Roads Less Traveled and New Pathways for Student Success ... · Assessment of student learning and achievement demonstrates that the institution’s students have accomplished educational

Dr. David Wilson PRESIDENT

Dr. Gloria Gibson PROVOST

Dr. Maurice C. Taylor CHAIR

Dr. Solomon Alao

CO-CHAIR

Roads Less Traveled and New Pathways for Student Success: The 2018 Self-Study for Morgan State University DRAFT # 6 –MAY, 2017

[COMPANY ADDRESS]

Morgan State University 2018 Self-Study

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Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................... 2

Recommendations .................................................................................................................................. 6

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 7

STANDARD II: ETHICS AND INTEGRITY ........................................................................................... 18

Summary and Conclusion.................................................................................................................... 25

Recommendation .................................................................................................................................. 25

STANDARD III: DESIGN AND DELIVERY OF THE STUDENT LEARNING EXPERIENCE ....... 26

STANDARD IV: SUPPORT OF THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE...................................................... 41

Summary and Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 49

Recommendations.............................................................................................................................. 50

STANDARD V: EDUCATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS.......................................................................... 51

Summary ............................................................................................................................................... 62

STANDARD VI. PLANNING, RESOURCES, AND INSTITUTIONAL IMPROVEMENT ............. 63

Summary and Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 77

Recommendation ................................................................................................................................ 80

APPENDICES............................................................................................................................................ 93


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Since the last visit to Morgan State University (hereinafter, “Morgan” or the “University”) by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) team in 2008, Morgan has undergone significant personnel and organizational changes. With the appointment of Dr. David Wilson as its tenth President in 2010, a new strategic plan was approved that included revised vision and mission statements, a list of institutional core values and formed the foundation of several organizational and programmatic changes designed to improve institutional efficiency, increase the number of degree and certificate programs, and enhance the delivery of instructional services to students. A University Dashboard tracking key performance indicators of progress towards the goals of the Strategic Plan is maintained and published by the Office of Institutional Research. Four new administrative divisions, Academic Outreach and Engagement, Enrollment Management and Student Support Services, International Affairs, and Research and Economic Development were added to facilitate achievement of the Strategic Plan goals and objectives and to complement the University’s existing organizational structure of five divisions including Academic Affairs, Finance and Management, Institutional Advancement, Planning and Information Technology, and Student Affairs. Each of the University’s nine divisions is led by a vice president except for the Division of Planning and Information Technology, for which a new position, Chief Information Officer (CIO), was created. The University offers seventeen doctoral programs, thirty-five master’s programs, and more than forty bachelor’s programs. Morgan is also authorized by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) to offer ten online degree programs and four online post-baccalaureate certificate (PBC) programs. Both the development and delivery of online courses satisfy best practices and meet national standards as prescribed by Quality Matters (QM). The Assistant Vice President for Assessment and Operations located in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost coordinates and monitors the integration of the University’s goals for academic and institutional effectiveness and improvement, student achievement of educational goals, student learning, and the results of academic and institutional assessments. Over the past two years, Morgan’s Self-Study Steering Committee and its eight Subcommittees engaged in a comprehensive review of the University’s performance against MSCHE’s seven standards of accreditation. The compilation of data and the evidence collected during the period of review demonstrates that:

• Morgan’s mission defines its purpose within the context of higher education and identifies the students it serves;

• its six core values of excellence, integrity, respect, diversity, innovation, and leadership are central to how the University interacts with its internal and external constituents, honors its commitments and adheres to its policies;

• students’ learning experiences are characterized by rigor and coherence regardless of degree level or instructional modality;


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• across all educational experiences, Morgan is engaged in coherent and effective support systems to improve student retention, persistence, and degree completion;

• ongoing institutional and academic assessments of student learning reveal that Morgan’s students accomplish educational goals consistent with their programs of study and are generally satisfied that their expectations of a higher education are being met;

• Morgan has effective planning processes and sufficient financial and human resources to fulfill its mission and goals, continuously assess and improve its programs, and to respond effectively to opportunities and challenges; and that Morgan is governed as an academic institution with appropriate autonomy to serve the best interests of its students, faculty, and alumni.

The evidence outlined in this Self-Study also reveals that in all material aspects, the University is in compliance with accreditation-relevant federal regulations as well as with State requirements as promulgated by MHEC. Morgan’s vision and mission statements as well as its core values define the purpose of the University within the context of higher education and the students it serves. A comprehensive review of the University’s mission was central to the development of the Strategic Plan drafted by a twenty-two (22) member University-wide Steering Committee and approved by the Board of Regents in 2011. Integrity, defined in the Strategic Plan as honest communications, ethical behavior, and accountability for words and deeds, is one of Morgan’s six core values and is expected of all members of the University community. Evidence that ethics and integrity are reflected in how the University honors its contracts and commitments, adheres to its policies, and represents itself truthfully is found in its audit statements. For example, in compliance with an annual mandatory examination of Morgan State University’s fiscal health, SB & Company, a certified public accounting and business advisory firm, conducted an independent financial statement audit in 2016, which revealed no material weaknesses, unresolved debt covenants, fraud or abnormalities detracting from the issuance of an unmodified opinion. Copies of the audit report were distributed to the state and federal governments, creditors and bond rating agencies. Evidence that Morgan’s student learning programs and opportunities are characterized by rigor, coherence, and appropriate assessment of student achievement throughout the educational offerings is found, in part, in the successful rigorous self-evaluation and peer and continuous performance reviews conducted by national and regional accreditation organizations of the University’s certificate and degree level programs. For example, Morgan’s Teacher Education Program was recently reaccredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The School of Business Management and the Accounting Program were reaccredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The Master of Architecture program is fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), and the City


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and Regional Planning Program is accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB). The University’s commitment to student retention, persistence, completion, and success is evident in its Strategic Plan, its organizational structure and the institutional data it tracks to facilitate continuous improvement. Enhancing Student Success is the first goal of Morgan’s Strategic Plan. In order to achieve this goal, the President established the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success (EMASS) a coherent and effective support system sustained by qualified professionals, which enhances the quality of the learning environment, contributes to the educational experience, and fosters student success. For example, since the MSCHE review in 2008 the retention from first to second year has improved from sixty-nine (69%) percent to seventy-six (76%) in 2014 while the percent of freshmen retained after three years increased from fifty-two (52%) percent to sixty-two (62%) percent in 2013. Morgan’s President launched an initiative during the spring 2016 semester to increase the University’s six-year graduation rate increased from thirty-three (33%) percent to fifty (50%) percent by 2025. Assessment of student learning and achievement demonstrates that the institution’s students have accomplished educational goals consistent with their programs of study and degree level. As a public corporation and instrumentality of the State of Maryland, by statute Morgan has the responsibility under § 14-101(b)(3)-(5) of the Education Article of the Maryland Annotated Codes to offer baccalaureate and graduate degrees in the arts and sciences with an emphasizes on education addressing urban concerns through professional and graduate programs approved by its Board of Regents and the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Evidence of Morgan’s success in achieving the institutional goals as reflected in the State statute(s) as well as in the Strategic Initiatives of the University’s Strategic Plan is found in the University’s President’s Legislative Testimony regarding the fiscal year 2017 Operating Budget presented to Maryland’s Senate Subcommittee on Education, Business & Administration and the House Subcommittee on Education & Economic Development in February 2016. The President reports that for the fifth consecutive year, the University’s first-to-second-year retention rate has been above 70% and that fall 2015 enrollment of 7,725 was “near historic highs” for the University with a 10% increase in freshmen enrollment over the fall 2014 semester. Morgan ranked 15th among all campuses nationwide in the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to African Americans. Morgan graduates have received more Fulbright scholarships to study abroad than the graduates of any other HBCU. As it relates to recruiting, retaining and supporting excellent faculty, Morgan has its first endowed professorship in the Internet of Things Security established with a $2 million investment from the State and a private donor. And as a result of groundbreaking research in the area of technology-assisted treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, a Morgan faculty member was awarded the University’s first-ever U.S. patent. Morgan’s Strategic Plan serves as the foundation for the institution’s planning processes, the collection and dissemination of resources, and its organizational


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structures. The President regularly addresses the alignment of the University’s mission and Strategic Plan goals during University-wide Town Hall meetings held during the fall and spring semesters. At the fall 2016 Town Hall meeting, for example, the President outlined “forty-two things that were fixed last year.” The University is investing more than $22 million over the next 10 years to implement the next generation of network (NGN) upgrades including an expansion of band width from 2 Giga Bites to 80 Giga Bites, and an improved intrusion protection system/Intrusion detection management system (IPS/IDMS). With an annual operating and capital budget in excess of $300 million and a manageable debt service, the University maintains solid A1 and A+ bond ratings, as ascribed by Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s, respectively. Pursuant to Goal 4 of the Strategic Plan, Growing Morgan’s Resources, at the November 10, 2016, Founders Day Convocation marking the start of a yearlong celebration of the University’s sesquicentennial, the President announced the launch of the Anniversary Campaign for Morgan State University with the goal of raising $250 million from private and public sources. Thus, Morgan’s planning process, its resources, and its organizational structures clearly are aligned with each other and are sufficient to fulfill its mission and goals, to continuously assess and improve its programs and services. Morgan is committed to a shared governance structure that includes the Student Government Association (SGA), the University Council including significant faculty representation, the University’s Administration including the President, Provost, Vice Presidents and Deans; and the Board of Regents. A collective bargaining agreement with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) provides representation for non-exempt staff and campus police. This shared governance structure is responsible for the enhanced success of students at Morgan particularly as it is related to the growth of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, the expansion of online degree programs, and the increased retention and graduation rates of students. The governance structure supports Morgan’s operation as an academic institution with appropriate autonomy to pursue its mission and goals. In order to insure that the governance structure also meets the future needs of the institution, this Self-Study examined existing institutional policies, procedures, traditions and structures that needed to be amended, strengthened, or removed along with identifying new policies and procedures that may better support changes in vision, demographics, growth, instruction, and programming at the University. For example, since Morgan’s last Periodic Review Report in 2013, the SGA completed a comprehensive revision of its bylaws and the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost led an extensive review and update of the Faculty Handbook. The Board of Regents established several subcommittees that resulted in revisions to its bylaws, a comprehensive review of all Board polices, an examination of structure, compensation and equity, and an examination of the policies and procedures governing athletics at the University.


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In summary, data, findings, and analyses from this Self-Study indicate that the

University is achieving its institutional mission and related Strategic Plan goals and

meets the MSCHE Requirements of Affiliation and Standards of Accreditation. Among

Morgan’s most important goals is continuing institutional improvement in order to ensure

that the University is meeting the instructional and support service for future generations

as well as for the current cohort of students. Towards these ends, this Self-Study also

offers a number of strategic recommendations on ways that the University should

improve its effectiveness in achieving its vision, mission, and strategic goals.

Recommendations

Together, the mission, goals and values define the character of the institution and more needs to be done to ensure that they are recognized as such. i. Academic honesty iii. i. Writing a policy for documenting student academic dishonesty at a central location and outlining sanctions for second and/or third offenses. ii. Writing an official definition for what constitutes academic dishonesty by a faculty member and outlining sanctions for offenses. iii. iv.

• to diversify our student body (recruitment and admission). Determine future

market segments and develop targeted recruitment strategies. Given the growth

of the Hispanic community in the region and the nurturing environment of

HBCU’s, Morgan could capitalize on this by more aggressively recruiting these

students from high schools and community colleges in the State.

• Sharing of all assessment results with all constituents to gain a fuller

understanding of how they are used for institutional renewal and the impact on

planning and resource allocation

• Improve assessment plan (self-report is problematic) and use of data in

Admissions; identify specific aspects to assess

• Create central Office for Community Engagement – create roadmaps, policies,

procedures

• The pool of money available to fund graduate students has remained static over

the last decade while the number of enrolled students has increased. At the

same time, competitor institutions are able to make more attractive financial


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packages available to their students, and draw from the same pool of students as

Morgan.

INTRODUCTION

Morgan State University celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2017 with a yearlong calendar of events and activities marking the institution’s founding in 1867 by the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church as the Centenary Biblical Institute. In 1890 the name was changed to Morgan College and remained a private institution until its purchase by the State of Maryland in 1939. In 1975, Morgan was granted university status with doctoral degree granting authority and designated as Maryland’s Public Urban University. During the reorganization of Maryland Higher Education in 1988, Morgan’s designation as Maryland’s Public Urban University was reaffirmed. In 2017, the legislature approved Senate Bill 1085 designating Morgan State University as the State's “preeminent public urban research university.” A copy of the bill which amends Maryland’s statute, MD Educ Code § 11-105 § (b) (5) (iii), is attached Appendix No. 1. Although founded by the Methodist denomination, Morgan State University is governed by its own fifteen (15) member Board of Regents (Board) appointed by the Governor of Maryland. Board members serve five-year terms, except for the student regent who is appointed for a one-year term. The Board appoints the University President, who serves at the pleasure of the Board. Thus, while Morgan is one of the Maryland’s thirteen public four-year colleges and universities, the University does not report to the Chancellor nor is governed by the University System of Maryland. The University possesses independent budgeting, personnel and construction authority, and its Board of Regents is responsible for the quality and integrity of the institution and for ensuring that the institution’s mission is being carried out. All of the Regents adhere to the Board’s conflict of interest policy and are subject to State-mandated financial disclosure requirements that assure that Regents’ personal interests are revealed, that personal interests do not interfere with the Regents’ impartiality when considering the interests of the University, or that their personal interests do not outweigh the Regents greater duty to secure and ensure the academic and fiscal integrity of the institution. Now classified as a Doctoral University: Moderate Research Activity (R3) by the Carnegie Foundation, Morgan State University is one of the nation’s premier universities and a leading historically black institution (HBI). Morgan is authorized by MHEC to operate as a postsecondary educational institution in Maryland and to award a comprehensive array of postsecondary baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. More than 7,700 students actively pursue the University’s degree programs. Morgan is in compliance with all applicable federal regulations, policies, and requirements including, but not limited to regulations concerning the distribution of Title IV funds, default rates, and EEO policies. The University is also in compliance with all regulations


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and policies of MHEC, the State of Maryland's higher education coordinating board responsible for establishing statewide policies for Maryland public and private colleges and universities and for-profit career schools. With a total operational and capital budget exceeding three hundred million dollars ($300,000,000), the University has a funding base and documented financial resources adequate to support its educational purposes and programs and to ensure its financial stability. Morgan’s alumni have an annual giving rate of fourteen (14%) percent which is among the highest enjoyed by public universities. And after completing the successful silent phase, to coincide with its sesquicentennial year’s celebration the University has announced a public capital campaign of two hundred and fifty million ($250,000,000) dollars. The University demonstrates a record of responsible fiscal management as evidenced by its Triple A (AAA) bond rating from Moody's Investors Service, Standard & Poor's. Consistent with state regulations, Morgan prepares current year budgets and undergoes external financial audits on an annual basis. The University has a core of more than four hundred and forty (440) full-time faculty who, in conjunction with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the deans’ Academic Affairs Council, and other appropriate professionals, have responsibility for assuring the continuity and coherence of Morgan’s educational programs. On an annual basis, the University also employs more than ______ adjunct professors, graduate assistants, and contractual employees to provide instructional and student support services. The Academic Affairs Division of the University is organized around the College of Liberal Arts; the School of Architecture and Planning; the Earl Graves School of Business and Management; the School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences; the School of Community Health and Policy; the School of Education and Urban Studies; the School of Engineering; the School of Global Journalism and Communication; the School of Social Work, and the School of Graduate Studies. Self-Study Design. This Self-Study is designed to demonstrate Morgan’s competency in delivering the best possible instruction and student support services as well as compliance with MSCHE’s revised standards of accreditation. Specifically, given its growth and accomplishments since the 2008 MSCHE team visit and report, this Self-Study is intended to answer questions concerning the following trends impacting Morgan’s future growth and development:

• Past Accomplishments and Future Direction

• Student Diversity and Development

• Policies and Procedures, and

• Communication and Dissemination Such questions are interrelated and hold implications regarding how well Morgan meets the seven MSCHE Standards for Accreditation. The evidence presented in this Self-Study is organized around the University’s achievement of its five Strategic Plan goals including Enhancing Student Success, Enhancing Morgan’s Status as a Doctoral Research University, Improving and Sustaining Morgan’s Infrastructure and Operational Processes, Growing Morgan’s Resources, and, Engaging with the Community.


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The Self-Study Process. After months of organizing the eight Self-Study Subcommittees drawn from a broad cross-section of faculty, staff, students, and Regents and identifying the eighteen (18) member Self-Study Steering Committee, the University held an official Self-Study Kickoff on March 8, 2016. After an initial review of the University’s Self-Study Design, MSCHE’s Vice President for Institutional Field Relations, Dr. Ellie A. Fogarty, met with faculty, deans, staff, regents, and members of the Self-Study Steering and Subcommittees on May 2-3, 2016. A final copy of the Self-Study Design was subsequently forwarded to Dr. Fogarty on June 16, 2016. Following the University’s official Kickoff, the Self-Study Steering Committee has met regularly including in February, March, May, and reviewed an initial draft of the University’s Self-Study at its October 2016 meeting. The Board of Regents, the University Council, and the Student Government Association have each received updates on the status of the Self-Study process focused on their respective interests in shared governance.

