Request for Reaffirmation of Accreditation
Integrity in the Curriculum and Faculty Oversight of the Curriculum
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- Ethical and Responsible Use of Technology
- Ethical Treatment of Members of the Campus Community
- University’s Control
- Accreditation Relationships and Institutional Affiliations
Integrity in the Curriculum and Faculty Oversight of the Curriculum Curricula for the general education and other programs offered at CSU are developed and delivered by faculty who are qualified to teach at institutions of higher education. Policies and procedures related to faculty oversight of the curriculum are provided in the Faculty Handbook . A CSU faculty or instructor teaching students in undergraduate programs must have a minimum of a Master’s degree. A CSU faculty teaching graduate-level courses for the Master of Education must have a terminal degree or its equivalent. In areas where there is a shortage of faculty with the credentials described above, the University uses procedures similar to those described in the HLC’s guidelines on qualified faculty to determine “qualified faculty.” The HLC describes qualified faculty as: “People who by formal education and tested experience know what students must learn.” It goes on to state that faculty members “create the curricular pathways through which students gain the competencies and skills they need.” HLC website (page 4) Procedures for hiring faculty include selection of only qualified candidates by a Search Committee composed of faculty from the same discipline. The committee reviews the candidate’s undergraduate and graduate education, experience in the disciplinary area, teaching as well as research and scholarship experience in higher education. Criteria used are similar to those described in the HLC’s Handbook. The faculty, through the University Senate, provide oversight of the University‘s general education and program curricula. The quality of the general education curriculum is maintained through use of the Ohio Transfer Module (OTM) and Transfer Assurance Guide System (TAGS) from the Ohio Board of Regents (OBR). On-going internal reviews of the curriculum by the Senate Committees on Academic Policy and external approval by the OBR ensures that all CSU general education courses are similar to those offered at other Ohio public universities and colleges. The Transfer Module and TAG systems provide guidelines for the transfer of general education credits earned by students enrolled at Ohio institutions. Courses for freshman, sophomore and junior level courses have been vetted by committees established by the Ohio Board of Regents to assure that courses taught at all Ohio public institutions are equivalent and transferable among these institutions. The TAG review process began in 2005 with the approval of the first set of courses from CSU. The quality of individual academic programs is maintained through on-going academic program review conducted by the departments that offer the academic programs. Responsibilities of the faculty, and policies and procedures used to guide faculty oversight of the curriculum are outlined in the Faculty Handbook. The effectiveness of these policies is demonstrated in the various academic programs that are accredited by specialized accrediting agencies (See 1.D.2. above). The University’s administrative leadership and faculty are also working together to increase the number of accredited programs by enhancing the quality, rigor, and academic experiences provided to CSU students enrolled in the following programs:
Integrity in Auxiliary Functions Information about University policies and procedures is provided to all employees through the Employee Handbook. The Office of Human Resources publishes the Employee Handbook and holds regular orientation sessions for new employees and the "University’s Process College" workshops designed to keep University employees informed about policies and procedures. CSU uses ethical and responsible policies to guide auxiliary and co-curricular functions. The University processes financial aid requests from hundreds of students. To assure students that it has their best interests at heart and to avoid any conflict of interest, the University has adopted a Code of Conduct in accordance with Section 487(e) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which states, in part, that:
Ethical and Responsible Use of Technology The Office of the Vice President for Information Technology is responsible for overseeing ethical and responsible use of technology by members of the campus community. It is responsible for leading the University’s commitment to provide access to all faculty, staff, and students to information technology and to Internet services needed to pursue educational, research, and public information. Information Technology staff are responsible for reinforcing policies and procedures related to computing functions used to guide faculty, staff, and students using the University’s technological resources. These policies include guidelines prohibiting use of University computing resources for commercial purposes. Computer users are expected to respect the United States copyright law. To discourage the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material over the campus network, CSU has employed technology-based deterrents; including the use of packet shaping network gear configured to block peer-to-peer traffic used for illegal downloads. Packet shaper logs are reviewed periodically to determine if adjustments are required. To date, packet shaping has been effective in reducing the number of downloads using known tools for illegal downloading of copyrighted material. The University's efforts to insure ethical use of copyrighted material are explained in greater detail in Criterion 2.E. Ethical Treatment of Members of the Campus Community Central State holds all members of the University community accountable and responsible for ethical and responsible behavior and expects administrators, faculty, and staff to serve as exemplary model citizens for the student body. The University also holds students responsible for their actions so that they can develop into responsible citizens. The