Section 2: CORE REQUIREMENTS

The institution has a governing board of at least five members that is the legal body with specific authority over the institution. The board is an active policy-making body for the institution and is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the financial resources of the institution are adequate to provide a sound educational program. The board is not controlled by a minority of board members or by organizations or interests separate from it. Neither the presiding officer of the board nor the majority of other voting members of the board have contractual, employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution.

A military institution authorized and operated by the federal government to award degrees has a public board in which neither the presiding officer nor a majority of the other members are civilian employees of the military or active/retired military. The board has broad and significant influence upon the institution’s programs and operations, plays an active role in policy-making, and ensures that the financial resources of the institution are used to provide a sound educational program. The board is not controlled by a minority of board members or by organizations or interests separate from the board except as specified by the authorizing legislation. Neither the presiding officer of the board nor the majority of other voting board members have contractual, employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution.  (Governing Board)
 

The Texas Tech University Libraries are in compliance with this requirement.

The Libraries have incorporated systematic evaluation and planning processes as a part of a dynamic strategic plan that is integrated with the TTU Strategic Plan. The Libraries’ Strategic Plan may be viewed at: http://library.ttu.edu/sp/.

The Libraries are achieving its mission and goals as shown in its recent annual report: http://www.irs.ttu.edu/SACS/AssessmentReports/35_0_2003.pdf

In addition to the above, the Libraries participate in a service assessment sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries, denominated LibQual.  LibQual surveys all user groups regarding service perceptions and realized perceptions.  The Libraries will participate in LibQual 2004.  The most recent assessment, LibQual 2002, http://library.ttu.edu/libqual.pdf)  revealed that the Libraries met or exceeded user perceptions in all categories.

The TTU Libraries uses analysis of curriculum and research needs of the colleges, reports of book and journal circulation and use, reports of materials borrowed through interlibrary loan and patron requests for materials to assess and build the Libraries’ collections.  The Libraries stay abreast of best practices and innovative services at other US university libraries.  This has led to the planning and implementation of a variety of services including; electronic book, journal and database collections, electronic reserves and electronic reference.  These collections and services allow us to meet the needs of our diverse users; the faculty member in her office or home and the undergraduate in a computer lab or dorm.  Although we continue to support the library as place, we recognize that all our users cannot come into the Library to get the information they need.

http://library.ttu.edu/ul/index.php

While we have been able to collect statistics on use of our web pages and electronic collections, we have yet to get meaningful comparisons from these sources.  Some of this has been complicated by moving the Libraries web pages to a central TOSM server and the implementation of the new integrated library management system.  When we are able to get reports on web page use, use of the physical collections, online catalog use and online collections use combined with the information we collection on the research and curriculum needs of our users we will be able to fine tune our collections policies. 

The Texas Tech University Libraries are in compliance with this requirement. 

Texas Tech University Libraries rank 57 among the ARL host in faculty, ahead of MIT, McGill, Boston College.  Our ranking for professional staff (faculty) is slightly above our overall ranking.  All of the Libraries’ faculty possess a terminal degree from an accredited institution. 

The Libraries follow ACRL guidelines related to this requirement.  http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/standardsguidelines.htm 

There are standards and certification for archivists, which we are not meeting consistently at this time.  http://www.certifiedarchivists.org/html/cert.html 

The Texas Tech University Libraries are in compliance with this requirement. 

“Adequacy” can be assessed from several directions; however, regardless of the direction the  Libraries fare well, and in some areas better than well.  Since admittance into ARL in 1997, the Texas Tech University Libraries have risen in overall ranking from 80, to 57 according to the most recent (2002) rankings.  In the last three years, the accelerated growth resulted in a rise from 64 to 57. 

In addition, according to the 2002 LibQual survey and report, the Libraries’ services ranked from adequate to above expectations—yet another indicator of compliance with our missions.  The Libraries have diligently pursued cooperative arrangements to enhance resources and services and stand preeminent in West Texas and New Mexico in library resources.  In so doing, we have pursued our goals as published in our strategic plan. 

The Texas Tech University Libraries are a contributing factor in the continuing accreditation of TTU’s academic programs. 

http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Catalog.html#Accrediting 

The Texas Tech University Libraries are in compliance with this requirement. 

Texas Tech University Libraries offers a menu of services to educate, acculturate, and promulgate student learning in a variety of scenarios.  Included, but not limited to the following:  Classes taught in bibliographic and library skills; one on one teaching and/or consultations; discipline-specific programmatic initiatives in several colleges, etc.

http://library.ttu.edu/ul/instruction/libr1100.php 

http://library.ttu.edu/ul/instruction/is1100.php 

The institution has a sound financial base and demonstrated financial stability, and adequate physical resources to support the mission of the institution and the scope of its programs and services.

The member institution provides the following financial statements: (a) an institutional audit (or Standard Review Report issued in accordance with Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services issued by the AICPA for those institutions audited as part of a systemwide or statewide audit) and written institutional management letter for the most recent fiscal year prepared by an independent certified public accountant and/or an appropriate governmental auditing agency employing the appropriate audit (or Standard Review Report) guide; (b) a statement of financial position of unrestricted net assets, exclusive of plant assets and plant-related debt, which represents the change in unrestricted net assets attributable to operations for the most recent year; and, (c) an annual budget that is preceded by sound planning, is subject to sound fiscal procedures, and is approved by the governing board.

Audit requirements for applicant institutions may be found in the Commission policy entitled "Accreditation Procedures for Applicant Institutions.  (Resources)

(Not applicable for the Compliance Certification submitted by institution).

