Strengths and Challenges
This part of Section II summarizes significant points growing out of the preceding
material on General Institutional Requirements and Criteria for Accreditation.
"Strengths" are intended to commend the University and to encourage
continued good practice in the future. "Challenges" are intended to
indicate those areas that need attention immediately and in the next several
years.
Strengths
• The focus of faculty and administration on students and undergraduate
education shows commitment to the mission of the university. UW-River Falls
is recognized in the region for the effectiveness of its education and the achievements
of its graduates.
• The University enjoys a strong and mutually beneficial relationship
with the people and enterprises of its service region.
• Leadership in the UW-System, the Board of Regents, and state government
respect the university. Recent success in quests for funding of programs and
facilities are due in part to the reputation of the University.
• The Team believes that the campus has many strong leaders. All major
constituencies enjoy leadership that is able and committed to the mission of
the University.
• The Chancellor and the administrative team are experienced and competent.
They are respected by leaders on campus, in the service region, and in Madison.
• Your students are a delight. They are very supportive of the faculty,
staff, and administration. They like the campus. There are clear signs that
new students enter with, on average, increasing levels of academic achievement
and ability.
• The campus is attractive, facilities are in good shape and very clean,
and classroom laboratories are appropriately equipped.
• Instructional technology and information resources have been significantly
improved in the last couple years. Collaboration among all campus constituencies
will only increase their fruitful application to teaching and learning.
• The Team applauds the campus community for its success at planning for
the future. Reach for the Future will, we believe, be a noted milestone in the
history of the University.
Challenges
• In reviewing the self-study and reflections from our visit, the Team
believes that diversity must be addressed with a higher priority. Diversity
was listed as a concern in the 1988 NCA Report, and, in the text of that Report,
it was noted that progress between 1978 and 1988 was not what was expected.
The goal to achieve greater diversity is based on forward-looking, proactive
efforts to enrich and strengthen the campus and its sense of community. Bringing
a variety of views and experience to the table enriches the educational experience
in many classes and student life, better informs decision-making and governance,
and models empowerment to all of your students and to all citizens in your service
region. During the visit the Team has heard a firm commitment to diversity from
leadership of the Board, the System, and campus constituencies including students.
This commitment is essential; successful implementation of your plans will require
a dedicated effort from all constituencies.
• The Team detects a tension among the principal constituencies of shared
governance reflecting a perceived evolution of respective roles in governance.
Given your tradition of shared governance, the Team believes the University
faces the challenge and the need to reinvigorate the concept of shared governance.
• The University needs to give assessment the kind of attention that produced
Reach for the Future.
• Student perception of support services should be measured regularly.
Personnel supervision must be responsive to client feedback. Formal training
in customer relations should be available to all "front-line" workers.