Presenting Data for Accreditation Reports and Award Applications
Cynthia Knott, Hanora O'Sullivan, and Donna M. Schaeffer
School of Business Administration, Marymount University, Arlington, VA
Contact: donna.schaeffer@marymount.edu

The first six months of 2009 have been busy for Marymount University:
the first university in the Commonwealth of Virginia to win the prestigious U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award two years in a row.
the university was re-accredited by the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges
the paralegal program was re-accredited by the American Bar Association
the health care management program was re-accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME).

Education Criteria:
Leadership
Strategic Planning
Student, Shareholder, and Market Focus
Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management
Workforce Focus,
Process Management
Results

n Criteria for Performance Excellence Framework A Systems Perspective

55 Pages to address:

Preface: Organizational Profile

P.1 Organizational Description
P.2 Organizational Challenges

Leadership (120 points)

1.1 Senior Leadership -- 70
1.2 Governance and Social Responsibilities -- 50

2
Strategic Planning (85 points)

2.1 Strategy Development -- 40
2.2 Strategy Deployment -- 45

Student, Stakeholder, and Market Focus (85 points)

3.1 Student, Stakeholder, and Market Knowledge 40
3.2 Student and Stakeholder Relationships and Satisfaction 45

4
Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management (90 points)

4.1 Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement of Organizational Performance -- 45
4.2 Management of Information, Information Technology, and Knowledge -- 45

Workforce Focus (85 points)

5.1 Workforce Engagement -- 45
5.2 Workforce Environment -- 40

Process Management (85 points)

6.1 Work Systems Design 35
6.2 Work Process Management and Improvement 50

7 Results (450 points)

7.1 Student Learning Outcomes -- 100
7.2 Student- and Stakeholder-Focused Outcomes -- 70
7.3 Budgetary, Financial, and Market Outcomes -- 70
7.4 Workforce-Focused Outcomes -- 70
7.5 Process Effectiveness Outcomes -- 70
7.6 Leadership Outcomes -- 70

Our suggestions:
·

Beware of changing background colors, particularly if the material will be reproduced.
Change font size and type to

draw attention

but maintain readability. (P.S. Variety may not always be the spice of life!)
Color has merits, but adds printing costs.
Logos can help establish reputation, legitimacy and status.

TIPS for the OVERVIEW, EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, or PROFILE

Thumbnail the essential information.

EXAMPLE : Figure X.x Thumbnail Sketch of SBA's Mission, Vision, Values *

Mission

Strives to develop the whole person, particularly their ethical values and capacity for life-long learning.

Vision

Achieves national recognition for quality undergraduate programs and regional recognition for Graduate programs.

Hallmark Values (core competencies)

Continuous quality improvement, superior teaching, innovation and ethical conduct.

Our Culture

Listens to stakeholders and strives to provide student-centered learning; innovative, relevant, quality programs and responsive customer service.
Characterized by transparency, collaboration and empowerment championed by the faculty/staff and leadership teams.

*Due to space limitation the MVV is paraphrased. Full details are found in Figure 1.1-2.

Nine point font is usually OK for tables. Remember the readability rule.

Example - Figure X.x SBA at a Glance (2007-2008)

SBA

part of Marymount University (private, non-profit) Sites: Arlington (main); Reston (satellite)

Employees

35 (administration, faculty, staff) Non-unionized.

Services

Undergraduate and Master's level business degrees and certificates.

Total SBA Student Enrollment

823 students in Fall, 2007

Faculty/Student Ratio
1 to 15

Organizational Culture

Characterized by transparency, collaboration and empowerment Cf. Figure P.1-2 below

Critical Success Factors

Academic excellence, Catholic identify and branding; Student Recruitment and Retention

Accreditations

SACS, ACBSP, ABA, CAHME

TIP for PROCESSES

When explaining processes use PDCA.

EXAMPLE: Figure X.x Marymount University wide PDCA System to Avoid Adverse Ethical Impacts

Process for Impact Monitoring	Description	Inputs, Activities, Etc.	Measures/Indicators
Plan	University-wide social responsibility criteria are included in University strategic planning.	President and senior leaders, including SBA's, help develop University plan.	Publication and discussion of annual strategic plan update.
Do	University senior leadership monitors the external environment and strategic plan	Monitoring by Board of Trustees, President, senior leaders and Chaplain.	Board endorsement of University strategic plan. President's report to Board on action plans.
Check	SWOT and gap analysis is performed on adverse/ unethical impacts.	President and senior leaders conduct analysis.	Number of potential or actual adverse effects are analyzed.
Act	Corrective action is taken as needed.	President and/or Board orders corrective action	Number of actions taken.

TIP for SYSTEMS
You can still use PDCA.