Standard I Mission and Goals The institution’s mission defines its purpose within the context of higher education, the students it serves, and what it intends to accomplish. The institution’s stated goals are clearly linked to its mission and specify how the institution fulfills its mission. Morgan State University meets this standard. Evidence of this is provided in the data analysis and the discussion of the criteria for this Standard which follow. Chapter Organization The standard is defined by four criteria, and these form the organizing framework for this chapter. An analysis of how the university meets each of these criteria will be provided in the sections of the chapter that follow. Introduction Morgan’s clearly defined mission and goals enshrined in its ten-year strategic plan, Growing the Future, Leading the World: The Strategic Plan for Morgan State University, 2011 – 2021. The Strategic Plan [1] was approved by the University’s Board of Regents in 2011. The mission and goals were developed in response to the state and national higher education context in which the university exists. As an “instrumentality of the State and a public corporation,” the mission and goals reflected in the Strategic Plan, are consistent with the University’s responsibilities as outlined in Maryland statutes. As provided in the State’s Education Article §14-101. (b), [2] Morgan State University


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1. has the responsibility, with other educational institutions, for providing higher education, research and graduate study in the Baltimore area;

2. is the State’s preeminent public urban research university; 3. offers baccalaureate and graduate degrees in the arts and sciences; 4. emphasizes an education addressing urban concerns; and 5. offers professional and graduate programs approved by its Board of Regents and

the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Thus, the mission, vision, goals, and objectives of the Plan are shaped by, but not completely defined by Morgan’s legislative designation as Maryland’s “preeminent public urban research university”. The university fulfills this mission through its focus on instruction, research, and service that address “urban concerns” through baccalaureate, professional, and graduate degree programs. Together, the mission, vision, goals and objectives are a reflection of the direction on which the University is embarking, whilst facing the myriad opportunities and challenges within the current socioeconomic environment. Criterion 1: clearly defined mission and goals that a. were developed through appropriate collaborative participation by all who facilitate or are otherwise responsible for institutional development and improvement; Morgan State University has clearly a defined mission and goals which is to:

Serve the community, region, state, nation, and world as an intellectual and creative resource by supporting, empowering and preparing diverse high-quality graduates to lead the world. The University offers innovative, inclusive, and distinctive educational experiences to a broad cross section of the population in a comprehensive range of disciplines at the baccalaureate, master's, doctoral, and professional degree levels. Through collaborative pursuits, scholarly research, creative endeavors, and dedicated public service, the University gives significant priority to addressing societal problems, particularly those prevalent in urban communities.

The five goals that companion this mission are: 1. Enhancing student success. 2. Enhancing Morgan's status as a doctoral research university. 3. Improving and sustaining Morgan's infrastructure and operational processes. 4. Growing Morgan's resources. 5. Engaging with the community.


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The collaborative participation, responsiveness to external and internal stakeholders, and approval by the appropriate governing body are all reflected in the process utilized to develop the plan. The 2011-2021 Strategic Plan was spearheaded by the University’s Strategic Plan Steering Committee, but with input from a wide range of university and community stakeholders. [3] The steering committee was comprised of representatives from the Board of Regents (4 members), faculty (5 members), staff (3 members), senior administrators (1 member), deans (2 members), students (3 members), alumni (1 member), and local and business communities (2 members). A proposed blueprint for the plan was developed along with a tentative calendar of events. These documents were presented to and approved by the Board of Regents at their November 2010 meeting. An overview of the blueprint was then presented to the faculty for review and discussion during the Faculty Institute in January 2011. The Steering Committee also solicited feedback from the University’s other stakeholders. In consideration of issues raised by faculty and other stakeholders the Steering Committee proposed a ten-year strategic plan which included a capital fund raising campaign to coincide with Morgan’s 150th year anniversary. A draft of the plan was presented for feedback to the faculty and stakeholders of the university in May of 2011. During a two-day retreat in June 2011, the Board of Regents thoroughly reviewed the latest draft and provided additional recommendations. The Plan was finally approved in August of that year. The Plan includes a timeline of processes for development [4]. b. Address external as well as internal contexts and constituencies The mission statement speaks directly to the University’s commitment to responding to both internal and external stakeholders and clearly positions Morgan as an institution with a focus that extends from its immediate community to the world. The five goals that specify the mission address the needs of internal stakeholders (students, faculty, staff) as well as external stakeholders (community, state, national and international partners). Morgan’s success in achieving its commitment to its “internal and external contexts and constituencies” is seen in the increases in the number of masters and doctoral degrees awarded. Table 1 below shows the numbers of master’s and doctoral degrees awarded over the last five years.

Table 1 MSU Graduate Degrees Awarded 2012-2016

YEAR MASTERS DOCTORAL

2016 315 55

2015 282 59

2014 228 49

2013 349 51

2012 225 37

TOTAL 1399 251


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Further evidence of Morgan’s success in achieving its mission is also reflected in the increase in online degrees and certificates [5], the enhanced emphasis on faculty and student research and knowledge generation and a growing international student presence on campus. The newly created divisions of Research and Economic Development, [6] Academic Outreach and Engagement [7], and International Affairs [8] are evidence of the highest level of administrative support for these functions. Morgan continues to be a leader in the number of Fulbrights awarded to faculty and staff and through these Morgan has extended its reach to forty one (41) different countries. Its international student enrollment currently exceeds 700 students. For its external constituents, the University has established a commitment to community engagement as evidenced in the Morgan Community Mile (a partnership with communities surrounding Morgan,) and in efforts such as the Freddie Gray Task Force, a body set up to examine the genesis and solution for a local unrest that received national attention. c. Are approved and supported by the governing body The final draft of the plan was submitted and approved by the Board of Regents in August 2011. The 2011-2021 Strategic Plan: Growing the Future, Leading the World, was officially launched during the fall 2011 semester. A timeline of the planning process is available on the MSU website [4]. d. guide faculty, administration, staff , and governing structures in making decisions related to planning, resource allocation, program and curricular development, and the definition of institutional and educational outcomes; In his annual Legislative Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly [9] specifically to Senate Subcommittee on Education, Business & Administration and the House Subcommittee on Education & Economic Development, the President outlined the justification for the University’s operation budget in the context of Morgan’s mission and goal. Similarly, the President’s separate Legislative Testimony also provided justification for the University’s capital budget request [9] on the basis of the vision and strategic priorities identified in the Strategic Plan. Thus the mission and goals become the framework within which all aspects of the institution’s functions are enacted and supported. Internally, through the leadership of the President, each Cabinet level administrator is tasked with developing initiatives that are directly and overtly in alignment with the University’s missions and goals. The Division of Finance and Management, through the University’s budgeting process, annually reviews resources and needs of the University to ensure alignment with the mission and goals. The Division of Research and Economic Development (D-RED) was created to assure a centralized focus that coordinated research activity across the campus in pursuit of Goal 2, the enhancement


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of Morgan’s doctoral research status. D-RED also houses the Morgan Community Mile Initiative – the University/Community partnership designed to fulfill the University’s goal for increased community engagement and its overarching mission of urban service. Most recently, the Division of Enrollment Management and Student Success [10] was established to centralize efforts to improve student retention and graduation, and to increase enrollment – all in alignment with the primary goal of enhancing student success. Under the leadership of the Division of Academic Affairs, the mission and goals have guided development of new programs, re-engineering of curricula to assure student success, establishment of innovative and responsive curricula to reflect a high-tech environment with changing workforce needs. Examples include review of speech and writing proficiency exams, development of nine new online programs, promoting increased incorporation of experiential learning, promoting faculty development and leadership. A university-wide assessment plan has also been developed. Its creation required the review of student learning outcomes for each of the schools to assure clarity and alignment with the University’s mission and goals. The Office of Planning also created the University “Dashboard” to identify institutional outcomes in alignment with mission and goals and to have a readily available benchmarking tool to determine the level of implementation of the identified goals and their respective objectives. [11] e. include support of scholarly inquiry and creative activity, at levels and of the type appropriate to the institution The mission statement and the 5 goals by which it is operationalized seek to create a culture within the institution that is supportive of excellence in scholarly inquiry and creative activity. As a public urban, comprehensive, doctoral research institution this means a focus on research, creative activity and academic programs that are responsive to the needs and challenges of an urban environment, while at the same time preparing graduates who can address global challenges.. Associated with each of the 5 goals are a number of Strategic Initiatives [12]. The initiatives associated with goals 1, 2 and 5 include hiring and retaining well-qualified, experienced and dedicated faculty who value cultural diversity, increasing MSU enrollment by collaborating with community colleges and higher education centers, increasing graduate student enrollment, developing high demand online degree programs, offering challenging internationally relevant curricula and building a transformative environment for learning and extra-curricular activities. Several strategic initiatives address the issue of using best practices for retention such that MSU leads Maryland in graduating students in high demand areas where they are underrepresented and promoting success among students from multiple cultures. Another strategic initiative, related to these goals is the increased collaboration with research funding agencies at federal, state and local levels to support scholarly inquiry and creative activities. This initiative is intended to propel the institution towards its projected goal of achieving enhanced status as a research university. Following are some selected examples of Morgan’s success in the implementation of these initiatives. In addition to its well established array of baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees, Morgan has begun to establish a strong online presence through


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the establishment of Morgan Online,[13] an administrative unit for oversight of the new innovative online degree and certificate programs offered by the University since implementation of the Strategic Plan. Given Morgan’s mission, the development of workforce preparation programs was an imperative to which the university is becoming increasingly responsive. In 2016, Morgan was approved by MHEC to offer three new online degree programs including the MSW, MBA, and MEd and a post baccalaureate certificate in Urban Sustainable Communities. In 2017, the University received State approval to offer a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Applied Liberal Studies and a BSN to MSN to MPH degrees [14]. Most of these new online programs are professional programs. The intent in establishing these online programs was, in large measure, an effort by the University to fulfill its mission by offering highly flexible degree programs to meet the needs of working students and adult learners, including expanding evening and weekend course offerings, and increasing the number of options for online education. Growth in graduate education, from a graduate student enrollment of 891 to1327 since Morgan’s last re-accreditation is further evidence of the university’s concerted support for scholarly activity. With respect to scholarly inquiry and creative activity on the part of the faculty President David Wilson established the Division of Research and Economic Development, expressly “to create a research ecosystem which promotes and incentivizes innovation and entrepreneurship among faculty, students and our surrounding community.” Through the establishment of this Division Morgan has increased its collaboration with federal, state and local funding agencies resulting in an increase in Morgan’s portfolio of grants and contracts from $ 29M in 2013 to $32M in 2016. The creation a culture of scholarly activity involves having targeted professional development as well as system of rewards that incentivizes such activity. Morgan’s Promotion and Tenure Policy [15] includes both scholarly activity in the form of publications in academic venues, and such creative activity as performances and exhibits, and artistic, professional and creative work as criteria for promotion and tenure. The Office of Sponsored Programs also provides workshops and seminars for faculty on an on-going basis aimed at increasing faculty competencies in grant- writing and grant management. f. Are publicized and widely known by the institution’s stakeholders A number of strategies were intentionally developed and implemented to ensure that the mission and goals were publicized and widely known by both internal and external stakeholders. During the campus-wide discussions that preceded the writing and development of the Plan, as well as periodically throughout its development, there was widespread exposure to the mission and goals that would later be enshrined in the Plan. The completed plan is posted on the university’s website for internal and external accessing. [1] Once the Plan was completed and approved, the mission and goals became the focus around which a number of university- wide activities were structured. For example, a regular feature of the annual faculty institute is the president’s State of the University address, in which the president always reports on progress toward the attainment of each goal, and identifies areas of focus for the upcoming year. Another regular event on the university calendar is the president’s town hall meeting. Students


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are the target audience for these events and there too the president reports to the students on progress towards achievement of the goals. One aspect of the mission statement that is particularly well known by both external and internal stakeholders is its reference to Morgan’s designation as the premier urban university by the state of Maryland. This 1975 declaration governs every aspect of university life, particularly the university’s recruitment and student support policies. In addition, each school and departmental strategic plan makes reference to the university’s mission and goals as the source from which school and department missions are derived. g. Are periodically evaluated Morgan has been continually engaged in assessment of its strategic plans. Development of the current Plan, 2011-2021 was informed by an evaluation of the university’s performance under the 2008- 2012 plan, undertaken during the mandatory self-study required for re-accreditation. It also responds to the recommendations made by MSCHE in its re-accreditation report of 2008. Pursuant to MHEC regulations for the State’s public colleges and universities, Morgan files an annual Performance Accountability Report (PAR) [16] that outlines the progress of the University in meeting each of the five goals over the past year. State regulations require that the PAR be first reviewed and approved by the Board of Regents prior to submission to MHEC. The Office of Institutional Research also maintains a University Dashboard [11] of key performance indicators that monitors Morgan’s Progress Towards Goals of the Strategic Plan. As reflected in the Inventory of Surveys and Studies [17] found in these Appendices, the Office of Institutional regularly collects data from more than twenty-six instruments on how well the University is achieving its mission and goals. Criterion 2: Institutional goals that are realistic, appropriate to higher education, and consistent with mission. The five goals listed above represent an operationalization of the university’s mission statement and address all aspects of the university’s operations. These goals place high value on the intellectual, personal and professional development of all members of the university community. The pursuit of these goals creates an atmosphere that nurtures student access and success and fosters the involvement of students and faculty in cutting edge research. Broad participation in the formulation of these goals (described in an earlier section of this chapter) ensured that they are realistic, relevant to stakeholders needs, and consistent with Morgan’s status as an urban institution. The university has remained true to its designation as a Public Urban University and has embraced and enshrined among its goals the imperative of this designation, to serve the needs of urban communities in general, and Baltimore in particular. Engagement with the community is the specific focus of Goal 5. Although occupying a unique niche as an urban university Morgan offers a range of graduate and undergraduate programs that are comparable to those of its peer institutions


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demonstrating that its goals are responsive to the wider higher education context that is becoming increasingly transdisciplinary, multicultural, ethnically diverse and global. Expansion of Morgan’s international focus provides evidence of this. The implementation of the English as a Second Language (ESL) program and agreements with the Institute for International Education (IIE) [18] to support students in Brazil’s Science Without Borders pursuing studies at Morgan are two examples. Additionally, agreements with the Saudi Arabian Cultural Ministry (SACM) [19] has resulted in more than 373 SACM students pursuing advanced degrees at Morgan. Additionally, since the promulgation of the University’s mission statement the University has established the Division of International Affairs [7] and has witnessed an increase in the enrollment [20] of international students to over 800 students in 2017 representing more than 60 countries. Of these, 40 students came from the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program and 140 from Saudi Arabia. At the same time, the University has also increased the number of opportunities that students native to Morgan have to study abroad. For example, the President of Morgan chairs the HBCU-China Network and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Scholarship Program, an alliance [21] of more than 40 HBCUs that formed in response to a Chinese government commitment to provide 1,000 scholarships for students from historically black institutions. A total of 28 students [22] studied abroad in China through the HBCU-China Network and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Scholarship Program since 2015. During the winter 2017 session, 11 Morgan students studied at the Universidade Paulista in Sao Paulo while another student participated in an Internship Abroad Program in Brazil with AmpYou StartUp in Uberlândia. Since the approval of Morgan’s new mission statement, the University has also signed agreements with institutions in Liberia, China, and South Africa, that have provided study abroad opportunities for Morgan’s native students. Morgan has also been designated by the US State Department as a sponsor of exchange scholars and with the J-1 visa designation [23], the University is currently hosting seven (7) exchange visitors from Brazil, China, Africa and Turkey. Criterion 3: goals that focus on student learning and related outcomes and on institutional improvement; are supported by administrative, educational, and student support programs and services; and are consistent with institutional mission Explicit in the university’s mission and goals is a focus on student learning outcomes (goals 1 and 2), and on infrastructural and operational improvement of the institution (goals 3 and 4). Since adoption of the Strategic Plan it became clear that ensuring the achievement of these goals required that new administrative structures had to be created at the highest level of university governance. In addition to the new divisions already mentioned earlier in this chapter (Research and Economic Development, and Academic Outreach and Engagement), the division of Retention and Student Support, under the leadership of a newly appointed Vice President, has recently been created to assure improvements in retention and graduation rates, and in the provision of student support services. The renewed commitment of human and financial resources to these goals, and the aggressive pursuit of external funding (Lumina Foundation, Thurgood


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Marshall Fund) has supported the acquisition of new technologies such as Starfish and DegreeWorks which allow more efficient tracking and support of student progress. This has resulted in an increase in retention rate from a mean three year rate of 68.2% for 2007 to 2009 to a mean three year rate of 74.9% for 2013 to 2016. Efforts to increase the graduation rate to 50% by 2025 have recently been launched. The Office of Student Disability Services is another administrative unit providing support for the attainment of the university’s student learning outcomes goals. With respect to infrastructure, the recent investment of $20M in the Next Generation Network and the reorganized Office of Information Technology have enhanced both the instructional and operational functions of the University. The Morgan Cares campaign is another example of administrative support for the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of Morgan’s operations. Criterion 4: periodic assessment of mission and goals to ensure they are relevant and achievable. Since 1925 Morgan has been continuously accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The last decennial accreditation was achieved in 2008. The Periodic Review Report undertaken at the intervening 5-year mark provided a catalyst for a structured assessment of the university’s mission and goals. A successful Periodic Review Report [24] was submitted to MSCHE in 2013. Responsibility for the Periodic Review Report was undertaken by a Steering Committee appointed by the president and comprising a wide cross-section of university stakeholders. In addition to the self-study associated with the Periodic Review Report, the of the Office of Institutional Research continuously and systematically track indicators of Morgan’s progress in the achievement of its mission and goals. While the focus of the Periodic Review is on the assessment of progress towards the achievement of the mission and goals, such an assessment necessarily involves an assessment of the relevance and worth of the mission and goals themselves. Summary and Conclusion The 2011- 2021 Strategic Plan: Growing the Future Leading the World clearly articulates the institution’s mission, goals and core values. This chapter provided an overview and timeline of the development of the Plan, and outlined the processes of broad collaboration by which it was developed. The mission statement describes the university’s local, regional and global focus, and the five goals associated with it succinctly shape the comprehensive array of intellectual and service activities by which students and faculty operationalize the mission. The chapter highlights study abroad initiatives, Fulbright awards, agreements with international universities, new organizational structures, community engagement and an enhanced culture of research and development, all of which provide ample evidence that the mission defines the university’s purpose within the context of higher education, and the students it serves and that its goals are clearly linked to its mission. PAR reports, a successful Periodic Review Report in 2013, the University Dashboard and the Office of Institutional Research’s inventory of instruments give evidence of continuous assessment of mission


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and goals to ensure that they are kept current, realistic and responsive to changing societal and higher education contexts. One of the overarching questions posed in the self-study design that formed the blueprint for this self-study report was, “Is Morgan’s administration currently communicating the University’s mission, vision, core values, policies, procedures and traditions to its faculty, staff, students and alumni in an efficient and effective manner?” The fore-going analysis with respect to Morgan’s mission and goals affirms that the administration is doing so to a large degree. The chapter alluded to the President’s state-of–the- university address to the faculty, and to town hall meetings with students and faculty in which explicit updates are provided on progress towards achievement of mission and goals, and on proposed next steps. In both of these venues the mission and goals take center stage. Morgan’s webpage makes the mission and goals accessible to both internal and external stakeholders, and the university’s capital campaign brings these goals to the attention of alumni, in the institution’s attempt to solicit alumni support. Recommendations 1. Develop a comprehensive formalized evaluative process for assessing the implementation of mission and goals including assessing feedback from external stakeholders and community partners on the impact of the mission and goals on the community at the local and state level, to guide continuous feedback on attainment of mission and goals.

