Process
The Self-Study Process at WVSU
In March 2012, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. R. Charles Byers appointed Dr. Barbara Ladner, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, to serve as the Chair and Coordinator of the Self-Study in preparation for the 2015 Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Reaffirmation of Accreditation. At the same time, Dr. Donna Simon, Vice President for University Relations and Operations, and Provost Byers were announced as Vice Co-Chairs. Provost Byers remained the HLC Liaison. Following attendance of HLC meetings and workshops, the Chairs began preparations to launch the self-study during the fall 2012 semester. As a first step, Dr. Barry Pelphrey, the Director of Institutional Research, was identified as the resource facilitator to assist the Criteria Committees with gathering evidence. Then, the Chairs drafted a plan for the composition of the Steering Committee, the Criteria Committees, and an Editorial Committee. They recommended to the President that the Steering Committee include the Chair and Vice Co-Chairs, a chair from each of the Criterion Core Component Committees, the deans of the four academic colleges, the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, and the Assistant Vice President of Business and Finance. The original composition of the Steering Committee can be found in table A.1.
Table A.1 – Original Steering Committee
| Barbara Ladner | Self-Study Chair and Dean of College of Arts and Humanities |
| Donna Simon | Self-Study Vice Co-Chair and Vice President for University Relations and Operations |
| R. Charles Byers | Self-Study Vice Co-Chair and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs |
| Robert Harrison, Jr. | Dean of the College of Professional Studies |
| Katherine Harper | Dean of the College of Natural Science and Mathematics |
| Abainesh Mitiku | Dean of the College of Business and Social Sciences |
| Joe Oden | Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs |
| Lori Elliott | Assistant Vice President of Business and Finance |
| Micheal Fultz | Chair of Core Components 1C & 1D and Assistant Professor of Chemistry |
| Thomas Kiddie | Chair of Core Components 2C & 2D and Associate Professor of English |
| Timothy Alderman | Chair of Core Component 3B and Associate Professor of English |
| Brenda Wamsley | Chair of Core Component 4B and Professor of Social Work |
| Steven Richards | Chair of Core Component 5D and Associate Professor of Health and Human Performance |
In addition, the Chair and Vice Co-Chairs created a structure for the Criterion Committees that initially consisted of 16 committees organized at the Core Component level. They sent their recommendations for chairs and members of each of these committees to the President together with their recommendations for an editorial committee. In December 2012, President Hemphill sent a Steering Committee Appointment memo and a Criterion Committee Appointment memo, and the first organizational kick-off meetings were held at the start of the spring 2013 semester. Following the Self-Study kick-off meeting, Core Component Committees began meeting regularly, approximately every two weeks, to gather information and to produce a first draft of the report by the end of the spring semester. During this period, the Self-Study Chair attended most Core Component Committee meetings and provided general guidance to the committees while overseeing the entire Self-Study effort and serving as the University’s spokesperson for the Reaffirmation of Accreditation effort.
In the summer of 2013, the Editorial Committee, consisting of Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, newly appointed as Assistant Provost and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Robert Harrison; Ms. Katherine McCarthy, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs; and Dr. Ladner met to review the first draft. During that review, the team discovered that there was a wide range of quality and completeness in the committee reports. One particular problem noted was the lack of evaluative evidence in Criteria Three, Four, and Five, a problem that was exacerbated by the departure of Dr. Pelphrey in September 2012 and the lack of a replacement until the arrival of the new Director of Institutional Research in July 2013. The Editorial Committee made general recommendations for second drafts on the documents that they reviewed.
In July 2013, Dr. Simon left the University, and in August 2013, Dr. Ladner stepped down as Self-Study Chair for health reasons. Provost Byers then appointed Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Kimberly Whitehead and Associate Professor of English Dr. Thomas Kiddie as Self-Study Co-Chairs. Shortly thereafter, the President added Dr. Cristi Carson, the newly appointed Director of Institutional Research, and Mr. Thomas Bennett, Assistant Vice President for University and Legislative Relations, to the project management team.
The new Chairs reconvened the Core Component Committees in September 2013 with an objective to produce a second draft of the Self-Study by the end of the fall semester. Since a few Core Component Committees had lost members, and the experience of writing the first draft demonstrated that some committees needed additional help, the Chairs recommended new and replacement committee appointments to the Provost. They also separated Core Components 3A and 3C into two committees.
Additionally, the Chairs decided to reorganize the Steering Committee to establish a criterion liaison to act in an advisory capacity for his or her assigned criterion. Table A.2 identifies the reorganized Steering Committee as of September 2013.
Table A.2. – Reorganized Steering Committee Fall 2013
| Criterion One | T. Ramon Stuart | Assistant Provost and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs |
| Criterion Two | Thomas Bennett | Assistant Vice President for University and Legislative Relations |
| Criterion Three | Thomas Kiddie | Associate Professor of English |
| Criterion Four | Kimberly Whitehead | Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs |
| Criterion Five | Cristi Carson | Director of Institutional Research |
During the creation of the second and third drafts of the Self-Study, the liaisons met regularly with their Criterion Committees either together at the Criterion level or separately at the Core Component level, depending on the size and complexities of the committees and the amount of revision required.
