Meeting of the Board of Regents | December 2008

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:
FROM:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier
SUBJECT	Renewal of Institutional Accreditation:  Globe Institute of Technology
DATE:	December 2, 2008
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goal 2
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

Summary

 

Issue for Decision

 

Should the Board of Regents renew Globe Institute of Technology’s institutional accreditation?

 

Reason(s) for Consideration

 

              Required by State regulation

 

Proposed Handling

 

              This question will come before the Higher Education Committee at its December 2008 meeting, where it will be voted on and action taken.  It then will come before the full Board at its December 2008 meeting for final action.

 

Procedural History

 

              Renewal of institutional accreditation is required prior to the expiration of the current term of accreditation.

 

              The Department, the Regents Advisory Council on Institutional Accreditation, and the Commissioner have determined that Globe Institute of Technology meets the standards for institutional accreditation set forth in the Rules of the Board of Regents. Attached are the following items for your consideration:

 

 

Attachment A – Summary of Institutional Accreditation Process Followed

Attachment B – Compliance Review Report

Attachment C – The range of accreditation actions authorized in Subpart 4-1

     of the Rules of the Board of Regents.

 

Background Information

 

              Globe Institute of Technology, New York, is a proprietary institution authorized by the Board of Regents since 1996 to confer degrees.  It currently offers associate and baccalaureate degree programs in the discipline areas of business and the physical sciences.  The Regents have accredited Globe since 1996.  The current period of accreditation ends on December 31, 2008. 

 

The following recommendation for renewal of accreditation is based on the findings and recommendations of the Regents Advisory Council on Institutional Accreditation, expert peer reviewers and staff.  Key findings include the following:

 

• The institution’s mission is clear and implemented throughout the organization, with a focus on providing career skills to students from diverse backgrounds who have been traditionally underrepresented in higher education.

 

• Faculty are sufficient in number and possess training and professional experience necessary to carry out teaching and other responsibilities.  They are deeply involved in and supportive of student advising.

 

• Classrooms, laboratory spaces and equipment, and administrative and faculty office space and equipment are satisfactory.

 

• The new owner has invested substantial resources that are strengthening the institution; while ongoing Federal and State financial aid audits are reviewing actions taken under the previous administration, the new owner is committed to covering any disallowances that may result.

 

• By word and action, the institution appears committed to continuing refinements to ensure student success and the sound administration of all functions.

 

Recommendation

 

It is recommended that the Board of Regents renew Globe Institute of Technology’s institutional accreditation with condition, effective December 16, 2008, for a period beginning immediately and ending on December 17, 2012, subject to annual reports providing evidence of continued program and financial ability.

 

Regents with a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest on this application are asked to recuse themselves from participating in the deliberation and decision.

 

 

Timetable for Implementation

 

              This renewal of institutional accreditation would take effect immediately and expire December 17, 2012.  Following Regents action, the Department will also re-register the Institute’s programs for general purposes.

Attachment A

 

Summary of Institutional Accreditation Process Followed

 

Peer Review Visit.  In preparation for this visit, Globe Institute of Technology prepared a self-study and supporting materials following the requirements for self-studies in the Handbook of Institutional Accreditation.  On March 5-6, 2008, an evaluation team visited Globe.  The team examined the self-study and other materials; met with faculty, students, the president, dean and other administrators, examined the facilities and other academic resources.  The team found that Globe Institute of Technology substantially met all standards set forth in the Regents Rules and recommended accreditation for four years with condition.

 

Peer Review Team Recommendation: Accreditation for a period of four years with condition.

 

The Department transmitted the team’s draft compliance review report to Globe, providing it 30 days to prepare a written response correcting factual errors and addressing any other aspect of the report and any recommendations in it.  The draft report, Globe’s response, and the Department’s preliminary recommendation for accreditation action became the final compliance review report.

 

Regents Advisory Council Review.  As required by Subpart 4-1, the Department transmitted the final compliance review report, including its preliminary recommendation for accreditation action, for consideration by the Regents Advisory Council on Institutional Accreditation.  (The Advisory Council is established in §3.12(d) of the Rules of the Board of Regents “to review applications for accreditation and renewal of accreditation pursuant to Part 4 of this Title, and such other matters as the department may ask it to review, and make recommendations to the Regents and the commissioner based on its review.”)  The Department’s preliminary recommendation was:

 

Department’s Preliminary Recommendation: Accreditation for a period of four years with condition.

 

On November 14 2008, the Advisory Council met to review Globe’s application and to make a recommendation to the Board of Regents on its accreditation. In a public meeting, it met with representatives of Globe and the staff coordinator of the accreditation review.  Following presentations by Globe’s President and the staff coordinator, questions, and discussion, the Advisory Council unanimously made the following recommendation to the Board of Regents on accreditation action:

 

Regents Advisory Council Recommendation: The Regents Advisory Council voted to recommend that the Board of Regents renew Globe Institute of Technology’s accreditation for a period of four years, ending on December 30, 2012, subject to annual reports addressing program viability and evidence of continued financial ability.

 

Attachment B is the Final Compliance Review Report considered by the Advisory Council, including the Summary and Preliminary Recommendation on Accreditation Action.

 

Commissioner’s Review.  Neither Globe Institute of Technology nor the Deputy Commissioner appealed the Advisory Council’s recommendation.  Therefore, pursuant to Subpart 4-1, the Commissioner adopted its recommendation as his recommendation to the Board of Regents:

 

Commissioner’s Recommendation: Accredit Globe Institute of Technology for a period of four years with condition ending on December 16, 2012 subject to annual reports addressing evidence of continued program and financial viability.

 

Attachment C sets forth the range of accreditation actions authorized in Subpart 4-1 of the Rules of the Board of Regents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW YORK
STATE BOARD OF REGENTS AND COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION

89 Washington Avenue, ALBANY, NY 12234

 

 

 

Attachment B

 

 

GLOBE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

 

Summary of the Application for Accreditation and

Preliminary Recommendation for Accreditation Action

 

Item for Consideration:  November 14, 2008

 

 

          Globe Institute of Technology, New York City has applied for renewal of its accreditation by the Board of Regents and the Commissioner of Education.

 

Preliminary Recommendation on Accreditation Action:  Renew accreditation with condition for a period of four years with a progress report due on the implementation of the Team’s recommendations by December 30, 2009.

 

Institutional Information:  Globe Institute of Technology is located at 291 Broadway in New York City’s financial district.  The Regents registered the Institute as a business school in 1985.  In 1996, the Regents authorized Globe to confer the Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS) and Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degrees, in 2000, the Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) degree, and in 2002, the Bachelor of Business Administration degree.  The Bachelor of Technology degree and associate degrees are offered in computer systems, computer information systems and information technology.  The Regents have accredited Globe Institute of Technology since it achieved degree powers in 1996. 

 

The last institutional accreditation peer review visit was in 2005, when the Board renewed the institution’s accreditation for a period ending in May 2008.  This accreditation was extended to December 2008, to be consistent  with a related request for transfer of degree authority to a new owner.  During the Fall 2008 semester, Globe enrolled 997 students.  There are 23 full-time and 55 part-time faculty members.

 

 

 

 

The Peer Review Visit

 

On March 5-6, 2008, a peer review team examined Globe’s self-study materials and other documents and, during the visit, met with students, members of the faculty, and various administrators.  The purpose of the self-study and visit was to assess Globe’s compliance with the standards of the New York State Board of Regents and the Commissioner of Education and to document that the substantive change of new ownership did not adversely affect Globe’s capacity to meet the standards for renewal of its institutional accreditation. The peer review team visit was also conducted to assess the new owner’s capacity to meet the education and fiscal standards to operate the institution.

 

Reason for Recommendation:  The Compliance Review Report includes the draft report, Globe’s response to it and the Department’s preliminary recommendation with respect to accreditation action. Based on the self-study and other pertinent material, the peer review team’s report, and the college’s response, the team found that Globe was in compliance or substantial compliance with 20 of the 24 standards and recommended that Globe Institute’s accreditation be renewed for four years.  The Department concurs and in addition, recommends that a progress report be submitted to the Regents by December 30, 2009, providing documentation that the Team’s recommendations have been implemented and suggestions are seriously considered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attachment I

NEW YORK
STATE BOARD OF REGENTS AND COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION

89 Washington Avenue, ALBANY, NY 12234

 

 

 

 

Report of an Institutional Accreditation Site Team Visit to

Globe Institute of Technology

March 5 – 6, 2008

 

On March 5-6, 2008, an evaluation team assembled by the Department made a site visit to Globe Institute of Technology, 291 Broadway, New York as a part of a review for the renewal of institutional accreditation. 

 

The site visit team members were:

 

Ward Deutschman, Ed.D.

Special Assistant for Operations and Information Management

Office of Student Affairs

Dowling College

Chair

 

William Kimmel

University Registrar

The New School

 

Theresa M. Maylone

University Librarian

St. John’s University

 

Gladys Palma de Schrynemakers, Ph.D.

Assistant Provost

Long Island University

Jacqueline A. Kane, Ph.D.

Associate

Office of College and University Evaluation

NYS Education Department

Staff Liaison

 

Kathleen F. Egan

Associate

Office of College and University Evaluation

NYS Education Department

 

Paul Thompson

Associate

Office of College and University Evaluation

NYS Education Department

In preparation for the visit, the team examined Globe’s self-study and supporting materials.  On site, the team met with faculty, students, the President, the Dean and other administrators; observed classes; and examined the facilities and other academic resources.

 

Introduction

 

Globe Institute of Technology is a degree-granting proprietary institution in Manhattan.  In 1996, the Board of Regents authorized Globe to award Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.) degrees.  In 1998, the Regents authorized Globe to award the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree.  In 2000, the Regents authorized Globe to award Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) degrees.  In 2002, the Board authorized Globe to award Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degrees.  The Board of Regents has accredited Globe Institute of Technology since 1996.