STANDARD II: ETHICS AND INTEGRITY

Ethics and integrity are central, indispensable, and defining hallmarks of effective higher education institutions. In all activities, whether internal or external, an institution must be faithful to its mission, honor its contracts and commitments, adhere to its policies, and represent itself truthfully. Morgan State University meets this standard of accreditation. The evidence that supports this standard is found in the analysis of data and discussion of the standard’s criteria presented below. Integrity, defined as “honest communications, ethical behavior, and accountability for words and deeds are expected from all members of the University community,” is one of the six core values detailed in Morgan’s Strategic Plan ( ). Evidence of the University’s commitment to this core value and to ethical behavior is found first and foremost in its published policies and procedures. For example, among the Board of Regents’ published policies (p.8, 1), Academic Freedom (A-1), is listed first. Regents’ published


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policies also cover Policy on Copyrights, Disclosure of Students’ Records, and Conflict-of-Interest-for-Faculty. The Regents’ polices make it clear that nepotism, discrimination, sexual assault and sexual harassment are prohibited at Morgan. Evidence of the University’s respect for intellectual property rights is found in the Regents’ Policy-on-Patents, which provides that “The objectives of this policy are to encourage and aid research at Morgan State University, to provide financial compensation as well as professional recognition to inventors, and to protect and best serve the public interest.” It was through the provisions of the Policy-on-Patents that Dr. Kadir Aslan, Assistant Dean and Professor of Chemistry, the inventor of the MA-MAEC "Metal-assisted and microwave-accelerated evaporative crystallization" technology and Morgan were awarded an US Patent No: 9,243,017 (January 26, 2016) (p.8, 2, 3), the first-ever full patent in the University’s 150-year history. iCrystal, Inc., Morgan's first-ever spin-off company, was established based on the MA-MAEC technology, supported by Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII) administered by TEDCO, (p. 8, 4) a public corporation that serves as Maryland’s leading source for entrepreneurial business assistance and seed funding for the development of start-up companies in the State’s innovation economy. Policies concerning academic freedom, intellectual freedom, freedom of expression, and intellectual property are also published in the Faculty Handbook. For example, the Faculty Handbook (p. 8, 5), provides that “Faculty members shall enjoy freedom in the classroom to discuss all subject matter reasonably related to the course.” This applies to students as well, as the Handbook also provides that “Students may reasonably express themselves in their courses.” The Faculty Handbook incorporates the Regents’ Policy-on-Patents, including the responsibilities of convening an Intellectual Property Committee to implement the Policy. Data (p. 8, 6) published by the Office of Institutional Research on the Fall 2015 Student Demographics and Fall 2014 Faculty Demographics demonstrate the diversity of race, culture and ethnicity of those who are teaching and learning at Morgan. Although Morgan is a historically black college and university (HBCU), international students comprise almost nine percent (8.8%) of those enrolled while an additional eleven percent are other than African-American. Although Morgan is an HBCU, a majority, 57.8%, percent of its full-time tenure track faculty are races, ethnicities, and national origins that are other than African-American. Given the diversity within the faculty and the student body, a climate that fosters respect among students, faculty, staff, and administration from a range of diverse backgrounds, ideas, and perspectives is an important criterion. As such Morgan’s ongoing diversity efforts encompass a commitment to enhancing the equality and inclusion of women, the economically disadvantaged, and those of different sexual orientations and identities, religions, ideologies, and abilities. Morgan meets the criterion of fostering a climate of respect for diversity among faculty, staff, and administration through a myriad of mechanisms. First among these mechanisms is the University’s Strategic Plan for Enhancing Cultural Diversity (Diversity


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Plan) (p. 8, 7) approved by the Board of Regents at its May 3, 2011 meeting. This plan represents the committed interest and ongoing focus of the Morgan community to maintain a diverse student body, faculty, and staff in which all persons feel validated, include responsible parties and offices that monitor initiatives and outcomes related to diversity goals, policies that support the appreciation for the well-being of members of the Morgan community, and ongoing university initiatives which support an environment of inclusiveness. The Office of Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) (p. 8, 8) is charged with the day-to-day implementation of initiatives to implement the Diversity Plan and to enforce Morgan’s non-discrimination policies. The EEO Office also submits an annual report to MHEC that provides a summary of the University's progress towards implementation of the Diversity Plan. The Office of Faculty Development is a unit under the auspices of the Division of Academic Affairs and provides opportunities for faculty to engage in experiences which foster dialogue, collaboration and respect for inclusiveness among people of diverse backgrounds, orientations, and perspectives. This office sponsors ongoing conferences, workshops, seminars, and trainings around cultural diversity topics. The Office of International Student & Faculty Services provides opportunities that foster the continual appreciation of the growing trend towards a global academic village and greater worldwide appreciation and tolerance of different cultures for international students and faculty. Morgan has implemented two outreach initiatives designed to foster a climate of respect for members of the University community. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Ally (LGBTQA) Advisory Council (p. 8, 9) was established in 2013 to improve the campus climate for LGBTQA students, faculty, and staff. The other initiative was developed by the University Chapel in recognition of the growing religious diversity among the faculty, staff, and students within the University community. The Chapel now offers chaplain services for various ministries to include: Episcopal-Anglican, Muslim, Lutheran, Baptist, Roman Catholic, InterVarsity, and Apostolic. Also relevant to meeting this criterion is the University website, which provides a variety of “diversity resources” (p. 8, 10) with links to publications concerning the rights of various populations by race, ethnicity, age, veteran status, sexual orientation and gender identity, including African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Disabilities & Special Needs, Hispanic/Latino International Students, LGBTQ, Middle Eastern, Native American, Veterans & Military Personnel, and Women. Further, on May 2, 2017, the Morgan State Board of Regents approved the new Gender and Sexual-Based Harassment and Violence Policy for Morgan State University. This extensive policy reaffirms that the University does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression in employment or any of its programs or activities. The policy addresses all forms of gender and sexual-based harassment and violence to include sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking (p. 8, 11). Morgan has several published polices to address complaints or grievances raised by students, faculty, or staff including Regents policies on Personnel Procedures for Classified Employees, Appeal Rejection Classified Employee, Faculty-Grievance-


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Procedure, Grievances-Administrative-Personnel, and the Professional-Administrative-Manual. The Regents’ Faculty-Grievance-Policy is referenced at section 2.5 and published in whole in the appendix of the Faculty Handbook. The Undergraduate Catalog (p. 9, 12) provides for an Academic Appeals Process that shall apply to “any dispute concerning a student’s academic standing at the University including, but not limited to, disputes over grades as well as allegations of academic dishonesty.” Similarly, the Graduate Catalog (p. 9, 13) provides for Appeals concerning academic progress such as academic sanctions or academic dismissal. As students attending a public university in Maryland, Morgan students may also file grievances with MHEC for alleged violations of the Education Article or the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) Title 13B Maryland Higher Education Commission, or a Private Career School’s own written institutional policies by utilizing the Student Complaint Process (p.9, 14). In general, as State employees Morgan faculty and staff are subject to Maryland’s Public Ethics Law’s (p.9, 15) Conflict of Interest provisions. The Public Ethics Law also applies to boards and commissions created by statute, regulation or Executive Order and, thus, the law’s conflict of interest provisions apply to members of the Board of Regents. The State Ethics Commission publishes advisory opinions concerning a conflict or the appearance of a conflict of opinion. The Faculty Handbook (p.9, 16) outlines a clear policy on conflicts of interest and conflicts of commitment. The policy provides that “in situations, which have the appearance of conflict, a faculty member must inform the department chair or other appropriate administrator according to University procedures.” The University has adopted fair and impartial practices in the hiring, evaluation, promotion, discipline and separation of employees. The Regents have published a number of policies related to personnel procedures. This far-reaching criterion is met in a number of ways by the University. Board updated its Policy on Nondiscrimination in 2014. The policy provides for an environment for all employees and students to work free from discrimination against any person or group of persons on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, genetic information, gender identity, or any other applicable protected basis under applicable law is prohibited by this policy. Evidence of the University’s adherence to its nondiscrimination policies as it relates to compensation of faculty by gender is found in a 2014 Faculty Pay Equity Study (p. 9, 17) conducted by Pivotal Practices Consulting, LLC. The findings of the study revealed that there was “no evidence of gender-based salary inequities.” The Classified Employees Manual (p. 10, 18) makes provisions for Equal Employment Opportunities, Sexual Harassment, and Immigration Law Compliance. The Faculty Handbook outlines the policies and procedures for hiring faculty in order to insure that the practices are fair and impartial. The Faculty Handbook outlines procedures for promotion and tenure which include a clear identification of criteria for tenure and promotion, including instructional performance, research, and service. The policy also includes procedures for appealing the decisions made for tenure and


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promotion applications. Procedures are also outlined for discipline and separation of university faculty, including the notice of charges, hearing, a Faculty Review Committee, and the President’s final action. The University has established an affirmative action program to promote opportunities for persons in protected classes. Reasonable accommodations shall be made for persons with known disabilities. In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, as a condition of employment, new employees must complete the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 and present to their prospective employer documentation establishing identity and employment eligibility. Former employees who are rehired must also complete the form if they have not completed an I-9 with the University within the past three years or if their previous I-9 is no longer retained or valid. The University adheres to honesty and truthfulness in public relations announcements, advertisements, recruiting and admissions materials and practices, as well as in internal communications. The Office of Institutional Research posts Consumer Information (p. 10, 19) regarding Institutional Policies, General Information, Student Outcomes, Health & Safety, and Financial Assistance to assist prospective and current students in locating important information about Morgan. The posted information complies with the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, which requires colleges and universities to publicly disclose various policies and procedures. This assessment is based on interviews with the Director, and the Associate Director, of the Office of Public Relations and Communications (OPRC) and a review of OPRC documents: Policies, Procedures and Protocols; MSU Style Guide; and MSU Web Procedures and Guidelines. More importantly, however, this assessment is grounded in two of the University’s six core values – Excellence (in all aspects of Morgan’s operations to achieve effectiveness and efficiency) and Integrity (honest communications, ethical behavior, and accountability for all words and deeds, from all University members). The OPRC fulfills this mandate through:

• management and oversight of the University’s newly redesigned and highly praised website; its ongoing and outstanding publications (Morgan Magazine, Alumni Newsletter, Bear Facts) and other campus support publication activities; management of all university-related marketing and advertising campaigns; and its proactive media outreach;

• adherence to a timely formal style guide for published or posted print, electronic and digital communications;

• policing the University’s trademark (based on its Graphic Identity Manual), issuance of warning(s) when applicable, and referral(s), if needed, to the Office of General Counsel; and,

• approval of all “blast emails” before dissemination, to insure that the blast serves the purpose and mission of the University, that content is grammatically correct and meets trademark requirements, is not for commercial purposes, does not


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violate the law or the rights of others, is not offensive or insensitive to others, or violates University’s mission, interest or bylaws.

Concerning Web Communications, the OPRC oversees and manages Morgan’s primary website, online newsroom, online events calendar, and mobile app, works with departments and schools to upload content to their respective webpages, and teaches them content management. It adheres to a University Web Procedures and Guidelines Manual which addresses Policy Matters such as Outside Links, Site Removal, Outside Organizations and Space, Browser Issues, Acceptable Use, and Copyright and Trademark, and Procedures such as Web Site Governance, Establishing and Maintaining an Official Unit Web Site, Training and Management, Writing Style Guidelines, Use of Images, Morgan’s Logo, Required Information, Publishing Ethics, and Morgan’s Official Template. The Office of Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunity (p. 10, 20) is responsible for enforcing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, prohibiting discrimination against any qualified applicants, students, or employees based on disability in all programs and activities receiving federal funds; as well as Title I Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991, prohibiting employers from discriminating against an individual based upon disability as it relates to the terms, conditions, and privileges of employment In order to enable students to understand funding sources and options, value received for cost, and methods to make informed decisions about incurring debt, the Office of Financial Aid publishes on its website extensive information about Types of Financial Aid, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Federal Work Study, Resource Links, Veterans, Financial Aid Directory, SAP Policy, and the Return of Title IV Funds. With regard to making funding sources and options understandable for prospective and current students, Morgan State University’s website provides clear and ample resources for funding education. These include “Federal Pell Grant (FPELL), Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Direct Stafford Student Loans, Federal Direct Parent PLUS loan, Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans, Alternative Loans, Federal Perkins Loan Program, Federal Work-Study (FWS), Institutional Scholarships, and Enrollment Services.” The website also discloses the directions for filing FAFSA and provides information on how need-based aid is calculated. Additionally, the Office of Student Success and Retention (p. 10, 21) obtained an AmeriCorps VISTA grant to support a Financial Literacy Program to assist students in better understanding debt, Foundations of Money Management, Budgeting 101, the Basics of Banking, and Identity Protection. The program partners with PNC Bank to provide financial literacy workshops for Morgan students. Overall Morgan demonstrates compliance with all applicable federal, state, and Commission reporting policies, regulations, and requirements. As an example, the University has established the LGBTQA Advisory Council (p. 8, 9) to make recommendations for improving the campus climate and resources for LGBTQA students, faculty and staff. Second, as required by the Campus Security Act, the University’s Department of Police and Public Safety publishes on the University’s web


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site the Campus Security & Fire Safety (p. 11, 22) Report every year prior to the October 1 deadline. The Department also provides “timely warning” notices of crimes that have occurred and pose an ongoing threat to students and university employees” as mandated, via email message, and discloses, as mandated, in a public crime log any crime that occurred on campus or within the patrol jurisdiction of the campus police or the campus security department and is reported to the campus police or security department. The Office of Assessment at Morgan State University has initiated a number of initiatives in order to conduct institutional assessments, and to monitor graduation, retention, certification and licensure or licensing board pass rates. Recently the Office conducted a study The General Education Data Reports, (p. 11, 23) of the success rates of General Education courses in each distribution area and found that the University’s success rate is eighty (80%) percent, or five (5%) above the nation-wide benchmark of seventy (75%) percent. Based in large measure on the findings from The General Education Data Reports, the University recently launched a 50 by 25 campaign to increase the graduation rate of first time first year students’ six-year graduation rate to fifty (50%) percent by the year 2025. The University publishes all retention and graduation rates on the website (p. 11, 24) of the Office of Student Success and Retention. Morgan is in compliance with the Commission’s Requirements of Affiliation. And, although the University is one of over 200 universities currently under investigation by the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Education for possible violations of Title IX due largely to its athletic programs, no findings have been issued in this regard. The University continues to make substantial strides to ensure Title IX compliance. Staffing changes were made within the Office of Diversity and EEO which included the appointment of a Title IX Coordinator and the hiring of a Deputy Title IX and EEO Coordinator. This office reports to the Director of Human Resources. Substantial effort was made to provide Title IX related education, prevention, and advocacy initiatives to the University community. The Office of Diversity and EEO worked in close collaboration with several offices on campus in addition to external organizations to implement these initiatives. Examples of some initiatives that were implemented included: sponsoring monthly Title IX educational forums; conducting a sexual assault campus climate survey; conducting in-person trainings for faculty, staff and students; and providing online sexual assault training for students. Individuals are able to obtain a prompt, fair, and thorough University investigation of a Title IX complaint through the Office of Diversity and EEO and the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. In addition, individuals may pursue a criminal investigation through campus police. Efforts were also made to address internal and external policy issues. The University’s policies and procedures for addressing Title IX related issues were reviewed and are being revised.


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An additional method of effective periodic assessment is accomplished during the

quarterly Board of Regents meetings. Among other things, the Board reviews and

approves university policies, as well as establishes the regulatory framework within

which the campus departments are to operate. During the 2015 - 16 academic year,

the Regents reviewed and approved several campus initiatives designed to improve the

effective delivery of instruction and academic support, such as, approval of new on-line

degree and certificate programs, approval of more efficient means of achieving dual

degrees including the seamless master’s to doctorate (i.e., MS/EdD) in Mathematics

Education and in Science Education, as well as the bachelors to master’s (BS and MS

3+2 program). The Master's degree in Mathematics Education was approved by MHEC

in 2003. The Doctorate degree in Mathematics Education was approved in 1995 and re-

designated as a research/scholarship doctorate in 2009. The Master's in Science

Education was approved by MHEC in 2003. The Doctorate in Science Education was

approved in 1995 and re-designated as a research/scholarship doctorate in 2009.

Summary and Conclusion

In summary, the evidence suggests that the University is successfully achieving the goals and initiatives relevant to this standard on ethics and integrity. Specifically, Morgan publishes and adheres to policies and procedures of the Board of Regents, those found in the Faculty Handbook, as well as those published in the undergraduate and graduate catalogs. Collectively, these policies and procedures demonstrate the University’s commitment to academic freedom and demonstrates respect for all constituents and stake holders at the University by upholding fair hiring practices and maintaining clear grievance procedures. Further, many offices and policies have increased the focus on upholding this standard in the face of an increase in diversity in the University community. In several areas, Morgan meets this standard exceedingly well. The first particular strength includes the formation of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Ally (LGBTQA) Advisory Council to improve the campus climate for LGBTQA students, faculty, and staff. Second, the enactment of a new conflict of interest policy in 2016 (p. 9, 16) makes the policy clear and elevates our ethical standards.

