Self Study Proposed Timeline

Timeline	Task(s)	Person(s) Responsible	Outcomes/Documentation
Ongoing	Maintain a working log of all meetings/ agendas.	Self-Study Coordinators and Steering Committee.	Maintaining logs during the self-study process facilitates the site team visit by providing documentation of activities.
Ongoing	Identify non-productive team members and replace if necessary.	Steering Committee and Self-Study Team Chairs	Team members know their tasks and understand that, if they do not produce results, they will be replaced.
Spring, 2009	Appoint Self-Study Coordinators and Steering Committee.	President or CEO of the Institution.	Self-Study leadership is formalized and mission identified.
August , 2009	Announce appointment of the Self-Study Coordinators and Steering Committee and declare the process begun.	President or CEO of the Institution.	The start of the Self-Study is announced through local media, campus communications, and alumni materials.
September 2009	Review the HLC Criteria with Steering Committee.	Self-Study Coordinator and Steering Committee.	Steering Committee is informed and ready to lead.
	Study the Criteria and Self Study process.	Self-Study Coordinators and Steering Committee.	Steering Committee is thoroughly prepared to lead the teams and campus in the self-study process.
	Develop specific tasks for each Steering Committee member.	Self-Study Coordinators and Steering Committee.	Steering Committee roles are defined.
	Establish a budget.	Self-Study Coordinator, Steering Committee, and CEO.	Resources for the Self-Study process are determined.
	Determine timelines and deadlines for completing tasks; establish guidelines for keeping logs, agendas, and minutes.	Self-Study Coordinators and Steering Committee.	The basic procedures and working plan are ready for full campus involvement.
	Establish a meeting schedule and determine future agendas.	Self-Study Coordinators and Steering Committee.	Regular meetings and agendas ensure progress towards benchmarks.
	Analyze most recent site team report on the institution.	Self-Study Coordinator and Steering Committee.	Examines weaknesses and focuses evidence gathering and documentation of improvements since last visit.
October, 2009	Review options for organizing the self-study process and report.	Self-Study Coordinator and Steering Committee.	The basic procedures for guiding the self-study process are determined.
	Review structure for self-study processes.	Self-Study Coordinator and Steering Committee.	Steering Committee is prepared to construct a model for its campus.
	Consider structure of the Self-Study Report to help focus team tasks.	Self-Study Coordinator and Steering Committee.	Steering Committee agrees on structure for writing the report and gathering evidence.
	Review evaluation criteria used by site team during institutional visit.	Self-Study Coordinator and Steering Committee.	The Steering Committee understands the scope of the self-study and visit.
	Review the checklist of materials required by HLC.	Self-Study Coordinator and Steering Committee.	Teams are aware of required materials as they begin to collect evidence.
	Identify staff to handle logistical details (e.g., copying materials, monitoring evidence-collection, logging expenses).	Self-Study Coordinator and Provost.	The Steering Committee is free to focus its energies on more substantive aspects of the self-study process.
October, 2009 Continued	Select and reserve Resource Room and team work areas, preferable in close proximity to each other.	Self-Study Coordinator and Provost.	Site team has a centrally located and functional work area.
	Assign individual(s) to serve as virtual and actual Resource Room Coordinators.	Self-Study Coordinator and Provost	Staff members are in place to facilitate document collection and organization.
	Establish protocols for access to Resource Room (e.g., who has keys/passwords for what purpose).	Resource Room Coordinator(s).	Resource Room is maintained and secured in an orderly manner.
	Create a small work area within the Resource Room to facilitate cataloging and site team needs.	Resource Room Coordinator,	Resource Room Coordinator and the site team members have immediate access to collected documents.
	Develop a Self-Study Plan and submit it to the HLC Commission for review. Also notify the Commission of the Self Study Coordinator, referred visiting dates and proposed changes to the SAS.	Self-Study Coordinators, Steering Committee, and CEO.	A working plan for the Self-Study Report is completed.
November 2009	Hold informational meetings with all constituencies to explain timelines and process.	Self-Study Coordinators and Steering Committee.	All key stakeholders are invited to share in the process.
	Develop criteria for the selection of team members, team chairs, and writers.	Self-Study Coordinator and Steering Committee.	Teams are formed; team chairs and writers are designated.
	Provide briefings and HLC materials to team members.	Self-Study Coordinators and Steering Committee.	Team members understand the Criteria guidelines.
	Assign tasks to teams and invoke deadlines for reports.	Self-Study Coordinator and Steering Committee.	Tasks are defined; members are prepared to collect evidence.
	Provide resources necessary for teams to start to maintain the process.	Self-Study Coordinators and Steering Committee.	Teams receive staff support, fiscal resources, and access to documents.
	Provide teams with documentation of institutional evaluation and planning processes.	Self-Study Coordinators and Steering Committee.	Review of the evidence reflects an awareness of existing campus processes.
