Accountability Team Meeting

June 27, 2006

Attendees: Sandy Welch, George Perry, Dick Dawson, Donna Nanny, Velma Tristan, Gerry DiZinno, Betty Merchant

Sandy Welch provided the following information:

• The university is working on setting up a web area for each thematic team. The teams will be able to access their area only, edit the material, and save versions of the material submitted.
• Project Management software is available through OIT but one has to complete the Project Management training offered through HR. HR is offering a Project Management class in August. They are also creating a Strategic Planning course.
• The team chairs will also be part of the central planning group and will attend their meetings.
• The university compact we have developed is to be driven by the strategic plan.

The team selected Betty Merchant to serve as team chair. Velma Tristan will serve as team secretary.

The following items were discussed:

• The team needs to develop a gap analysis to see where we are now and where we want to be. We need to come up with goals on where we think we want to be. This is something that can be modified and updated continually.
• The team needs to define accountability. We need to come up with specific objectives to meet our goal, identify resources, and come up with measurements for the objectives.
• Gerry DiZinno distributed the SACS core requirements and comprehensive standards that can be used for our team in developing our goals. They require an accountability system in place and the use of results of the system to make improvements. The comprehensive standards identify outcomes, utilize assessments, and show evidence of improvement based on the results. Gerry recommended we look at other institutions' strategic plans (Georgia Tech, George Mason, and Central Florida in particular). UT System has a separate piece for accountability in their strategic plan but their plan is not out for distribution at this time.
• Every area has its own accountability. We need to determine how our goals address accountability at every level. We should look at other institutions to see if they have to deal with accountability. We need to make sure we do not overstep into other teams' accountability issues.
• The team needs to be expanded to include representatives from every VP area and every college. Sandy Welch recommended the SACS liaisons for each college serve on the team. We also need to identify particular groups we want to solicit feedback from.
• We need to be able to communicate our mission, goals, and values. Gerry DiZinno will provide a link to the resource manual.

Things to think about for our next meeting:

• setting values system and a set of goals
• thinking of principles that make us better/more attractive
• do we have the infrastructure at UTSA to ensure accountability

The team's next meeting will be at 3:30 pm on July 11, 2006, in the BSE 1.110. Meetings are planned every two weeks until further notice.

July 11, 2006

Present: Betty Merchant, Sandra Welch, Gerry Dizinno, Dick Dawson, Art Hernandez, Veronica Ramirez, Christopher Wickham, Dmitry Gokhman, Donna Nanny

The SACS liaisons were invited to join this thematic team because the team believes the two areas will intersect and we will be able to expand our ability to understand accountability from a constructive view.

Sandy and Gerry both discussed the SACS conference to be held in December in Orlando. It will be very beneficial for the SACS liaisons to attend, if their unit budgets permit.

There was discussion about both the class on Project Management and the software. We might consider different levels of training for the different levels of responsibility. There might need to be only a few "super users" who have full access and modification rights.

The software can be used for both the evaluative processes, once developed, and for the evaluation planning exercise itself. This can include everything from scheduling to particular outputs required and the persons/committees designated to accomplish the specific tasks. Once the project design or evaluation plan has been articulated, some of the fields can be "pre-populated" to the extent that different areas will have the same core tasks or that there are other common elements that can be identified.

In reference to planning, it would be helpful to consider the evaluative effort as one that is designed as a process for organization/institutional self reflection. The goals and direction can be implicit in the general directives of the mission/vision statements and the standards and criteria can be a mix of local and university designated benchmarks.

Values might be determined that are sufficiently common so as to be mutually supportable and acceptable and still provide some flexibility and support for notions of diversity. This means that instead of attempting to identify personal, ethical or moral values which are subject to various perspectives, we understand values as parameters that direct and circumscribe the enterprise. These can include things like reliability, validity, replicability, transparency, etc.

It might be useful to collect information campus wide on existing programs and outcomes related to the assessment of quality. This can include those efforts directed to particular program evaluation, accreditation, discipline based standards, licensing and other "accountability" efforts already underway. These may provide insights into existing evaluation mechanisms that can be adapted or adopted for our purposes.

Discussed what accountability is and how it is the thread for all the themes. We need to communicate guiding principles of accountability institutionally. Self reflection to look for ways we can improve, and develop a mechanism to capture self reflection.

Accountability should function in an integrative role, looking at how different emphasis are brought together to form a meaningful strategic plan. Our team can provide principles of accountability and describe the process to the individual units across campus.

Betty will discuss with Central Planning Committee about the accountability role in all the thematic teams. Representatives from our team can meet with other teams to provide recommendations for the thread of accountability in their team.

Link to retreat: http://www.iedtexas.org/vision2016.htm

Next meeting, July 25, JPL 4.04.08 conference room.