Recommendation

Based on an assessment of this evidence, the subcommittee recommends the following:

1. Continued monitoring of the changes to the undergraduate catalog with regard to its POLICY ON ACADEMIC HONESTY.

2. Continued monitoring of the changes to the graduate academic catalog with regard to its policy on Responsible Academic Conduct and Ethical Research.

3. Continued monitoring of the changes to the Faculty Handbook regarding responsible research practices as it relates to the tenure and promotion process.


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STANDARD III: DESIGN AND DELIVERY OF THE STUDENT LEARNING

EXPERIENCE

An institution provides students with learning experiences that are characterized by rigor and coherence at all program, certificate, and degree levels, regardless of instructional modality. All learning experiences, regardless of modality, program pace/schedule, level and setting are consistent with higher education expectations. Morgan State University meets this standard of accreditation. The evidence that

supports this standard is found in the analysis of data and discussion of the standard’s

criteria presented below.

As a Doctoral Research University, Morgan offers students a variety of learning

experiences, teaching modalities, program pace and schedules, and degree levels

designed to foster a coherent student learning experience and to promote synthesis of

learning. The first goal in Morgan’s Strategic Plan, Ensuring Student Success, commits

the University to creating “an educational environment that enhances student success

by offering challenging, internationally relevant academic curricula, and welcoming and

supporting a diverse and inclusive campus community.” Properly designed,

credentialed, and internationally relevant programs that meet degree and/or certificate

objectives prepare and equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills that will

ensure their success in both national and global professional fields.

Classified by the Carnegie Foundation as Doctoral Research Universities: Moderate

Research Activity (DRU-R3), Morgan is one of approximately 360 of the more than

4,600 institutions of higher education across the United States with this Carnegie

classification and just one of 10 of the 105 HBCUs with a DRU-R3 designation.

Morgan’s Doctoral designation enhances the faculty’s capacity to secure external

funding to undergird the student learning experience and help to promote synthesis of

learning. Annually, Morgan averages about $30 million in grants and contracts across a

variety of disciplines and much of the funding is earmarked for direct student support or

enhancement of the student learning experience. Table 2 reflects a partial list of

ongoing grants and contracts at the university that support the student learning

experience.

Table 2 External Funding Support for Student Learning

Contract/Grant Amount Student Learning Experience

Lead


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ASCEND Student Training Core

$1,665,000 Biomedical Research and Career Development including summer and during the semester research

C. Hohmann/J. Turner-Musa

Bernard Osher Foundation

$1,200,000 Scholarships for MSU Adult Students

W. Bragg

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

$100,000 for IPAS $17,800 for iPASS II

Advisement, student engagement with faculty- purchased Starfish

T. Mfume

Extreme Science Institute

$100,000 Summer Research Experiences

K. Aslan/H. Yu

Goldsucker

HBCU-UP $12,000 Undergraduate research and career development

R. Rhaman

LS AMP $55,000 Undergraduate research and career development

C. Hughes-Darden

Lumina Foundation

$50,000 planning grant+ $666,700 implementation grant

implement predictive analytics and robust advising (Education Advisory Board's Student Success Collaborative-Campus) and implement a Second-Year Experience. Overall goal of the grant--increase retention and graduation rates

K. Turner

Mellon

MHEC One Step Away (OSA)

$45,000 + $75,000

Advisement and academic support for near completers- Purchased Degree Works

T. Mfume

Nanobiomedical Training

$30,000 Online course for MSU students from Northeastern University

B. Ozturk

NASA-GESTAR

National Security Agency

$125,000 Research Experience for Undergraduates

L. Woodson

Navy Engineering Education Consortium

$150,000 Undergraduate training K. Aslan

NIGMS RISE $304,666 Research and preparation for graduate study in Biomedical Science

C. Hohmann/A. Winstead


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NSF (S-STEM) $627,101.00 2013 - 2018: Scholarship for School of Engineering doctoral students, up to $10K for 10 students per year

K. Ladeji-Osias

NSF (CREST/RISE) $999,450.00 2015 - 2018: Embedded systems security departmental capacity building grant that provides graduate research assistantships for about six doctoral students in electrical engineering.

K. Kornegay

Title III $225,000 Enhancement of Graduate Program

K. Aslan/H. Yu

Travelers EDGE $300,000 Career Development in Financial Mathematics

T. Allotey

UNCF: Career Pathways Initiative (CPI)

$2,000,000 Undergraduate Career Development Initiative

S. Coulter

In summary, Table 2 demonstrates the success of faculty in securing grants and

contracts that support student learning in a variety of academic disciplines to include in

science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and address

underrepresentation of minority participation in the biomedical, behavioral, and social

sciences as well as provide projects that improve retention and degree completion

among adult and nontraditional students. As the University continues to increase its

resources by securing extramural funds, this will both help cement its status as a

doctoral research university and continuously grow its resources.

Program Review is a systematic way of assessing the quality of academic programs at

Morgan and determining ways to improve the quality of education, scholarship, and

service. Program review also identifies opportunities for improvement in each

discipline. There are a number of programs, for example, the National Council for

Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Association to Advance Collegiate

Schools of Business (AACSB International), and the Accreditation Board for

Engineering and Technology (ABET) that have a robust history of assessment through

an external accrediting process and are tied to rigorous professional standards.

Likewise, the University offers a comprehensive array of baccalaureate (45), post-

baccalaureate certificate (11), master’s (38), and doctorate (16) degree programs, a

total of 110 programs combined, including online degree and certificate programs

approved by MHEC.


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The external program review cycles for programs with external accrediting processes

are aligned with their professional association's standards (5-7 years). Program review

cycles for programs without external accrediting processes are 5 years in accordance

with University’s strategic planning process. The latter programs utilize external or

discipline specific reviewers who collaborate with the Assistant Vice President of

Assessment and Outcomes (AVPAO) to conduct a rigorous internal self-study that

demonstrates how the curriculum supports student learning outcomes, how outcomes

are assessed, and how assessment results are used to improve practice. Program

reviews require the signatures of the dean of the college in which the program resides

and the Provost. The process is overseen by the Office of the AVPAO.

The program review cycle for programs without external accrediting processes was

established by Academic Affairs and funded with support from the President, Provost,

and AVPAO. This process was developed specifically to ensure that the integrity and

rigor of these programs are aligned with institutional, state, and national standards and

are in compliance with Middle States standards and guidelines.

In 1964, the School of Graduate Studies, established by the authority of the Maryland

General Assembly, was approved to offer three master’s degree programs in

Elementary and Middle School Education, History and English. The first doctoral

program was established in 1979, in Urban Educational Leadership. Today, the School

of Graduate Studies offers sixteen doctoral programs, thirty-eight master’s degree

programs and eleven certificate programs across varied disciplines. All of Morgan’s

approved graduate programs are published by the State on the MHEC Institution

Program Inventory web page. The Office of Institutional Research has developed a

program matrix based on MHEC HEGIS codes of approved programs, with

corresponding credits for degree completion. This matrix can be found in Appendix A.

The most recent 2016-2017 graduate catalog lists all graduate programs leading to a

degree, as well as graduate certificate programs.

Consistent with the MSCHE standard criterion and with Morgan’s mission, goals, core

values, and policies as reflected in the Strategic Plan, student learning experiences are

designed, delivered, and assessed by a sufficient number of faculty and other

appropriate professionals who are excellent in teaching, who conduct intensive

research, and who are effective in public service, and community engagement.

Evidence that Morgan meets this standard criterion and is achieving the objective of

Goal 1 of the Strategic Plan is found in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data

System (IPEDS) data compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics. These

data reveal that as of the fall 2015 semester, the University employed 438 full-time and

103 part-time faculty to provide instruction to, or engage in research and/or public

service with, more than 7,700 students. Current data collected by Morgan’s Office of

Institutional Research reveals that _____ % percent of the regular full-time faculty hold

the terminal degree or equivalent in the discipline in which they teach or conduct

research and that 199, or ___% of the regular full-time faculty members are tenured.


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The average student-teacher ratio for the University is 19:1 for undergraduate students,

and, 7:1 for graduate students.

Effectiveness in teaching is assessed in one measure by students who complete on-line

5-point Likert scale evaluations of their courses across several dimensions of

instructional processes including course organization, assignments, grading,

communication, feedback and assessments. During the 2015-2016 academic year, the

average course evaluation rating was in the “High Performance” range – 81% - 86% out

of 100%. Course evaluation results are used by faculty to improve quality of instruction

and by administrators as one of several measures in determining faculty appointments,

promotions, and tenure. Some of the key elements that are found in well-developed

course syllabi include, course name and number, course description and objectives,

grading system, bibliography and text requirements, lecture and lab contact hours.

Student learning outcomes are assessed and evaluated through a number of direct

measures including standardized tests, exams, portfolios, research projects, written

assignments, etc.), as well as through indirect measures such as course evaluations,

student surveys, alumni surveys, and completion rates. The Office of Institutional

Research administers the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) which is an

indirect measure of student learning. Results indicate that Morgan freshmen are on par

with their counterparts attending Morgan’s Carnegie peer institutions. According to the

benchmark comparison of the level of academic challenge, Morgan seniors experience

greater academic rigor than their counterparts at peer institutions and nationally. Table

3 provides a list of student learning assessment administered to Morgan students on an

annual and/or biennial basis.

Table 3 Student Learning Assessments

Surveys Conducted

Who When Cycle What Reason

CIRP Freshmen Survey

Freshmen Fall Biennial Engagement

NSSE Freshmen, Senior

Fall, Spring Biennial Engagement

Collegiate Learning Assessment

Freshmen, Senior

Fall, Spring Annual Assessment of critical thinking skills

HEIghten Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior, Senior

Annual Assessment of critical thinking skills


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PRAXIS Senior, Masters Graduate

before completion of program

Certification

NCLEX Nursing student

completion of program

Certification

Faculty are reviewed regularly and equitably based on written, disseminated, clear, and

fair criteria, expectations, policies, and procedures. Faculty are reviewed annually

based on guidelines specified in the MSU Faculty Handbook. Faculty submit Individual

Annual Reports via an online Outcomes Assessment platform which are reviewed by

departmental chairs and their respective dean. Annually, $100,000 is designated in

funding for professional development for faculty. The Faculty Development Funding

Committee, comprised of two representatives from the college and each school, was

charged by the Provost to use a competitive funding criteria model to allocate funds to

applicants. This funding is utilized for wide-ranging activities including domestic and

international conference travel, seminars, on-campus conferences, webinars, and

workshops. Upon their return, faculty must submit a report outlining the impact of their

funding.

Morgan's academic programs of study are clearly and accurately described online in the

University’s undergraduate and graduate catalogs. Contained within the catalogs are all

of the program requirements including the sequence of courses for every major,

concentration, and track. Additionally, many programs of study including the School of

Graduate Studies publish student handbooks to help students better understand their

program requirements and follow their degree path. To further enable students to follow

degree and program requirements, to improve retention rates, and to reduce expected

time to completion, Morgan employs several students learning, advising, tutoring, early

alert, degree planning, and auditing software programs including:

• Degree Works enables faculty and the Registrar to accelerate degree audit

approvals by providing a robust, scalable and configurable campus-wide solution

that meets all requirements of the degree auditing process. Degree Works is

integrated with the University’s information management system (Banner) so that

interactions with students are recorded and progress towards degree is

systematically monitored.

• Starfish improves student advising by facilitating the delivery and assessment of

programs which identify at-risk students and increase engagement with

instructors and with tutoring services. Starfish has increased faculty triggered

early alerts, increased students’ utilization of campus resources, and provided

seamless, transparent, and user friendly monitoring and tracking of students in

high-risk cohorts, all in one online resource where faculty, staff and students can

access feedback and action plans for student success.


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• Atomic Learning provides students regardless of level or academic standing with

on-demand video learning resources focused on critical skills, technology, and

soft skills.

• Read Speaker allows students to listen to any text content or online document

while assisting the University in providing equal access and instructional

opportunities to students with documented disabilities in compliance with Section

504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).

• Smarthinking offers free 24/7 online tutoring to all Morgan students in a variety of

subjects. The tool includes an online writing center with tutors who are live and

responsive, not pre-recorded video resources.

Morgan’s President established two initiatives specifically designed to help students to

better follow degree and program requirements, improve retention, and to minimize

institutional barriers to degree completion. In 2013, the President established the

Obstacles to Degree Completion Committee which submitted a report outlining 13

institutional and/or organization impediments that were to be amended in order to

facilitate degree completion. Following receipt of the report and implementation of the

recommendations, the President initiated the 50 by 25 Campaign to increase Morgan’s

graduate rates, "The Morgan State 50 by 25 Initiative: Getting More Students Across the

Finish Line", a campaign to increase Morgan’s graduation rate to 50% by the year 2025.

The “50 by 25” Initiative is organized around three central themes: 1) Advising and

Degree Planning; 2) Faculty Development and Course Redesign; and 3) Beyond

Financial Aid (BFA). Beyond Financial Aid is a toolkit designed to help institutions close

attainment gaps for low-income students. Recent upward trends in retention and

graduation rates are evidence that the University provides sufficient resources to

support students’ academic progress.

The criterion of sufficient learning opportunities and resources to support both the

institution’s programs of study and students’ academic progress is consistent with the

University’s Strategic Plan goals of Enhancing Student Success and Enhancing the

University’s Status as a Doctoral Research University, and Growing the University’s

Resources. In addition to the grants and contracts listed in Table 2 above that provide

resources to enhance students’ learning opportunities, the University has sufficient

resources to support its undergraduate and graduate programs as well as support

students’ academic progress. For example, based on recommendations from the

Indirect Cost Committee, the President agreed that thirty-five (35%) percent of indirect

cost revenue above $2.3 million is to be allocated to several divisions and offices to

institutional programs including the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the

Vice President for Research and Development, the School/Departments, Principal

Investigators, and for Start-Up funding.

A variety of types of financial aid, institutional as well as external funding, are available

to support students’ academic progress. Undergraduate as well as graduate students

who meet the requirements for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)


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may be eligible to receive financial support through several federal programs. Graduate

students who successfully complete the FAFSA may qualify for a Federal Direct Loan

(FDL) and/or the Federal Work Study Program (FWSP) and also may qualify for

teaching and research assistantships or as graduate assistants serving in administrative

offices. Additionally, graduate students may qualify for support from the Maryland

based Goldseker Foundation with funds administered by the School of Graduate

Studies. In addition to the FDL and the FWSP, undergraduate students may qualify for

a Pell grant and other federal financial aid programs as well as a number of institutional

and Morgan Foundation scholarships. IPEDS data reveal that more than half (57%) of

all undergraduate students receive Pell grants and more than three quarters (76%)

receive some form of federal student loans.

In addition to the financial support of students’ academic progress, across Morgan’s

nine schools and its College of Liberal Arts, students are provided with numerous

learning opportunities and resources in the form of Capstone Experiences, Internships,

Research Opportunities and Student Resources. Capstone experiences are courses,

projects, and/or comprehensive evaluations required of all majors in order to advance in

or complete the curriculum. An Inventory of Required Learning Experiences by

School/Colleges, Internships, Research Opportunities representing examples of

capstone experiences is listed as Table 4 in the Appendix. For example, the School of

Architecture and Planning provides a 225 seat studio that simulates a professional work

environment for its students as well its B.E.A.R Lab which provides a tool library as well

as wood, metal and digital fabrication for student project. Internships are field

placements where students are required to engage in hands-on work in an agency,

office, or organization related to their major in order to advance in or complete the

curriculum. Examples of internships are included in Table 4. Clinical-based experiences

are required and arranged by the program typical of the professionally-oriented majors

including Community Health, Nursing, Education, Social Work, and Medical

Technology. A survey was distributed to deans and chairs, and a review of the

undergraduate academic catalog was conducted in order to provide an inventory of the

findings reflected in Table 4.

To complement its academic educational opportunities, Morgan also offers students

multiple co-curricular experiences that contribute to student learning and academic

success. These co-curricular and extracurricular programs allow students to

demonstrate learning by applying their knowledge in a variety of settings. Opportunities

include volunteer, mentoring, and work study positions in the Office of Community

Service as well as participation in other student organizations such as the Student

Government Association (SGA), the Male Initiative on Leadership and Excellence

(M.I.L.E.), Elevating Voices of Leadership Virtue and Excellence (E.V.O.L.V.E.), and the

Inter Residence Hall Council (IRC).

Consistent with Goal 5 of the Strategic Plan, Engaging with the Community, a number

of community-based organizations provide students with additional and unique learning


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opportunities and resources. Examples of such community organizations that enhance

student learning, undergraduate as well as graduate, include, but are not limited to, the

Baltimore City Public Schools, the Baltimore Collegetown Network (BCN), and the

House of Ruth.

Another co-curricular opportunity that enhances student learning at Morgan is

intercollegiate competition in several academic challenges including:

• The National "Black Enterprise Tech ConneXt Summit" Hackathon, held in Santa

Clara, CA each October. College juniors and seniors from various HBCUs are

challenged to develop technology applications that would help users to “create

budgets, track spending, manage expenses, review credit history, develop and

execute a savings and investment plan, and break old habits that can sabotage

wealth-building efforts”.

• The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge.

• Business Plan Competition Architectural Competition

Because the University prepares a diverse population of students to “grow the future

and lead the world,” it is crucial that its general education program offers a compelling

intellectual experience that expands students’ cultural and global awareness and

sensitivity, provides them with a curriculum in which they acquire and demonstrate, at a

minimum, basic skills in oral and written communication, scientific and quantitative

reasoning, critical analysis and reasoning, technological competency, and information

literacy and that also includes instilling the core values of a Morgan education including

the study of ethics, and diverse perspectives. MHEC requires that each college or

university offer general education courses in five categories: written communication,

critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, scientific reasoning, and information literacy.