 

Globe offers associate degree programs in business, the health professions, and the physical sciences, and baccalaureate programs in business and the physical sciences.  Between 1998 and 2005, enrollment grew by 145.4 percent, from 681 students in the fall of 1998 to 1,671 in the fall of 2005.  Enrollment declined to 1,238 in the fall of 2006.  Enrollment for fall 2007 was 997 students, of whom 975 (97.8 percent) are full-time.  About 30 percent of the full-time students are Black or Hispanic.  On average, Globe, with an open admissions policy, accepts over 80 percent of its applicants.  In the Graduation Rate Action Plan, Globe describes its students, notwithstanding their ambitions and positive approach, as at risk for several reasons including English being their second language, financial difficulties, outside job obligations, the challenges of single parenthood and having limited prior academic preparation or few college-level skills.  Since 1998, it has enrolled an average of 287 first-time students each year. 

 

Globe Institute of Technology Enrollment - Fall 2003 – Fall 2007
Year	Full-Time	Part-Time	Full-Time Freshman	Part-Time Freshman
2003	846	52	555	13
2004	1,195	34	538	3
2005	1,656	15	417	0
2006	1,238	19	359	4
2007	989	35	355	4

 

Source: NYSED, College and University Preliminary Degree-Credit Enrollment, 2003-2007

 

In October 2007, the former owners of Globe Institute of Technology sold the corporation to 878 Education, LLC.  In November 2007, the new owner submitted an application for consent to a temporary transfer of degree-conferring authority, as well as the Application by a Prospective Owner for Authority to Award Degrees. 

 

At the December 2007 meeting, the Board of Regents authorized Globe under its new owner to award the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.), Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.), Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), and Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech.) degrees for a period beginning immediately and ending on June 14, 2008.  At that time, the Board of Regents voted to extend Globe Institute of Technology’s temporary authorization to award degrees until December 31, 2008 pending the Board of Regents vote on Globe’s application for renewal of institutional accreditation.

 

Recommendation for institutional accreditation:

 

The team recommends that Globe Institute of Technology have its accreditation renewed for 4 years.  This preliminary recommendation is subject to change on the basis of Globe’s response to this draft report.

 

Recommendation for change of scope:

 

In accordance with section 4.15 (d) Procedures for a change in scope of accreditation of the Rules of the Board of Regents for institutional accreditation, the team found the change of ownership does not adversely affect Globe’s capacity to meet the standards set forth in sections 4-1.3 and 4.14 of the Regents Rules.  Therefore, the team further recommends to the Department that the change in scope be approved for the new owner of Globe Institute of Technology, 878 Education, LLC. This preliminary recommendation is subject to change on the basis of Globe’s response to this draft report. 

 

2005 Recommendations

 

In May 2005, the Board of Regents renewed Globe Institute of Technology’s institutional accreditation with condition for a period of three years ending on May 16, 2008.  The Board required Globe to report back to the Department by May 16, 2006 the steps they have taken to address the recommendations included in the site visit team’s report.  In general, the recommendations involved Globe’s Institutional Effectiveness Plans, library resources and the Business department faculty. 

 

In response, Globe submitted progress reports on its Institutional Effectiveness Plan 2004-06 and library resources, and responded to the other recommendations outlined in the 2005 site visit report.  At the time of the 2008 site visit, the team found the faculty appropriately qualified.

 

Standard:  Institutional mission (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(a))

 

The institution shall have a clear statement of purpose, mission, and goals that shall be reflected in the policies, practices, and outcomes of the institution. The statement of mission may include but need not be limited to: the academic purposes of the institution and the institution’s commitment to the social and economic context in which the institution operates; the relative roles of teaching, creation and preservation of knowledge, and service; the nature of constituents to be served; and the bases for setting priorities.

 

Findings:

 

Globe Institute of Technology’s mission statement was amended in 2004 and now says:

 

The mission of Globe Institute of Technology is to provide an education to students from diverse backgrounds, including those who have traditionally been underrepresented in higher education and to prepare students with market-ready skills for successful career entry, development and advancement.

 

Globe Institute of Technology strives to achieve its mission by fostering a student-centered learning environment, emphasizing mutual respect and tolerance, supported by a dedicated faculty and staff and leading edge technology.

 

The institutional mission is both clear and implemented.  It is well publicized, with prominent placement at the beginning of the Undergraduate Catalog, the Student Handbook, the Faculty Handbook, and the college’s web site.  Conversations with senior administration, including the President, his Assistant, the Academic Dean, the Dean of Student Services, and the Dean of Administrative Services confirm the importance, awareness of, and commitment to the first part of the mission: to provide an education to students from diverse backgrounds from traditionally underrepresented populations.  This same commitment also informs the policies and procedures followed by the Director of Admissions, who stated that she feels strongly that she cannot say no to non-traditional students who want a college education.  The Academic Dean verified what Globe’s Self-Study affirmed, that Globe’s new owner endorses the mission and plans no changes for it.  Further, onsite discussion with students involved some who have been unsuccessful at more traditional schools, some who have not finished high school during the usual time, and some with linguistic backgrounds that make a more conventional college an unlikely opportunity for success.

 

Recommendations: 

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard. 

 

 

Standard: Assessment of student achievement (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(b))

 

The institution shall prepare and implement a plan for the systematic assessment of its effectiveness in promoting the quality of student achievement and development.  The assessment plan shall include but need not be limited to: graduation rates, retention rates and, as pertinent to institutional mission and programs, state licensing examination results and job placement rates. The plan may include other information important to the institution’s achievement of its mission, such as transfer rates and the subsequent educational success of its graduates. The institution shall provide to the department on request and in all applications for accreditation and renewal of accreditation, evidence of its implementation of the plan and its effects on the quality of student achievement in relation to its mission and goals.

 

Findings:

 

The Self-Study section Assessment of Student Achievement was reviewed by the team.  Faculty with whom the team met were clearly engaged in assessing student learning on the course and program levels.  There was an active and broadly participatory discussion about various mechanisms and structures for assessment of student learning, including the re-design of syllabi, program review and professional development. In addition, a review of the information provided on-site about faculty development workshops observed that little information existed that specifically dealt with methods of assessing student learning.  Much of what was discussed during the faculty meeting is however not adequately reflected in the Self-Study document.  It is clear that efforts are made for student-, course-, and program-level assessment based on structured sets of objectives.  However, what is not clear is the development of institutional-level objectives – placement rates, graduation rates, and objectives and assessment of non-academic functions - and the process by which these assessments might feed back through the planning and budgeting functions to enhance the quality of student achievement and development.

 

Recommendations:

 

The institution is in partial compliance with the standard.

 

• Assessment practices should be more transparent in the institution’s reports and more effectively communicated to all constituencies.

 

• The institution should develop an Institutional Outcomes Assessment Plan that uses clear quantitative data for programmatic planning and budgeting.

 

• The non-academic units – Registrar, Bursar, student support services, etc. – should be incorporated into the institutional assessment plan by developing their own objectives and outcomes measurements, which can then be fed back into institutional planning.

 

 

 

The institution shall annually submit:

 

(i)           timely and accurate statistical information as prescribed by the commissioner;

(ii)          additional specified reports, including data related to persistence and graduation rates, state licensing examination results, job placement rates, and other evidence of the quality of student achievement;

(iii)         record of compliance with its program responsibilities under HEA Title IV (including student default rate data, and the results of audits and program reviews);

(iv)         record of student complaints and their outcomes; and

(v)          other information pertaining to an institution's compliance with the standards prescribed in this Part, as determined by the department.

 

Graduation rates

 

Associate degrees. If, in the judgment of the commissioner, there is a sufficient cohort of students, based on the most recent data submitted to the department, an institution awarding associate degrees that reports an associate degree completion rate more than five percentage points below the mean associate degree completion rate reported by all institutions in the state, according to the most recent information available to the department, shall prepare and submit a plan to improve student achievement as measured by graduation rates.  Such plan shall include but need not be limited to: strategies and timelines to achieve a completion rate not lower than five percentage points below the mean. Such plan shall be submitted to, and subject to approval by, the commissioner.

 

Baccalaureate degrees. If, in the judgment of the commissioner, there is a sufficient cohort of students, based on the most recent data submitted to the department, an institution awarding baccalaureate degrees that reports a baccalaureate degree completion rate more than five percentage points below the mean baccalaureate degree completion rate reported by all institutions in the state, according to the most recent information available to the department, shall prepare and submit a plan to improve student achievement as measured by graduation rates.  Such plan shall include but need not be limited to: strategies and timelines to achieve a completion rate not lower than five percentage points below the mean. Such plan shall be submitted to, and subject to approval by, the commissioner.

 

Job placement rates

 

Two-year colleges.  If, in the judgment of the commissioner, there is a sufficient cohort of students, based on the most recent data submitted to the department, an institution whose mission includes the preparation of students for employment and that offers no programs beyond the associate degree that reports job placement rates, including placement in civilian and military occupations, more than five percentage points below the mean reported by all institutions in the state offering programs no higher than the associate degree level, according to the most recent information available to the department, shall prepare and submit a plan to improve student achievement as measured by job placement rates.  Such plan shall include but need not be limited to: strategies and timelines to achieve a job placement rate not lower than five percentage points below the mean. Such plan shall be submitted to, and subject to approval by, the commissioner.

 

Four-year colleges. If, in the judgment of the commissioner, there is a sufficient cohort of students, based on the most recent data submitted to the department, an institution whose mission includes the preparation of students for employment and that offers programs at and above the baccalaureate degree that reports job placement rates, including civilian and military occupations, below 80 percent, shall prepare and submit a plan to improve student achievement as measured by job placement rates.  Such plan shall include but need not be limited to: strategies and timelines to achieve at least an 80 percent job placement rate. Such plan shall be submitted to, and subject to approval by, the commissioner.

 

Findings:

 

Graduation data provided by the institution indicate that for the latest cohort of associate degree graduates (entering year 2005), the graduation rate at three years after entrance is 19%.  The minimum standard acceptable is 18.5% (within 5% of the most recent statewide figures). 

 

With respect to baccalaureate students, the data cohort is from 2004 therefore there are no data presented for a 6-year rate.  Data provided on site showed that of 247 students who had graduated with baccalaureate degrees, 44.5% (110) had completed either Globe’s associate degree programs or Globe’s certificate program.

 

Globe staff reported that 69.3% (147) of the current cadre of 212 baccalaureate students entered Globe as freshmen and 30.7% (65) are students who transferred credits earned at other colleges or came to Globe with associate degrees from other colleges.  Of the 147 students who entered Globe as freshmen, 30.6% (45) earned associate degrees or certificates and continued on at Globe.  