University utilizes the first week when new First Time Freshmen and transfer students report to the campus to begin their academic journey as an opportunity to introduce students to the University's values through CSU’s three tenets of Civility, Service and Protocol. The Freshmen Academy, also known as Pirate Week, is a week-long event that introduces new students to the campus culture. It is organized by the Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and the University College. The mission of Freshmen Academy/Pirate Week is to facilitate a smooth transition for incoming first-year and transfer students to Central State through support and development of the mission and goals of the University and the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. The five-day program introduces incoming students to the academic, cultural, and social culture of the University by providing engaging academic and co-curricular programs, activities, and events that help in acclimating students to their new community. The program begins the first day of move-in for the new incoming freshmen class, highlighted by a Candlelight Ceremony that sparks their journey into the Marauder family. Goals and objectives of the Freshmen Academy include the following:
Under University policy, the Dean of Students is responsible for compiling data on students’ appeals and grievances that are submitted through the Office of the President, Provost, or the Dean of Students. However, during the Self-Study process, the Self-Study Steering Committee discovered that other offices at the University receive and respond to student grievances. The Committee also discovered that the number of grievances are not tracked and it is recommended that in the future all student appeals and grievances should be tracked. The Office of Student Affairs provides every student with a Student Handbook which provides students with information on the Student Code of Conduct and Academic Honor Conduct, respectively. The University’s Department of Police and Safety maintains peaceful interactions among members of the campus community and the public in order to protect life and property and enforce the law. The department is committed to ethical conduct. The department states on its webpage that: "Members of the department are mindful that the Constitution guarantees liberty, equality and Justice for all without regard to race, color, religion, age, gender, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, ancestry, marital status or differing abilities.... We recognize that maintenance of the highest standards of ethics and integrity is imperative for the continued improvement of police/community relations at CSU. These high standards cultivate mutual trust and encourage members of the Central State Community to share responsibility for reducing the opportunity for criminal activity. We strive to attain the highest degree of ethical behavior and professional conduct at all times." CSU’s police officers are licensed by the state of Ohio. The Department of Police and Safety maintains campus crime statistics as required under the Federal Jeanne Clery Act. 2.B. The institution presents itself clearly and completely to its students and to the public with regard to its programs, requirements, faculty and staff, costs to students, control, and accreditation relationships. As one of the public universities of the state of Ohio, Central State University presents itself clearly and completely to its students and to the public in a number of ways: --Through Ohio’s Department of Education and Board of Regents’ website, a direct link to the Central State homepage is posted on this website to allow the public to access information about all academic programs offered at the University. --Through data submitted annually to the Department of Education through the Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (IPEDS). These data are aggregated by the Institute of Education Sciences and the National Center for Education Statistics and made available to members of the public, regional accreditors, and specialized program accreditors. CSU’s IPEDS data can be retrieved easily through the U.S. Department of Education’s NCES website. Information about the IPEDS data is posted on the college Navigator section of the NCES website, and includes general information about the University as an institution of higher education, tuition fees and estimated student expenses. IPEDS information also includes Student Financial Aid data, average net-price by income with net price calculator, total enrollment by undergraduate and graduate categories, including race/ethnicity, age and gender. --Through membership to the national Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA). Through the VSA’s College Portrait, the University’s programs, admission requirements, faculty and staff, costs to students, control and accreditation relationships are clearly articulated. The College Portrait of the VSA also includes information about the cost of attending CSU and permits parents and prospective students to compare CSU’s costs with those of other 4-year colleges and universities. The VSA allows the University to remain accountable to the public by:
--Through the University’s website, which provides the public, prospective and continuing students, and parents with information about the programs and services offered to students at the University. Information about Central State is also available to the public through the Alumni Association Office, the University’s Marauder Magazine, College Reports and Handbooks, Program Brochures and University Recruiters. The website also contains an electronic copy of the University catalog, with information on the various programs and support services provided to new and continuing students at the University. The public, faculty, staff and students who have access to the Internet can access information posted on the homepage as well as via the University Intranet System, called MyCSU. The Intranet is an interactive web portal which allows students to access University services, find information about courses they are enrolled in, contact the instructors teaching the courses, and access their grades.
