Request for Reaffirmation of Accreditation

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  Students have the responsibility to be fully acquainted and comply with the Student Code of Conduct and Academic Honor Code and Dishonesty Policy in its entirety.
  
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  Students have the responsibility of assuming the consequences of one’s own actions, and of avoiding conduct detrimental in its effect upon fellow students and the University community. Central State students are expected to conform at all times to a standard of conduct both on and off campus which will reflect credit upon himself, the University, and the student body. A student has the responsibility to comply with the policies of the Code as well as all federal, state, and local laws, and all University policies and procedures.
  
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  Students have the responsibility to understand that student actions reflect upon the individuals involved and may have consequences for the entire University community.
  
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  Students have the responsibility for seeing that the essential order of the University is preserved. There can be no assembly or gathering which interferes with the educational programs of the University and/or which violates University regulations or violates statues governing unlawful assembly.
  
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  Students have the responsibility for becoming fully acquainted with the University Catalog, Student Handbook, and other published policies for the guidance of students at Central State University.
  

CSU ensures that faculty students, and staff acquire, discover and apply knowledge responsibly and observe academic integrity during processes related to teaching, learning and research. Policies and procedures related to best practices are used to guide behavior of members of the campus community, including students, to protect the integrity of the University. Policies are also used to guide the institution on appropriate corrective measures for faculty, staff and students who violate University policies and procedures..

2. E.1. The institution provides effective oversight and support services to ensure the integrity of research and scholarly practice conducted by its faculty, staff, and students.

Central State provides research oversight and support services through its Office of Sponsored Programs and Research (OSPR), Institutional Review Board, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, and Hallie Q. Brown Library staff.

The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research (OSPR) is an advocate for a campus that is conducive to research. It advises the University administration on a variety of matters including regulatory compliance, internal sponsorship of scholarly activities, and related issues. The office ensures that funding agencies are aware of, and familiar with, Central State’s capabilities and interests. It also ensures that the University responds to funding opportunities that are compatible with its mission, and for which it is positioned to compete. This entails identifying key opportunities for the University, communicating them to the faculty and staff, organizing and facilitating competitive proposals, and maintaining current department capability statements.  

The Office assists faculty and staff members in a variety of ways. It identifies funding sources and assists in the development of grant proposals. It assists in the administration of grant/contract award activities. This assistance ranges from acting as the project manager when required, assisting in the monitoring and control of finances, managing and tracking information on policy and regulations, assisting in the preparation and submission of required reports, and assuring that milestones are met in a timely manner. OSPR regularly holds workshops on “Finding External Funding," “Proposal Writing,” and “Post Award Management."  It also holds individual training sessions for University employees. 

OSPR also celebrates University research and scholarly activities during its annual Research and Scholarly Activities Day which is held during Undergraduate Research Week in April. The occasion features oral and poster presentations by CSU students, faculty, and staff.  The occasion also highlights ongoing or accomplished efforts across the entire campus, and recognizes student, faculty and staff work on research and scholarly activities each year with prizes and awards.  OSPR publishes an annual report, “Knowledge,” that highlights research and scholarly activities. 

As an undergraduate institution, CSU has been very successful in securing research grant funding. The University ranks sixth among the sixteen Historically Black Colleges and Universities that do not have a Master’s degree program or 1890 Land Grant Status. (SOURCE:  National Science Foundation/Division of Science Resources Statistics, Survey of Research and Development Expenditures at Universities and Colleges, FY 2009). Table 2.E.1. below provides the amount of revenue which has been generated in the last three years through grants for undergraduate research at Central State (in U.S. Dollars).

Table 2.E.1. CSU’s External Funding in the last Five Years (From 2008 -2012)

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) oversees all research projects involving human subjects. It ensures that the rights and welfare of research subjects are protected. IRB policies, procedures and bylaws are available online. The IRB meets on a monthly basis and holds called meetings if necessary. Since 2009, the IRB has reviewed more than 100 research applications submitted by CSU faculty, staff, and students and outside investigators of which 68 have been approved.

Central State established an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) in 2009. The committee oversees the use of animals in experiments. It meets twice a year. The IACUC helped reestablish an animal facility at Central State in 2011. The committee also played a leadership role in drafting and approving a set of animal use policies and animal care protocols at Central State in compliance with federal regulations.  The committee's goal is to reduce the use of animals in experiments. If such use is inevitable, the committee works to ensure that experiments are conducted in a humane fashion, inflicting the least amount of pain on animals used in experiments.

