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 mission statement of the Center for Advanced Study of Museum Science and Heritage Management is in accordance with the mission of the Museum and TTU. The Museum mission is located on http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/   (specifically, in the strategic plan, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/stratPlan022103.pdf, and the university mission is here: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Catalog.html#Mission. A hard copy of the mission statement is located in the Administration Office of the Museum. The mission statement is contained in the strategic plan of the museum and is in accordance with that of the university. The 1998 accreditation report from the American Association of Museums (http://www.aam-us.org/) (the report is available in the Museum Administration Office) indicates that the mission statement of the museum is clear and appropriate for an institution with the scope of TTU, and conforms with the current standards for educational and artistic decisions.

The Center for the Advanced Study of Museum Science and Heritage Management falls under the institution-wide research-based planning in the evaluation process initiated by TTU. Because the Center is a newly established unit within the Museum of TTU it participated in the planning process as part of the Museum, and the recent extensive strategic planning process throughout the university. Established to be an evolutionary, ongoing process with annual assessment reports based on the written strategic plans, the Museum Strategic Plan can be found in the same locations as noted in #2.4 above. Assessment of Texas Tech is web-posted http://www.ttu.edu/stratplan/Assessment.php . Annual assessment reports for the Museum http://techdata.irs.ttu.edu/stratreport/  (specifically here http://www.irs.ttu.edu/SACS/AssessmentReports/37_0_2003.pdf) and a hard copy is located in Museum Administration Office. Currently there is no specialized accrediting or review body for Museum Science or Heritage Management academic programs.

The Center provides graduate instruction only. It offers masters degrees (MA and MS). Students enrolled in the Museum Science program receive an MA degree, and those in the Heritage Management program receive an MS degree. For the fall 2003, there were 44 students enrolled in the Centers pursuing graduate degrees in either Museum Science or Heritage Management.

Universal quantitative data can be found in assessment reports. 

The center offers two graduate degree programs requiring 45 semester credit hours for successful completion. See here http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/GRADMuseum.html for a description of the degree requirements for Museum Science, and here http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/GRADHeritage.html for a description of the degree requirements in Heritage Management.

Due to the nature of the Museum Science and Heritage Management programs, there is only one full-time faculty member. There are 10 full-time TTU employees involved in the instructional program, but all but one has other institutional or academic responsibilities. All faculty hold appropriate terminal degrees or qualifying experiences that meet the TTU Certification of Faculty Qualifications, OP 32.02, section 2, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP32.02.pdf.

In all instructional faculty, heavy work and teaching loads could be further exacerbated by increasing enrollments in Museum Science and Heritage Management. Faculty loads, however, reflect appropriately the TTU Faculty Academic Workload Policy, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP32.18.pdf. Changes in assignments have been made and further efforts are underway to redistribute responsibilities among existing faculty, coupled with requests for additional faculty in specific areas of need.

The TTU main Library supports the mission, objectives, degree programs, and research needs of the units of the Center. Additional specialized holdings are housed in the Museum’s Research Library. The Museum hires a qualified librarian to oversee the Library; however no specialized funding is provided to acquire books or publications for the Museum Library.

Student support programs, services, and activities in the Center are consistent with the mission of TTU, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Catalog.html#Mission, and with the mission of the Center and purpose of TTU facilities and services is located in the 2004-2005  Catalog, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Facilities.html.  All members of the Center faculty work with students, and the Center’s Director serves as the academic program advisor. The Director’s administrative assistant monitors issues related to matriculation such as degree audits, graduation checkouts, and other academic matters. The Museum Science program has an active student organization that supports and complements the academic mission of the college and the university. The Museum’s web site http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/   contains a great deal of information directed toward both current and prospective students.

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

TTU publishes its mission statement here http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Catalog.html#Mission and it is appropriate to an institution of higher education. The mission statement of the Museum is in accordance with the mission of the university. It is located on p.1 of the Museum Strategic Plan http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/stratPlan022103.pdf. A hard copy of the mission statement is located in the Museum Administration Office.  The mission statement in strategic plan for the Museum is in accordance with that of the university. The accreditation review report from the American Association of Museums indicates that the mission statement of the Museum is appropriate for an institution with the scope of TTU, that museum activities appear to be linked to the mission, goals and objectives, and that they appear to form the current and future basis for professional museums. The accreditation report is available in the Museum Administration Office.

The organizational structure of TTU is contained in OP 01.08, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP01.08.html . The organizational structure of the Museum is included in the accreditation self-study document available in the Museum Administration Office. This documentation is in accordance with the university policy as described in OP 30.01.

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

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

Operating policies regarding appointment and employment of faculty and staff include: 32.02 (Certification of Faculty Qualifications), 32.07 (Other Employment, Faculty Consulting, and Public Offices), 32.16 (Faculty Recruitment), 32.17 (Faculty Appointments and Titles), 32.34 (Faculty in Non-Tenure Acquiring Ranks), 70.11 (Staff Employees), 70.27 (Student Employees), 70.36 (Temporary Workers with (H1-B) Immigration Status). The college and its units conform to all university policies.

TTU and the Center have evaluation instruments for unit administrators in OP 30.15 http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP30.15.pdf. The Executive Director of the Museum and Director of the Center reports to the provost and is evaluated annually. Division heads and directors report to and are evaluated by the Executive Director.

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 means of determining institutional effectiveness are consistent with the mission of TTU, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Catalog.html#Mission. TTU has recently undergone an extensive strategic planning process throughout the university which was established to be an evolutionary, ongoing process with annual assessment reports based on the written strategic plans of all units. Assessment of Texas Tech is web-posted http://www.ttu.edu/stratplan/Assessment.php.