July 25, 2006

Present: Betty Merchant, Art Hernandez, Dick Dawson, Pam Bacon, Edna Dominguez, Mehdi Shadaram, Veronica Ramirez, Janice Kramer, Donna Nanny; Absent: George Perry, Donna Holmes, Velma Tristan

Agenda Item: Research Team Meeting

Discussion: Betty Merchant attended the Research Team meeting on July 25. Accountability runs through all the teams and needs to be built into all teams. Research Team would like to have more members from centers, institutes and wants each college to send a representative to the meetings. The Research team would like to have someone from the Accountability team attend their meetings.

Conclusions: Someone from our team will attend the Research Team Meeting

Action items: Decide on team member to attend Research Team Meeting

Agenda Item: General Discussion on Accountability

• Discussion: Betty talked about the need to be accountable to the communities we serve professionally, morally, and socially.
• There is the need for a systematic way of looking at data. Workload policies should help us get to be more accountable as faculty.
• We cannot be all things to all people. Identify the 6 high priorities in college areas and look at other institutions to see if their top 6 priorities are places where we can collaborate. Or can we identify 6 priorities with the infrastructure and staffing we currently have? UTSA needs to deploy resources to support these priority areas. What do we do when a priority changes? There is a movement to have the funding for the priorities moved to the college level and thereby make the colleges accountable to themselves.
• UTSA needs to have a decentralized accountability process. Feedback allows us to grow ideas as a university instead of simply pushing the processes down.
• How do we think of accountability? Assessment of effectiveness, benchmarking, system, organizational. Accountability should be a mechanism to demonstrate effectiveness.

Agenda Item: Resources for Planning

Discussion: Is there funding available for bringing in facilitators, experts, graduate students to do research, to acquire materials related to our tasks?

Action Items: Ask Central Planning Committee on July 26 meeting if funding is available for the teams.

Agenda Item: Guiding Principles of Accountability

Discussion: Our team can come up with guiding principles of accountability that are neither prescriptive nor restrictive. Our team can serve in an integrative function to the other teams. Encourage all teams to have accountability thread. Develop a common way of looking at effectiveness across all areas. Effectiveness - being able to assess what we do and we can change our practices based on assessment. Our group should be involved in accountability planning with other teams. Use an integrative approach. Must provide a framework within a month.

Conclusion: Our group should be involved in accountability planning with other teams. Use an integrative approach.

Action Items: Must provide a framework within a month.

Next meeting date: August 15, 3:30 - 4:30, JPL 4.04.08 Conference Room

August 15, 2006

Present: Betty Merchant, Sandra Welch, Gerry Dizinno, Dick Dawson, Veronica Ramirez, George Perry, Christopher Wickham, Bob Baron, Mehdi Shadaram, Janice Kramer, Donna Nanny, Edna Dominguez, Donna Holmes

Absent: Art Hernandez, Velma Tristan, Dmitry Gokhman

Agenda Item: Devise general principles of accountability

Discussion: Start brainstorming principles of accountability via email and all comments will be sent to Betty. Accountability principles should be principles that can be applied to all levels at UTSA. Sandy will send an email to all the team chairs about the Accountability team sending a representative to the other team meetings.

Representatives are:

• Resource Development - Sandy Welch
• Faculty/Staff success - Bob Baron
• Student Success - Edna Dominguez
• Community Engagement - Donna Holmes
• Infrastructure - Dick Dawson
• Enrollment Management - Gerry Dizinno
• Research - Betty Merchant
• Globalization - Christopher Wickham
• Vision/Mission - Gerry Dizinno

Veronica brought some information on accountability from Cal State's website.

Conclusions: Betty will do a content analysis of all the information gathered.

Action items: Send Betty via email all ideas for guiding principles of accountability by August 22, 2006.

Next meeting date: September 5, 2006, 3:30 - 4:30, JPL 4.02.12 (Denman Dining Rm)

September 5, 2006

Present: Betty Merchant, Sandra Welch, Christopher Wickham, Janice Kramer, Donna Holmes, Edna Dominguez, Dick Dawson, Donna Nanny, Art Hernandez, Bob Baron, George Perry, Craig Evans Absent:Velma Tristan, Gerry Dizinno, Veronica Ramirez, Mehdi Shadaram, Dmitry Gokhman, Pam Bacon,

Agenda Item: Results of Brainstorming for Principles of Accountability

Discussion: Betty Merchant put together a philosophical vision of accountability and a list of attributes from all the input that was sent from team members. It was discussed that we have a philosophical vision and many attributes were discussed. The discussion was that the vision should address what we want as an institution and that we are doing what we say we are doing. The vision should be short, easy to read, and understandable by everyone.

Conclusions: The discussion was that the vision should address what we want as an institution and are we doing what we say we are doing. The vision should be short, easy to read, and understandable by everyone Action items: Betty will rework the philosophical vision and send out to team members by September 7th. Comments will be due back to Betty by noon on September 12th.