The General Education Program establishes a number of significant goals and high

learning expectations for Morgan students. The Program emphasizes knowledge

acquisition and skills development in ten (10) areas that are critical to students’ future

academic and professional success. It will enable students to:

1. COLLEGIATE LEARNING SKILLS: demonstrate the ability to listen actively, to

read extensively and understand fully, to take notes and to study materials effectively;

2. INFORMATION, COMPUTER AND MEDIA LITERACY: gather information

independently through extensive reading, viewing, listening and researching in both

print and electronic media online and in academic research databases and evaluate

sources for credibility and appropriateness;

3. INFORMATION SYNTHESIS: demonstrate the ability to synthesize and critically

analyze information presented through lecture and/or discussion and gathered

independently and to communicate this synthesized information orally and in writing;


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4. ORAL AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION: demonstrate mastery of the fundamentals

of oral and written expression in standard American English;

5. QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS: solve mathematical and computational problems as

well as strengthen their foundational knowledge of real-world applications of

mathematical sciences;

6. SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS: understand and practice

methods of scientific inquiry, demonstrate knowledge of problem-solving techniques in

the basic concepts and principles of the biological and physical sciences and be familiar

with social issues related to the sciences;

7. SCIENTIFIC THEORIES AND APPLICATIONS: apply scientific knowledge and

theories from the pure sciences to the physical environment and test them by examining

current practices, while showing command of information literacy and the habits of the

mind;

8. THEORIES AND ISSUES IN SOCIETY AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR: demonstrate

understanding and practice scientific inquiry into society, social groups and human

behavior and develop civic competency, while showing command of information literacy

and the habits of the mind;

9. PRINCIPLES OF HEALTHFUL LIVING: demonstrate understanding of health as

a personal, group and social issue and principles of healthful living, physical fitness,

general wellness, stress reduction and recreation, while showing command of

information literacy and the habits of the mind;

10. THE ARTS AND HUMAN CULTURE, THOUGHT AND VALUES: demonstrate

foundational knowledge of the arts, history, institutions and legacies of Western

civilization (the Western Heritage and Its Critics) and of nonwestern civilizations,

particularly those of the African continent and the African Diaspora (Non-Western

Cultures in the Global Community), while showing command of information literacy and

the habits of the mind.

The General Education Review Committee was convened to focus on student time to

degree, preparation for global citizenship, and improved student success and

graduation. The General Education Program is designed to assist students in

developing the appropriate habits of mind for life-long learning, working and living.

These habits of mind inform students’ intelligent behavior in response to information,

situations and problems and developing solutions. Assessment methods embedded

within each category of general education courses are appropriate for the discipline,

reflect multiple forms of and approaches to assessment, and are measurable,

sustainable and actionable.

The Graduate Faculty is a group of faculty members who are actively engaged in

research, publication, teaching graduate courses, and guiding research for master's

theses and/or doctoral dissertations. A formal process of affiliation has been proposed


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and is awaiting approval. As of fall semester, 2017, Morgan offers 37 master’s and 15

doctoral programs to over 1400 graduate students across disciplines in the College of

Liberal Arts and the Schools of Education and Urban Studies, Business and

Management, Social Work, Community Health and Policy, Architecture and Planning,

Global Journalism and Communication, Engineering, and Computer, Mathematical, and

Natural Sciences. Each graduate program provides opportunities for graduate students

to develop research, scholarship, and independent thinking; and, all graduate courses

are taught by faculty and/or other professionals with credentials appropriate to

graduate-level curricula.

Evidence that graduate courses are taught by faculty and/or other professionals with

appropriate credentials is found in minimum qualifications for appointment to faculty

ranks in the Policies and Procedures on Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT

Policy) approved by the Board of Regents and published in the Faculty Handbook.

Section III. A. of the APT Policy provides for “three tenure-track faculty ranks: Assistant

Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor. The minimum qualifications for

appointment, promotion and tenure require tenure-track faculty to “have earned the

terminal degree from an accredited institution in the discipline or closely related

discipline” in which the faculty member teaches and must demonstrate “potential for

achieving excellence in instruction (which includes student advising), research and

service.” The APT policy requires that non-tenure track faculty appointed to the rank of

Instructor “must hold at least the master’s degree from an accredited institution.”

Additionally, “Full Membership” in the Graduate Faculty as promulgated by Morgan’s

Graduate Council which is comprised of chairpersons of departments offering graduate

courses or degree programs, academic deans, an elected faculty representative from

each school and the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), and one graduate student

representative from each school and CLA requires that a faculty member:

possess the terminal degree in the discipline, or a terminal degree

in an appropriately related discipline, in which s/he is teaching in

the graduate school. Additionally, full members shall be employed

as tenure- track faculty. Full members of the graduate faculty are

expected to have distinguished themselves through teaching,

research, and publication.

Full members of the graduate faculty may teach master’s and doctoral classes, and

chair master’s theses and doctoral dissertations. Associate members of the graduate

faculty are expected to possess the terminal degree and “hold academic credentials

sufficient to support an appointment at the University at the rank of Assistant Professor

or higher.” In contrast to Full Members, Associate members may “not serve as

chairpersons of doctoral/dissertation committees.”

As a public university in Maryland, Morgan is bound by several provisions of the Code

of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) §13B.02.02.17/Faculty. These provisions require a


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faculty member employed by an in-State institution to “be competent on the basis of

their formal education and professional experience (§A) and to have completed formal

studies at an institution accredited by an organization recognized as an accrediting

agency by the United States Department of Education (§B). Specifically,

§13B.02.02.17F requires that:

At least 35 percent of the full-time faculty in colleges offering

baccalaureate or higher degrees, and 50 percent of the full-time

faculty in universities and in separately graduate institutions or

centers shall hold a terminal degree in the field in which they teach.

In fact, ____ or ___% of Morgan’s regular full-time faculty hold the terminal degree in

the field in which they teach.

The Division of Research and Economic Development (DRED) is primarily responsible

for developing research policy, maintaining oversight of grant and contract management

and compliance, and enhancing the graduate faculty’s capacity to obtain sponsored

funding for their research activities. Graduate students’ opportunities to develop

research, scholarship, and independent thinking are enhanced by the funded research

garnered by University faculty when they are hired as research or project assistants and

are given hands-on environments for developing research skills. Post-doctoral research

opportunities are also offered to students. Some of the primary sources of institutional

funding for graduate students are assistantships, fellowships, tuition awards and

teaching assistantships.

Research centers at the University provide additional opportunities for graduate

students to develop research, scholarship, and independent thinking skills. Among the

University research centers in which graduate students are receiving assistantships,

fellowships, tuition awards and teaching assistantships are the National Transportation

Center, Advance Engineering Design Center, Center for Advanced Energy Systems and

Environmental Control Technologies, Engineering Visualization Research Laboratory,

Center of Excellence in Systems Engineering for Space Exploration Technologies,

Biomedical Research Center, Center for Health Disparities Solutions, National Center

For Health Behavioral Change, and the Institute for Urban Research.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Morgan State University and James

Madison University (JMU) has, since 2009, established a “Visiting Fellowship” program

designed to bring selected Morgan advanced Ph.D. candidates to James Madison

University to teach two courses and be mentored by senior James Madison faculty as

the doctoral “fellow” “progresses on his/her dissertation and writing.” Originally designed

for visiting fellows from the Department of History, the program has been expanded to

provide Morgan’s doctoral candidates from other disciplines to become Visiting Fellows

at JMU. Since the inception of the program, ____ doctoral candidates from the

Departments of History and Education and Urban Studies and English have served as

Visiting Fellows at JMU. Because of the success of the MSU-JMU MOU in enhancing


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graduate student success at Morgan, in particular, doctoral degree candidates, a similar

agreement has been drafted between Morgan and Monmouth University in New Jersey.

At present, the University engages no services of independent contractors and service

providers in the design, delivery, and assessment of credit bearing courses. Several

professional programs including Education, Nursing, and Social Work require that

students successfully complete clinicals, internships, and/or cooperative education

experiences in order to satisfy degree requirements. In such cases, there are several

levels of institutional review and approval of any student learning opportunities

designed, delivered, or assessed by third-party providers. All such courses are part of

the regular inventory of credit courses that have received prior review and approval by

departmental and/or school or CLA curriculum committee review, Graduate Council

review and approval by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The Center for Continuing and Professional Studies (CCPS) at Morgan serves the

lifelong educational needs of traditional and non-traditional students and offers a variety

of non-credit courses focused on workforce readiness, professional development and

personal enrichment. In 2014, the CCPS initiated a collaboration with Ed2go, a third-

party vendor, to provide online continuing education courses. Through this

collaboration, students may select from over 300 online non-credit classes and nearly

200 career-training programs tailored to enhance their professional development and

personal enrichment. Online non-credit courses begin each month and last for

approximately six weeks. Online career training programs may begin anytime during

the academic year and last from three to six months. Programs are entirely web-based

and expert instructors are available to answer student questions. This shared revenue

partnership is the first for the CCPS as well as a first for Morgan State.

In ensuring that student learning opportunities remain current and relevant, the University has centralized and streamlined periodic assessment of the effectiveness of programs providing student learning opportunities under the auspices of the Office of the Assistant Vice President for Assessment. Through its Comprehensive Assessment Plan (CPA), the Office works with all programs in collecting and analyzing data and disseminating the findings to inform programs on their effectiveness, accreditation, student success, satisfaction and retention, and performance against key benchmark indicators. The CPA can be found in the Documentation Roadmap. Although programs may have separate accreditation bodies, the office assists in coordinating key assessment and evaluation activities. These efforts support the enhancement of student success and improving and sustaining the University’s infrastructure and operational processes. Morgan State University (MSU) has in place an established systematized process for evaluating programs in efforts of continuously improving curriculum functioning based on data-driven findings.

Self-Study Design Question


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How might these accomplishments or areas of growth inform the development of

new instructional delivery programs, such as online degrees or certificate

programs? a. An analysis of the evidence suggests that (as it relates to the

subcommittee’s specific question Morgan is b. Based on an assessment of the

evidence related to this question, the Subcommittee recommends.

Over the past decade, Morgan State University worked to expand its online education

degree programs and courses by establishing Morgan Online. A full-time Director was

hired and assigned an institutional budget and office within the Division of Academic

Outreach and Engagement in January 2014. In fall 2016, Morgan State launched the

following four (4) new online programs: Master’s in Business Administration (MBA),

Master’s in Community College Administration, Instruction and Student Development

(M.Ed), Master’s in Social Work (MSW), and a Post-graduate Certificate in Urban

Sustainable Communities.

A significant portion of the funding needed to develop and to launch new online degree

programs and courses is derived from a federal institutional grant that Morgan receives

through section 311-315 of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended, i.e.,

Title III, Part A, Strengthening Predominately Black Institutions. Title III funds also were

used to implement the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance of Morgan

Online programs and courses. To comply with ADA, the Morgan Online Course

Development program required Quality Matters (QM) training for online course

developers, peer reviewers and master reviewers. Quality Matters training is based

upon the QM Rubric. QM Rubric standards require that online courses employ

accessible technologies and provide guidance on how to obtain accommodation. In

addition, course instructions must articulate or link to the institution’s accessibility

policies and services. Morgan Online meets these standards by requiring online course

developers to use the MSU Blackboard Leaning Management System DETemplate to

develop an online course. This template adheres to accessibility standards. Title III

funds were used to increase the accessibility of Morgan Online technologies. Morgan

Online technologies include: Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS),

Panopto Lecture Capture System, and Adobe Connect conferencing. Read Speaker

and Doc Reader were purchased for word by word reading of Blackboard LMS content.

In addition, closed captioning services were purchased for Adobe Connect and

Panopto.

Summary and Conclusion A Morgan education experience is characterized and is continually shaped by the

following core values: excellence, integrity, respect, diversity, innovation, and

leadership. The University emphasizes on excellence of the student learning

experience by ensuring that the programs offered are coherent, relevant, and

responsive to the needs of the community and the society. Excellence and integrity

continue to thrive in Morgan because of its perpetual quest for improvement of the


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programs, the faculty, infrastructure, and resources through regular and rigorous

internal and external evaluations and assessments. The multi-million funding for

research and programs substantially augments the university’s resources to

continuously enhance the student learning and further solidify Morgan’s Carnegie

classification. With over 100 MHEC approved programs, there is more than sufficient

diversity of learning experiences for the students in various settings – in-class, online,

and in practice. Although each experience may be different, the contribution of each

single experience collectively molds the character of a Morgan education. The

University’s legacy and the more recent program offerings are continuously evolving to

address not only the changing demographic of students but also to infuse innovation to

prepare the students to be the leaders in their chosen professions.

As Morgan builds upon its concrete foundation of accomplishments in enhancing the

student learning experience, the university acknowledges the importance of

strengthening and broadening its online education portfolio. Over the past decade,

Morgan has made a strategic investment in online education and its investment is

starting to pay dividends. In 2016, Morgan has almost doubled its online program

offerings with the addition of four well-received programs: (1) Master’s in Business

Administration (MBA), (2) Master’s in Community College Administration, Instruction

and Student Development (M.Ed.), (3) Master’s in Social Work (MSW), and (4) a Post-

graduate Certificate in Urban Sustainable Communities. A significant number of new

online courses and programs are also in the pipeline as Morgan continues to invest in

online education. For the university to continue its growth, it has to adapt to the

changing characteristics of students seeking higher education and Morgan online is in a

promising trajectory. A closer look at the University through this self-study reveals that

Morgan can further increase its growth and capacity by designing highly flexible and

dynamic undergraduate programs to meet the needs of working students and adult

learners, including expanding evening and weekend course offerings, and increasing

the number of options for online education.

Being the State’s designated public urban university, Morgan reaffirms the institution’s

commitment to ensuring an excellent student learning experience that is and will

continually be conscientiously designed to address the need of society and include all

students regardless of nationality, demographics, and background while upholding

respect to differences in beliefs, practices, and cultures.

Recommendations

According to the National Center for Education Statistics’ Fast Facts-Enrollment (2012),

"By 2020, the percentage of enrollments for students 25 and older is projected to

increase by 20 percent over 2010 levels". Consistent with these data, it is

recommended that Morgan State University increase its offerings of highly flexible

degree programs, regardless of instructional modality or degree level, to meet the


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educational needs of working students and adult learners, including expanding evening

and weekend course offerings, and increasing the number of options for online

education.

STANDARD IV: SUPPORT OF THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE Across all educational experiences, settings, levels, and instructional modalities, the institution recruits and admits students whose interests, abilities, experiences, and goals are congruent with its mission and educational offerings. The institution commits to student retention, persistence, completion, and success through a coherent and effective support system sustained by qualified professionals, which enhances the quality of the learning environment, contributes to the educational experience, and fosters student success. Morgan State University meets this standard of accreditation. The evidence that supports this standard is found in the analysis of data and discussion of the standard’s criteria presented below. Morgan has published clear undergraduate and graduate level-policies and processes on admission, retention, and graduation requirements. Under the “Admissions” icon on the University’s web site [1], students will find admission requirements and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) for both the undergraduate and graduate levels. For example, for undergraduate students who are applying as freshmen, transfer students, international students, mature students, non-degree seeking students, military students and their dependents, or home schooled students, the varying admission requirements are clearly outlined under the FAQ section for Undergraduate Admissions. Policies concerning undergraduate admissions are also published in the Office of Undergraduate Admission & Recruitment section of the online Morgan State University 2016 – 2018 Undergraduate Catalog [2]. Undergraduate Graduation Requirements [3] including University, General Education, and major, departmental, and School or College of Liberal Arts requirements are also published in the online 2016 – 2018 catalog. Similarly, admission requirements for graduate students are published on the University’s web site under the School of Graduate Studies “Admission Policy” icon [4]. The criteria for admissions are also published under Graduate Admissions & Registration in the School of Graduate Studies’ 2016 – 2017 Graduate Catalog [5]. Degree completion requirements related to theses and dissertations are published in the online Handbook and Style Guide for Dissertations and Theses. In summary, the University catalogs and websites clearly outline the processes for acquiring and submitting undergraduate and graduate applications from time of inquiry to admission to the university and graduation from the university.