 

In 2005-06, Globe surveyed 215 graduates and received 119 responses (55%).  108 (91%) are employed full-time or continuing with their education.  Of the 108, 99 (92%) are working or studying in an area related to their field of study.  The average annual salary range for bachelor degree graduates is $30 – 39,000.  The average annual salary range for associate degree graduates is $20,000 – 29,000.

 

Recommendations: 

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

Suggestions: 

 

A.  The institution should pay particular attention to its graduation rates and continue interventions to improve both its retention and graduation rates, with particular consideration given to retaining existing   associate degree graduates into the college’s baccalaureate programs.

 

Standards:  Programs of Study (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(c))

 

Integrity of credit

 

(i)           Each course offered for credit by an institution shall be part of a general education requirement, a major requirement, or an elective in a program of study leading to a degree or certificate.

(ii)          Credit toward an undergraduate degree shall be earned only for college-level work.  Credit toward a graduate degree shall be earned only through work designed expressly for graduate students.  Enrollment of secondary school students in undergraduate courses, of undergraduates in graduate courses, and of graduate students in undergraduate courses shall be strictly controlled by the institution.

(iii)         Learning objectives for each course shall be of a level and rigor that warrant acceptance in transfer by other institutions of higher education.

(iv)         The institution shall assure that credit is granted only to students who have achieved the stated objectives of each credit-bearing learning activity.

 

Findings:

 

Review of the catalog and course outlines for both credit courses and non-credit (e.g. ESL) courses indicates that assigned credits are appropriate to course content ;  credit is granted for college-level work;  learning objectives for each course are of an appropriate level of rigor; and credit is only granted to students who have achieved the objectives of each course.

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Suggestions:

 

B.  The institution should encourage and support professional academic staff members and faculty participation in conferences and workshops.

 

C.  A comprehensive assessment strategy for the advising process should be discussed and implemented.

 

Program of study goals and objectives

 

(i)           The goals and the objectives of each program of study and the competencies expected of students completing the program shall be clearly defined in writing.

(ii)          Each program of study shall show evidence of careful planning. The content and duration of programs of study shall be designed to implement their purposes.

(iii)         Course syllabi shall clearly state the subject matter, the learning objectives, and requirements of each course and shall be provided to the students in the course.

 

Findings:

 

Globe’s catalog describes the requisite policies regarding enrollment in courses and requirements for the completion of the programs of study.  Course syllabi are consistent with the description in the undergraduate catalog.

 

Review of sample Course Syllabi in the Self-Study indicated use of a standard syllabus format that includes the following:  learning objectives; method of instruction; required texts; evaluation systems; assignments; rules and regulations; and plagiarism policy. These policies appear consistent and complete.

 

A review of Globe’s bulletin and sample course syllabi, and the observation of courses and interviewing students onsite demonstrated that the student learning experiences are reliable indicators of the methods of instruction, which themselves are fully consistent with the purposes and objectives of the program.  For example, students in English 103--English Composition--are expected to write college-level compositions and a research paper, requirements that are clearly stated in both the course syllabus and catalog description. The texts and objectives for this course support what is normally expected in the curriculum of a college-level, 3-credit English composition course. Faculty who lead the English Composition session were enthusiastic about engaging their students in thinking about the writing process, implementing strategies to improve writing skills, and establishing a classroom venue favorable to student learning. 

 

Course outlines are highly structured and standardized.  There is a defined process for curriculum design and course development which results in an extensive outline.  The outline typically contains detailed objectives, session-by-session teaching goals, and assessment tools.  There were descriptions of the standardized course and curriculum development process presented.  Some evaluative tools were rubric-based but the degree of specificity in the rubrics seemed to vary widely.  There was, however, only modest indication presented of linkage back from institutional assessment tools (placement records, feedback from alumni, employers, etc.) to curriculum development. 

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Assessment of success in achieving the goals and objectives

 

There shall be a written plan to assess, no less than every five years, the effectiveness of faculty and students in achieving goals and objectives and to promote improvement.  Such assessment shall include systematic collection, review and use of quantitative and qualitative information about programs of study, including information that directly addresses learning outcomes, and shall document actions taken to improve student learning and development.

 

Findings:

 

The Institute has an operational Outcomes Assessment Committee, which has recently begun its work with reviewing and revamping course syllabi to reflect course goals and student learning objectives; departments/programs also appear to have developed goals and objectives; and useful information, surveys, and other reports exist.  However, it is unclear who is responsible for reviewing the information, requesting data, and indicating how the institution is going to make changes based on the information gathered. 

 

According to the self-study assessment plan, administrators and faculty the programs are subjected to outside evaluation every five years, several within the last few years.  The Business Department is currently involved in such a review.  Outside reviewers are invited to engage in classroom observations, interviews with faculty, analysis of course outlines, final examinations, etc.  The courses are also subjected to internal review.  The Business department also uses the capstone (internship) course as a way to assess student knowledge and preparation for work.  Evaluation of the internship course is done by both the faculty and field supervisors.

 

Clearly an effort has been made to educate relevant personnel in the concepts of outcomes assessment and to implement these concepts at course and to some extent programmatic level.  However the team observed that institutional level assessment is not as well thought through or developed.

 

Although Globe is making progress in assessing how well its programs are meeting the educational goals set forth in its mission, more can be done to make the process more efficient and timely, as well as to further formal involvement of administrators and faculty in the process. 

 

Recommendations:

 

The institution is in partial compliance with the standard.

 

• The institution should gather feedback on a routine basis from alumni and employers looking at the course requirements to suggest program level development. 

 

• The institution should establish more centralized assessment process.

 

• The institution should establish a campus oversight committee from the existing Outcomes Assessment Committee, department chairs and the academic dean. 

 

Program length, credit, and other requirements for degrees

 

For each program of study, the institution shall assure that courses will be offered with sufficient frequency to enable students to complete the program within the minimum time for degree completion for each degree level identified in this paragraph.

 

(i)           Associate degree programs shall normally be capable of completion in two academic years of full-time study, or their equivalent in part-time study, with an accumulation of not less than 60 semester hours.

 (ii)         Baccalaureate degree programs shall normally be capable of completion in four academic years of full-time study, or, in the case of five-year programs, five academic years of full-time study, or their equivalent in part-time study, with an accumulation of not less than 120 semester hours.

 

Findings:

 

Courses are offered with sufficient frequency for timely program completion.

 

Recommendations: 

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Standards:  Faculty (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(d))

 

Competence and credentials

 

(i)           In support of the mission of the institution, all members of the faculty shall have demonstrated by training, earned degrees, scholarship, experience, and by classroom performance or other evidence of teaching potential, their competence to offer the courses and discharge the other academic responsibilities which are assigned to them.

 

(ii)          Faculty members who teach in a program leading to a certificate or undergraduate degree shall hold at least a master’s degree in the field in which they teach or a related field, or shall be actively pursuing graduate study in such field or related field, or shall have demonstrated, in other widely recognized ways, such as completion of relevant education, training and/or experience, their competence in the field in which they teach. Upon request, institutions shall provide documentation to the commissioner confirming that faculty members who do not hold such master’s degree or are not pursing such graduate study have demonstrated competence in the field in which they teach.

 

(iii)         At least one faculty member teaching in each program of study culminating in a baccalaureate degree shall hold an earned doctorate in an appropriate field, unless the commissioner deems that the program is in a field of study in which other standards are appropriate.

 

(iv)         All faculty members who teach within a program of study leading to a graduate degree shall possess earned doctorates or other terminal degrees in the field in which they are teaching or shall have demonstrated, in other widely recognized ways, their special competence in the field in which they direct graduate students. Upon request, institutions shall provide documentation to the commissioner confirming that the faculty members who do not hold such doctorate or terminal degrees have demonstrated special competence in the field in which they direct students.

 

Findings:

 

Overall, the faculty of Globe possess the training and professional experiences necessary for carrying out their teaching and other assigned responsibilities.

 

Review of faculty credentials and the courses taught by specific faculty shows that each baccalaureate program has at least one faculty member with a terminal degree.  Of the faculty holding masters degrees, two are pursuing Ph.D. degrees.  In addition, faculty teaching in associate degrees in many cases also have terminal degrees or training (for example, a CPA for an instructor in an associate-degree accounting course.)

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Adequacy to support programs and services

 

(i)           The faculty shall be sufficient in number to assure breadth and depth of instruction and the proper discharge of all other faculty responsibilities.

(ii)          To foster and maintain continuity and stability in academic programs and policies, there shall be in the institution a sufficient number of faculty members who serve full-time at the institution.

(iii)         For each program of study the institution shall designate a body of faculty who, with the academic officers of the institution, shall be responsible for setting curricular objectives, for determining the means by which achievement of objectives is measured, for evaluating the achievement of curricular objectives, and for providing academic advice to students.

(iv)         The ratio of faculty to students in each course shall be sufficient to assure effective instruction.

 

 

Findings:

 

Globe employed 23 full-time faculty and 55 part-time faculty at the time of the site visit.  Faculty are sufficient in number to assure satisfactory breadth and depth of instruction and the appropriate discharge of their other responsibilities. 

 

A faculty curriculum committee is responsible for approval of new curricula after review by appropriate faculty and department personnel.  The deans, department chairs and faculty together set curricula objectives, course content, new program design, and evaluation standards, in a generally cooperative mode, in the team’s observation.

 

Faculty provide student advisement about the academic programs.  Conversations with both students and faculty indicate that both are deeply involved in and supportive of an advisement role for faculty.  In addition, faculty with specialized training often supplement under-staffed areas of the Globe’s programs.  For example a faculty member trained and licensed as a social worker provides psychological and social counseling to students who request the service.

 

Class sizes ranging from 30 down to 5 are appropriate for effective instruction.

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Evaluation and professional responsibilities

 

(i)           The teaching and research of each faculty member, in accordance with the faculty member's responsibilities, shall be evaluated periodically by the institution.  Members of the instructional staff new to the institution shall receive special supervision during the initial period of appointment.

(ii)          The institution shall ensure that each member of the faculty is allowed adequate time, in accordance with the faculty member's responsibilities, to broaden professional knowledge, prepare course materials, advise students, direct independent study and research, supervise teaching, participate in institutional governance and carry out other academic responsibilities appropriate to his or her position, in addition to performing assigned teaching and administrative duties.

