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University
reaccreditation
MUSC's unique features
critical to SACS
by Cindy
Abole
Public
Relations
This is the third in a series of articles that will provide an overview
of the purpose, process and content of the current accreditation
reaffirmation of MUSC by the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools (SACS).
The series focuses on the need for MUSC to clearly define at the onset
of this process that it has unique features rendering its
reaccreditation somewhat different from that of the reaffirmations
conducted each year by SACS of community colleges and comprehensive
universities.
Every member of the MUSC faculty and staff should be thoroughly aware
of and familiar with how MUSC differs from other higher education
institutions as well as this SACS initiative, which is so essential to
the future of our institution.
Of the more than 700 colleges and universities accredited by SACS, only
seven are free-standing academic health centers. Thus, many of the
general core requirements and comprehensive standards demand somewhat
different interpretations and responses from those most often
experienced by the SACS reviewers. As the actual reaffirmation process
starts, it is critical that both the institution being reaffirmed and
the external teams conducting the reaffirmation process clearly
recognize, understand, and concur in such differences if the
reaffirmation is to be fully accurate and complete.
The overriding MUSC concern here is not the basic process of collecting
or reporting of accurate data to SACS. Rather, it is in the strong
possibility of erroneous perceptions of MUSC based upon data that have
been forced into a prior categories or not supplied because such data
are inappropriate or lack reliability and validity. The “one size fits
all” assumptions of SACS data requests may inadvertently require MUSC
(and other academic health centers) to withhold information, “craft”
data to fit data categories, and leave data sets blank. Thus, the risk
that focus and quality of the data submitted do not fully reflect the
actual quality of the academic enterprises on the MUSC campus.
As an academic health center, MUSC clearly possesses many
characteristics unique to a mission that differentiates it from that of
the traditional comprehensive university. The translation of that
mission into reality as an academic enterprise imposes a uniqueness
alluded to by many but expressed by few.
Following are some of the attributes that impart an exclusivity to
MUSC, both as an institution and as an academic health center. This is
considered only a partial list and any additions from MUSC faculty and
staff would be most welcome (e-mail to Tom Higerd, Ph.D., associate
provost for institutional research and assessment, at
higerdtb@musc.edu).
The Medical University of South Carolina is an upper division/graduate
institution that:
- stands independent as an academic health sciences
center
- does not enroll first time, first year/freshman students
- has admission criteria that vary both among and within its
six colleges
- utilizes lockstep curricula that do not generate credit
hour data per se
- does not offer general education course work
- has class start dates that vary by program
- provides no on-campus housing
- does not provide career counseling or job placement services
- has few student organizations [e.g., clubs, service groups]
- sponsors no intercollegiate athletic programs
- charges tuition and fees that vary by academic program and
year within program
- does not utilize student recruitment strategies, except to
meet ethnic diversity goals
- rarely uses SAT/ACT scores for admission decisions
- exhibits low attrition and high graduation rates
- enrolls students who make career decisions prior to
matriculation
- does not determine faculty workload by credit hour
generation
- interprets “teaching” in distinctive and atypical contexts
- compensates faculty in unique ways
- has only 28 percent of its annual graduates enrolled in its
three undergraduate programs
- possesses an extraordinarily low student to faculty ratio
- finds CIP codes do not reflect faculty workload
responsibilities and departmental affiliation
- does not collect cohort data
- does not accept transfer students (For undergraduate
programs, a student’s undergraduate work is evaluated for admission
purposes but not entered on the MUSC transcript.)
- utilizes non-teaching service faculty appointments
- administers a major training hospital, clinics, and support
services.
Friday, April 7, 2006
Catalyst Online is published weekly,
updated
as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public
Relations
for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of
South
Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at
792-4107
or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to
Catalyst
Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to
catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island
papers at 849-1778, ext. 201.
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