	Emphasize to the teams the importance of focusing on the institution's strengths and challenges.	Self-Study Coordinators and Steering Committee.	Data analysis emphasizes evaluation rather than mere description.
	Establish a timeline for holding public meetings.	Self-Study Coordinator and Steering Committee.	Campus leaders are involved throughout the process.
December, 2009	Collect and review comments from stakeholders.	Self-Study Coordinator and Steering Committee.	The Self-Study reflects input from all key stakeholders.

	Determine compatible writing formats (hardware, software) for the Self-Study Report.	Self-Study Coordinators	Drafts of chapters submitted by teams are consistent in style and format.
Ongoing, 2010	Serve as mentors for teams.	Self-Study Coordinator and Steering Committee.	Teams have an identified line of communication with the Steering Committee and the Coordinator.
	Assist the writers in preparing drafts of teams' findings.	Steering Committee mentors and each individual Self-Study Team.	Drafts of chapters submitted by teams are consistent in style and format.
	Meet regularly with the upper-level administrators to provide briefings and to keep momentum going.	Self-Study Coordinator and Steering Committee.	Campus leaders are involved throughout the process.
	Be advocates for the process; engage in activities to promote the process and keep it positively focused.	Self-Study Coordinators and Steering Committee.	Enthusiasm and support for the process evolves across the campus and community.
	Receive updates from Steering Committee on other teams' self-study activities.	Each team chairperson.	Each team can monitor its own progress as a part of the overall self-study process.
	Teams emphasize evaluation in reporting on evidence.	Steering Committee members and each Individual Self-Study Team.	The institution and its processes are assessed rather than merely described in the Self-Study Report.
January, 2010	Create a regular meeting schedule and maintain a working log.	Each team chairperson.	Regular meetings with ongoing logs encourage teams to target goals and review progress.
	Agree upon the mission of each team; clarify duties of team chair and writer.	Each team.	Each team understands the scope of its contribution to the self-study process.
	Study the Criteria; determine how to target the Criterion and types of evidence assigned to the team.	Each team.	Each team understands HLC guidelines for engaging in a self-study process.
	Select a team member to serve as archivist.	Each team chairperson.	Documents collected by teams are assembled into a coherent fashion.
February, 2010	Review previous site team report and focus on cited weaknesses.	Each individual team.	Each team understands the need to document improvements since the last visit.
	Inventory existing documentation of institutional processes.	Each team.	Each team is familiar with evidence already in place (e.g., planning documents and committee reports).
	Determine what additional evidence needs to be collected.	Each team.	List of evidence to be collected is thorough and comprehensive.
March 2010	Assign individual team members specific tasks for evidence collection; teams begin gathering documents.	Each team chairperson.	Each team member is responsible for contributing documentation, evidence, or narrative relating to team mission.
	Develop Data Collection Plan (Data needed, where to get). Submit Data Gathering Plan to Coordinators & Steering Committee. Begin to gather and analyze data.	Each team.	The process of developing the Self-Study Report is achieved in an organized and timely manner.
April, 2010	Attend HLC Annual Meeting in Chicago	Selected Individuals	ECU and Self Study participants are kept informed of HLC policies and procedures.
May XX, 2010	Submit Preliminary Outline and Report to Coordinators and Steering Committee.	Each team.	The process of developing the Self-Study Report is achieved in an organized and timely manner.
May, 2010	Locate or purchase a sufficient number of filing cabinets to house documents.	Resource Room Coordinator.	Adequate storage space promotes efficient cataloguing and enhanced presentation.
June, 2010	Review Committee Reports. Identify Issues that Need More Information.	Each team.	The process of developing the Self-Study Report is achieved in an organized and timely manner.
Aug/Sept, 2010	Send to the Commission information suggesting desired team competencies.	Self Study Coordinator and Provost	Liaison with the HLC is maintained in an organized and timely manner.
Sept/Oct, 2010	Gather and Analyze Additional Data	Each team.	The process of developing the Self-Study Report is achieved in an organized and timely manner.
October, 2010 - Ongoing	Communicate with various committees and teams about status of document collection.	Resource Room Coordinator.	Communication with the teams allows coordinators to identify redundancies and gaps in document collection.
October, 2010	Design a system for filing documents as they are submitted, both hard copies and electronically.	Resource Room Coordinator.	A well-designed cataloguing system ensures consistency in filing and retrieving documents.
Oct/Nov/Dec, 2010	Steering Committee meets regularly with team chairs and writers to coordinate the emerging draft chapters.	Team chairs, writers, and Steering Committee.	The Self-Study Report reflects order and consistency in style and content.
November 1, 2010	Collected evidence is reviewed; draft chapters of the Self-Study Report are begun.	Each team.	Institutional documents become evidence in support of Criteria and Core Components.