 

Findings:

 

Faculty are formally evaluated by administrative observation and informally by interaction with peers, on a continuing basis.  Globe budgets $1500 per full-time faculty member per year to be used for attendance at conferences, journal subscriptions and other individual development activities.  There are also group faculty development sessions in which faculty share their new information and skills with each other. 

 

Faculty teaching loads are generally within acceptable levels, and excessive overloads are not permitted.  Globe strives to have full-time faculty teach no more than 15 credits per semester.  At the time of the site visit, full-time business faculty averaged 14 credits per semester, full-time computer science/math department averaged 12 credits per semester and full-time general education faculty averaged 7 credits per semester.

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Standards:  Resources (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(e))

 

Facilities, equipment, and supplies

 

(i)           The institution shall provide classrooms, administrative and faculty offices, auditoria, laboratories, libraries, audio-visual and computer facilities, clinical facilities, studios, practice rooms, and other instructional resources sufficient in number, design, condition, and accessibility to support its mission, goals, instruction, programs, and all other educational activities.

(ii)          The institution shall provide equipment sufficient in quantity and quality to support administration, instruction, research, and student performance.

 

Findings: 

 

Classrooms, laboratory spaces and equipment, administrative and faculty office space and equipment are generally satisfactory.  There is appropriate space for a combination Tutoring Center/Writing Center that has seen extensive use by students. 

 

The institution provides a total of 195 computer workstations at their main location along with WiFi access for students. 

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Library and information resources

 

(i)           The institution shall provide libraries that possess, maintain, and provide access to print and non-print collections and technology sufficient in depth and breadth to support the mission of the institution and each program of study. 

(ii)          Libraries shall be administered by professionally trained staff supported by sufficient personnel. Library services and resources shall be available for student and faculty use with sufficient regularity and at appropriate hours and shall support the mission of the institution and its programs of study.

(iii)         The institution shall ensure that all students receive instruction in information literacy.

 

Findings:

 

As with other academic areas at Globe, there has been an extensive amount of work completed in the months since new ownership has occurred.  The library director and staff show the same level of passionate commitment to the students and mission of Globe as the faculty. The library has not been overlooked by the new owners, and cash was made available immediately to satisfy creditors such as book jobbers and database suppliers, and to assure new book orders.  Under the previous owners, the library did not have a financial plan and no defined budget.  No request for funds or resources for the library was denied, leaving no means to communicate to the new owners the adequacy or inadequacy of library funding. Even though the library has a collection development policy to guide its acquisitions and de-acquisitions, such a policy is meaningless without a parallel document to express the distribution of funds necessary to carry it out.

 

The library staff appears to play an active part in the academic life of Globe, and is clearly working collaboratively with faculty.  For example, the library director serves on faculty committees and teaches a 3-credit online history class and a 1-credit information literacy class. The literacy course has a well-designed syllabus, and an instructor’s guide that could be used by astute faculty members in addition to the library director. There has been substantial consultation with the library and the library director in the development of the Writing Across the Curriculum initiative, and it would be anticipated over time that the information literacy and the writing initiative would grow more integrative with one another.

 

The staff of the library, who are appropriately credentialed for their responsibilities, seem adequate for the moment, though any growth in enrollment will argue strongly for an additional full-time librarian to cover evening and weekend hours in a manner consistent with the professional services available during the day. The library is open seven days a week, and the hours on the weekend are generous.

 

The resources are balanced between electronic and paper, although journal subscriptions lag behind, and magazines are heavily weighted toward trade journals. Globe’s library is a member of the New York Metropolitan Library Resources Council (METRO), the regional reference and research library resource systems organization, and makes use of both the interlibrary loan services and the extensive professional development opportunities. Database subscriptions are primarily through NOVEL, and are thus available free of charge. There is a published (online) collection development policy. 

 

Globe’s instructional materials indicate direction toward more active learning, suggesting a need to expand the library’s collection of primary source materials. The periodical collections should be assessed to create a balance between what can be had electronically in full text and what needs to be available in paper.

 

In speaking with students on site, many revealed that they were unclear about the connection between library research and their research paper. In part, this may be the result of syllabi that make passing references to the Library as a service; for example, the syllabus reviewed simply states, “Students are encouraged to use Globe’s various learning enhancement centers to facilitate learning.”

 

Recommendations:

 

The institution is in substantial compliance with the standard.

 

• The Globe library should have a financial plan in the context of a strategic plan for the library so that space, equipment, and personnel are incorporated, viewed and planned for as significantly as information resources in the collection.

 

• Library staff should begin to look at expanding the scope of the collection away from textbooks and towards primary source materials relevant to its active learning focus.

 

• Adequate time should be devoted to the appropriate role of the library in writing a research paper.

 

• Library literacy should be an embedded component of each syllabus and course description.

 

Suggestions:

 

D. Library staff should work to institutionalize the collaboration begun between the Writing Across the Curriculum initiative and the information literacy program.

 

E. The institution should retain a consultant to evaluate the present library resources and practices, and make recommendations for the future.

 

F. The institution should formalize relationships with both the branch libraries and the Humanities and Social Sciences research libraries located in the surrounding area beyond the current arrangement with METRO.

 

 

Fiscal capacity

 

The institution shall possess the financial resources necessary for the consistent and successful accomplishment of its mission and objectives at the institutional, program and course levels.

 

 

Findings:  

 

Globe has requested and received approval to change their fiscal year from July 1 - June 30 to January 1 - December 31. The latest available financial statement is the audited balance sheet of 878 Education d/b/a Globe Institute of Technology dated October 28, 2007:

 

•             The balance sheet indicated Globe had $47,688 in cash.

•             Globe had current assets of $4,388,240 and current liabilities of $3,304,389, which means they had $1.33 in current assets for every dollar of current liabilities.

•             Globe had $200,000 in total stockholder’s equity.

•             Globe was acquired for $1.7 million by the new owner. The assets acquired were valued at $5 million and the liabilities were valued at $3.3 million. ($5 million minus $3.3 million equal $1.7 million)

•             Again the notes to the financial statement indicate the USDOE had denied participation by Globe in student financial assistance programs under Title IV. The federal agency had estimated a potential liability of $2.9 million in connection with the federal program review.  (Note: Subsequent to the submission of this balance sheet, Globe applied to resume participation in Title IV programs and received approval from USDOE.)

•             The notes also state that the new owners have transferred $2.5 million to Globe to pay outstanding liabilities and secure its financial stability. In addition, the new owner has provided a letter of credit to the USDOE for $1.2 million.

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Standards:  Administration (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(f))

 

Responsibilities

 

(i)           Responsibility for the administration of institutional policies and programs shall be clearly established.

(ii)          Within the authority of its governing entity, the institution shall provide that overall educational policy and its implementation are the responsibility of the institution's faculty and academic officers.  Other appropriate segments of the institutional community may share in this responsibility in accordance with the norms developed by each institution.

(iii)         Academic policies applicable to each course, including learning objectives and methods of assessing student achievement, shall be made explicit by the instructor at the beginning of each term.

(iv)         The institution shall provide academic advice to students through faculty or appropriately qualified persons.  The institution shall assure that students are informed at stated intervals of their progress and remaining obligations in the completion of the program.

(v)          The institution shall maintain for each student a permanent, complete, accurate, and up-to-date transcript of student achievement at the institution.  This document will be the official cumulative record of the student's achievement.  Copies shall be made available at the student's request, in accordance with the institution's stated policies, or to agencies or individuals authorized by law to review such records.

(vi)         The institution shall not be in violation of State and/or Federal statute, where such violation demonstrates incompetence and/or fraud in the management of the institution in the judgment of the commissioner.

 

Findings:

 

The Office of Academic Affairs coordinates the activities of full-time professional academic advisors.  This office is supervised by a director, and all advisors and the director are located in one location in the main college building.  Although some students request the services of specific advisors with whom they have previously consulted, all academic advisors have the ability to assist all students at any time throughout the year so that service to students is timely.  Office hours and location are listed in the student handbook.

 

When a student consults with an advisor for the first time, the advisor uses placement test results, degree program outlines, and a listing of approved transfer credit in order to appropriately counsel and register the student.

 

During the site visit, academic advisors reported that they regularly share information with the Registrar’s Office and with the Office of Academic Affairs, and are kept informed of any changes in curriculum and course offerings.

 

An interview with the Registrar revealed that many of the usual functions handled by a Registrar are, in fact, handled in different administrative offices.  Enrollment certifications are processed by Student Services.  The schedule of courses is maintained in the student information system by an assistant to the Academic Dean.  Advisors enter course adds and drops into the student information system.  Grade rosters are maintained by the Academic Dean.  Surprisingly, the Registrar seemed unaware that these responsibilities typically reside in the Registrar’s Office.  More significantly, the Registrar was unaware that FERPA requires a student’s written consent before releasing an academic transcript; instead, the Registrar’s Office accepts requests to release transcripts by email or by telephone.  Similarly, the Registrar was unaware of the provision in FERPA for a college to release directory information without a student’s consent, even though Globe’s published Privacy Act policy identifies the Registrar as the contact to limit the release of directory information.  According to the Registrar, Globe is not a member of AACRAO, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.  Membership in this professional organization would help both the Registrar and the Director of Admissions identify and establish current practices in need of implementation at Globe.

 

With his present level of higher education experience, it is unlikely that the Dean of Administrative Services is in a position to assess idiosyncratic procedures at Globe that might need review and adjustment.

 

Discussion with the new owner who is acting as President indicates that he is generally aware that the newly hired administrators are largely inexperienced in higher education and that the college is actively engaged in recruiting professional leadership for key positions.  Given the reliance on outside consultants to calibrate decisions made by, for example, the academic division of the college, it is important that this be accomplished sooner rather than later.

 

It is clear that the Academic Dean and faculty are enthusiastic about their work and the future of the college.  It is equally clear that enthusiasm does not completely substitute for broad exposure to the “state of the art” of college administration of academics, student services, enrollment management, and institutional development.  Such exposure would give relevant Globe personnel an opportunity to both understand and select from practices to improve their institutional effectiveness.