The Hallie Q. Brown Memorial Library plays an essential role in the acquisition, discovery and application of knowledge by CSU faculty, staff and students.  Reference librarians within the Hallie Q. Brown Memorial Library provide support for research projects involving students, faculty and staff, especially students. Librarians provide research consultation and information literacy instruction in the use of the library’s resources.  In 2009-10, the library conducted a survey to gauge students’ information literacy.  The survey revealed that there were gaps in students’ understanding of resources and research methods. The library initiated an Information Literacy program to address the problem.  Table 2.E.2. below shows the year the surveys were conducted, number of students who participated in the survey, and the number of classes in which they were enrolled.

2. E. 2. Students at CSU are offered guidance in the ethical use of information resources.

Central State guides students in the ethical use of information resources. This guidance is offered in many ways. It begins with a clear explanation of the University's policy on academic misconduct and the judicial process for investigating it (See 2.E.3 below). It is reinforced in the classroom, in the library, and in forums across campus. All Central State students must pass ENG 1102: Writing and Researching the Essay as part of the University’s general education curriculum. Students in ENG 1102 are taught how to appropriately use research tools (including print documents, databases, and Internet sources) and how to incorporate ideas from sources. The course syllabus explicitly prohibits plagiarism:

“Plagiarism, the submitting of another's work or material from other printed sources as one's own work may result in the grade of "F" for the paper or for the course itself." 

 Students in selected majors are offered the opportunity to take research methods courses, which address ethical conduct. These courses are included in the list below.

Students working on research funded by the National Science Foundation and/or the National Institutes of Health are required to complete the Responsible Conduct of Research course. It is offered online through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative. Other students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields are encouraged to take the course. Twenty six Central State students have passed the course since May of 2011.

 Students are also guided in the ethical use of computer technology. The University provides pertinent information regarding respect for copyrighted material in orientation sessions, publications, web pages, and via emails to the student population.

The Office of Information Technology makes live presentations on technology and the use of copyrighted material annually to incoming freshmen during orientation every year. The Student Handbook includes guidelines on Computer and Internet use (2012-13 Student Handbook, page 95). The University website covers Fair Computing Practices. In all cases, education includes information about prohibited actions, criminal and civil penalties, and University disciplinary action. Anyone with access to a University computer account must acknowledge and abide by University policies related to technology, including policies prohibiting illegal downloading.

2. E.3. The institution has and enforces policies on academic honesty and integrity.

Central State University has and enforces policies on academic honesty and integrity as described below:

The Student Handbook describes the purpose of the Academic Honor Code (p. 36) as follows:                                                                 

The University, therefore, expects from each student a high standard of individual honor in all academic endeavors. It is necessary to ascertain with accuracy an individual’s strengths and weaknesses in order to prepare a proper academic program for students and to evaluate their work. Thus the “high standard of personal integrity” in the classroom means that an individual will not receive credit for work that is not their own:

The Honor Code defines various types of academic dishonesty including bribery, cheating, fabrication, forgery, and plagiarism. Statements on academic dishonesty are included in the Faculty and Student Handbooks and in all course syllabi. Course syllabi include clear language on academic integrity, such as:

Central State has established a judicial process to investigate allegations of academic misconduct committed by students. Students who commit academic misconduct may receive a failing grade for the assignment, a lower final grade or a failing grade in the course. They may also be removed from the course, suspended, or expelled. Faculty members know and understand that the Internet has become a conduit of ethical and unethical practices among students. Illegal file sharing, which may or may not be related to academic research, is also common on many college campuses. Central State has taken steps to enforce the lawful use of the University’s technology resources by adopting a policy on "Handling Copyright Violations Perpetrated via the Campus Network." 

Faculty members, like students, respect copyright law and use the University's technology resources appropriately.  Consequences of misconduct are outlined in Articles 17.4 - 17.18 of the AAUP agreement. The Self-Study Steering Committee did not find any record of faculty members who have been discharged from the University due to academic dishonesty or under the terms of Article 17.3 (17.4.?). All faculty members working on externally funded programs are required to complete an annual Conflict of Interest form that addresses any real or perceived conflict of interests involving their research and their work and responsibilities at the University. 