The new Steering Committee refined the Self-Study Plan through the creation of a detailed timeline for the entire Self-Study. They also formed a Logistics Committee to begin planning the resources needed for the mock visit in October 2014 and the actual site visit in April 2015. The Steering Committee also organized a Self-Study retreat in December 2013 for all committees to present their findings following their work on the second drafts.
At the beginning of the spring 2014 semester, Core Component Committees resumed meetings to produce a third and final draft of the Self-Study in preparation for the mock review. Dr. Whitehead and Dr. Kiddie also began weekly meetings of the Steering Committee to manage and execute the Self-Study Plan as the various pieces of the Self-Study started to come together. During a status meeting with the President and his Cabinet shortly after Provost Byers announced his intention to retire in June 2014, Dr. Hemphill appointed Dr. Orlando McMeans, Vice President for Research and Public Service, as the HLC liaison and Chair of the Self-Study with Dr. Whitehead and Dr. Kiddie becoming Vice Co-Chairs. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Carson left the University, and Dr. McMeans appointed Dr. Ami Smith, Associate Dean and Associate Director of Extension, as the liaison to Criterion Five. At the same time, he appointed Dr. Ulises Toledo, Associate Dean for Administration at the Gus R. Douglass Institute, and Ms. Lisa Williamson, Administrative Assistant to the Vice President for Research and Public Service, as members of the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee continued to meet weekly following the organizational changes. Two final changes were made in July 2014. Following Provost Byers’ retirement in June, the new Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Kumara Jayasuriya, joined the Steering Committee, and following Dr. Whitehead’s departure from the University, Mr. Bennett became the Vice Co-Chair of the Self-Study together with Dr. Kiddie.
In April 2014, the University hired a consultant to provide assistance with assessment plans and recommendations for the Self-Study drafts. Following the consultant’s recommendations, the Core Component Committees finished their final drafts by the end of May. In June 2014, Dr. Kiddie assumed the role of Self-Study Editor and began reviewing and revising the drafts for all criteria and introductory material to address duplication and omissions, to collect all evidence documents and load them into the Resource Room on Google Drive, to hyperlink all evidence documents referred to in the edited Self-Study document, and to produce a “single-voice” text.
The edited documents were reviewed by members of the University Relations and Operations team, Ms. Kimberly Osborne, Vice President for University Relations and Operations; Mr. Jack Bailey, Director for Public Relations; Mr. Matthew Browning, Director for Communications Gus R. Douglass Institute; and Ms. Katrina Slone, Executive Assistant for University Relations and Operations, and by Ms. Ashley Schumaker, Chief of Staff and Special Assistant to the President. Dr. Kiddie then incorporated the final edits into clean drafts and delivered them to Mr. Yuma Nakada, Director for Publications and Design, and Mr. Bailey for formatting, graphic design, and the development of a website for use by the mock reviewers.
At the end of August of 2014, the University’s reaffirmation webpage was finalized with notification being sent to the campus community via a newsletter that was developed specifically to update and inform the campus of the University’s reaffirmation. This newsletter has been sent weekly since August 20, 2014, and is titled “The Road to STATE’S Reaffirmation”. The first newsletter was an opening letter from President Hemphill explaining the purpose of the newsletter and provided details of the reaffirmation visit and process. This webpage included a full draft copy of the self-study report for review by the campus constituency and provided the ability for feedback through a University reaffirmation email address, reaffirmation@wvstateu.edu, or by calling (304) 204-4300.
In October 2014, the University held a three-day mock review with two consultants. Following the review, the Steering Committee continued to meet regularly and began reviewing the comments and suggestions received from both the mock reviewers and the University community to use in a final revision of the Self-Study. At the same time, Criterion Liaisons incorporated any new evidence that resulted from the completion of the AY 2013-2014 reporting period. Final drafts were delivered to Dr. Kiddie in early December for editing, and the edited versions of the Self-Study were reviewed by the University Relations team. The final Self-Study document and the corresponding website were prepared in January 2015, and the Self-Study document was delivered to the HLC in February 2015.
TEAM
Self-Study Acknowledgements
Dr. Kumara Jayasuriya, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Orlando McMeans, Self-Study Chair, Vice President for Research and Public Service
Mr. Thomas Bennett, Self-Study Vice Co-Chair, Assistant Vice President for University and Legislative Relations
Dr. Thomas Kiddie, Self-Study Vice Co-Chair, Associate Professor of English
The Provost and Self-Study Chairs would like to acknowledge the efforts of the Steering Committee and the Criterion Committees and thank all those who made contributions to the completion of the Self-Study.