 

It is equally clear that the various other critical functions of the college, such as student support services, are staffed and guided with widely varying degrees of support and expertise.  It is most critical that the senior administration place themselves in a position to ensure that they are able to recognize where there are deficiencies and that they have the information and experience available to them to make rational staffing and resourcing decisions.

 

The Registrar’s Office is staffed by two full-time employees.  The office receives a student’s file from the Admissions Office when the file is complete and the student is ready to register for the first time.  If the file is incomplete, it is sent back to Admissions for further information.  Transfer credit is evaluated by the chair of each academic department and is reported to the Registrar.  The Registrar monitors course schedules and provides attendance monitoring in the form of attendance report print-outs that are distributed to faculty and to the institution’s Retention Committee.  Faculty members are responsible for entering their own grades, and the Registrar provides each faculty member with a final copy of their entered grades for approval/changes.  Students can access their grades online using a dedicated computer located in the building.  Grade reports are not automatically distributed or mailed; grade reports are distributed only upon a student’s request.

 

According to Globe’s Self Study, students supply the following documents to the admissions office for inclusion in the student file:  Application for Admission; Picture ID; Social Security Card; High School Diploma/Equivalent; High School Transcript; College Transcript; Name Change; Immunization Record (MMR and Meningitis).  The Registrar stated that, in addition, when students graduate, a copy of their degree audit and a final academic transcript are placed in the student file.  A review of six randomly selected files of graduated students found that they contained the appropriate items with the following exceptions.  One file contained no Meningitis form.  Another file did not have an official academic transcript from a prior college, but contained a photocopy of the transcript.  More seriously, this student transferred credits from two prior colleges and the combined transfer credits from both colleges appeared under the name of a single college on the student’s Globe academic transcript.  A third student’s file contained a degree audit but did not contain a copy of the student’s Globe academic transcript documenting that she completed the degree requirements.

 

Maintenance of other student records, like grade rosters and registration forms, follows common practices.   With the exception of the transfer credit error mentioned above, academic transcripts are complete and clear in presentation.

 

Recommendations:

 

The institution is in partial compliance with the standard.

 

• The institution should ensure that academic decisions to reinstate students are not made based on financial aid considerations (in other words, students should not automatically be granted reinstatement on the basis of existing financial aid, or be denied reinstatement solely because they do not have any financial aid left to access) but on a complete academic review.

 

• Student folders should be reviewed carefully to establish that each contains all necessary documentation and that academic transcripts correctly reflect prior and current academic information.

 

• The Office of the Registrar should revise its procedures (such as requiring a signature with official transcript and grade report requests, and routine mailing of final grade reports) to ensure liability protection.

 

• The Office of the Registrar should ensure that their actions are in compliance with FERPA (the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).

 

Suggestions

 

G. The institution should ensure that the Registrar’s Office engages in professional organizations such as AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers) and uses guidelines and standards of the professions.

 

H. The Academic Advising Office should actively participate in professional college advising organizations, such as NACADA (National Academic Advising Association).

 

 

Published policies

 

The institution shall establish, publish and enforce explicit policies with respect to:

 

(i)           academic freedom;

(ii)          the rights and privileges of full-time and part-time faculty and other staff members, working conditions, opportunity for professional development, workload, appointment and reappointment, affirmative action, evaluation of teaching and research, termination of appointment, redress of grievances and faculty responsibility to the institution; and

(iii)         requirements for admission of students to the institution and to specific programs of study, requirements for residence, graduation, awarding of credit, degrees or other credentials, grading, standards of progress, payment of fees of any nature, refunds, withdrawals, standards of conduct, disciplinary measures and redress of grievances.

 

Findings:

 

Globe Institute's 2006-2008 Undergraduate Catalog provides information to students on the following required elements, among others: academic freedom; institution and program admission; graduation; awarding of credit, degrees and other awards; grading; standards of progress; fees; refunds; withdrawals; disciplinary measures; and redress of grievances. Both the student and faculty handbooks describe standards of conduct.

 

A review of the faculty handbook confirms that Globe publishes policies or information on the rights and privileges of faculty, working conditions, opportunity for professional development, workload expectations, appointment and reappointment, affirmative action, evaluation of teaching and research, termination of appointment, redress of grievances, and faculty responsibility to the institution.

 

During the site visit, the Retention Committee described the institution’s Reassessment Procedure, a process whereby a student can request that the Retention Committee conduct a review of an academic decision or other matter involving a faculty member.  This is a new process and the Retention Committee reported receiving positive feedback from those students and faculty who had been engaged in the process to date.  However, the Committees reported that in all instances thus far, they have sided with the faculty member.  The process is not tied to any existing grievance or academic appeals policy, and there is no written outline of the procedures, so it is unclear how students are made aware of this process.

 

Recommendations:

 

The institution is in substantial compliance with the standard.

 

• Student academic appeals and grievances procedures should be reviewed and updated for further clarity and direction.  Once updated, the procedures should be published. 

 

Standard:  Support services (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(g))

 

• The institution shall assure that whenever and wherever the institution offers courses as part of a curriculum it shall provide adequate support services, taking into account its mission and the needs of its students.
• Institutions that admit students with academic deficiencies shall provide sufficient supplemental academic services to enable them to make satisfactory progress toward program completion.

 

Findings:

 

The institution employs a Dean of Student Services who uses the assistance of work study students to support the work of her office.  She provides highly individualized support to students upon request; guidance, support and oversight to student activities and groups; and coordination of the institution’s student orientation program. 

 

The long-range Institutional Effectiveness Plan describes the mission, goals and objectives of the Division of Student Services through June 30, 2008, including those of Career Services, Counseling Services and Student Activities.  However, the Division is not appropriately staffed at this time to achieve the long-range goals and objectives listed in the plan, specifically for those listed for the areas of Career Services and Student Activities.

 

The institution recently created a Retention Committee comprising members of the faculty and chaired by the Chair of the Business Department.  It meets regularly and reviews attendance records provided by the Registrar’s Office.  The Committee identifies students who have been absent from class and contacts them by mail and by phone.  It also shares this information with other faculty members for additional intervention if necessary.  Members of the Committee reported that, through this process, they have been able to resolve issues on a case-by-case basis thereby affecting the retention of individual students.  They have also analyzed the information gathered from their interventions and have taken steps to design more programmatic retention efforts.  For example, the Committee arranged a Student Support Week in the fall and invited representatives from different administrative offices to staff information tables in a “fair” setting.

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard. 

 

Suggestions:

 

I. The institution should hire additional staff in the student services office to support student events and activities, as well as a career services professional to provide career services programs, guidance and support to the student body.

 

J. The institution should encourage student service employees to become members of respective professional and regional organizations, such as NASAP (National Association of Student Affairs Professionals) or NASPA (National Association for Student Personnel Administrators) for professional development opportunities. 

 

K. The Office of Student Services should move toward creating a comprehensive student services/student affairs plan that supports the mission and supporting goals of the institution.

 

Standards:  Admissions (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(h))

 

(1)         The admission of students shall be determined through an orderly process using published criteria consistent with the institution’s mission that shall be uniformly applied.

(2)         Admissions shall take into account both the capacity of the student to undertake a course of study and the capacity of the institution to provide the instructional and other support the student needs to complete the program.

(3)         Among other considerations and consistent with its mission, the institution shall take measures to increase enrollment in academic programs at all degree levels by persons from groups historically underrepresented in such programs.

(4)         An institution shall not refuse a student’s request for transfer of credit based solely upon the source of accreditation of the sending institution, where the sending institution is institutionally accredited for Title IV purposes by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education for such purposes.

 

Findings:

 

The Office of Admissions is staffed by a Director of Admissions and five full-time admissions representatives.  Applicants file a four-page Application for Admission, which can be submitted in hard copy or online through the institution’s web site. 

 

Admissions policies and procedures are clearly stated in the catalog, with special emphasis on procedures relating to Placement Testing and Basic Skills Requirements.  Given Globe’s dedication to attracting students from diverse backgrounds and traditionally underrepresented groups, this last requirement plays an important part in the evaluation and acceptance of many of their students.  The Director of Admissions confirmed that her office adheres to the process described in the Catalog in order to enable the Admissions process to best serve underrepresented students.  The make-up of Globe’s student body – one-third Asian, one-third African American or Hispanic, and one-third Caucasian – attests to the success of this approach in supporting Globe’s mission.

 

Placement testing requirements are stated on the application form and in the college catalog.  Ability-to-benefit requirements and testing procedures are listed in the catalog and on the application form.  Advanced standing criteria are also listed in the catalog. 

 

The Director of Admissions was unaware of the persistence rate of transfer students.  This lack of knowledge suggested to the team a disconnect between the admissions process and the academic success of admitted students.  It also suggested insufficient attention to  the capacity of the student to undertake a course of study and the capacity of the institution to provide instructional and other support.  The admissions process seems to focus more on enabling all interested applicants to enroll, rather than the assessment of good student and institutional fit.

 

Recommendations: 

 

The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

• Globe should assess factors that influence and affect persistence in students, focusing especially on what factors the successful student brings to Globe, and build these factors into admissions’ acceptance criteria.

 

Standards:  Consumer information (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(i))

 

(1) The following information shall be included in all catalogs of the institution:

 

(i)           Information shall be provided on financial assistance available to students, costs of attending the institution, the refund policy of the institution, and the instructional programs and other related aspects of the institution.  Information shall include programs of financial assistance from State, Federal, institutional and other sources. Information on the institution’s standards of progress shall be disclosed, if different from those utilized for State student financial aid programs.

(ii)          Cost of attending the institution for each of the cost categories listed below shall be provided.  Estimates, so indicated, may be used where exact figures are unavailable or inappropriate.  Where summary information is provided, an institutional office where detailed information can be obtained shall be identified.

 

(a)         Tuition and fees. Information shall be provided on all assessments against students for direct educational and general purposes.  A brief description of the purpose of any mandatory fee shall be included if the purpose of such fee is not apparent from its name.  Course fees and lab fees shall be clearly identified.  Conditions under which non-mandatory fees need not be paid shall be clearly stated.

(b)         Books and supplies.  Estimated costs of textbooks, books, manuals, consumable supplies and equipment, which a student should possess as a necessary corollary to instruction, shall be provided.  Separate estimates shall be provided for major program categories for which such costs vary more than 25 percent from the average for the entire institution.

