Self Study begins fall 2003

Portland State University is working on its self-study for the 2005 visit of the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Colleges. To lead the project, PSU President Dan Bernstine appointed a steering committee composed of faculty, staff, and students from across the university. The menu on this page gives a full list of steering committee members and charts the progress of the self-study project.

Please follow our progress in developing the self-study portfolio through this link.

Self Study

Dr. Terrel Rhodes, vice provost for Curriculum and Undergraduate Studies, serves as co-leader of the project and liaison to NASC. Dr. Kathi Ketcheson, director of Institutional Research and Planning and a national and international authority in the area of institutional portfolios serves as co-leader and director of the portfolio and Dr. Sherril Gelmon, professor of Public Health in the Hatfield School of Government and a national and international authority on assessment and accreditation, serves as steering committee chair.

Self-study reviews academic outcomes

Accreditation provides a standard of educational programming consistent with accepted national, and emerging international norms. Increasingly, both regional and professional accrediting associations are emphasizing the documentation of student learning outcomes. The ultimate intent is to induce quality improvements in curricula and programs.

As an electronic vehicle for self-study, the PSU Portfolio coordinates standard themes for reaccreditation, along with an expanded review of outcomes among students, faculty, and related communities in educational activities, useful to strategic planning and quality improvement in the university. The initiatives for this combined view emerged from the President's Office and the Office of Academic Affairs.