Academic Distinction

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Goal 1: To achieve high-quality academic, pre-professional, liberal arts, undergraduate and graduate professional programs

1. The faculty will employ student centered best-practice teaching methods that appropriately integrate the use of technology and focus on student outcomes.
   
   
   1. Faculty Summary Evaluations of teaching effectiveness per the IDEA (Section II, Part1) Institutional Summary Group Report will be superior to the IDEA comparison group.
   2. 80% of the faculty will receive “agree” or “strongly agree” on the IDEA supplemental technology question.
   
   
   
2. The faculty will produce scholarly, professional or creative work in their discipline that contributes to knowledge, theory, learning, teaching, service and/or professional practice.
   
   
   1. 75% of faculty will meet the school defined merit level criteria for scholarship on the Annual Faculty Appraisal.
   
   
   
3. The faculty and academic staff will consist of individuals representing a diversity of backgrounds, ethnicities and cultural groups.
   
   
   1. The percentage of diverse faculty and staff will be equal to or exceed peer institutions as reported in the IR Annual Faculty Report and IPEDS.
   
   
   
4. The undergraduate liberal arts general education core curriculum, through written and oral communication, will foster analytical reasoning, critical thinking and creative problem solving.
   
   
   1. 80% of students will score at or above the national norm for comparable universities on critical thinking on the ETS-Proficiency Profile.
   2. 80% of students will score competent on all General Education Curriculum Competencies Rubrics.
   
   
   
5. All degree programs will foster analytical reasoning, critical thinking and creative problem solving to prepare students for professional careers and practice.
   
   
   1. 80% of programs will be at or above the national norms on general critical thinking on the ETS-Proficiency Profile.
   2. 80% of programs will be at or above the national norms on discipline critical thinking on a Discipline Competencies Rubric.
 
6. All degree programs will prepare students for graduate studies and professional careers.
   
   
   1. Undergraduate programs: 90% of graduates will either be enrolled to graduate professional studies or employed in a professional career track based on the annual Online Wesleyan Survey of Graduates and Clearinghouse data.
   2. Graduate programs: 90% of graduates will be employed in a professional career track in their field of study based on the annual Online Wesleyan Survey of Graduates and Clearinghouse data.
 
7. The University and Departmental Honors Programs and the M.D. Anderson Pre-Professional Program will prepare students for graduate professional schools.
   
   
   1. 90% of graduates from both programs will be enrolled into graduate/professional programs based on the Online Wesleyan Survey of Graduates.
   
   
   
8. The University will offer classes and structure academic programs employing state of the art instructional technology.
   
   
   1. 85% of all classes will be Web assisted.
   
   
   
9. The University will offer hybrid and online classes that meet the needs of working adults and commuter students.
   
   
   1. 10-15% of all classes will be hybrid or online classes.
   2. Establish three online programs based on market and community need.
   
   
   
10. The University will maintain class sizes that promote higher order thinking, interaction and engagement of students with faculty and other students inside and outside of the classroom.
    
    
    1. Undergraduate 3-4 credit hour classes will average 20 students as reported in the IR Comparative Enrollment Report.
    2. Graduate classes will have average sizes that are equal to comparable programs regionally and/or nationally as reported in the IR Comparative Enrollment Report.
    3. IDEA student course ratings will be in the top quartile for student engagement and interaction with faculty and other students.
    
    
    
11. The University will provide library, academic support and career services that ensure the success of students and faculty in meeting the goals of the academic programs.
    
    
    1. 90% of students will indicate that they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with library, career and academic support services on the graduating student online survey and rate higher when compared to national norms on the NSSE or NL-SSI.
    2. 90% of faculty members will express satisfaction with academic support services as reported in a departmental satisfaction survey.