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The University’s policies and procedures regarding expenses, financial aid, scholarships, grants, loans, repayments, and refunds are, likewise, clear and comprehensive and published on the University’s website and online catalogs. The Office of the Bursar [6] publishes current year tuition and fees schedules for each of the University’s four academic sessions including the fall, winter, spring and summer terms. The information includes tuition and fee schedules for students who are residents of Maryland, nonresidents, undergraduate and graduate students as well as full and part-time students. The Bursar’s office also posts information concerning billing, payments, payment plans, refund policy, and deferred payment plans. The same information posted on the Office of the Bursar’s website is also published under the Tuition and Fees section in the 2016 -2018 Undergraduate Catalog [7] and under the Fees and Payments section of the School of Graduate Studies Graduate Catalog 2016-2017 [8]. The Office of Student Success and Retention (OSSR) [9] works collaboratively with the 9 Schools and 1 College and student support services to provide continuous, quality support for all students from matriculation to graduation. OSSR staff track and intervene with a variety of students including: students who fail to make satisfactory financial arrangements and are dropped (e.g., freshman, students in the 6th year); students who earn grades of "D", "F" at mid-term or final grades of "D", "F", "I", "W"; students not re-enrolled from previous semesters or do not pre-register for the next semester; students on academic or financial aid probation; students who begin their second year with less than a 2.0 GPA; students who leave the University with a 2.0 GPA or better and are not graduated from or matriculating at any other institution; students with Starfish Early Alert flags; and all first-year students who need academic advisement in collaboration with CASA and the Transfer Center. OSSR’s “case management” approach to intervention has increased retention rates and enhanced student success. Since its inception in 2003, the OSSR has implemented a campus-wide retention program with Retention Coordinators in every school; revamped freshman orientation to include a mandatory academic, social, and cultural transitional program; developed a comprehensive Student Retention website [9]; partnered with the White House Initiative on HBCUs and the FDIC to provide a comprehensive financial literacy program utilizing the FDIC’s MoneySmart financial literacy curriculum and won the Campus Compact/VISTA AmeriCorp grant to employ a full-time AmeriCorp volunteer in the position of Financial Literacy Coordinator for three years [10]; initiated the Parents’ 411 program and ACCESS Orientation Program for first-time freshmen; published University Guide for new and prospective students, parents, and families; assumed responsibility for managing the Academic Recovery Program (ARP); and, launched a new “Reclamation” Initiative creating opportunities for students who leave the University in good academic standing to return in their 5th or 6th academic year to graduate from Morgan “on-time” in six consecutive years or less. A few specific examples of OSSR’s major retention initiatives are:

• "The Morgan State 50 by 25 Initiative: Getting More Students Across the Finish Line", a campaign to increase Morgan’s graduation rate to 50% by the year 2025, is


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organized around: 1) Advising and Degree Planning; 2) Faculty Development and Course Redesign; and 3) Beyond Financial Aid (BFA). • The Academic Recovery Program (ARP) assigns students with unsatisfactory cumulative GPA to one of three phases: Academic Probation, Academic Comeback, or Academic Dismissal. The ARP provides additional supports including mandatory workshops, required tutoring, routine meetings with the ARP Coordinator, and intrusive academic advisement. • The week-long ACCESS Orientation Program is for students and parents to receive information on financial aid, residence life, placement testing, academic advisement, and career counseling. • The Starfish Retention Solutions [11] (by Hobsons) launched in 2014 operates as a comprehensive advising, tracking, and monitoring tool for students. All first-year freshman students are advised by CASA (Center for Academic Success and Achievement) and OSSR staff. Departmental liaisons provide additional curriculum details and advising. • The Reclamation Initiative, now in its 6th year of implementation, has reached out to freshman cohorts since 2006 for re-enrollment and movement to graduation. The AMHEC One Step Away Grant for near completers has expanded this program. • CASA is an alternative but rigorous summer admissions program assisting in transitioning high school students who have applied to Morgan State University, but fail to meet the requirements for regular admission. Referral by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions is based on SAT/ACT and GPA. • In 2016, Morgan received a $150,000 planning grant and a $2 million implementation grant (over 5 years) from the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to establish the Career Pathways Initiative (CPI) [12], a national program to assist HBCUs/PBIs in establishing a systematic approach to ensuring that undergraduates are placed in their chosen fields upon graduation. • ‘My Morgan’ is a personalized engagement portal for new, transfer, and returning students. iPASS employs the disciplines of visual analytics and informatics in creating an algorithm in the creation of a SSI (Student Success Index); provides a customized approach, leading to guided mentorship, tailored advising, campus involvement and strategic campus housing assignments. SMART Suites provides students with space, computer, RA, advising, teaching, connections, and tutorial.

The success of these strategies and initiatives has resulted in an overall increase in undergraduate retention and graduation rates as reflected in Tables 1A and 1B below which shows a five-year trend in undergraduate retention and graduation rates at Morgan.

Table 1A Undergraduate Retention Rates: 2011 - 2015

Year Retention Rate

2011 70.80%

2012 72.50%


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2013 76.3%

2014 76%

2015 76%

Table 1A shows that the retention rate has increased from 70.80 and 72.50% (Fall 2011 and 2012 cohorts) to 76.3% (Fall 2013 cohort). The second year retention rate of 76.3% for the entering class of 2013 is near the historic high of 77% for the entering class of 1997. Fall 2015, for a second year in a row, the retention rate for the 2014 freshman cohort was 76%, Morgan’s highest retention rate in 20 years and second highest retention rate ever. Beginning with the Fall 2010 freshman cohort, Morgan has achieved retention rates above 70% for five consecutive years.

Table 1B Undergraduate Graduation Rates: 2010 – 2015

Cohort

Year

Cohort Grad in 6

yrs.

6-yr. rate Grad after 6

yrs.

Rate Total

Grad

Rate

2004-

2010

1336 426 31.87 68 5.09 494 36.98

2005-

2011

764 222 29.06 39 5.10 261 34.16

2006-

2012

1368 421 30.77 54 3.95 475 34.72

2007-

2013

1292 453 35.06 36 2.79 489 37.85

2008-

2014

1431 474 33.12 36 2.52 510 35.64

2009-

2015

1263 389 30.80

Mean = 1215 406 33.42 51 4.82

458 37.70

Table 1B demonstrates a fluctuating but steady total number of graduates and consistent total graduation rate. The total number of graduates in 2014 exceeded the previous five cohorts. According to OSSR evaluation data [13], student participants in the CASA Academy summer bridge program have higher retention and graduation rates and higher grade point averages than their peers who do not participate. PACE students are six times more likely to test out of developmental MATH 106 than their peers who do not


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participate. Overall results show that when students participate in targeted retention programs and initiatives, they earn higher GPAs and have higher retention and graduation rates. The success in retention and graduation rates among first generation students, students from low income families, and academically underprepared students enrolled at Morgan led the OSSR Director to publish OSSR’s outcomes, in the context of national research and best practices for student success and degree completion, in a recent textbook [14].

Table 2A Graduate Enrollment Rates by Degree: 2010 - 2015

Year Undergrad %

Master’s %

Doctorates %

Undeclared %

Non-degree%

Total

2010 6692 85.00

695 8.83

445 5.65

41 0.52

7883 100.00

2011 6731 83.75

758 9.43

500 6.22

48 0.60

8037 100.00

2012 6591 82.96

733 9.24

561 7.07

58 0.73

7943 100.00

2013 6507 83.33

711 9.10

565 7.24

26 0.33

7809 100.00

2014 6359 81.89

779 10.03

603 7.77

24 0.31

7765 100.00

2015 6370 81.82

795 10.21

599 7.69

22 0.28

7786 100.00

2016 6159 80.34

729 9.51

571 7.45

178 2.32

26 0.38

7663 100.00

*From 2006 to 2015 undeclared and non-degree were combined, not combined in 2016

Table 2A shows that as of Fall 2016, a total of 1326 graduate students were attending Morgan State University. Enrollment patterns have increased steadily from 796 in 2006 to 1326 in 2016. For the Fall 2016 semester, 571 students applied for graduate admission, 452 were admitted and 302 enrolled. The pattern shows fairly steady growth in enrollment until 2016 in part due to the lack of graduate funding available to graduate students. One response to drawing from a wider pool of students is the development of new online programs in the Community College Leadership, Social Work, Business Administration, and Architecture and Planning programs. The University Transfer Center [15] ensures compliance with the State’s Student Guide to Transfer among Maryland Colleges & Universities [16] which details steps to a successful transfer, student rights and responsibilities, role of a transfer coordinator, and use of ARTSYS, a computerized data information system which informs students and advisors at community colleges throughout the State about the transferability of each community college course. In addition to ensuring compliance with the State’s transfer of credit policies and procedures, the Transfer Center maintains active


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Articulation Agreements [17] with fourteen community colleges throughout Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, and Iowa and administers the Connect Program with area community colleges [18]. The Transfer Center evaluates credit for prior learning through Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB); College-Level Exam Program (CLEP), Military Transfer Credits, Institutional Challenge Examinations, and Competency-Based (CBE) Courses. The Transfer Center maintains data on transfer student trends and offers Transfer Orientation sessions to provide new students with tools to help navigate through the transition process. In summary, the evaluation and acceptance of undergraduate transfer credits for general education fall under the auspices of the University’s Transfer Center while evaluation of transfer credits for courses specific to the majors are within the purview of the respective schools and the College of Liberal Arts (CLA). Similarly, the School of Graduate Studies and respective graduate programs within the Schools and/or CLA reviews and evaluate courses specific to the major/program. The safety and security of student Information and records are of paramount importance, and Morgan is investing $20 million in the Office of Information Technology (OIT) [19] over the next decade to support implementation of the University’s Next Generation Network (NGN) project [20]. The NGN project will enhance the safety and security of student information by implementing a mandatory annual Security Awareness training for all users; ensuring that computer systems access is per a user's functional role; limiting administrative computer access rights only to staff with IT support role; pushing system software and virus updates to connected computers automatically and regularly; and implementing additional email filter and protection against phishing and spams. The University has also prepared for the retrieval of students’ information in case of a catastrophic emergency which destroys much or all of the campus information technology infrastructure by establishing a full off-site backup information and data storage network at Bowie State University. The OIT is also charged with enforcing a number of Technology Policies, Standards, and Guidelines [21] intended to strengthen security protocols around University data, specifically student information and records. The University’s Information Security Policy – 2010 [22] provides “clear sets of policies, standards, guidelines, baselines and procedures for the protection of data, information and information systems to guarantee compliance with appropriate laws, regulations and standards.” In order to facilitate the appropriate release of student information and records, Morgan complies with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) [23], which provides students with the rights to: inspect and review their educational records; consent to release educational records to a third party; challenge information included in the educational records; and be notified of their rights under FERPA. The University policy for all faculty and staff is that neither release nor access to student educational records, including grades and progress in a course, can be granted to any


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party other than the student, including parents, without the student’s express written permission. The University Counseling Center [24] and the Health Center [25] follow the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations regarding the release of student health information and do not share student records with faculty or staff. Similarly, the Office of Student Disability Support Services, [26] in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA 1990) provide equal access and equal opportunities for individuals with documented disabilities. Likewise, the Office of Veterans Engagement works with veteran applicants and securely maintains veteran student records including those pertaining to the application process, military credits and eligibility and certification of benefits [27]. The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is the Web-based system that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uses to maintain information on Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified schools, F-1 students who come to the United States to attend those schools, U.S. Department of State-designated Exchange Visitor Program sponsors and J-1 visa Exchange Visitor Program participants. Morgan as a SEVP-Certified University has four SEVP-certified Designated School Officials (DSO) and one Principal Designated School Official (PDSO) who have approved access to the SEVIS system. The Center for Global Studies’ Office of Study Abroad does not release any student information without the consent of the student [28]. Specifically, in the case of third-party program providers, all inquiries for personal information are directed to the student who must sign a consent form for the release of images they share of themselves and others from their trips before pictures are used publicly. The Earl S. Richardson Library has more than 400,000 volumes of books and 175 databases across various disciplines [29]. The library provides study rooms to encourage individual and group study, provides traditional and online information Literacy Sessions to create awareness, and works to educate library patrons on available resources in the library. Additionally, the library has an online chat platform used to provide real-time answers to patrons attempting to access library resources from a remote location. The library’s Interlibrary Loan Services program enables patrons to connect and obtain needed resources that the library may not have from other institutions. The library has a computer lab and several computer workstations accessible to patrons on all the floors. The library provides information literacy workshops which help students to develop library research skills and the ability to use information competently. Instruction is provided by librarians and provides hands on practice in an environment that encourages active learning [30]. The Morgan Bears’ eight women and six men intercollegiate athletic teams compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) as a Division I member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). A minimum of 14 teams is required for NCAA Division I programs. As such, Morgan adheres to the governing principles of the MEAC and NCAA as well as the academic, fiscal and administrative principles, policies and procedures for student-life and extracurricular activities at Morgan [31].


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Overall, Morgan has a Comprehensive Assessment Plan (CAP) that structures and guides all assessment activities across campus [32]. The Assistant Vice President for Outcome Assessment administers the CAP in collaboration with the Divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs through annual department assessment plans and reports, standardized and locally-developed testing, and participation in nationally-normed and locally-developed satisfaction and engagement surveys. In terms of standardized tests, all first time, full time students, at entry to Morgan, must take the Accuplacer placement exam to determine appropriate placement in freshmen level English and Math courses. Also, the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) is utilized to collect data on general education outcomes such as critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and Literacy. A third standardized assessment used to measure student proficiency in Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning is the ETS Major Field Test. In addition to standardized testing, Morgan participates in an every-other-year administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to collect indirect assessment data on student learning, particularly on the NSSE Benchmark areas of Academic Challenge and Enriching Educational Experience. Data are collected, maintained, analyzed and disseminated for use in improvement and decision making campus-wide (academic and non-academic units). Complementing Morgan’s CAP and connecting with the mission and goals of the Center for Performance Assessment is the professional and discipline-based accreditations held by the majority of Morgan schools and many individual departments [33]. Table 3 identifies the national organizations responsible for accreditation of the School of Architecture and Planning, School of Business, School of Education and Urban Studies, School of Engineering, and the School of Social Work.

Table 3 Accrediting Organizations by Professional School

Entity Accrediting Body

School of Architecture and Planning National Architectural Accrediting Board

School of Business and Management Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International

School of Education and Urban Studies Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation

School of Engineering Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology

School of Social Work Council on Social Work Education

Many of the departments within the College of Liberal Arts, School of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, and the School of Community Health and Policy hold individual, discipline-based accreditation that supports and enhances the campus-wide assessment program at Morgan. Professional and discipline-based accrediting agencies provide standardized outcomes and measures that allow for local assessment,


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national benchmarks and comparisons as well as improvements. These accreditation-based standards augment and strengthen Morgan’s campus-based assessment initiatives toward student success in key core competencies and within the major. A review of the assessment, analysis and development of interventions and improvements in four core competency areas demonstrate Morgan’s ongoing and long term commitment to assessment of student success and implementation of improvements based on that assessment. In terms of assessing Student Learning Outcomes, in 2015 Morgan launched an assessment based on student learning outcomes within degree types with programs (BA, MA, PhD, etc.), rather than at the department level. In accordance with the CAP, Morgan now requires every program to submit an assessment plan for student learning outcomes and a corresponding assessment report on an annual basis [34]. Departments are required to submit an assessment plan for each program. In addition to outlining the elements of the assessment plan for student learning outcomes, this initiative contains the Feedback Template utilized by members of the University Assessment Committee (UAC) to review assessment plans [35]. UAC members submit their feedback to the Assistant Vice President for Outcome Assessment who (1) discusses the results and feedback with each academic program; and (2) monitors efforts to incorporate feedback into the assessment process to support change and improvements (Board of Regents policies & procedures; University Catalogs; University Website). Summary and Conclusion In summary, student success at Morgan is about social and economic justice for students and their communities, which has been reflected in increased diversity in admission, retention and graduation rates over the past decades, and particularly in the achievements and contributions of our graduates to their respective communities. Consistent with its HBCU mission and its designation by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a National Treasure, Morgan recruits and admits students with interests, goals and commitments that align with the mission and educational offerings of the University. In the face of an increasingly more diverse student body, Morgan is best able to match student support services to students’ comprehensive academic, emotional, social, developmental and physical needs by fashioning clear and ethical policies, procedures and processes that respond to the needs of the “total” student, referring to the comprehensive needs of all types of students whom we embrace unconditionally. Built on these policies and procedures and a long-standing track record of being student-centered, Morgan ensures the academic and personal success of all students including under-prepared students through the Academic Enrichment Program, the Transfer Evaluation Center, and the Office of Student Retention, as well as the Tutoring Center, the Writing Center, the Career Center, and the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity’s whose specific focus includes Title IX and provisions for addressing sexual assault and harassment, to name a few. The Counseling Center and Disability


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Services likewise provide support for students with certain physical, mental and learning challenges. Moving forward as an institution, embracing diversity, inclusion and effective communication on a more comprehensive level is critical. As our student body becomes increasingly diverse and global, it is imperative to increase resources that targets enhancing the emotional, social, physical and spiritual development of these students. An important aspect of enhancing the development of these diverse students is for student needs to be identified by students themselves and proper responses to be available and accessible. For instance, there is a need to increase the use of current Town Hall meetings and evaluation with timely follow-up of the services we provide students such as financial aid, academic advising, tutoring, food services, and writing support. Also, we need to provide additional support to specific populations including veterans, athletes, students with disabilities, and international students. For instance, an increasingly necessary support for the increasing numbers of international students for whom English is not their first language is providing resources and/or direct connection to services to assess and assist with verbal and written English comprehension. Regardless of status, for Morgan students, the lack of access to and availability of ample financial resources can be a barrier; thus the Office of Financial Aid plays a critical role in moving students towards graduation by facilitating access to needed financial resources. Expanded access to resources and efficient use of such resources are important consideration for moving forward. Additionally, a diverse student body increases the need for effective and timely dissemination of information to all constituents. The University has increased its use of campus-wide email to disseminate information to the campus as well as a text system to send information about weather closings. These have been effective for students, staff, and faculty. Increased use of Morgan’s radio station (FM 88.91) to share information to the public and larger community, and more effective use of the website such that from the homepage there is as easy linkage to information relevant to those outside of Morgan as there is to its internal stakeholders could increase the efficiency and effectiveness of and broaden the reach of the University’s communication. Recommendations This self-study process offered an opportunity to reflect on steps to advance the goals of the University’s strategic plan. In particular, the University has established clear enrollment and graduation goals including a 50% graduation rate by the year 2025 and an enrollment goal of . Based on the evidence provided in this chapter, it is recommended that: First, Morgan should strategically invests in diversity. Fishing in different ponds to diversify our student body is an exciting possibility and absolutely critical in meeting the University’s enrollment goal. Specially, Morgan should assess the socio-demographic trends of future student market segments and develop targeted national and international recruitment strategies.


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For example, given the growth of the Hispanic community in the region and the nurturing environment of HBCU’s, Morgan could capitalize on this opportunity by more aggressively recruiting these students from high schools and community colleges. Morgan is also poised to recruit veteran, military, law enforcement, first responder prospective students which contributes to our commitment to social justice in our communities. Furthermore, the Division of International Affairs should be charged with creating a strategic plan that establishes recruitment goals and strategies by which the more than 30 international relationships with universities across the globe expands the pool of international students enrolled at Morgan. Second, Morgan should create a centralized and accessible infrastructure for all systems’ assessments conducted at Morgan in order to better facilitate the dissemination of assessment data to the appropriate constituents to support continuous institutional renewal and to improve planning and resource allocation at the University. The centralized assessment infrastructure should support “big institutional data’ so that heretofore unseen trends, patterns, and connections may be determined alongside data generated from ordinary academic and institutional assessment instruments. and educational improvement programs and initiatives at the University. For example, as a double edge sword, diversity will bring students from unchartered territories, thus there is an increased need to utilize assessment-based student services not only to raise the bar but to level the playing field. As a starting point, The Central Assessment Office should serve as the comprehensive and accessible reservoir for all assessments conducted in the university.