Self-Study Steering Committee
Mr. Thomas Bennett, Assistant Vice President for University and Legislative Relations
Dr. Kumara Jayasuriya, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Thomas Kiddie, Associate Professor of English
Dr. Orlando McMeans, Vice President for Research and Public Service
Dr. Ami Smith, Associate Dean and Associate Director of Extension
Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. J. Ulises Toledo, Associate Dean for Administration at the Gus R. Douglass Institute
Dr. Kimberly Whitehead, former Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Ms. Lisa Williamson, Administrative Assistant to the Vice President for Research & Public Service
Criterion One: Mission (Core Component Chairs, bold)
Dr. Micheal Fultz, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Dr. Billy Joe Peyton, Associate Professor of History
Mr. Gary Adams
Dr. Robin Broughton, Professor of Communications and Media Studies
Ms. Lori Elliott, Assistant Vice President of Business and Finance
Ms. Shantel Hudgins, University Union Coordinator
Mr. Steven McGowan
Ms. Julie Saldivar, Human Resources Representative
Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Carol Taylor-Johnson, Associate Professor of English
Criterion Two: Ethical and Responsible Conduct
Dr. Robert Barney, Interim Dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Dr. Thomas Kiddie, Associate Professor of English
Dr. Ami Smith, Associate Dean and Associate Director of Extension
Dr. C. Damien Arthur, former Assistant Professor of Political Science
Ms. Sharon Banks, Senior Academic Program Coordinator
Mr. Thomas Bennett, Assistant Vice President for University and Legislative Relations
Mr. Matthew Browning, Director for Communications Gus R. Douglass Institute
Ms. Barbara Cary, Director Trio Programs
Dr. Sean Collins, Associate Professor of Biology
Dr. Jonathan Eya, Professor of Biology
Ms. Donna Hunter, Registrar
Dr. John Teeuwissen, former Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs
Ms. Deborah Wells, Systems Librarian
Criterion Three: Teaching and Learning—Quality, Resources, and Support
Dr. Timothy Alderman, Associate Professor of English
Dr. Barbara Liedl, Associate Research Professor Agricultural & Environmental Research Station
Ms. Sandy Maharaj, Director of the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education
Dr. Gail Mosby, Associate Professor of Sociology
Dr. J. Ulises Toledo, Associate Dean for Administration at the Gus R. Douglass Institute
Mrs. Debra Anderson-Conliffe, Assistant Professor of Health and Human Performance
Dr. Sonya Armstrong, Professor of Mathematics
Dr. Kevin Barry, former Assistant Professor of Biology
Ms. Janis Bennett, Director of Purchasing
Ms. Rebecca Conner, Instructor of Modern Foreign Languages
Ms. Amanda Downs, Alumni Relations
Mr. Nathan Gainer, Academic Educational Outreach
Dr. Dirk Johnson, Assistant Professor of Music
Dr. Thomas Kiddie, Associate Professor of English
Dr. Barbara Ladner, Professor of English
Dr. Lois Lucas, Professor of History
Dr. Manashi Ray, Assistant Professor of Sociology
Dr. Aaron Settle, Associate Professor of Health and Human Performance
Dr. Medhi Seyedmonir, Associate Professor of Education
Dr. Genia Sklute, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Dr. Ami Smith, Associate Dean and Associate Director of Extension
Ms. Trina Sweeny, Interim Director of Adult and Commuter Student Services
Dr. David “Woody” Wilson, Associate Professor of English
Criterion Four: Teaching and Learning—Evaluation and Improvement
Dr. Rebecca Francis, Professor of Psychology
Dr. Willette Stinson, Director of the Drain-Jordan Library
Dr. Walter Stroupe, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Dr. Ron Baker, Professor of Mathematics
Mr. James Buchanan, Accountant
Ms. Mary Frye, Associate Professor of French
Dr. David Huber, Assistant Professor of Biology
Ms. Debbie Jarvis, Associate Registrar
Dr. Anne McConnell, Associate Professor of English
Mr. Jerry Miller, Director of University Union and Student Activities
Dr. Charles Perdue, Professor of Psychology
Dr. Ernest Sekabunga, Associate Professor of Chemistry
Dr. Kerri Steele, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
Ms. Kellie Toledo, Director of Counseling and Academic Support Services
Dr. Brenda Wamsley, Professor of Social Work
Dr. Kimberly Whitehead, former Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Criterion Five: Resources, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness
Dr. Daton Dean, Assistant Professor of Education
Dr. Steven Richards, Professor of Health and Human Performance
Mrs. Debbie Williams, Associate Professor of Business
Dr. Naveed Zaman, Professor of Mathematics
Mr. Anthony Brown, Purchasing Agent
Dr. Cristi Carson, former Director of Institutional Research
Mrs. Kimberly Cobb, Assistant Professor of Communications
Ms. Brunetta Dillard, Director of Business and Finance Gus R. Douglass Institute
Dr. Richard Ford, Professor of Biology
Ms. Belinda Fuller, Director of Alumni Relations
Ms. Mary Horn, Reference Coordinator Drain-Jordan Library
Mr. Eric Jackson, Staff Assistant, Research and Development Corporation
Dr. James Natsis, Director of International Studies
Dr. Joseph Oden, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs
Ms. Jamie Rinehart, Office Manager, Economic Development Center
Dr. Ami Smith, Associate Dean and Associate Director of Extension
Ms. Daisy Squirts, Counselor II Counseling and Academic Support Services
Dr. Walter Stroupe, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Dr. Frank Vaughn, Associate Professor of Political Science