Regardless of the source of funding for the research, a CSU faculty member conducting research with undergraduate students is subject to the same ethical policies and procedures as the students he/she supervises. CSU’s policies and procedures also address allegations of misconduct in research. Furthermore, the policy on Research Involving Human Subjects, administered through the Internal Review Board, protects the rights, well-being, and personal privacy of research subjects, assures a favorable climate for the conduct of scientific inquiry, and protects the interests of the University. 

The Administrative structure of Central State University is designed to promote clear and effective leadership. The Board of Trustees, Presidents and her cabinet work collaboratively to form a very strong executive leadership team. Each member of the President’s Cabinet leads each of the seven divisions. Faculty, staff and students serve important roles in shared governance. Two student representatives serve as student trustees on the Board.

The University maintains an inclusive community in which policies and procedures are used to guide all operations, uphold integrity of the University and to address circumstances where integrity is challenged or where conflict needs to be resolved on an individual level. Through diligent adherence to CSU’s policies and procedures, such as the Employee Code of Conduct, Student Code of Conduct, procedures for accommodations for Students with Disabilities, etc.., which are included in the Employee Handbook and Student Handbook respectively, and reviewed periodically, the University is able to operate with integrity to ensure equitable and respectful treatment of administrators, faculty staff and students.

Challenges and Areas for Improvement

CSU seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the various policies and procedures posted on its website under the Human Resource link. The University will improve communication about policies and procedures on the main campus as well as the CSU-Dayton location.

CRITERION THREE

TEACHING AND LEARNING: QUALITY, RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT

CSU does not offer certificates or associate degrees. However, as an Ohio public University, CSU accepts transfer credits from other Ohio public colleges and universities, two-year and four-year schools, consistent with Ohio Transfer Module (OBR) guidelines. CSU uses the OBR’s Transfer Assurance Guides (TAGS) as guidelines for evaluating courses and/or credits under consideration for transfer.  To date there are 154 approved TAG courses at CSU at the freshman, sophomore and junior levels. The OBR’s website provides a link to CSU’s approved courses and learning outcomes for TAGS and the Ohio Transfer Module

The University also maintains the quality of its programs internally through regular program reviews and externally by adhering to standards set by accrediting associations for accredited programs offered at CSU. The University also adheres to regional accreditation standards set by the HLC and the U.S. Department of Education regarding credit and contact hour requirements as described in the HLC Federal Compliance guidelines.

3. A.1.  Courses and programs are current and require levels of performance by students appropriate to the degree or certificate awarded.

CSU offers courses and programs that are current and that require levels of performance appropriate to the baccalaureate or Master of Education degree awarded. All courses are reviewed internally and externally to ensure that they meet appropriate standards. Central State faculty members in the various academic departments review courses on a regular basis to ensure that they are current and meet industry standards. University-wide curricula reviews were initiated in 2004 for the conversion of the academic calendar from quarters to semesters As already described in the Criterion One Chapter, the Senate Committee on Academic Policy reviews academic program requests (APR) on an on-going basis to update courses in the undergraduate and graduate programs.

In addition to ongoing improvements made internally by the CSU faculty through the Faculty Senate Committees, external policies and guidelines from the Ohio Board of Regents (OBR) and the state legislature require all Ohio public colleges and universities to use the OBR-approved Transfer Module which enhances easy transfer of general education credits earned by students enrolled at Ohio institutions. TAG Courses for freshman, sophomore and junior level courses have been vetted by faculty from the various Ohio public colleges and Universities through a TAGS Committees established by the Ohio Board of Regents (OBR).

As previously stated, CSU faculty members have identified five institutional learning outcomes and aligned these outcomes with the general education and program courses. These outcomes are clearly articulated in the undergraduate courses and programs.

In the College of Education, where students who have already earned a baccalaureate degree apply for the post-baccalaureate program to complete teacher licensure requirements, alignment in the post-baccalaureate is the same as in the undergraduate programs. In the graduate program, institutional learning outcomes are reinforced and differentiated so that the learning outcomes are met through courses that require advanced application, synthesis and evaluation as students apply more advanced higher order thinking in the graduate programs. Table 3.A.1 provides the differentiation of the five learning outcomes in the undergraduate general education and program courses using Blooms’ Taxonomy to show general application and reinforcement of higher order thinking throughout the curriculum.

3.B. The institution demonstrates that the exercise of intellectual inquiry and the acquisition, application, and integration of broad learning and skills are integral to its educational programs.