(c)          Room and board.  Costs of housing and food services operated by the institution shall be provided where such services are available.  Estimated costs of similar accommodations available in the community shall also be provided.  These figures shall be consistent with estimated student budgets prepared by the institution's financial aid office.

(d)         Other living expenses.  Estimated cost of personal expenses applicable to students devoting primary efforts to pursuit of educational objectives shall be provided.  This estimate shall be consistent with similar figures defined by the institution's financial aid office.

 

Findings:

 

The catalog contains explicit information about the costs of attending the institution: tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, and other living expenses.  This information is contained in the Tuition and Fees and Financial Aid sections of the catalog.

 

The institution's academic calendar consists of fall, spring, and summer semesters "to allow students to accelerate their studies."  According to the catalog, students are expected to attend all three semesters once they begin.  For a fee, students may maintain matriculation.  The full-time course load is described as 12 or more credit hours per term; part-time is less than 12 credits per semester.

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

(iii)         The institution shall state its policy and requirements on student withdrawal from the institution and its policy and requirements concerning refunds due to failure of students to complete an academic term for any reason.  The policy shall include the percentage or amount of tuition, fees, institution-operated room and board, and other assessments to be refunded after specified elapsed periods of time.

 

Findings:

 

The institution's withdrawal and refund policies are adequately defined and published in the Undergraduate Catalog.

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

(iv)         The instructional programs of the institution shall be described accurately.

 

(a)         Degree, certificate and diploma programs.  A list of degree, certificate and diploma programs shall be provided.  The list shall be consistent with the inventory of registered degree and certificate programs maintained by the department.  The list shall contain at least the official approved program title, degree, HEGIS code number, and shall be preceded by a statement that enrollment in other than registered or otherwise approved programs may jeopardize a student's eligibility for certain student aid awards.

(b)         Program descriptions.  Each degree, certificate or diploma program shall be described in terms of program objectives, prerequisites and requirements for completion.

(c)          The academic year in which each instructional offering (course) is expected to be taught shall be indicated.

(d)         Program related facilities.  A general description of instructional, laboratory and other facilities directly related to the academic program shall be provided, in addition to general information describing the total physical plant.  Narrative and/or statistical information shall be provided about library collections and facilities, student unions, and institution-operated eating-places.  Hours of operation, including holiday and vacation schedules, shall be provided.

(e)         Faculty and other instructional personnel.  Regular resident faculty shall be listed by rank, with the highest degree held by the faculty member and the institution by which such degree was granted, full-time or part-time status, and department or major program area to which such member is assigned.  An estimated number of adjunct faculty and teaching assistants in each department or major program area shall be provided.

(f)           Recruiting and admission practices.  The process and criteria for the recruitment and admission of students to the institution and to specific programs of study, as required by subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (f) of this section and by subdivision (h) of this section, shall be published.

(g)         Academic calendar.  The academic calendar of the institution, and of specific programs of study, if different, shall be published.

(h)          Grading.  The grading policy of the institution, and of specific programs of study, if different, shall be published.

(i)           Student retention and graduation.  Information on student retention and graduation rates shall be provided based on a summary of the most recent cohort survival statistics (e.g., percentages of those students enrolled at the end of the spring term, percentages of freshman classes that graduate in four, five and six years) available to the institution for at least full-time undergraduates.  Statistics shall be computed in a manner consistent with data reported to the department through its higher education data system.

(j)           Outcomes for former students.  Summaries of employment outcomes, advanced study, and student professional and occupational licensing examination results compiled by or provided to the institution shall be provided.  The student cohort year or years, or date of examinations shall be included.  Data displays on employment outcomes shall be by major or discrete curricular area.

(v)          Information shall be provided on the institution’s code of conduct for students and any disciplinary measures that may be applied to a student for a violation of such conduct, with a description of the institution’s student disciplinary process.

 

(2)         Institutions that produce a multi-year catalog may use an annual printed addendum to update the information in the catalog or, if the catalog is also online, a Web site update. All print and online catalogs shall be archived annually, and archived copies shall be retained permanently.

(3)         The institution shall demonstrate that it continuously assesses the effectiveness of its efforts to provide students and prospective students with timely, accurate, and complete consumer information.

 

Findings:

 

Degree, certificate, and diploma programs are accurately described in the catalog and institution web site, with the following exceptions.  The Department's Inventory of Registered Programs contains three certificate programs that are not listed in the catalog or Web site (Business Management: Legal Management—29190; Computer Programming—20730; and Mainframe Computer Programming—22414), and in one instance the title of a program in the catalog and Self Study (Computer Programming, B. Tech.) does not match the IRP title (Computer Systems—program code 22672).  In the latter case, the Self Study notes the name of the B. Tech program was changed from Computer Systems to Computer Programming.  The institution's catalog, Web site, and Self Study do not promote any programs that are not registered by the Department.

 

Program descriptions and requirements, facilities (including library access), full-time faculty, the academic calendar, and grading policies are appropriately described in the catalog.  According to the updated (fall 2007) summary faculty data in the Self Study, there are 53 part-time faculty at the institution; the catalog (current as of September 1, 2006) lists only 20 part-time faculty.  The variation in full-time faculty numbers in the two sources is modest and not unexpected given the dates of the source information: 23 in the Self Study, versus 26 in the catalog.

 

Placement data published in the catalog is limited to the responses to a survey of 2004-05 graduates; 95 percent of baccalaureate respondents and 96 percent of associate degree respondents indicated that they are working in the field of study, in a related field, or are continuing their education.  The Self Study provides that data for 2005-06 (91.7 percent) and 2006-07 (73.2 percent). No break down of employment outcomes is displayed by major or discrete curricular areas. A notice on the institution's Web site indicated that the site was under construction; at the time, it did not contain placement data.

 

Current or successive-year student retention rates are not published in the catalog, although they appear in the Self Study.  The catalog references 2001 general retention data, undifferentiated by program/degree.

 

Globe's 150-credit, CPA-preparation program has been registered only since January 2004, so there are no Globe CPA candidates who have taken the Uniform CPA Examination. As a result, there is no CPA examination performance data available yet to publish.

 

In general, there is much more being accomplished at Globe than was described in the Self-Study and other documents.  Some of the written material reviewed (e.g., the Writing Across the Curriculum packet) need additional editing.

 

Recommendations:

 

The institution is in substantial compliance with the standard.

 

• Globe should take appropriate action to ensure that the catalog and the IRP are consistent.  Programs not actively offered should be discontinued, at the institution’s request.

 

• The institution should publish updated and successive-year summary data on student placements, retention, and graduation rates, preferably by program.

 

• Globe should review and edit the written materials (e.g., the Writing Across the Curriculum packet).

 

Advertising

 

• Advertising conducted by or on behalf of an institution shall not be false, misleading, deceptive, or fraudulent and shall be consistent with the provisions of Article 22-A of the General Business Law.  Advertising and promotional material shall not leave false, misleading, or exaggerated impressions of the institution, its personnel, its facilities, its courses and services, or the occupational opportunities of its graduates.
• The primary emphasis of all advertisements and promotional literature shall be the educational services offered by the institution.  Such advertising and promotional literature shall clearly indicate that education, not employment, is being offered by the institution.
• Statements and representations in all forms of advertising and promotion shall be clear, current, and accurate.  To the extent that statements of facts are made, such statements shall be restricted to facts that can be substantiated.  Materials to support statements and representations in advertising and promotion shall be kept on file and shall be available for review by the department.
• Any endorsement or recommendation shall include the author’s identity and qualifications and shall be used only with the author’s consent.  No remuneration of any kind for any such endorsement or recommendation shall be paid for such endorsement or recommendation.
• References to the New York State Board of Regents in any advertisement or promotional literature shall comply with the requirements of Section 13.11 of this title and subdivision (m) of this Section [§4-1.4 of the Rules of the Board of Regents].

 

Findings:

 

According to the Self Study, and as described by the Director of Admissions, Globe’s marketing activities have included advertising and articles in ethnic newspapers, attendance at ethnic community events, sponsorship of community-based activities, open houses, radio and television spots, networking among faculty and staff for entry into underrepresented communities, and participation at college fairs.  A binder of materials compiled by the Director of Admissions contained copies of advertisements and articles, in multiple languages, in the referenced ethnic publications.  The wording in such advertisements (English versions) was appropriate.  The Director indicated that such advertisements ceased during the uncertain final months of the previous ownership and have not yet resumed.

 

Many of the admissions representatives speak languages in addition to English and therefore are able to communicate with a wide range of prospective students. 

 

Statements in the institution’s catalog and web site regarding recognition by the Board of Regents are accurate and in accordance with Regents Rules.

 

Recommendations: 

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Standards:  Student complaints (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(j))

 

(1)         The institution shall establish, publish, and consistently administer internal procedures to receive, investigate, and resolve student complaints related to the standards prescribed in this Part.

(2)         The institution may have informal means by which students can seek redress of their complaints.

(3)         The institution shall have a formal complaint procedure that shall include, but need not be limited to: steps a student may take to file a formal complaint; reasonable and appropriate time frames for investigating and resolving a formal complaint; provision for the final determination of each formal complaint to be made by a person or persons not directly involved in the alleged problem; and assurances that no action will be taken against the student for filing the complaint.

(4)         The institution shall maintain adequate documentation about each formal complaint and its disposition for a period of at least six years after final disposition of the complaint.  Assessment of the disposition and outcomes of complaints shall be a required component of any self-study required by this Part and shall be a consideration in any review for accreditation or renewal of accreditation.

 

Findings:

 

The institution has a brief academic grievance statement which is listed in its catalog.  This statement references an existing grievance policy and directs the reader to request details of the policy from the Academic Dean.  Also listed in the catalog is the Procedure to Appeal a Final Grade. 

 

Recommendations:

 

 The institution is in partial compliance with the standard.

 

• Student academic appeals and grievance procedures should be reviewed, updated and published.

 

Standards

:  HEA Title IV program responsibilities (Regents Rule 4-1.4 (k))

 

(1)         An institution shall have a procedure in place to ensure that it is in compliance with its program responsibilities under Title IV of the HEA and shall maintain a record describing such procedure.       

