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 Graduate School is in compliance with this requirement.

The Graduate School engages in ongoing, integrated, and institution-wide research-based planning and evaluation processes.  These activities are reflected in the TTU strategic plan.  The strategic plan for the Graduate School may be found at

The strategic plan for the Graduate School may be found here:
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool/Images/Academics/strategic_plan/StrategicPlan.htm

 
Planning process are shown as “strategies” and evaluation processes are shown as “assessments”

In addition to the Strategic Plan, which is reviewed periodically, the Graduate School conducts Program Reviews of the graduate programs of all the departments and colleges at TTU.  From 1972 to 1985, these reviews were in place.  In 1985, a budget crisis forced TTU to scale back on such activities.  In 1999-2000, the reviews were reinstituted, and, since then, twenty-four units have been reviewed.  All of the data pertaining to these reviews are available in the Graduate Dean’s office.

Examples of continuing improvement may be found at Graduate School offices.  The document is labeled

“Name of Program, Graduate Program Review, 1997-2003”  
As an Example:  “Civil Engineering, Graduate Program Review, 1996-2002”

These planning and evaluation processes directly support our mission and can be found here:  http://www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool/review_guidelines.htm  

This document contains the schedule of graduate program reviews needed to review all program at the Texas Tech, type of information gathered for review, preparation of self study, selection of review committee members, the review process, assessment of report, action of the Dean, and the follow up.

All graduate programs require at least 30 semester credit hours; see page 65 (“Master’s Programs) and on page 67 (Ph.D. programs) of the Texas Tech University Catalog, 2003-2004.  http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/Catalog.html

The Graduate School is in compliance with this requirement.

All new courses and programs are reviewed and approved by faculty committees.  The guidelines for new programs may be found in

http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP36.04.htm

The Graduate Council has a subcommittee for program review.  The subcommittee reviews all new programs and program changes and then makes recommendations to the Graduate Council as a whole.  The faculty members proposing the new programs or program changes are asked to present the details of their program to the Graduate Council.  Upon approval of the program, the program is then sent to the Academic Council for their approval and then to the Provost.

The Graduate School is in compliance with this requirement.

i.    In order to ensure the quality and integrity of its academic programs at the graduate level, the Graduate School requires that faculty members submit credentials for inspection and votes at the department level, the college level, and the Graduate School level.  All graduate faculty must undergo certification at these levels and be approved by the Graduate Council.  Every six years, all graduate faculty members must be reappointed.  The forms for new applicants and for confirmation and reappointment are available on the Graduate School’s website:

           http://www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool/
           click on “FACULTY-STAFF”
           click on “Graduate Faculty-Application Forms:  For new applicants”

ii.    General requirements for graduate faculty membership can be found at
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/OP64.10.pdf

The Graduate School is in compliance with this requirement.

The mission of the Graduate School includes “assisting and supporting the recruitment, retention, and graduation of quality students.”  Services provided by the Graduate School may be found on the Graduate School website http://www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool/

Here are some of the services that the Graduate School provides: 

i.    The Graduate School’s Gelin Loan Program has been very successful.  Since it was instituted in 1999, more than 350 graduate students have taken advantage of it.  Details about the program may be found at         

          http://www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool/
          click on “Current Students”
          click on “Gelin Emergency Loan Fund”

ii.   The Graduate School’s Thesis/Dissertation Workshop and Thesis/Dissertation Symposia have been useful in helping to prepare graduate students for these milestone writing research efforts.  Details about these projects are available in the office of the Graduate School.

iii.   The Graduate and Professional Student Government Association (GPSGA) has been supportive of student travel, subsidized childcare for students, and various other services. 
See  http://www.orgs.ttu.edu/gpsga

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 mission statement for the Graduate School can be found in the Graduate School’s strategic plan:
          http://www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool/
          click on “FACULTY-STAFF”
          click on “Strategic Plan for Graduate Education-2003”

The organization chart for the Graduate School can be found in the office of the Graduate School at Room 2 of Holden Hall.

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

All of the deans in the Graduate School hold the Ph.D. degree.  Furthermore, the deans have served as chairs of departments, interim deans of colleges, and associate deans of colleges.

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

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 Graduate School is in compliance with this standard.

i.   An important element of assessment that the Graduate School performs is the Graduate Program Reviews of all of the units in TTU that offer graduate degrees.  Since 1999-2000, twenty-four units have been reviewed.  All of the data pertaining to these reviews are available in the Graduate Dean’s office in Room 2 of Holden Hall.  The expected outcomes of these reviews are a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the units, a more apparent vision of what the needs of the units are, and a clear starting point for making changes and improvements in the units.  In an effort to evaluate quality, data are collected from peer institutions for each program and used to benchmark program performance.  Data are collected on number and type of degrees, salaries, operating expenses, citations in publications, placement of graduate students, etc.  For a complete list of recommended benchmarks, please refer to
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool/review_guidelines.htm

     After the self studies are completed and a committee reviews the results, the committee, the Chair of the program, the program’s college Dean, the Dean Graduate School, and the Provost meet to go over the review.  The Dean of the College writes a plan of action for the unit based on the findings.  The following year, the Dean of the Graduate School, the Dean of the College, and the Chair of the program meet to determine what actions have occurred and to recommend any further actions.

ii.   All graduate students who submit theses or dissertations are required to fill out a “Post-Graduate Survey” at the time that the thesis or dissertation is turned in.  On this form, students are asked to rate the various elements of TTU that they may have opinions about:  major professors, graduate advisors, computer service, student services, library, etc.  This form amounts to the students’ assessment of their experience at TTU.

iii.  The Graduate School’s planning and evaluation processes may be found in its strategic plan:

          http://www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool/
          click on “FACULTY-STAFF”
          click on “Strategic Plan for Graduate School-2003”

Planning processes are shown as “strategies” and evaluation processes are shown as “assessments.”

The following are quantitative data for assessment of our strategic planning:

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Area/Unit Specific Information