Section 3:  COMPREHENSIVE STANDARDS

Institutional Mission, Governance, And Effectiveness

The institution has qualified administrative and academic officers with the experience,
competence, and capacity to lead the institution.

The Texas Tech University Libraries are in compliance with this standard.

The dean of the Library, Dr. Donald Dyal, has a Ph.D. in History (’80) from Texas A&M University. His vita is here.

The Texas Tech University Libraries’ administrative officers are all hired according to existing Texas Tech University employment Operating Procedures, which require minimum standards of education. The Employment Operating Procedures can be found at http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP70.11.pdf.

The institution defines and publishes policies regarding appointment and employment of
faculty and staff.

The Texas Tech University Libraries are in compliance with this standard.

The Texas Tech University Libraries’ administrative Officers are all hired according to existing Texas Tech University employment Operating Procedures, which require minimum standards of education. The Employment Operating Procedures can be found at http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP70.11.pdf.

The Texas Tech University Libraries does annual performance standards of all staff. The Operating Policy can be found at http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP70.12.html, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP70.12_A-A.PDF.

The institution’s policies are clear concerning ownership of materials, compensation,
copyright issues, and the use of revenue derived from the creation and production of all
intellectual property. This applies to students, faculty and staff.

The Texas Tech University Libraries are compliance with this standard. 

When employees are hired, as part of the hiring process all employees must sign a document notifying of copyright issues, material, and intellectual property. This document can be found at

http://www.depts.ttu.edu/personnel/Conduct-Property-GovtCode-approp.pdf.  

The Texas Tech University Libraries also contributes to campus awareness of intellectual copyright and property issues through workshops, policies, and seminars.  Most recently, the librarians produced an intellectual integrity workshop for graduate students and faculty.  In addition, the University provides local information on these issues. This information can be found at http://www.itts.ttu.edu/laws/copy01.html, http://www.itts.ttu.edu/laws/,
http://www.itts.ttu.edu/laws/lpc2003.pdf, http://www.ttu.edu/dmca.php, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP74.04.html, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP30.22.html.

The Texas Tech University Libraries are in compliance with this standard. 

Through its strategic planning process, the Texas Tech University Libraries conducts outcomes assessments. Research and assessments may be reviewed at the Web sites for the Strategic Plan: http://www.irs.ttu.edu/SACS/AssessmentReports/35_0_2003.pdf.

The TTU Libraries effectiveness is measured in a variety of ways.  The 2002 Strategic Planning assessment report covers accomplishments in goals related to engagement, technology and strategic partnerships.  As a result of meeting with the Student Government Association, reviewing gate counts and user population studies, the TTU Libraries expanded library hours by 10 hours per week (between midnight and 2 am) and instituted 24 hour services during finals each semester.  This change resulted in an increase in traffic and use of the Libraries. When the SGA expressed concern over the high price of textbooks, the Libraries instituted a plan to purchase copies of required textbooks which can be found in the Reserves collection.  In partnership with campus IT, the Libraries has installed a computer lab to support student information needs. 

Ongoing review of curriculum and research needs has resulted in redefining collection development and management and a reallocation of collection funds.  The Libraries will continue to review curriculum changes, funding for research, faculty publications and dissertations and theses to insure that our collections reflect the changing needs of the faculty and students at TTU.

Units in the Libraries from acquisitions and cataloging to circulation services are working on process improvement studies.  The new integrated library management system is allowing us to take advantage of vendor services and reduce per unit costs for processing books.  We are learning to work in new ways and to develop more efficient and effective ways to work and serve our patrons. 

Growth the TTU Libraries collections are reported to the Association of Research Libraries and the State of Texas.  We also use ACRL standards and guidelines, which are intended to help libraries, academic institutions, and accrediting agencies understand the components of an excellent library. These standards, guidelines, and model statements are reviewed and updated by the membership on a regular basis.

http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/standardsguidelines.htm

PROGRAMS

The Texas Tech University Libraries are in compliance with this standard.

Outreach to school districts and students are part of our mission.  Internal study committees work to develop programs in information literacy, intellectual freedom, integrity, ethics, etc for distance education and extended studies programs.  Some of the policies, and practices of the Libraries are at:  http://library.ttu.edu/distance/.

The Texas Tech University Libraries are in compliance with this program.

Information on Libraries’ services can be found at http://library.ttu.edu/ul/, in addition to published brochures and announcements heralding new services and highlighting existing services.  Significant new services have been implemented to strengthen the academic university programs, including but not limited to:  expanded hours of operation, expanded staff at service points, online reference, undergraduate textbook library, digital media studio services, augmented computer services, etc.

The Texas Tech University Libraries are in compliance with this program.

The Texas Tech University Libraries follow procedures similar to the multiple levels of security and processes employed in the Information Technology Division of the University. The Libraries information technology staff works with the Information Technology Division to protect security and confidentiality of certain records, and specific contingency plans are in place to back up data.

Security policies may be found at http://www.infotech.ttu.edu/ops/op.html, http://www.itts.ttu.edu/documentation/laws/privacy2.html, http://www.net.ttu.edu/security/.  

The Texas Tech University Libraries are in compliance with this standard. 

While the Libraries teach only two courses, the content is wholly the product of professionals who teach the courses.  

http://library.ttu.edu/ul/instruction/libr1100.php 

The TTU Libraries use the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education to plan and deliver information literacy instruction.  Evaluation of teaching effectiveness is monitored regularly. 

http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/informationliteracycompetency.htm 

http://library.ttu.edu/forms/?li_eval