Standard 4: Creating an Organization Committed to Learning and Improvement

The institution conducts sustained, evidence-based, and participatory discussions about how effectively it is accomplishing its purposes and achieving its educational objectives. These activities inform both institutional planning and systematic evaluations of educational effectiveness. The results of institutional inquiry, research, and data collection are used to establish priorities at different levels of the institution, and to revise institutional purposes, structures, and approaches to teaching, learning, and scholarly work.

1. The institution periodically engages its multiple consistencies in institutional reflection and planning processes which assess its strategic position; articulate priorities; examine the alignment of its purposes, core functions and resources; and define the future direction of the institution.
   • Policy and Procedure for Review of Undergraduate Programs

     The UCSD Committee on Educational Policy (CEP) has responsibility for review of undergraduate programs.

     Academic Affairs
   • UCSD's Six Colleges: Core Curricula and General Education Requirements

     Find out about the core curriculum and General Education requirements for each of UCSD's six colleges.

     TritonLink
   • UCSD Self-Study for Reaffirmation of Accreditation, February 1998

     This document represents a key element of a community experiment. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) sponsored a series of workshops held during the 1995-96 academic year to develop a new process for reaffirming the regional institutional accreditation of major research universities that would meet the need for public accountability while being more relevant, useful, and economical for the campuses.

     UCSD
   • University Center/ Sixth College Neighborhoods Planning Study

     The University Center / Sixth College Neighborhoods Planning Study is intended to guide development of the core of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) campus. The study addresses significant changes that have occurred or are planned for the University Center and Sixth College neighborhoods since completion of the previous study in 1992-an increase in the development program for new buildings to 1.32 times the 1992 study level, the location of a permanent home for Sixth College, and the introduction of Light Rail Transit (LRT) rail lines with a station in Pepper Canyon.

     Physical Planning
   • Annual Reports of the Standing Committees

     This index page lists annual reports of standing committees by year.

     Academic Senate
   • Senate Council

     This committee oversees the business of the Academic Senate and shall consider issues of general interest to the faculty. It monitors and adjusts the work of the Senate's committees, and advises the Chair of the Division about campus business.

     Academic Senate
   • Senate-Administration Council

     This committee facilitates cooperation between the Academic Senate and the administration.

     Academic Senate
   • Student Life

     The purpose of Student Life is to foster the development of students beyond the classroom, build community on campus, encourage involvement in student life, meet the daily needs of students through the provision of services and facilities, advocate the needs of students to campus leaders, foster student pride and affiliation with UCSD, and assist the university in its efforts to recruit and retain students.

     Student Affairs
2. Planning processes at the institution define and, to the extent possible, align academic, personnel, fiscal, physical, and technological needs with the strategic objectives and priorities of the institution.
   
   • Committee on Planning and Budget

     This committee consists of seven ordinary members serving three year staggered terms, and confers with and advises the Chancellor, other administrative agencies and the Senate on planning, budget, and resource allocations.

     Academic Senate
   • University of California Student Association (UCSA)

     Information of the University of California Student Association.

     UCSA
   • UCSD General Campus Organized Research Unit Policy and Procedures

     An Organized Research Unit (ORU) is an academic unit the University has established to provide a supportive infrastructure for interdisciplinary research complementary to the academic goals of departments of instruction and research.

     OGSR
   • Committee on Academic Information Technology

     This committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Chancellor and to the Division concerning policies governing the development and management of information technology for instruction, research, and for the needs of the campus as a whole.

     Academic Senate
   • UCSD Registration Fee Advisory Committee

     The UCSD Registration Fee Advisory Committee (RFAC) is charged with evaluating Registration Fee-Funded Units and making recommendations on allocations of the Registration Fee.

     UCSD

   • Planning and Budget Subcommittee on Campus Budget

     The subcommittee reports to the Committee on Planning and Budget and is responsible for developing a substantive, long-term understanding of the campus budget and budget-setting processes.