(2)         An institution shall maintain a record of its compliance with its program responsibilities under Title IV of the HEA over the previous 10 years, unless the department determines that there is good cause for a shorter records retention period. This record shall include: student default rate data provided annually to the Secretary by the institution; financial or compliance audits conducted annually by the Secretary; and program reviews conducted periodically by the Secretary.  The institution shall submit information from this record of compliance to the department on a periodic basis as determined by the department.

 

Findings:

 

In a June 19, 2007 letter, the US Department of Education denied Globe’s request to renew its agreement to participate in programs authorized under Title IV based on findings indicating that Globe failed to adhere to fiduciary standards of conduct as required under the Title IV regulations.  Specifically, Globe disbursed funds to ineligible students, disbursed funds at ineligible locations, falsified documentation, and made numerous misrepresentations to the Department.  A September 10, 2007 follow-up letter from USDE to the former owner stated that Globe’s request for a rescission of the recertification denial had been denied.

 

Review of Title IV audits for the last three years revealed the following:  In 2004-05 and 2005-06, the auditor found that Globe complied in all material respects with the requirements.  In 2006-07, the audit contained the following three findings:  three students were not notified of their rights to cancel student loans within 14 days of receipt; two students were missing enrollment agreements; and one student was missing results from a GED or ATB test.  A December 3, 2007, letter to the USDE from the new owner to Spear Consulting CPA, Independent Accountant, confirmed that Globe’s new owners are taking the necessary corrective steps to address their findings.  USDE then approved Globe’s request to receive Title IV funding. 

 

The Director of Financial Aid identified numerous procedures being implemented to ensure compliance with Title IV requirements, including enforcement of certified translations of foreign high school diplomas and increased training of staff regarding financial aid regulations.

 

 Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Suggestions:

 

L. The institution should aggressively support the efforts of the Director of Financial Aid in achieving more rigorous Title IV compliance procedures.

 

Standards:  Teach-out agreements (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(l))

 

Any teach-out agreement that an institution has entered into with another institution or institutions shall be submitted to the department for approval.  To be approved, such agreement shall:

 

(1)         be between or among institutions that are accredited or pre-accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency;

(2)         ensure that the teach-out institution(s) has the necessary experience, resources, and support services to provide an educational program that is of acceptable quality and reasonable similar in content, structure, and scheduling to that provided by the closed institution;

(3)         ensure that the teach-out institution(s) can provide students access to the program and services without requiring them to move or travel substantial distances.

 

Findings:

 

There is a completed Teach-Out agreement in place between Globe Institute of Technology and Mercy College, documented in the Self Study, agreed to by the new owner, which was accepted by NYSED on October 26, 2007.

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Standard:  Public disclosure of accreditation status (Regents Rules, §4-1.4 (m))

 

An institution that elects to disclose its accreditation status shall disclose such status accurately and include in its disclosure the specific academic and instructional programs covered by that status and information identifying the commissioner and the Board of Regents as its institutional accrediting agency.  Such information shall include the address and telephone number of the department.

 

Findings:

 

Institutional accreditation references are appropriate, as depicted in the catalog and institution Web site. Due to what appears to be a typographical error, the contact information for the State Education Department is incomplete in the catalog; it is complete on the web site.

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Suggestions:

 

M. The institution should update its catalog or related addendum to provide the complete contact information for the State Education Department.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Globe Institute of Technology

Response to New York State Education Department’s March 5 – 6, 2008 Accreditation Site Team Visit to Globe Institute of Technology

 

 

The following narrative represents the Globe Institute of Technology (“Globe”) response to the Peer Review Team Visit Report sent to the institution on September 15, 2008 (the “Report”).  This response is organized to restate each accreditation standard followed by Globe’s response.

 

Globe faculty and staff have worked diligently to stabilize and improve the institution since the ownership change in October 2007.  Under its new ownership, Globe is continually making appropriate and necessary adjustments and investments of personnel and educational resources to assure the quality of our educational programs and services, to best serve our students, and to adhere to our mission.  Globe has continued to benefit from the State Education Department accreditation process, which provides a meaningful context within which to document and assess the totality of the institution.  Globe appreciates the opportunity to address the findings in the Visit Report and we are particularly appreciative of the visitation team’s confidence in us as reflected in its positive recommendation.

 

• 
  Standards:  Institutional Mission (Regents Rules, § 4-1.4(a))
  

 

Recommendations:  None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Response:

 

None required.

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Assessment of Student Achievement (Regents Rules, § 4-1.4(b))
  

 

Recommendations:

 

The institution is in partial compliance with the standard.

 

• Assessment practices should be more transparent in the institution’s reports and more effectively communicated to all constituencies.

 

• The institution should develop an Institutional Outcomes Assessment Plan that uses clear quantitative data for programmatic planning and budgeting.

 

• The non-academic units – Registrar, Bursar, student support services, etc. – should be incorporated into the institutional assessment plan by developing their own objectives and outcomes measurements, which can then be fed back into institutional planning.

 

 

Response:

 

1.      To increase communication across the institution respecting assessment practices, representatives from all administrative and student service departments will join the academic departments in composition of the Outcomes Assessment Committee, which is charged with developing and monitoring assessment activities.  As a result of these changes, information regarding assessment practices will be more regularly distributed to faculty and to departments responsible for student services.  Further, the Outcomes Assessment Committee will regularly report to its counterpart academic and administrative committees respecting its activities.

 

2.      The Outcomes Assessment Committee, together with the Chief Academic Officer, are charged with developing an Institutional Outcomes Assessment Plan that makes effective use of data respecting graduation, retention, job placement, and transfer rates.  Staff charged with institutional research are reviewing institutional data collection practices and revising reporting efforts to streamline the management of those data.  Such quantitative information will be integrated into all aspects of the institution’s planning and budgeting processes.

 

3.      Non-academic functions are being integrated into Globe’s institutional assessment plan by articulating objectives and refining outcomes assessment measures for these units.  Toward this end, all academic and administrative departments, with particular emphasis on the Bursar, Registrar, Admissions Department, and Athletic Directors, have been directed to develop objectives and methods to measure their effectiveness in providing services to Globe’s students.  The information gathered through this process will be integrated into ongoing institutional planning and resource allocation efforts.

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Assessment of Student Achievement — Graduation Rates
  

 

Recommendations: 

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Suggestions: 

 

A.  The institution should pay particular attention to its graduation rates and continue interventions to improve both its retention and graduation rates, with particular consideration given to retaining existing associate degree graduates into the college’s baccalaureate programs.

 

Response:

 

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Programs of Study (Regents Rules, §  4-1.4(c))
  

 

Standards:  Programs of Study — Integrity of Credit

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Suggestions:

 

B.  The institution should encourage and support professional academic staff members and faculty participation in conferences and workshops.

 

C.  A comprehensive assessment strategy for the advising process should be discussed and implemented.

 

Response:

 

• Globe will continue to enhance existing efforts to provide faculty and professional staff with opportunities both within and beyond the institution to ensure their continuing development.  This will include in-house professional development workshops and conferences, encouraging faculty to attend outside professional conferences and workshops, as well as to encourage faculty to pursue applicable advanced degrees.

 

• Using a collaborative approach, the institution is examining how best to enhance strategies to evaluate the effectiveness of its advising processes, initiatives, and strategies.

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Program of Study — Program of Study Goals and Objectives
  

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Response:

 

None required.

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Program of Study — Assessment of Success in Achieving the Goals and Objectives
  

 

Recommendations:

 

The institution is in partial compliance with the standard.

 

• The institution should gather feedback on a routine basis from alumni and employers looking at the course requirements to suggest program level development. 

 

• The institution should establish more centralized assessment process.

 

• The institution should establish a campus oversight committee from the existing Outcomes Assessment Committee, department chairs and the academic dean. 

 

Response:

 

4.      The composition and functions of Globe’s existing Advisory Council will be expanded, with a strengthened linkage between the Council and the appropriate academic deans.

 

5.      In order to better coordinate and centralize institutional assessment processes, the Outcomes Assessment Committee will now be directly accountable to the President’s Council, which includes, in addition to the President and Chief Academic Officer, the Dean of Student Services and the Dean of Administrative Services.  The Outcomes Assessment Committee will be accountable for ensuring the acquisition and analysis of appropriate data and will regularly review the ways through which assessment activities are undertaken and information is reported to institutional constituencies.

 

6.      The existing Outcomes Assessment Committee already has representation across the academic spectrum.  As discussed above, the integration of the Outcomes Assessment Committee with the President’s Council will provide the appropriate cross-campus reporting and integration.

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Program of Study — Program Length, Credit, and Other Requirements for Degrees
  

 

Recommendations: 

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Response:

 

None required.

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Faculty — Competence and credentials (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(d))
  

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Response:

 

None required.

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Faculty — Adequacy to support programs and services
  

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Response:

 

None required.

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Faculty — Evaluation and professional responsibilities
  

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Response:

 

None required.

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Resources Facilities, equipment, and supplies (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(e))
  

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Response:

 

In its continuing effort to further improve the quality of the institution, Globe is in the process of negotiations to secure superior instructional and administrative facilities in the Midtown area.  Globe will continue to keep the New York State Department of Education apprised of developments related to potential new facilities.   

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Resources -- Library and information resources
  

 

Recommendations:

 

The institution is in substantial compliance with the standard.

 

• The Globe library should have a financial plan in the context of a strategic plan for the library so that space, equipment, and personnel are incorporated, viewed and planned for as significantly as information resources in the collection.

 

• Library staff should begin to look at expanding the scope of the collection away from textbooks and towards primary source materials relevant to its active learning focus.

 

• Adequate time should be devoted to the appropriate role of the library in writing a research paper.

 

• Library literacy should be an embedded component of each syllabus and course description.

 

Suggestions:

 

D. Library staff should work to institutionalize the collaboration begun between the Writing Across the Curriculum initiative and the information literacy program.

 

E. The institution should retain a consultant to evaluate the present library resources and practices, and make recommendations for the future.

 

F. The institution should formalize relationships with both the branch libraries and the Humanities and Social Sciences research libraries located in the surrounding area beyond the current arrangement with METRO.

 

 

 

Response:

 

7.      Having restored financial stability to the institution, the new ownership will include the library as part of an overall strategic plan for investment and development of the institution.   

