Cal Poly's Thematic Pathway for Reaffirmation
During the last cycle of review, Cal Poly conducted a thematic self-study built around the major theme of “Our Polytechnic Identity in the 21st Century.” Three sub-themes — “Learn by Doing,” “The Teacher-Scholar Model,” and “Integration and Student Learning” — were intended to represent critical aspects of that identity. The exploration of these themes by working groups resulted in a number of specific action items, many of which have been achieved, and also in a number of key policies approved by the Academic Senate*. Our identity as a comprehensive polytechnic university was also significantly affirmed.
Since the time of the last self-study, WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) developed a more streamlined approach to thematic reviews and approved a select group of high-performing schools to participate; Cal Poly is one of them. This new Thematic Pathway for Reaffirmation (TPR) requires one visit by the accreditation team to the university and also reduces the size of our self-study from nine sections to four, which results in a 40-60 page report. This report will include a historical review of the campus; response to previous accreditation commission actions; review of Cal Poly's compliance to WSCUC accreditation standards, federal requirements, and reporting requirements (such as the Inventory of Educational Effectiveness Indicators); and a concluding section that identifies plans for improvement in the future.
*Selected Senate Resolutions related to the previous WSCUC accreditation cycle include the following:
AS-716-10 Resolution on Academic Assessment at the Program and University Levels (October 2010)
AS-727-11 Resolution on a Working Definition of Learn by Doing (April 2011)
AS-725-11 Resolution on Defining and Adopting the Teacher-Scholar Model (March 2011)
AS-732-11 Resolution on Posting Program Learning Objectives in the Cal Poly Online Catalog (May 2011)
AS-735-11 Resolution on Coordinated Campus Assessment Efforts (May 2011)