Through this Self-Study, members of the Self-Study Steering Committee discovered the ease of navigation to the various links. They also found that a directory with information on faculty and staff aligned with the various offices would be very helpful for efficiently locating faculty and staff in the various campus offices when students are off-campus and have no access to the University Intranet System. This would also allow administrators and faculty responsible for the various offices and programs to be located easily by members of the public who are inquiring about Central State programs.
Information about the Board of Trustees, University administrators, and the faculty (including emeritus faculty), and the names of all are clearly listed in the University catalog. The catalog includes information about student support and provides contact, location, phone number, and management staff in each office, including those in Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, Admissions, Financial Aid, Cash Management, the Office of the Registrar and each of the Colleges and academic departments. Information about all academic colleges, including the University College, is also clearly provided on the University website under the Division of Academic Affairs as well as in the Catalog. Information about tuition rates and fees appears under the Cash Management link under Administration and Finance in the catalog, as well as on the University website. Information about the cost of tuition, cost of health insurance, and room and board are also included. Detailed information about the cost of enrollment as a full-time or part time student, costs for in-state or resident students and out-of-state students, and costs for enrollment in the undergraduate and graduate programs offered at CSU is also provided in the catalog and on the University website. The catalog contains the following caveat statement regarding tuition, fees and other charges: "The CSU’s Board of Trustees reserves the right to make any changes or adjustments in fees and charges at any time as conditions or circumstances make the changes necessary." University’s Control According to the definition given in the HLC Criteria for Accreditation, CSU is a public University. Detailed history of the founding of the University was provided in the introductory chapter. Today, CSU is Ohio’s only public historically black college and university (HBCU). It is classified as an HBCU because it was founded prior to 1965. The Executive Leadership Team of the University consists of the Board of Trustees appointed by the Governor of Ohio, the President and her Cabinet. The organizational structure of the University is provided below in Figure 2.B.1., and is described in greater detail in Criterion Five, under Core Component 5.B. This structure allows the Board of Trustees to delegate the day-to-day operations of the University to the administrative leadership while still retaining oversight and control over all University operations. Figure 2.B. 1: CSU’s Organizational Structure and Control 
Accreditation Relationships and Institutional Affiliations CSU accurately discloses its accreditation relationships on the University website, in the catalog, and in Student Handbooks. These relationships are also clearly stated in institutional documents such as the University Fact Book which is published every year by the Office of Assessment and Institutional Research. For instance, on page 12 of the University catalog, CSU’s regional accreditation of CSU by the HLC is clearly stated. The Commission’s address at 230 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1411 and the Commission’s contact telephone # at (800) 621-7440 are also clearly stated on the University’s website, with HLC’s official affiliation mark, which contains a direct link to the HLC website as follows: 
CSU’s academic programs are accredited by specialized accrediting agencies for specific disciplines, and are clearly stated on the website and in the catalog. Other institutional affiliations are clearly stated on the website, as well as in the University catalog. For instance, Central State’s professional affiliations include:
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