December XX, 2010	Each team completes its section of the Self-Study by identifying the strengths and challenges of the institution.	Each team.	The team process achieves closure; a full working draft of the Self-Study Report is completed.
	Each team submits collected documents to the Resource Room Coordinator.	Each team's archivist.	The Self-Study Coordinator receives materials to be forwarded to the Resource Room.
	Each team submits its log of activities (e.g., minutes and agendas).	Each team chairperson.	Active involvement of many campus participants is documented.
January, 2011	Establish a deadline for receiving all materials.	Resource Room Coordinator.	Coordinators have sufficient time to prepare the room for inspection.
	Devise a checklist of documents referenced in the Self-Study Report. Maintain an index of all documents in the Resource Room.	Resource Room Coordinator.	Document collection can be monitored for thoroughness. The index serves as a reference document for the site team members and the Resource Room Coordinator.
Jan/Feb, 2011	Interim Data for Fall 2010 is collected and added to the Study	Self Study Coordinator and Steering Committee	The most recently available data is used in the Report.
March, 2011	Self-Study Report revision	Writer/Editor.	Self-Study Report is revised and edited.
April, 2011	Steering Committee reads and responds to complete draft of Self-Study Report	Steering Committee	Self-Study Report approaches its final form.

	Attend the HLC Annual meeting in Chicago	Selected Individuals	ECU and Self Study participants keep current on HLC procedures and policies.
	Request and collect faculty vitae and course syllabi for submission to the Resource Room Coordinator.	Logistics Coordinator.	The site team can verify faculty credentials and review course content and assessment.
	Send comments on proposed team members to the Commission.	President or CEO.	The Commission will then be able to formally invite team members to serve.
April/May/June, 2011	Complete Self-Study Report is put in final form with all indexes and attachments.	Writer/Editor.	Self-Study Report is finalized.
June 2011	Distribute information to constituencies regarding request for third party comment.	Self Study Coordinators and Publicity Coordinator	HLC requires third party comments be sent to the visiting team members prior to their visit.
July 1, 2011	Send final Self-Study Report to be printed and bound professionally.	Logistics Coordinator and Self-Study Coordinators.	The Self-Study Report presents the institution in a favorable attractive manner.
August 1, 2001 (2 months prior)	Mail copies of the Self-Study Report to site team members and to the NCA Office.	Logistics Coordinator.	The site team has ample time to review the Self-Study Report in preparation for the visit.
September, 2011	Share the Self Study with Institutional Constituencies. Announce the dates of the site team visit and give the visit publicity in local and campus publications.	Self Study Coordinators and Publicity Coordinator.	The Campus and Community are prepared to discuss the Self Study with visiting team members and prepared for the team site visit.
	Do a final check of the Resource Room, focusing on required NCA materials.	Resource Room Coordinator.	The Resource Room contains all documents specifically listed in the NCA Handbook.
	Label binders and cabinet drawers. Conduct a mock search of documents in the Resource Room	Resource Room Coordinator.	Contents are marked for at-a-glance accessibility. Problems in locating documents can be identified.
	Rectify problem areas identified during the mock search.	Resource Room Coordinator.	The Resource Room is ready for use by the site team.
2 Months Prior	Meet with Resource Room Coordinator on status of documents in the room.	Logistics Coordinator.	The materials in the Resource Room are verified as being complete.
2 Months Prior	Prepare three-ring binders for team including the Self-Study Report, campus map, parking permits, and city information.	Logistics Coordinator.	The Self-Study Report is in a manageable, easy-to-review format; local information is provided.
	Coordinate meals and refreshments with food services staff.	Logistics Coordinator	Food is available, if needed, during working sessions.
	Assist site team in securing hotel rooms and a meeting area. Reserve vehicles for site team visit.	Logistics Coordinator	The team will need an off campus work area. The site team should have flexibility in moving between on-campus and off-campus activities.
	Arrange for hosts to greet site team members as they arrive.	Logistics Coordinator	Site team members are made to feel welcome.
2 Weeks Prior	Create name tags for team and campus representatives.	Logistics Coordinator	Team members and key campus members are easily identified in a variety of settings.
	Prepare the final index of documents for distribution to the site team members.	Resource Room Coordinator.	Site team members have a convenient reference for discussing and locating evidence.
1 Week Prior	Prepare signage for the Resource Room and Break room. Prepare Resource Room with computers and online access.	Resource Room Coordinator	The Resource Room and Break room are clearly reserved for site team use. Resource room provides a satisfactory working environment for the visiting team.
Prior or during Team Visit	Schedule appointments with individuals and groups as requested by the site team.	Logistics Coordinator	Team has timely, efficient access to individuals or groups.
	Provide administrative assistance (e.g., filing, typing, relaying messages, walking team to appointments).	Logistics Coordinator	Team can focus on significant, evaluative responsibilities.