COTA Meeting Minutes, December 2006
Committee on Transfer and Articulation (COTA)
Missouri Department of Higher Education
December 20, 2006
Participants: Evelyn Jorgenson, Jeanie Crain, Don Doucette, Arlen Dykstra, Rita Gulstad, Steve Lehmkuhle, Kandis Smith, and Brian Stewart
MDHE Staff: Robert Stein Jeremy Kintzel, Laura Vedenhaupt, B.J. White, and Hillary Fuhrman
Chair Dr. Evelyn Jorgenson called the meeting to order at 2:05 p.m.
Consent Item
Approval of Minutes
A motion was made by Dr. Steve Lehmkuhle and seconded by Dr. Jeanie Crain to approve the minutes of the November 22, 2006, meeting. The motion passed unanimously.
Old Business
Transfer Conference
A. January 24, 2007 Conference
Mr. Jeremy Kintzel updated COTA on the status of the Transfer and Articulation Conference on January 24, 2007. Mr. Kintzel reported that as of December 20, 2006 there were 84 registrants for the conference. Mr. Kintzel then shared a tentative agenda for the conference and an update on the Databook and Advanced Credit Opportunities Survey. Concern was raised that registrants will want to know specific topics of discussion prior to the conference. The five topics that COTA agreed to discuss at the conference are METS, advanced credit, proprietary transfer, developmental education, and the effects of the new high school graduation requirements.
COTA then discussed purpose and themes of the Transfer and Articulation Conference. Dr. Robert Stein stated that the purpose of the conference is to move the transfer and articulation conversation forward. Ms. Hillary Fuhrman noted that at COTA’s October meeting, defining a successful transfer system was identified as a theme for the conference. Dr. Lehmkuhle stated that the characteristics of a successful transfer system could serve as a framework to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Missouri’s transfer system.
COTA also discussed the agenda and the planning for the meeting. Dr. Stein noted that the Transfer/Articulation Conference Coordinating Committee (TA-CCC) must take the lead on conference planning and that they will be supported by the MDHE staff. Dr. Jorgenson stated that the next steps for conference planning would be for TA-CCC to work with MDHE staff to distribute information about the conference in early January.
Dr. Crain suggested that TA-CCC meet to have a workday in early January. Dr. Jorgenson and Dr. Stein directed the TA-CCC co-chairs to decide on one chair for the committee and coordinate any meetings TA-CCC felt necessary. Dr. Rita Gulstad requested that Mr. Kintzel send out the minutes of the July TA-CCC meeting to all TA-CCC members.
Mr. Kintzel asked if any institutions would be willing to provide recorders for the conference, who would attend the conference for free. Representatives of University of Missouri, Missouri Western State University, Metropolitan Community Colleges, Moberly Area Community College, and Missouri Baptist University stated that their institutions would be willing to provide a recorder.
B. Presidents and Chancellors’ Conference
Dr. Jorgenson asked for clarification on the date of the conference, noting that the date for the conference has been listed as February 6, 2007 and February 7, 2007. Dr. Stein stated that the half-day presidents and chancellors’ conference would occur on February 7, 2007. Dr. Stein also noted that he, Dr. Jorgenson, and Kathy Swan, chair of the Coordinating Board for Higher Education (CBHE) would be coordinating this conference.
Dr. Stein stated that the work of the January 24, 2007 Transfer and Articulation Conference will be presented to the Presidents and Chancellors at the half-day conference.
CBHE Update
Dr. Stein reported progress on ongoing discussions among presidents and chancellors, the CBHE, MDHE staff, and other interested stakeholders regarding the development of a revised accountability framework for Missouri public institutions. Dr. Stein reported that there was interest in developing the framework in coming months as discussions of higher education funding, efficiency, and transparency move forward. Dr. Stein also stated that COTA would certainly be depended upon for its leadership in terms of accountability indicators and prospective performance funding measures in transfer and articulation
2006-2007 Goals
Dr. Jorgenson read the goals COTA had decided on at the October 25, 2006 meeting and asked for comments. The goals are:
- Developing a more effective P-20 transfer system.
- Increasing the number of successful degree completions among METS transfers.
- Developing of state policy guidelines defining college entry-level work.
- Defining pre-collegiate and collegiate-level work.
- Developing assessment design principles in coordination with the Missouri Assessment Consortium (MAC) with particular focus on transfer student learning gains.
After much discussion of the goals it was decided that COTA would focus on goal one, developing a more effective P-20 transfer system. Dr. Lehmkuhle stated that this goal is an umbrella statement and that defining and assessing Missouri’s transfer system was essential to achieving COTA’s purpose
New Business
Accountability Measures
COTA discussed the growing interest in higher education accountability. Dr. Lehmkuhle stated that Minnesota may be a good example for Missouri. He further stated the Minnesota accountability system uses state-wide standards, not institutional standards and focuses on what the higher education system, as a whole, produces. Dr. Jeanie Crain concurred with Dr. Lehmkuhle stating that Minnesota would be a good model for Missouri in that it uses 5 year benchmarks and compares itself with a group of states appropriate for such comparisons.
Due to many COTA members having another meeting at 3:30, Dr. Jorgenson ended discussion of new business and stated that accountability would be on the agenda of next COTA meeting.
Adjournment
Dr. Jorgenson adjourned the meeting at 3:25 p.m.
Next Meeting
The next COTA meeting will be held on February 28, 2007, at the MDHE offices in Jefferson City.