STANDARD V: EDUCATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

Assessment of student learning and achievement demonstrates that the institution’s students have accomplished educational goals consistent with their programs of study, degree level, the institution’s mission, and appropriate expectations for institutions of higher education. Morgan State University meets this standard of accreditation. The evidence that supports this standard is found in the analysis of data and discussion of the standard’s criteria presented below. The first goal of the University’s Strategic Plan (2011-2021) is enhancing student

success, and in order to achieve this goal, the University has published clear

educational goals both at the institution and degree/program levels which are

interrelated with one another, with relevant educational experiences, and with the

institution’s mission. Institutionally, the educational goals established for enhancing

student success, as set forth in the Strategic Plan as seven Strategic Initiatives

including: (1) improving retention and degree completion among students; (2)

increasing Morgan’s student enrollment; (3) building a culturally and socio-economically


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diverse educational environment; (4) recruiting, retaining, and supporting excellent

faculty; (5) including more internships, international and study abroad programs; (6)

enhancing the facilities, technological infrastructure and operations in the School of

Graduate Studies; and, (7) supporting extra-curricular programs in the arts and

athletics.

Evidence of Morgan’s success in achieving the institutional goals as reflected in the Strategic Initiatives of the University’s Strategic Plan is found in looking at the almost 10-year overview since the last Middle States visit of the critical institutional statistics, enrollment, retention and graduation rate for each year and averaging across 3- year intervals to obtain a stable picture.

Table 1

Morgan State University Enrollment

Year Undergraduate Masters Doctoral Undeclared Total

2008 6114 551 313 25 7003

2009 6199 605 378 44 7226

2010 6622 695 447 41 7805

3 Year

Mean

6296 768 591 34 7345

2011 6711 759 502 46 8018

2012 6591 733 570 58 7952

2013 6252 706 562 26 7546

3 Year

Mean

6296 768 591 34 7839

2014 6302 776 596 24 7698

2015 6319 785 598 22 7786

2016 6362 729 571 26 7689

3 Year

Mean

6328 763 588 24 7724

Mean of 3

Year

Groups

6307 766 590 31 7636


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Table 2

Morgan State University Degrees Awarded

Year Undergraduat

e

Masters Doctoral Total

2008 813 130 42 985

2009 843 188 36 1067

2010 772 166 31 969

3 Year Mean 809 161 36 1007

2011 813 206 32 1051

2012 902 255 37 1196

2013 976 267 33 1276

3 Year Mean 897 243 34 1174

2014 922 227 52 1201

2015 933 234 58 1225

2016 901 249 48 1198

3 Year Mean 919 237 53 1232

Mean of 3 Year

Groups

875 218 41 1138

It is obvious that the enrollment at the undergraduate level increased across the first six years, about 4% and then decreased across the last three years, about 4 %. The graduate enrollment both at the master’s and doctoral levels increased steadily, 24% at the master’s level and 56% at the doctoral level. This could be attributed to the introduction of the new graduate programs that were added after 2008 (Table 3).

Table 3

Morgan State University New Programs Since 2008


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Program Name Program Level Year Approved

Actuarial Science Bachelor’s 2008

Transportation Systems Bachelor’s 2008

Construction

Management

Bachelor’s 2008

Project Management Master’s 2008

Construction

Management

Master’s 2008

Urban Planning & Health

Management

Post-Baccalaureate

Certificate

2009

Bioinformatics Post-Baccalaureate

Certificate

2009

Health Leadership

Management

Post-Baccalaureate

Certificate

2009

Psychometrics Post-Baccalaureate

Certificate

2009

Health Records

Management

Post-Baccalaureate

Certificate

2009

Hospitality Management Master’s 2009

Industrial Computational

Mathematics

Doctorate 2009

Entrepreneurship Bachelor’s 2010

Urban Transportation Post-Baccalaureate

Certificate

2010

Professional

Accountancy

Master’s 2010

Operations Research Master’s 2011

Electrical Engineering Master’s 2011

Service and Supply

Chain Management

Bachelor’s 2012

Cyber Security Post-Baccalaureate

Certificate

2013


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Architecture and

Environmental Design to

City Planning

Master’s 2013

Architecture and

Environmental Design to

Landscape Architecture

Master’s 2013

Transportation and

Urban Infrastructure

Systems

Doctorate 2014

Advanced National

Security

Post-Baccalaureate

Certificate

2015

Sustainable Urban

Communities

Post-Baccalaureate

Certificate

2016

Urban Journalism Post-Baccalaureate

Certificate

2016

Community College

Administration and

Instruction

Master’s 2016

Public Health-

Concentration in

Executive Health

Management

Master’s 2016

Second year retention has consistently been above 70% since the fall 2010 cohort, averaging 75% over the last three cohorts, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Six-year graduation rates have been above 30% with the trend up for the last three years, 32.1%. These results provide an excellent baseline against which to measure the many new initiatives designed to increase or improve retention and graduation. All these new initiatives follow the University’s Strategic Plan, and include the university wide “50 by 25” campaign to increase six-year graduation rates to 50% by 2025 through 1) strategic advising and degree planning, 2) course redesign and faculty development, and 3) Beyond Financial Aid, initiatives designed to target support resources for at risk students.

Table 4

Morgan State University Second Year Retention Rates

Cohort Year Number in Cohort Number Retained Second Year

Retention Rate


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Fall 2007 1292 880 68.1%

Fall 2008 1431 984 68.8%

Fall 2009 1263 856 67.8%

3 Year Mean Rate 68.2%

Fall 2010 1234 900 72.9%

Fall 2011 1068 773 72.4%

Fall 2012 1017 737 72.5%


Fall 2013 886 676 76.3%

Fall 2014 1058 800 75.6%

Fall 2015 1159 843 72.7%


Table 5

Morgan State University Six Year Graduation Rates

Cohort Year Number in Cohort Number Graduated Six Year

Graduation Rate

Fall 2002 1247 405 32.5%

Fall 2003 1220 396 32.5%

Fall 2004 1336 421 31.5%


Fall 2005 764 221 28.9%

Fall 2006 1368 412 30.1%

Fall 2007 1292 449 34.8%


Fall 2008 1431 467 32.6%


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Fall 2009 1263 389 30.8%

Fall 2010 1234 405 32.8%


As evidence of the importance of culturally and socioeconomically diverse educational

environment, the President’s report to the State notes that Morgan ranks among the top

10 baccalaureate institutions awarding doctoral degrees in Engineering to African

Americans; the University is, in fact, 1st among females, 2nd among males receiving

doctorates in Engineering. Morgan graduates have received more Fulbright

scholarships to study abroad than the graduates of any other HBCU.

As it relates to the Strategic Initiative of recruiting, retaining and supporting excellent

faculty, the ASCEND grant from the NIH documents a number of initiatives including 4

grant writing workshops in 2015- 2016. The topics included familiarizing junior faculty

with federal PHS 398 and the process of grant submission, preparing a bio -sketch for

NIH, writing the aims portion of a proposal and preparing a grant budget. Mentoring

workshops to assist faculty and graduate students were held since small grants starting

in fall 2016 require faculty to involve undergraduates in their research projects. Faculty

in the School of Computer, Mathematics, and Natural Sciences are training

undergraduates in health-related research. Attendance at each workshop ranged from

15-30 faculty, staff and students as well as community partners. Six faculty pilot

research awards were given to faculty after internal/external and NIH review in January

2016 and seven are being considered for 2017.

The ASCEND grant also funds travel to conferences focused on enhancing pedagogical

skills, 8 awarded in 2015 and 12 in 2016. Funds were awarded to redesign courses to

make undergraduate health-related courses more interdisciplinary, research focused

and more appealing to students, 6 awards made in 2015 and 4 in 2016. Other

professional development opportunities through this grant included funding for a

sabbatical to sharpen health-related research skills and form partnerships with other

institutions. (road map ASCEND report no. 8 October 2014-December 2016. The

President’s Legislative Testimony notes that as a result of groundbreaking research in

the area of technology-assisted treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, a Morgan faculty

member was awarded the University’s first-ever U.S. patent for a crystallization

technique that may provide better treatment for patients suffering from deadly brain

disorders.

Culture of Assessment and Improvement

The University uses multi-level, organized and systematic assessments conducted by

faculty and administrators in order to evaluate the extent of student achievement to


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ensure educational and institutional effectiveness. Assessment results are used

continuously to improve student outcomes. The responsibilities of the various levels of

assessment related to educational effectiveness and examples of the use of

assessment results for improvement are described below.

Institutional Level

Office of Assessment: The Office of Assessment at Morgan State University supports

the strategic mission of the institution by overseeing the evaluation of student learning

on campus, facilitating the interpretation of data collected through these evaluations,

and leading the application of assessment results to decision making, continuous quality

improvement, and excellence in the student experience.

The Office of Assessment works with the University Assessment Committee (UAC), the vice presidents, the deans, faculty, students, and staff to examine the student experience at Morgan State University, to identify and focus on areas of excellence, and opportunities for improvement. This work is accomplished through multiple methods including standardized testing, an annual cycle of undergraduate and graduate program assessment, program review, surveys, course evaluations, accreditation requirements, and special assessment projects.

Office of Institutional Research: The Office of Institutional Research reports annually to the state and federal government on metrics which impact student success such as student applications, financial aid awards, degrees and certificates, and faculty and staff employment. (Dr. Rollins will supply LINKS TO MHEC AND IPEDS).

The office also reports to the state each term on enrollment, course registrations, course outcomes, credits earned, cumulative GPAs and course section information. Institutional Research staff annually reviews and analyzes these data which are used by university administrators to determine educational areas of strength and weakness. For example, analyses of predictors of student retention and graduation indicated that Pell recipients were at greater risk for not returning or not graduating. As a result, the university will focus on Pell recipient success through its Lumina Foundation Grant and OASIS initiatives sponsored by the Educational Trust through the Lumina Foundation. University progress on student success is reported through the University’s Annual Review of its Strategic Plan (Appendix C), the University Dashboard (Appendix D), and the University’s Managing for Results and Performance Accountability Reports (Appendices E and F respectively).

Institutional effectiveness is also assessed through the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The NSSE is designed and administered by the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research and obtains scores of colleges and universities nationwide about student participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development. Morgan's results, compared against other HBCUs and Universities, provide an estimate of how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending college. Comparing Morgan’s scores on the skills of writing, speaking, critical thinking, quantitative

http://nsse.indiana.edu/

http://cpr.iub.edu/index.cfm

http://cpr.iub.edu/index.cfm


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capability, using technology, overall satisfaction and would attend the university, the 2010 results show the senior scores lower than the freshman and the seniors reporting lower scores than the Maryland Higher Education Commission Peers. The difference of over half a standard deviation in satisfaction with the entire educational experience and willingness to come again to the institution, moderate effect sizes was troublesome. A reversal occurred in the 2012 NSSE data with seniors evidencing higher scores in writing, speaking, critical thinking using technology, satisfaction with the entire educational experience and willingness to start again at the institution as compared to freshmen. As compared to Carnegie Classification Peers, Morgan seniors were lower only in writing, satisfaction with the entire educational experience and willingness to start again at the same institution but the effect sizes of the differences were small. Finally, in 2015, the seniors are consistently higher than the freshmen and the seniors, compared to the Carnegie Classification Peers, are higher in writing, speaking, quantitative and critical thinking skills, all small effect sizes, but lower in overall satisfaction with the entire educational experience and lower in would start again at this institution, both small effect sizes. (We need to say what we are doing/going to do with the results.)

University Assessment Committee (UAC): The UAC meets every first Tuesday as an

entire committee with representation from each school, administrators and staff from

Student Affairs, Division of Finance and Management, Enrollment Management and

Academic Affairs. The umbrella goal of the UAC to create an environment of

empirically-based continuous improvement. At the program level, all programs are

required to submit student learning outcomes assessment plans that address 5 criteria

including mission of the program, Identification of learning outcomes, opportunities for

meeting the outcomes, assessment methods for meeting each outcome, use of results

for adjusting/improving the program. As of May 2016, 82% of the programs at the

undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels had submitted their plans for review by

members of the UAC. The remaining 18% are developing their assessment plans and

were required to submit plans by the end of September 2016.

Annual assessment reports are submitted to the University Assessment Committee for

review in January or June of each academic year. The UAC provides feedback on the

reports for the program. If required, a program develops an action plan to address

areas for improvement and implementation of the plan is monitored by the Assistant

Vice President for Assessment and members of the University Assessment Committee.

Additionally, in fall 2015, Morgan updated its Periodic Program Review Process and

allocated an annual and recurring budget for program review. Where is the

document?]see Dr. Alao for exact amount The purpose of program review is to: (1)

assure that students complete a high quality professional, graduate, or undergraduate

program in accordance with strategic goals (i.e., student success) of the university; and

(2) identify opportunities for continuous improvement of all programs in the academic

and non-academic units. Elements of quality include and are not limited to: Student

Learning Outcomes; Curricular Effectiveness/Opportunity to Achieve Outcomes;


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Technology Skills Acquired in the Program, Post-Graduation Skills and

Competitiveness; and/or Resources. Assessment at the program review level varies

across the University. Programs with national accreditation standards follow their

program review cycle (5-7 years). The Program Review cycle for programs without

external accrediting process is 5 years in accordance with the strategic planning

process.

Budget Advisory Committee (BAC): The Budget Advisory Committee is broadly

representative of the campus with strong representation from the academic

departments. This group holds budget request hearings with each vice president to

discuss their needs and performance outcomes in relation to the needs of their

respective administrative divisions and the University’s Strategic Plan. At the

conclusion of the hearings, the BAC makes budget recommendations to the University’s

President. As an example, the BAC recommended additional funding of $52, 122 for

the University CASA program for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. The CASA program is a

summer bridge program for students who do not meet the threshold for regular

admission to the University. Students in this program live on campus and take

developmental courses in English, reading, and mathematics. Students who pass the

courses with a C or better are admitted to the University for the fall semester. Over the

years, analyses have indicated that CASA students’ success is comparable to non-

CASA students (Beersingh, Perrino, C. and Haines, R.T., 2014). [and does what

when/after it meets?] [how does the work of the BAC relate to improvements in

Educational Effectiveness? Give an/some examples.]

General Education: At the University level, student learning outcomes emanate from

the four competency areas identified for the General Education program including

Written and Oral Communication, Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning, Critical

Analysis and Reasoning, and Technological Competency. Students completing their

General Education requirements are assessed in a variety of ways. Several

departments which offer General Education classes use departmental examinations to

assess student learning. For example, the Mathematics and Biology departments

develop departmental examinations. The English Department uses a departmental

rubric to assess assignments in the General Education composition courses.

Prior to 2016-2017, Writing proficiency and Speech proficiency examinations were

given. Analysis of the results of these examinations revealed that proficiency in written

and spoken English could be better met through written and oral communication across

the disciplines and level. As a result, the Writing and Speech proficiency examinations

have been eliminated, and courses which will embed written and oral communication

across the curriculum have been/are being (CHECK WITH DR. ALAO) identified. See

Barriers to Graduation report.

College/School/Institute/Division Level


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Assessment at this level is conducted under the leadership of the provost, vice

presidents or deans or directors. The college/schools prepare annual reports and

assessment reports that detail the planning and assessment initiatives within their

respective areas.

The School of Education and Urban Studies, School of Engineering, School of Business

and Management, Social Work, Architecture and Planning and Community Health and

Policy all use the data to successfully meet their national accreditation standards. For

example, the School of Social Work has used assessment results in the following ways:

1. The creation of a statistics course (SOWK 363: Social Work Statistics & Data

Analysis) which was offered for the first time this semester. This came as a result of the

assessment data collected from the Field instruments and Senior Capstone Paper that

suggested students needed increased content on conducting and understanding

statistical analysis.

2. Changing the research book for SOWK 460 (Social Work Research) to improve the

learning outcomes of students taking the Research course. Data collected showed that

students were scoring lower in this area on their Senior Capstone Paper than the

other curriculum content areas.

3. Surveys collected at the BSW Majors Meetings suggested that students wanted more

content on professional development topics. Majors Meetings now infuse content on

such topics to enhance the professional growth of students.

Departmental/Program Level

Assessment at this level is conducted under the leadership of chairpersons or directors

of academic and/or student support programs. The Annual Report Guidelines

(Appendix Standard V A) and the Annual Assessment Report Template (Appendix

Standard V B) are used to document planning and assessment activities. [how are the

assessment results at this/these level(s) used to make improvements in

educational effectiveness? Give an/some examples.]

Examples of the use of assessment results to make improvements in educational

effectiveness include the History and Geography Department has used the results of

the student learning outcomes assessment to eliminate its senior comprehensive

examination in favor of a capstone project at the senior year. The Psychology

Department has used the results of its senior comprehensive examination to make

modifications to the course content of the required major courses. From 2013-2016,

enhanced performance on the sections of the test reflected the changes in the courses.

(see Haines table for road map) The Philosophy and Religious Studies program has

used the results of student learning outcomes assessment to redesign its 100 level

course in Logic, a general education course required for graduation.


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Course/Unit Level

Assessment at this level is the responsibility of the faculty members and is embedded in

the coursework including, but not necessarily limited to, course syllabi, expected

learning outcomes, course requirements, grading policy, and/or measurement criteria.

As a result of analyses of assessment results new courses have been developed. For

example, in the INSS program: major revisions were done to the Information Systems

curriculum in 2010 as well as 2013. The 2010 changes were based on changing needs

from employers and the development of the IS 2010 curriculum guidelines jointly

developed by Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) and Association of

Information Systems (AIS) professional bodies. More coverage of Enterprise

architecture and IS Project Management was added. Three new required courses were

added to the IS curriculum: IT Project Management (INSS.496), Enterprise Information

Systems Management I (INSS.390) and Enterprise Information Systems Management II

(INSS.460).