Next meeting date: September 26, 3:30 - 4:30 JPL 4.04.08 conference room

September 26, 2006

Present: Sandra Welch, Janice Kramer, Donna Holmes, Edna Dominguez, Dick Dawson, Donna Nanny, Art Hernandez, Bob Baron, George Perry, Mehdi Shadaram, Pam Bacon, Gerry Dizinno Absent: Betty Merchant, Velma Tristan, Veronica Ramirez, Dmitry Gokhman, Craig Evans, Christopher Wickham

Agenda Item: Discussion of Mission, Vision, Values statements and recap of retreat reunion. Bob Baron brought Mission statements from Cambridge and Oxford which are only 1 sentence. Conclusion: If any team members wants to have provide comments to the Mission/Vision Team, they need to send them to David Gabler or Mansour El-Kikhia ASAP. Agenda Item: Principles of Accountability

Discussion: Betty Merchant put together a philosophical vision of accountability and a list of attributes from all the input that was sent from team members. After looking at the System Strategic Plan, it was decided that our team should develop a process - items to be in place to demonstrate accountability that has value-added and addresses public trust. The team decided there should be consistency among the teams on the process.

2 major focuses:

• Public Trust. External purposes as well as internal - must be credible and acceptable to the public at large
• Consideration of contribution to value - assessing value generated from enterprise Action items: All comments about the process will be sent to Donna Nanny by October 4th.

Next meeting date: October 17, 3:30 - 4:30 JPL 4.04.08 conference room

October 17, 2006

Present: Sandra Welch, Janice Kramer, Donna Holmes, Dick Dawson, Art Hernandez, Absent: Betty Merchant, Velma Tristan, Veronica Ramirez, Dmitry Gokhman, Craig Evans, Christopher Wickham, Edna Dominguez, Donna Nanny, George Perry, Pam Bacon, Bob Baron, Gerry Dizinno

Agenda Item: Discussion of Team's rough draft. Discussion points were:

• One of our team objectives is to provide guidance to other teams
• Suggest mechanism to review what is value added
• Our role is to describe a mechanism to hold us accountable Communication
• Communication & Evaluation as separate objective
• Strategies under communication - specific steps we would like the university to take for our group

Communication Strategy:

• Track 1 - external constituents we serve
• Track 2 - internal constituents to whom we are accountable
  • Assessment dynamic - how do we organize the information
  • Logic modeling
  • Look at all the information and??????
  • Self evaluation
  • What measures are we using and how good are they?
  • Measure how effective you are
  • Logic model makes explicit cause and effect
  • Social justice Access & evaluation challenges

Conclusion:

• Develop a review team
• Final drafts due in December. Will integrate all together. Professional writer to look for redundancy and look for an elegant statement for UTSA.
• Take this track and fine tune

Next meeting date: November 7, 3:30 - 4:30 JPL 4.04.08 conference room

November 7, 2006

Present: Betty Merchant, Sandra Welch, Janice Kramer, Donna Holmes, Art Hernandez, Craig Evans, Christopher Wickham, Edna Dominguez, Bob Baron, Donna Nanny Absent: Velma Tristan, Veronica Ramirez, Dmitry Gokhman, George Perry, Pam Bacon, Gerry Dizinno

Agenda Item:Discussion of Team's Rough Draft and Accountability Process Guidance Kudos to the four team members that put the drafts together - Sandy Welch, Dick Dawson, Donna Holmes and Art Hernandez. You did a great job!

No content changes - only wordsmithing. Team draft and the Process Guidance for Teams with new edits will be posted to website

Conclusion: Final drafts due in December. Will integrate all together. Professional writer to look for redundancy and look for an elegant statement for UTSA.

Next meeting date: November 28, 3:30 - 4:30 JPL 4.04.08 conference room

November 28, 2006

Present: Betty Merchant, Sandra Welch, Donna Holmes, Art Hernandez, Edna Dominguez, Bob Baron, Donna Nanny, Dick Dawson, George Perry Absent: Velma Tristan, Veronica Ramirez, Dmitry Gokhman, Pam Bacon, Craig Evans, Christopher Wickham, Janice Kramer

Agenda Item: Discussion of Team Rough Draft

Team members volunteered to look at other team drafts and provide feedback to team leader by Friday, December 1st. After the Central Planning Committee meets on December 4th, we will have a better idea of what issues to address in developing the Strategic Plan. Gerry Dizinno - Enrollment Management Betty Merchant - Research Bob Baron - Faculty/Staff Sandy Welch - Resource Development Edna Dominguez - Student Success Dick Dawson - Infrastructure Donna Holmes - Community Engagement Christopher Wickham - Globalization

Next meeting date: December 12, 3:30 - 4:30 JPL 4.04.08 conference room