 

8.      Globe will establish a Library Committee consisting of information resource professionals and faculty to analyze and consider appropriate enhancements to the library’s holdings, including more extensive use of online access to primary source materials.

          Globe notes that in its current search for a new head librarian it will endeavor to engage an individual with advanced skills and experience in information resources and services.

 

9.      Course outlines have already been reviewed and revised to include more library-based assignments.

 

10.      Faculty, working collaboratively with library staff, will continue to assess student use of library resources and augment existing coursework where appropriate to spend additional time regarding library research.  Library staff will augment its efforts to enhance student skills in the use of information resources.

 

 

Response to Suggestions:

 

D.          The collaboration between the Writing Across the Curriculum initiative and the information literacy program will be made a permanent component of the institution’s educational process.

 

E.          The institution will engage appropriate outside expertise to evaluate the library’s current holdings and to recommend appropriate acquisitions.

 

F.     The library and information resources available in close proximity to Globe are enormous.  Globe will aggressively seek to develop appropriate relationships so as to afford its students the broadest access consistent with the institution’s programs.

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Resources – Fiscal Capacity
  

 

Recommendation:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Response:

 

None required.

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Administration — Responsibilities (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(f))
  

 

Recommendations:

 

The institution is in partial compliance with the standard.

 

• The institution should ensure that academic decisions to reinstate students are not made based on financial aid considerations (in other words, students should not automatically be granted reinstatement on the basis of existing financial aid, or be denied reinstatement solely because they do not have any financial aid left to access) but on a complete academic review.

 

• Student folders should be reviewed carefully to establish that each contains all necessary documentation and that academic transcripts correctly reflect prior and current academic information.

 

• The Office of the Registrar should revise its procedures (such as requiring a signature with official transcript and grade report requests, and routine mailing of final grade reports) to ensure liability protection.

 

• The Office of the Registrar should ensure that their actions are in compliance with FERPA (the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).

 

Suggestions

 

G. The institution should ensure that the Registrar’s Office engages in professional organizations such as AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers) and uses guidelines and standards of the professions.

 

H. The Academic Advising Office should actively participate in professional college advising organizations, such as NACADA (National Academic Advising Association).

 

 

Response to Recommendations:

 

11.      The reinstatement of students is decided in accordance with established institutional policies that are primarily based on the needs of the student and his or her ability to resume a program of study.  Students seeking to resume their studies at Globe first meet with an academic advisor to explain why they wish to return to Globe, including discussing their reasons for their previous departure.  The advisor then makes a recommendation, taking into account  the advisor’s assessment of the student’s motivation, his or her likelihood of benefiting from continued pursuit of the educational program, the student’s previous academic record and, importantly   whether the student has addressed the underlying causes for his or her previous departure.  The ability of a student to meet his or her financial obligations, particularly if financial issues caused the original withdrawal, are only considered in the context of assessing the student’s likelihood of a successful resumption of his or her studies.

 

12.      The Office of the Registrar has already undertaken an assessment of the availability and maintenance of student records, working closely with both the financial aid office, to ensure that key financial aid eligibility documentation is appropriately maintained in the student files, and with the Office of Academic Affairs to ensure that academic transcripts accurately and completely reflect the appropriate academic information. 

 

13.      The Office of the Registrar is examining its policies and procedures in light of the recommendation and will implement appropriate revisions.

 

14.      All faculty and staff with access to student records are advised of the FERPA requirements, and policies and procedures necessary to protect student privacy are in place respecting all such records.

 

Response to Suggestions:

 

G.          Globe has submitted its application to become a member of AACRAO and will assess opportunities for staff in the Registrar’s Office to participate in AACRAO training programs and to better incorporate AACRAO guidelines and standards into office policies, procedures and practices.  

 

H.    Globe will assess opportunities and encourage the participation of academic advisors in NACADA and other relevant professional development and training programs. 

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Administration — Published policies
  

 

Recommendations:

 

The institution is in substantial compliance with the standard.

 

• Student academic appeals and grievances procedures should be reviewed and updated for further clarity and direction.  Once updated, the procedures should be published. 

 

Response:

 

15.      Globe will review and revise its student academic appeals and grievance procedures to ensure that they are clear, unambiguous and widely disseminated. 

 

 

• 
  Standard:  Support services (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(g))
  

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard. 

 

Suggestions:

 

I. The institution should hire additional staff in the student services office to support student events and activities, as well as a career services professional to provide career services programs, guidance and support to the student body.

 

J. The institution should encourage student service employees to become members of respective professional and regional organizations, such as NASAP (National Association of Student Affairs Professionals) or NASPA (National Association for Student Personnel Administrators) for professional development opportunities. 

 

K. The Office of Student Services should move toward creating a comprehensive student services/student affairs plan that supports the mission and supporting goals of the institution.

 

 

Response:

 

I.      Globe is evaluating student services staffing as part of the overall strategic plan for and the further development of the institution.  In this context the President’s Council has undertaken an assessment of the existing long-range Institutional Effectiveness goals for the Division of Student Services.

 

J.     Globe will provide student services staff with appropriate opportunities for participation in and training with professional and regional organizations such as NASAP and NASPA.

 

K.          The Office of Student Services is charged with creating a comprehensive student services/student affairs plan that supports the mission and goals of the institution.   The Dean of Student Services will solicit student feedback to determine the level of satisfaction with current services as well as to identify the services Globe students consider necessary for their continued success. 

 

• 
  Standards:  Admissions (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(h))
  

 

Recommendations: 

 

The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

• Globe should assess factors that influence and affect persistence in students, focusing especially on what factors the successful student brings to Globe, and build these factors into admissions’ acceptance criteria.

 

Response:

 

16.    Globe agrees with the importance of securing student feedback regarding the factors affecting persistence rates and incorporation of such information into the admissions process.  Globe intends to conduct interviews with continuing students, faculty, and alumni to determine the factors these constituencies believe impact student persistence and student success.  That information will be reviewed by the Director of Admissions and admissions department personnel to provide suggestions for implementation into the admissions process.  These suggestions will be presented to the Outcomes Assessment Committee in the context of the review and assessment of Globe’s admissions criteria.

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Consumer information Catalog Information (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(i))
  

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Response:

 

None required.

 

• 
  Standards:  Consumer information - Degree Certificate Program Descriptions
  

 

Recommendations:

 

The institution is in substantial compliance with the standard.

 

• Globe should take appropriate action to ensure that the catalog and the IRP are consistent.  Programs not actively offered should be discontinued, at the institution’s request.

 

• The institution should publish updated and successive-year summary data on student placements, retention, and graduation rates, preferably by program.

 

• Globe should review and edit the written materials (e.g., the Writing Across the Curriculum packet).

 

Response:

 

17.      In connection with the current catalog revision process, Globe will ensure that the catalog information matches the IRP.  As of this date, the new ownership is not discontinuing any Globe programs.  However, should any programs become inactive, Globe will inform New York State Education Department and take appropriate steps to update the institutional catalog and IRP accordingly.

 

18.      Staff are reviewing institutional data collection practices and revising reporting efforts to streamline statistical management.  In connection with this process, Globe will ensure that updated and successive-year data summarizing student placements, retention and graduation rates are published in the institutional catalog and web site, as appropriate.

 

19.    Globe will review, edit, and update all written materials intended for distribution and use, including the Writing Across the Curriculum packet.

 

 

• 
  Standard:  Consumer Information — Advertising
  

 

Recommendations: 

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Response:

 

None required.

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Student complaints (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(j))
  

 

Recommendations:

 

 The institution is in partial compliance with the standard.

 

• Student academic appeals and grievance procedures should be reviewed, updated and published.

 

Response:

 

20.  As noted in response to recommendation 15 above, Globe will review and as necessary revise its student academic appeals and grievance procedures.

 

• 
  Standards:  HEA Title IV program responsibilities (Regents Rule 4-1.4 (k))
  

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Suggestions:

 

L. The institution should aggressively support the efforts of the Director of Financial Aid in achieving more rigorous Title IV compliance procedures.

 

Response:

 

L.     The new ownership is committed to maintaining the financial integrity of the institution, and will continue to aggressively support the efforts of its new Director of Financial Aid to implement procedures that ensure the school is in full compliance with all federal financial aid regulations.  In support of this effort, appropriate Globe staff will be attending the upcoming 2008 Federal Student Aid Conference in Dallas, Texas in late October, presented by the U.S. Department of Education.

 

Globe’s participation in the Title IV federal student aid programs was reinstated on December 31, 2007, and Globe remains in full compliance with all Title IV requirements.

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Teach-out agreements (Regents Rules, §4-1.4(l))
  

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Response:

 

None required.

 

 

• 
  Standards:  Public disclosure of accreditation status (Regents Rules, §4-1.4 (m))
  

 

Recommendations:

 

None.  The institution is in compliance with the standard.

 

Suggestions:

 

M. The institution should update its catalog or related addendum to provide the complete contact information for the State Education Department.

 

Response:

 

M.    Globe has issued a new catalog addendum providing the full contact information for the State Education Department.  In connection with a current catalog revision process, Globe will ensure that the new catalog correctly incorporates the complete contact information from the addendum. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attachment II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attachment C

 

 

Rules of the Board of Regents

 

Subpart 4-1, Voluntary Institutional Accreditation for Title IV Purposes

 

§4-1.2 Definitions.

 

As used in the Subpart:

 

(a) Accreditation means the status of public recognition that the Commissioner of Education and the Board of Regents grant to an educational institution that meets the standards and requirements prescribed in this Subpart.

 

(b) Accreditation action means accreditation, accreditation with conditions, probationary accreditation, approval of substantive changes in the scope of accreditation, and denial, revocation, or termination of accreditation.

 

(c) Accreditation with conditions means accreditation that requires the institution to take steps to remedy issues raised in a review for accreditation, and provide reports and/or submit to site visits concerning such issues, provided that such issues do not materially affect the institution’s substantial compliance with the standards and requirements for accreditation. 

 

(d) Adverse action or adverse accreditation action means suspension, withdrawal, denial, revocation, or termination of accreditation or preaccreditation.

 

(q) Probationary accreditation means accreditation for a period of time, not to exceed two years, during which the institution shall come into compliance with standards for accreditation through corrective action.