Students are given a program handbook describing the assessment and review process required for successful completion of the academic programs. Hard copies are located in the Museum Administration Office. There is an ongoing planning and evaluation process that takes place relative to the changing requirements of the museum and heritage management professions.

Educational Programs

1. Identifies expected outcomes – Program outcomes are identified through a number of sources, including student handbooks and syllabi located in the Museum Administration Office.

2. Assesses whether expected outcomes are achieved – Assessment is done on many levels through formative and summative grading practices in courses, qualifying examination, comprehensive written and oral examinations, and thesis or internship evaluation. All students are thoroughly evaluated by a faculty committee prior to graduation.

3. Provides evidence of improvement based on assessment – Evidence of improvement can be noted through grade comparisons, written and oral feedback from professionals in the museum field, review processes, classroom evaluation, and final examinations. Evidence of improvement is demonstrated by job placement and professional competencies.  Courses are reviewed and revised annually to reflect current accepted practices in the museum field and student evaluations. Such revisions are a coordinated effort involving all faculty members.                   

Administrative Services

1. Identifies expected outcomes – Job descriptions and expectations are contained in unit faculty handbooks located in unit administrative offices. In addition, expected outcomes are listed in unit accreditation self-study, a copy of the Museum accreditation review is located in the Museum Administration Office.

2. Assesses whether expected outcomes are achieved – The Executive Director of the Museum and Center reports to the provost and is evaluated annually. The Associate Directors, Curators, and Division Directors report to and are evaluated annually by the Executive Director of the Museum. Faculty members are evaluated by students on a course basis. Site visits and subsequent visitor reports from the accrediting bodies serve as assessments of the Museum.

3. Provides evidence of improvement based on assessment – Annual reports and evaluations are reflective of improvements based on assessments. Evidence of improvement is demonstrated by scholarly publications, presentations at professional meetings, and awards for academic research. The success rate of graduates from the program is a good indication of the level of academic investment by faculty and staff. 

Educational Support Services

1. Identifies expected outcomes -- Job descriptions and expectations are contained in position description questionnaires reviewed by staff and faculty annually. In addition, expected outcomes are listed in the Museum accreditation self-study, a copy of which is located in the Museum Administrative Office. 

2. Assesses whether expected outcomes are achieved – Museum and Center level staff report to and are evaluated by the Executive Director. Unit level staff report to and are evaluated annually by division directors. Site visits and subsequent visitor reports from the accrediting body and external evaluation of faculty, staff, and student activities serve as assessments of expected outcomes.

3.  Provides evidence of improvement based on assessment – Annual faculty and course evaluations are reflective of improvements based on assessments. Evidence of improvement may additionally be found in staff and faculty teaching, research, and service activities. Information about such activities is in the annual assessment report a copy of which is retained in the Museum Administrative Office.

PROGRAMS

The approval process for adding, changing, and deleting courses, and changing the method of delivery is found in OP 36.01 http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP36.01.htm . The approval process for new academic programs, course approval for new programs, program termination, and changes in delivery format is found in OP 36.04 http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP36.04.htm . For Museum Science and Heritage Management programs, the teaching faculty develops, recommends, and reviews all courses. The Center director reviews all recommended courses of instruction to determine appropriateness for student needs and instructional feasibility.

b) Partial Compliance

The Museum and Center offer a variety of outreach, and service activities including numerous public programs, visiting artists and lecturers, and exhibitions, educational outreach with regional public schools, festivals, workshops, summer youth programs. Students are actively involved in internships throughout the state, nation, and abroad. Information regarding other TTU programs can be found in the 2004-2005 Catalog, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Catalog.html. The activities described above are consistent with the mission of TTU, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Catalog.html#Mission, and of the Museum, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/stratPlan022103.pdf.

Information on admissions can be found for the university here: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Admission.html; see here http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/GRADMuseum.html for a description of the degree requirements for Museum Science, and here http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/GRADHeritage.html for a description of the degree requirements in Heritage Management. Policies within the Center are consistent with the mission of TTU, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Catalog.html#Mission, and with the general mission of the Museum and its constituent units, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/stratPlan022103.pdf.

Information on evaluating, awarding, and accepting credit outlined in this standard can be found in the 2004-2005 Catalog, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Admission.html, for the university. Policies within the Center are consistent with the mission of TTU, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Catalog.html#Mission.

Information on academic policies can be found in the 2004-2005 Catalog, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/AcademicsRegulations.html for the university. See here http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/GRADMuseum.html for a description of the degree requirements for Museum Science, and here http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/GRADHeritage.html for a description of the degree requirements in Heritage Management. The policies and practices of the Center are consistent with the mission of TTU. Operating Policies 10.01-10.11 (Administration), 30.01-30.27 (General), 32.01-32.34 (Faculty), and 34.01-34.23 (Students) also address academic policies http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual.

A list of facilities and services is in the 2004-2005 Catalog, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Facilities.html. The Center faculty and Museum staff work with students, and a program director/advisor who manages a myriad of issues related to matriculation such as degree audits, graduation checkouts, and other academic matters. Reference holdings in addition to those in the Museum Research Library requested by faculty, staff, and students are acquired based on fund availability. There is an active student organization (MSSA) that supports and complements the academic mission of the Museum, Center, and the university. The Museum web site http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/  contains a great deal of information for current and prospective students including advisement, scholarship opportunities, calendars, and schedules.