     Academic Senate
3. Planning processes are informed by appropriately defined and analyzed quantitative data, and include consideration of evidence of educational effectiveness, including student learning.
   • Office of Graduate Studies

     The OGS website provides general information about graduate study at UCSD, along with links to more specific information about faculty, research, and academic programs.

     UCSD
   • Course and Professor Evaluations (CAPE)

     CAPE is a student run organization responsible for evaluating the courses and professors at UCSD . These evaluations are used by the faculty, departments, and students.

     CAPE
   • Academic Success Program

     ASP is all about serving the student population at UCSD. We offer various programs designed to help aid the students in academic, financial, as well as their adjustment to university social life.

     UCSD
   • Undergraduate Retention and Graduation Statistics

     Undergraduate retention and graduation statistics are listed by year.

     Student Research and Information
   • Appointment and Advancement

     The University has a complex and thorough review procedure to maintain and build its excellent faculty. This review mechanism is designed to ensure that an individual is judged by his or her colleagues in accordance with fair procedures solely on the basis of professional qualifications in matters of appointment, promotion, and salary increases.

     UCOP
4. The institution employs a deliberate set of quality assurance processes at each level of institutional functioning, including new curriculum and program approval processes, periodic program review, ongoing evaluation, and data collection. These processes involve assessments of effectiveness, track results over time, and use the results of these assessments to revise and improve structures and processes, curricula, and pedagogy.
   • University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES)

     The University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES) is being administered at UCSD. Researchers and administrators from throughout the UC system helped design the survey.

     UC-Berkeley
   • Student Research & Information

     The Student Research & Information web page is the official source of undergraduate admission, enrollment, and graduation statistics.

     UCSD
   • PPM Policies Under Formal Review

     This web page links to a list of PPM policies under formal review.

     Academic Affairs
   • Proposed NanoScience and Engineering Department

     This proposal was developed by a core group of faculty from the School's MAE, ECE, and BE Departments over a two year period.

     Jacobs School of Engineering
   • Guidelines for Approval of Proposed Changes in Undergraduate Programs and Establishment of New Undergraduate Academic Programs

     The following guidelines are provided by the Committee on Educational Policy (CEP) to indicate what information is used in reviewing proposals to establish new undergraduate academic programs and proposals to change existing programs.

     Academic Senate
5. Institutional research addresses strategic data needs, is disseminated in a timely manner, and is incorporated in institutional review and decision-making processes. Included among the priorities of the institutional research function is the identification of indicators and collection of appropriate data to support the assessment of student learning consistent with the institution's purposes and educational objectives. Periodic reviews of institutional research and data collection are conducted to develop more effective indicators of performance and to assure the suitability and usefulness of data. Guideline: The institution exhibits existence of clear institutional research capacities with appropriate reporting lines and support appropriate to the institution's size and scope. Institutional research or equivalent databases are developed that are sufficient to meet all external reporting needs (e.g., IPEDS), and there are appropriate ways to access or disseminate this information through publications, reports, and widely-accessible databases.
   • Student Research & Information

     The Student Research & Information web page is the official source of undergraduate admission, enrollment, and graduation statistics.

     UCSD
   • Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Survey Data

     IPEDS is the core postsecondary education data collection program for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). IPEDS comprises nine surveys, covering student, personnel and financial data, collected during three separate periods. Analysts in IR&C's Data Warehouse and Corporate Systems unit coordinate all responses for the ten campuses and the Office of the President. Copies of recent submissions are provided.

     UCOP
   • Degrees Conferred

     These statistics provide information about students' time to degree and academic performance.

     Student Research & Information
   • Data Warehouse Overview

     The Data Warehouse (DW) allows access to a read-only central repository of campus data, including data generated through the campus financial (IFIS), student (ISIS), and payroll/ personnel (PPS) systems.

     Blink
   • DataLink

     DataLink allows users to search data models and view the glossary and SQL library.

