The Office of Assessment and Accreditation (OAA) manages assessment and accreditation in support of the University’s mission through continuous improvement of robust institutional assessment processes, compliance with standards of accreditation, management of a comprehensive program review schedule, and through the support and coordination of internal survey. The OAA serves to assure university stakeholders (e.g., students, faculty, employers of alumni, other schools to which transfer students or graduates apply, accreditors) and the public of the quality and integrity of higher education at Christopher Newport.
Management of institutional accreditation is a vital task for all institutions. Christopher Newport is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award degrees at the baccalaureate and master’s degree levels. To this end, the OAA ensures that the University complies with all SACSCOC’s accreditation requirements. The OAA guides the University through a continuous, rigorous review process in which all aspects of university functioning are evaluated in accordance with the comprehensive list of SACSCOC standards.
Another vital task for all institutions is the maintenance of curricular rigor or innovation. All coursework at Christopher Newport, whether in the Liberal Learning Core, in the major, in elective courses, or courses in a minor, seeks to introduce, reinforce, and advance student aptitude in these primary capacities:
- Knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world
- Intellectual and practical skills
- Personal and social responsibility
- Integrative learning
OAA’s mission is to aid faculty and unit administrators in the advancement of these capacities through ongoing data-driven initiatives while maintaining SACSCOC’s high standards of accreditation. We aspire to bolster a culture of empirical-based decision making and continuous educational improvement. We advise faculty and administrators on all aspects of the assessment process from writing student learning outcomes and/or key performance indicators to implementing results. We seek not only to support instructors and administrators with their navigation of the assessment and accreditation process, but also aim to enable them to leverage the process to build a more robust institution.