COTA Meeting Minutes October 2003
Committee on Transfer and Articulation
Department of Higher Education
Conference Call
October 29, 2003Participants: Karen Herzog, Arlen Dykstra, Julio Leon, Walter Nolte, James Scanlon, Stephen Lehmkuhle, and Don Doucette
DHE Staff: Robert Stein, Leroy Wade, Laura Vedenhaupt
Observers: Jeanie Crain, Kandis Smith
Karen Herzog called the meeting of the Committee on Transfer and Articulation (COTA) to order at 9:00 a.m.
Approval of Minutes
Julio Leon made a motion, seconded by Arlen Dykstra, to approve the minutes of the June 11, 2003 meeting. The motion carried with all members participating.
Transfer and Articulation Officer Generic Job Description
The committee reviewed comments from an independent institution on the generic job description. After discussion, Don Doucette made a motion, seconded by Julio Leon, to approve and to post the revised job description on the Department of Higher Education (DHE) web site. The motion carried with all members participating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 19 of the Draft Frequently Asked Questions asked what position the University of Missouri - Columbia held on the statewide general education policy. The committee reviewed the proposed response. After discussion, Arlen Dykstra made a motion, seconded by Julio Leon, to approve and post the Frequently Asked Questions on the DHE web site. The motion carried with all members participating.
COTA Draft Annual Report
The committee reviewed the first draft of an annual report outline and discussed what form the report should take. It was decided that the report should offer periodic updates on conceptual issues and should focus on only a few measures. The design for the report was not selected, but there was support for a dashboard-type format. The committee decided to convene a working group to gather initial data and to establish the format of the annual report.
The Integrated Postsecondary Educated Systems (IPEDS) system provides comprehensive data on postsecondary education systems throughout the U.S. and supplies information on enrollments, program completions, and faculty. By using this information, the committee can collect and analyze data without placing undue burdens on Missouri institutions. DHE staff will determine which data elements are currently available and will report their findings to COTA.
The committee recognized three organizations/groups that may have information that could be used in developing COTA's annual report: DHE in-house data collectors, the Missouri Assessment Consortium (MAC), and institutional researchers (some of whom may also be members of MAC). DHE staff is directed to contact these groups and make recommendations to COTA on the design/construction of the report, the data to be utilized, the transfer students to be included (e.g. 2-year to 4-year transfers only), and the indicators of success.
Transfer Conference
The University of Missouri Transition Conference is scheduled for March 11 - 12, 2004 at Rolla. COTA was offered an opportunity hold a meeting at the conclusion of the conference with transfer and articulation officers in attendance. The committee decided to decline the invitation and, in accordance with a request from the Coordinating Board, to evaluate options for a one-day transfer conference for all Missouri institutions.
COTA discussed options for an efficient and cost-effective conference, including using MOREnet's technology and facilitation capabilities. One suggestion was to identify sites throughout the state and to use videoconferencing for a portion of the meeting. At the conclusion of the videoconference portion of the agenda, the various sites would discuss transfer issues within that particular region. COTA members would attend the conference with each member located at a different meeting site.
MAPCCS Questionnaire
The committee reviewed a questionnaire developed by the Missouri Association of Private Career Colleges and Schools (MAPCCS). The survey is intended to gather information on issues and obstacles encountered by students of proprietary institutions who transfer to public or independent institutions in Missouri. MAPCCS requested that COTA review and comment on the survey prior to its distribution to Missouri colleges and universities.
COTA recommended that the questionnaire be piloted at only a few schools before state-wide distribution and that a clarification of private career (proprietary) institutions' accreditation procedures are included in a cover note. Specific suggestions included rewording or eliminating question 1 (a), which asks why an institution does not accept credit from certain groups. Members were concerned that, depending on who is assigned the responsibility of answering the survey, the respondent may not know the answer to that question. The committee recommended that the survey be sent to the transfer and articulation officer of the institution with copies sent to Presidents/Chancellors, and Chief Academic Officers.
Other
Several ideas and suggestions on transfer issues and barriers to transfer were discussed by Chief Academic Officers at the August 28, 2003 meeting. Stephen Lehmkuhle requested that those issues be reviewed, consolidated, and prioritized, then provided to the Council on Public Higher Education (CoPHE) for discussion.
Adjournment
Julio Leon made a motion, seconded by Arlen Dykstra, to adjourn. The motion carried with all members participating.
The meeting adjourned at 10:05 a.m.