     Blink
   • Data Refresh Information

     Business Systems allows users with a logon and password to view data online.

     Blink
6. Leadership at all levels is committed to improvement based on the results of the process of inquiry, evaluation and assessment used throughout the institution. The faculty take responsibility for evaluating the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process and use the results for improvement. Assessments of the campus environment in support of academic and co-curricular objectives are also undertaken and used, and are incorporated into institutional planning. Guideline: The institution has clear, well-established policies and practices for gathering and analyzing information that leads to a culture of evidence and improvement.
   • Council on Undergraduate Education

     The Council on Undergraduate Education has been formed to bring faculty together to discuss various strategies for improving undergraduate education at UCSD.

     Academic Affairs
   • Student Affairs Development

     In developing resources for student programs and activities, Student Affairs Development works with volunteer support groups, the Alumni Association, departments within Student Affairs and across the campus, the Academic Senate Committee on Undergraduate Scholarships and Honors (CUSH), and the UC San Diego Foundation.

     Student Affairs
   • Campus Community Centers

     This year-long institute is a campuswide commitment to enhance cultural competency for students in our interconnected, global society.

     UCSD
   • Graduate and Professional Student Experience Survey 2005: General Report

     The Graduate and Professional Student Experience Survey shows information about UCSD's graduate programs from the students' perspective.

     GSA
   • Report of the Undergraduate Experience and Satisfaction Committee

     The September 2005 Report of the Undergraduate Experience and Satisfaction Committee shows data on student life at UCSD.

     Student Research & Information
7. The institution, with significant faculty involvement, engages in ongoing inquiry into the processes of teaching and learning, as well as into the conditions and practices that promote the kinds and levels of learning intended by the institution. The outcomes of such inquiries are applied to the design of curricula, the design, and practice of pedagogy, and to the improvement of evaluation means and methodology.
   • Tenure Review Process

     The tenure review, which generally occurs in the sixth or seventh year, leads to the Chancellor’s final decision on whether or not to grant tenure.

     UCOP
   • Academic Senate

     The Academic Senate is one of three branches in the system of shared governance in the University of California: The Board of Regents, which sets broad policy; the Administration, which directs the organization of the University and its finances; and the Academic Senate, which directs the educational function and provides faculty advice to both the Regents and the Administration. According to the Standing Orders of the Regents, the Academic Senate exercises direct control over the authorization and supervision of all courses and curricula, determination of admission and graduation requirements, and approval of all manuscripts published by the University of California Press.

     Academic Senate
   • The Report of the Senate-Administration Task Force to Examine Program Reviews

     This Senate-Administration task force report is on examining program reviews.

     Academic Affairs
8. Appropriate stakeholders, including alumni, employers, practitioners, and others defined by the institution, are involved in the assessment of the effectiveness of educational programs.
   • Career Access Network

     Career Access Network (CAN) is a group of alumni volunteers who are ready to be contacted for career advice, informational interviews and professional networking.

     UCSD Alumni Association
   • Student Research & Information

     The Student Research & Information web page is the official source of undergraduate admission, enrollment, and graduation statistics.

     UCSD
   • Faculty Mentor Program

     The Faculty Mentor Program offers invaluable research experience to all junior or seniors with a GPA of 2.7 or higher who have the desire to prepare for graduate or professional school.

     OAEP
   • Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET)

     Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET) is the recognized U.S. accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology.

     Jacobs School of Engineering
   • Port Triton

     Learn everything you need to know about the job/internship listings - who's eligible, how to access the listings and perform searches, how to apply as well as where to find campus jobs.

     Career Center
   • Internship SuperSite

     This page provides students with links to job opportunities, internship listings, and other services and resources.

     Career Center
   • Teams in Engineering Service

     Teams In Engineering Service is an innovative service-learning academic program putting UCSD undergraduates and their technical and creative skills to work for San Diego non-profit organizations.

     UCSD