Figure X.X-x Designing and Improving SBA Work Systems

System Design	Plan	Do	Check	Act
Key Student Requirements	Faculty/staff review needs and satisfaction data.	Changes are made to programs or services.	Senior leaders, DCD, faculty/staff monitor new process changes.	Measures of success are reviewed in strategic planning cycle
New Technologies	University IT unit plans.	SBA inputs new technology needs into annual IT unit budget.	University IT unit checks and surveys users. Input from stakeholders/collaborators is solicited.	SBA makes requests and proposals to the University IT unit and senior administrators.
New Organizational Knowledge	Best practices are learned from external sources..	Shared governance system makes a consensus decision on proposed changes	SBA Senior leaders and workforce do ongoing external environmental scanning. Voice of the customer feedback and expertise of partners/collaborators is sought.	Shared governance system makes a consensus decision on needed actions.
Organizational Sustainability	Critical success factors, core competencies and strategic initiatives are inputs into planned improvements.	Shared governance system vets any proposed changes against critical success factors, core competencies and strategic initiatives	Organizational culture operates to monitor changes.	Transparency, collaboration and empowerment of the culture enables agile response.

MORE TIPS:
The less said the better.

P.2.a(2) Key Success Factors Relative to Competition and Comparable Organizations
Figure P.2-2 SBA Critical Success Factors

Identified Success Factor	Description	Competitive Organizations
Academic Excellence	100% professionally or doctorally qualified faculty. Teaching oriented mission. Small classes with student-centered learning philosophy and accessible faculty.	Closely comparable Research orientation. Large lecture orientation with substantial use of teaching assistants and/or adjunct faculty.
Catholic Identity and Branding	Cultural association of Catholic education with "quality education." Achievement of SPQA external validation via Certificate for Commitment to Continuous Improvement (2007). Focus on teaching ethics; Center for Ethical Concerns.	Only 2 competitors are religiously affiliated. No other Virginia college has achieved any SPQA recognition. Other schools just moving in this direction.
Student Recruitment and Retention Systems	A University-wide student retention process has been deployed. It includes University promotion of student life and major capital investment in facilities and technology. SBA has an effective assigned faculty advising system.	Closely comparable. Generic student tutorial help. Less individualized or non-faculty advisors.

Provide linkages.

EXAMPLE: Figure 3.1-2 Determining Student Stakeholder Requirements*

Segments	SBA MVV	Key Requirements*	Information Analysis Process
Graduate Students.	Continuous quality improvement, superior teaching, innovation and ethical conduct. Develop the whole person, particularly their ethical values and capacity for life-long learning	A degree that enhances career goals since there is no significant number interested in a terminal degree. Accessibility to high-quality instructors and interaction with practitioners. Development of an ethical code. Course scheduling to facilitate completion of a degree/certificate in a timely fashion.	Begins with University Admissions who assess students from first interest to acceptance into the University. Simultaneously senior leaders and Program Directors conduct "open houses" and orientations and receive feedback. Students are assigned individual faculty advisors who report feedback to the SBA. The SBA senior and supporting leadership teams discuss this information and devise responses to it. These are presented to SBA partners for review and senior University administrators if funding approval is needed.

*Requirements for students/stakeholders are identified by sources noted in Figure 3.1-1.

Provide a flow chart or diagram for processes and systems.

Cosider a basic wheel (hub, spokes, and outside ring). Hub could be mission or customers, spokes could include assessment processes, and challenges etc., and ring could be planned improvements.

SUGGESTED TABLES
Organizational Profile

Table or list of key products and services
Table – Customer groups and key requirements
Table – Workforce profile
Table - Regulatory requirements

Senior Leadership
Table - Communication methods for workforce, customers, suppliers, and partners.
Governance and Social Responsibility
Table or Process - Selection and linkage of Key Communities to business (chart or table)
Strategy Development
Table - Strategic objectives, measures, and timetable
Strategy Deployment

Table - Key short- and longer-term action plans (include key Human Resource plans to support)
Table - Key performance measures for tracking progress on action plans

Customer and Market Knowledge
Table – Listen and learn methods by customer segment
Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement of Organizational Performance
Table - Key organizational measures to support decision-making (may be merged or linked to another table in 2 or 6).
Management of Information, Information Technology, and Knowledge

Table - How data, information, and knowledge are accurate, reliable, timely, and secure.
Table or process - How you manage: collection and transfer of knowledge; identification, sharing, and implementation of best practices; and transfer of relevant knowledge for use in strategic planning process.

Faculty Qualifications

Table – Year Appointed, Highest degree, Teaching Disciplines Assigned, Professional Certification, Tenure
Faculty Credit Hour Production or Deployment
Table – Total Student Credit Hours divided by Semester, Faculty degree level, Undergraduate and Graduate Students and Day/Evening, Faculty Load
Table - # Credit Hours Taught, # Course Preparations, # Disciplines, # Advisees, Scholarship and Professional Activities, Committees, Community Service, Administrative Duties, Business and Industry Interaction, Special Projects, Travel to Off-Campus Classes, # Theses Supervised.

Scholarly and Professional Activity

Table - Highest Degree, Professional Certification, Papers Presented, Published Articles/Mss./Books, Unpublished Articles/Mss/Books, Professionally Related Service, Professional Conferences Attended, Professional Workshops Attended, Professional Memberships. (Devise code for 4 types of Boyer Scholarship and use code in table.)

Workforce Environment
Table - Performance measures and goals for each key workplace factor.
Work Systems Design
Table - Key work processes
Work Process Management and Improvement
Table - In-process measures for managing processes on a daily basis.