at the time of enrollment, of current and projected charges associated with the identity verification process.
Comparison of the Previous and New Standards for Distance Learning Addressed previously in standard 2G, Continuing Education and Special Learning Activities, specifically, the 3rd bullet (see handout). Now mentioned throughout entire document: (2) Overall resources; (2B4) faculty; (2C1) rigor; (2C2) student learning outcomes; (2C3) degree standards; (2C4) degree design;(2C18) CEUs; (2E1) library resources; (2E3) library instruction; (2E4) library resources assessment; (2G5) technology infrastructure; (4A2) program assessment; (4A3) student learning outcomes; (4A5) resource/program alignment; (5B1) continuous assessment
How to Prepare? Your to-do list
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Standards and Oversight Revision Project Library and Distance Learning Perspectives Andrew Tudor / Wenatchee Valley College Library Teaching and Learning Conference, April 2010