Also, as a result of analyses of assessment results, several courses have undergone course redesign. For example, courses in Statistics (PSYC 316/317), Introduction to Computer Science (COSC 111), Meteorology (EASC 102), Introduction to Biology for Majors (BIOL 105/106), and Anatomy and Physiology (BIOL 201) have been redesigned. Additionally, faculty are expected to have each course they teach subject to Morgan’s online teacher evaluation. At the close of the evaluation period, the results are immediately available to the instructor. All faculty members at Morgan State University are expected to review their respective student performance results to inform future improvements in teaching and learning strategies. A survey of faculty teaching in Spring, 2017 revealed that traditional (tests, exams) and innovative teaching methods (capstone courses, independent research under faculty mentorship, journaling) were used with varying degrees of positive evaluation of the process and willingness to change. The most positive evaluations were provided by faculty in the School of Social Work but faculty such as this one who wrote “I compare student results between semesters to determine strengths and development needs for future courses. Ideally, for courses with multiple sections, common formative assessment results would be compared between faculty members to support organic curriculum and instructional improvement through data-driven, collaborative professional learning networks, “illustrate the thoughtful use of evaluation to effect positive course changes.

Summary

In summary, evidence presented above identifies several levels or tiers of the assessment of student learning and achievement at Morgan. The data from these assessments reveal that Morgan students have accomplished educational goals consistent with their program of study, degree level, and Morgan’s mission. Morgan provides rigorous academic curricula and challenging co-curricular opportunities to promote and facilitate the development of leadership qualities in its student body. Through collaborative academic partnerships that advance knowledge and creativity,


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our students continue to stand amongst the best and the brightest in the state and nation.

Recommendations Develop ways to better use assessment results.

STANDARD VI. PLANNING, RESOURCES, AND INSTITUTIONAL IMPROVEMENT

The institution’s planning processes, resources, and structures are aligned with each other and are sufficient to fulfill its mission and goals, to continuously assess and improve its programs and services, and to respond effectively to opportunities and challenges. Morgan State University meets this standard of accreditation. The evidence that supports this standard is found in the analysis of data and discussion of the standard’s criteria presented below. Campus mission and goals as articulated in the University’s Strategic Plan are

translated into campus-level objectives at the cabinet and executive (division) levels.

Both academic and administrative units develop goals and objectives supporting the

campus mission and campus-level objectives under the direction of their respective vice

presidents. Certain objectives that may require changes in short-term strategy, such as

those associated with enrollment management, typically are reviewed at the cabinet

level at their regularly scheduled meetings. Most objectives are revised as required by

circumstances and are reviewed annually. The extent to which units achieve their

objectives are the basis for annual personnel evaluations. The extent to which

objectives are achieved is also the basis for budget deliberations. These provide the

framework for regular assessment at cabinet meetings. Campus-level objectives

require responsible units to develop unit-level objectives as part of their strategies for

reaching their goals. These objectives typically are stated in detail and are continually

assessed at the unit level with periodic attention paid to them at the cabinet level.

While operational results often provide the best evidence of goal achievement, the

University also relies heavily on surveys of customers to provide an indication of

outcomes. The University annually carries out a global survey of student satisfaction

with some sixty activities serving students as well as numerous specialized surveys.

These are regularly reviewed by senior and unit personnel. In addition the president

regularly convenes town hall meetings as well as other forums for obtaining feedback

on campus outcomes.


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Although the Strategic Plan provides the primary framework for strategic decision-

making and key initiatives at Morgan, there are a number of other clearly documented

and communicated planning and improvement processes occurring at the University

including State-mandated planning process, planning processes of the Board of

Regents in its Standing and Special Committees, University-wide planning and

improvement processes [Facilities Master Plan, Budget Advisory Committee and the

President’s “Deep Dives” into Retention and Graduation, Campus Security, Obstacles to

Degree Completion, School of Graduate Studies], Faculty Institutes, University Council

and the Student Government Association. Actions and issues are reviewed at monthly

meetings of the President’s Cabinet within the context of the strategic plan. The results

of these planning and improvement processes have resulted in a number of changes

and improvements at the University.

In recent years, the University has developed more point-of-service assessments in

operations that affect a large number of students. One consistent theme of

performance assessments has been concern with campus services of many types. In

order to ensure a high degree of visibility for this issue, the President has developed a

number of initiatives for improving services for students, faculty, and staff.

• One is an annual global survey of student satisfaction with various aspects of

the university. Students are asked to give the campus a grade, ranging from

A thru F, for a number of specific campus operations and services.

• Another is a series of town hall meetings in which the president and his senior

staff address comments and questions posed by students, faculty, and staff.

• The President also has developed a program to provide continual process

improvement training. This program, was first established as Morgan Cares

and was required that all personnel from every division engage in customer

service training. Because of the ongoing importance of providing quality

customer service not only to students but also among and between

administrative personnel and third parties who may be engaged with the

University the President re-established the program as Morgan Cares More

which is headed by an assistant vice president. The agenda for this program

is heavily driven by the data that is the basis for a “fixit” list (see below). The

class is taught each year with required attendance by faculty, staff, and

administrators. The goal of the initiative is to draw awareness that Morgan

State University is committed to provide excellent customer service.

Based on the results of surveys, town hall meetings, and feedback from Morgan Cares,

the president develops a “fixit” list that details the highest priority concerns of campus

constituencies. This list is widely publicized and is updated as problems are solved and

others emerge. This project is monitored on a day-to-day basis by an assistant vice

president who works with the responsible offices to improve processes.


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Fiscal and human resources sufficient to support University operations

The state funds the university’s annual operating budget on the basis of increments

over the prior year’s budget. Thus, the state does not make provision for special

circumstances or changing needs at the campus. As a result, the campus continually

evaluates its needs in relation to available resources in order to ensure that its

resources appropriately support its mission and objectives through its operating budget.

The University’s budget development process is the basis for matching operational

needs with available resources. The president and senior financial personnel rely to a

significant degree on the recommendations of the Budget Advisory Committee to

identify funding priorities. That committee is a broadly representative group of campus

personnel which arrives at recommendations following presentations from divisional

vice presidents and after carrying out other analysis as necessary. Representation on

the committee changes annually to ensure that the budget development process is

informed by the diverse perspectives of the campus community. The president

determines operating budget decisions for each year after hearing the

recommendations of the committee and consulting with senior finance personnel. The

budget development schedule for FY2017 is shown below.

Tentative

Dates Action

March FY 2017 & 2018 budget request letter distributed to University VPs

April FY 2017 & 2018 budget requests due to Budget Office

April

Office of the VP for Finance & Management summarizes all budget

requests for the Budget Advisory Committee (BAC)

April VP for Finance & Management meets with BAC

May University Vice Presidents present their requests to BAC

May FY 2017 funding recommendations submitted to President

June President finalizes FY 2017 funding allocations

August

VP for Finance & Management requests Board of Regents approval

for subsequent budget year and long-term needs


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Actual revenues for fiscal year 2016 which constituted the University’s operating budget

totaled $229,599,881 including State support, tuition and fees, grants and contracts,

self-support [is this auxiliary enterprises, and other revenue. The percentage of the

operating budget from each source is reflected in figure 1 below.

Figure 1

Morgan State University Operating Budget by Percent of Revenue: FY 2016

As a public institution, a little over a third of Morgan’s operating budget is derived from

State funds. Although, the percentage of State general fund appropriations for Morgan

has declined over the past decade from _____% in fiscal year 2007 to 38% in fiscal

State Appropriations

38%

Other Revenue

2%

Grants & Contracts

21%

Tuition & Fees

25%

Auxilliary Enterprises

14%


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year 2016, the actual amount of State appropriations as reflected in figure 2 below has

actually increased from $62 million to $86 million.

Figure 2

Maryland General Fund Appropriations to Morgan: 2007 - 2017

The University’s capital budget is a longer term process than the operating budget and

is guided by the University facilities master plan through a lengthy process involving a

broad cross section of the campus as well as members of the community. The campus

capital requests that result from this process are subjected to a detailed multi-year

capital improvement plan (CIP) with each major phase of a capital project is funded by a

separate State appropriation. The University has been very successful over the past

decade in adding new facilities and renovating others. The following table is a listing of

the capital projects that have been completed since the last self-study in 2008.

Table # __ Capital Projects Completed at Morgan: 2008 - 2017

Facility Cost Purpose Year


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Organizational Structure

The University’s organization by major division of responsibilities facilitates decision

making to address its major priorities. In order to ensure that Morgan is adequately

addressing emerging needs, the University has added four administrative units to

address research and economic development, academic outreach and engagement,

enrollment management and Student support services, and international affairs. At the

same time, it has restructured the Division of Research, Planning, and Information

Technology into the Office of Information Technology (OIT). The shift in emphasis from

activity-focused to mission-focused provides the University the agility to achieve the

goals of the University’s Strategic Plan.

The current organizational structure provides a well-defined as well as a more flexible

decision making process that allows the various administrative division the opportunity

to be more nimble and innovative in pursuing specific parts of its mission and strategic

plan that are of growing importance.

• For example, the University’s emergence as a research institution has required

greater concentration on identifying potential sources of research funding,

support for proposal development, and technology commercialization. The

Division of Research & Economic Development (DRED) was created to promote

this aspect of the mission. It has developed its own mission and three year

strategic goals as aligned to the goals in the University Strategic Plan for which it

collects weekly metrics on proposal submissions and awarded grants. These are

reported at cabinet meetings and quarterly Board of Regents meetings.

• As another example, the fact that the campus is evolving as a choice for

increasing numbers of students from other countries required it to better

concentrate on their recruitment of international students and their success upon

enrollment. Hence, a division was create to address their needs as well as

related functions.

• Finally, a fundamental part of Morgan’s mission as an urban university required it

to better apply its resources to the needs of the community in which it is located

and to provide better access by Baltimore residents to its educational resources.

The reconfiguration of its organizational structure to address these specific

priorities is permitting it to improve its outcomes in these facets of its mission.

Facilities Planning


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The University is engaged in the development of a multi-year comprehensive Facilities Master Plan that focuses on the following seven:

1. Respond to the initiatives in the University’s Strategic Plan and the growth in student population;

2. Increase access to a diverse group of students relative to their academic preparation, socioeconomic background, and ethnicity;

3. Further develop, define, and improve campus connectivity and organization, including the preservation, improvement, and access to outdoor green spaces;

4. Correct the long-term deficiencies in facilities with the goal of gaining international prominence in its areas of strength;

5. Develop efficient allocation of space for all programs and create guidelines for future space assignments;

6. Address evolving academic trends, the impact of technology on academic programs, changing instructional delivery methods, the impact of online education, and the growing significance of research; and

7. Develop a sustainable plan regarding ecological impacts, economic benefits, and equal access to all available resources.

The facilities Master Plan was developed in four phases including: Phase 1: Orientation and Inventory Assessment; Phase 2: Concept Development; Phase 3: Master Plan Development including a Bicycle Master Plan, Athletics and Recreation space analysis, and Science facilities space analysis; Phase 4: The Final Report. New construction, proposed facilities renovation, as well as planned use of space, in the Facilities Master Plan are expressly designed to advance the five goals of Morgan’s Strategic Plan, namely Enhancing Student Success, Enhancing Morgan’s Status as a Doctoral Research University, Improving and Sustaining Morgan’s Infrastructure and Operational Processes, Growing Morgan’s Resources, and Growing Morgan’s Resources. A copy of the Facilities master Plan is included in the appendices. Facilities planning, design, construction, and operations are the responsibility of the

Associate Vice President of Facilities, Design, and Construction. This operation is part

of the Division of Finance and Management. Over the past ten years nearly $600M in

facilities projects have been completed.

Capital Projects are planned by the University Planner and their design and construction

are managed by the Office of Design and Construction Management (DCM). The

Physical Plant Department (PPD) is responsible for operating and maintaining the

buildings on campus

Capital Projects usually are funded by the State of Maryland through a detailed and

well-established process; these projects are typically related to academics and

administrative functions. The capital budget typically is not used to fund projects that

have the potential to generate income such as athletics facilities, housing, and parking

garages.


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State guidelines are in place to ensure that funding is provided for projects only after

they have been thoroughly vetted through a series of review processes.

• Capital Projects must have been included in the University’s Master Plan which

covers, at minimum, a 10-year period and is updated every 7-10 years. The

development of the master plan must follow the procedures identified in the

State’s Guidelines for Submission of a Facilities Master Plan and are submitted

to the State Department of Budget & Management and the Maryland Higher

Education Commission for review and approval. The projects included in a

master plan are identified following an exhaustive process of data collection and

analysis, inclusive of historical and contemporary factors, enrollment projections,

credit/contact hour analysis, faculty/staff projections based on student-faculty

ratios, interviews, site analysis, evaluation of the adequacy of existing facilities to

meet evolving pedagogical needs, etc. The participation of various university

stakeholders is important to the campus planning process, inclusive of

neighboring community when appropriate. The existing campus master plan was

developed in 2008. A process to update that plan has been underway for over a

year and is expected to be completed in late 2017.

• As an outgrowth of the Master Plan, the University annually submits a five-year

capital budget request to the state. This submission includes a thorough

description and justification of each project for which funding is being requested.

The merit of each project is evaluated by the State and when approved, funding

usually is appropriated over a 4-5 year period.

• In addition to the Master Plan, the State requires the submission and approval of

a facility program for projects that are requesting State funding. Programs must

be developed in accordance with State guidelines as outlined in the Facility

Program Manual for Capital Projects; which provides the justification for a capital

project, defines and explains the scope of work, and provides detailed

specifications for the project design.

• The State also requires that space needs for higher education be quantified

based on the State’s Higher Education Space Guidelines. The Higher Education

Manual provides guidelines for every category of space based on FICM codes

that must be used in determining the amount of space to be programmed for a

particular function in each facility program. The University normally procures the

services of a consultant to assist in the development of programs and the user(s)

is involved in every stage of the process.

Once a project is approved by the State of Maryland, DCM takes over, commencing the

design and construction process.

Selection of the design and construction management and LEED (Leadership in Energy

and Environmental Design) commissioning teams is a multi-step process. DCM will

write each RFP and organize the evaluation committee, which typically consists of


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members from DCM, the Physical Plant, The Office of Information Technology (OIT),

representatives of the users of the building and, if available, a student intern.

Procurement will advertise the project and manage the process through the award. The

teams will submit technical proposals which are evaluated and scored. Finally, the

campus sends its recommendation to the state’s Board of Public Works (BPW) for

approval (this committee consists of the Governor, Comptroller and Treasurer).

The design team is typically hired first, followed soon thereafter by the construction

management team (CM). Procuring the LEED commissioning team (which is optional)

will follow.

Once the design team is in place the Client Team will be established. The Client Team

consists of the users of the building (and if appropriate selected students) and other

university departments such as PPD, OIT, Campus Police, and any other University

department, state and/or local government agencies that may be necessary. The Client

Team will participate throughout the process at the appropriate stages.

The design process consists of the following phases:

• Pre-Design: Pre-Design consists of program verification and building concepts.

The design team will meet with the Client Team, to confirm the program, and

determine other key and influencing factors required for the project (significant

changes require the approval of the State). Program verification also tries to

include selected students at key points to solicit their input as to what is important

to them as students regarding the spaces and the building. Once it is determined

the concept can be constructed within the established budget the project will

move in the design phase. The concept design will also be presented to the

President and the community for their input. Depending on the impact of the

project to public access and utilities the concept will also be presented to local

governmental agencies to commence determining the impacts to public spaces.

• Design: The design phase consists of three components: Schematic Design,

Design Development and Construction Documents. The Client team participates

throughout the entire design process. During the different stages of the design

the project will be presented to the President. The State Design Review Board

and the City of Baltimore’s Planning Department will provide comments at

various stages. Once all are in agreement the project will then move to the

bidding phase.

• Bidding: The CM will bid out the project, typically in multiple phases and at times

before the design has been completed in order to shorten or help maintain the

project schedule. The CM will hold the contracts of the trade contractors. Each

phase that is bid, until the entire project is bid out, will require approval by the

internal review committee and BPW. DCM’s Project Manager (PM) assigned to


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the project will typically participate in the CM’s opening of the bids and scope

review sessions.

The CM will manage the construction. DCM’s project manager will typically move into

the CM’s trailer to keep track of the project, participate regularly in meetings and

observe and ask questions on behalf of the University. The Client team, as necessary,

will participate in progress meetings and decisions. The PM is typically assigned to the

project at its beginning and will stay on the project until it has been completed. Once the

building is accepted at Substantial Completion the building is now “owned” by the

University. It is then University’s responsibility and will be managed and operated by

PPD.

During construction tours are provided to the School of Architecture, Construction

Management and Engineering classes. Information on the buildings is also provided to

assist in student programs.

DCM typically hires two Morgan students as interns to work on our various projects

(these internships are for a full year and work around the student’s academic

schedules). We strongly encourage the Design and CM teams to hire Morgan Students

as interns while they have projects with the University. To date this has been very

successful.

At the end of a major project DCM will conduct what is called a “Lessons Learned”

meeting; this meeting is to discuss what when right or wrong throughout the building’s

development (design/construction). Invited are the Design Team, the CM and the Client

Team. It is made clear to the Design and CM teams these discussions are not intended

to find fault or to be used against them, but to help all of us to improve our processes. At

approximately the one- and two-year marks the Design Team typically performs a site

visit and reviews the systems to determine if they are functioning as designed (they may

write recommendations). It typically takes at least two (2) years to work all of the bugs

out of all of the systems.

Comments are solicited from the various occupants of the building and students to

determine if the buildings have met their needs. Comments are taken into consideration

for the next project.

The capital projects are audited by the State of Maryland’s Legislative Auditor

approximately once every three (3) years. Projects on occasion may be audited by our

internal and exterior auditors.

Information Technology

The strategic mission of the Office of Information Technology (OIT) is to enable,

enhance and sustain the delivery of high quality technology-based services and

systems to support the university’s mission and goals as they apply to teaching and


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learning, academic research engagement, and public service. OIT supports the

university’s network infrastructure, the people and devices connected to it, and the

software applications that run on it. The IT Strategic Plan outlines a number of goals,

strategies, and assessment methods and is aligned with the university’s mission and

goals.

Given the ubiquitous nature of technology and the university’s dependence on it, it is

imperative that OIT’s working relationship with the campus community be collaborative

in nature. These partnerships allow OIT to understand its clients and their use of IT

resources not only for decision-making purposes, but also to create buy-in and change

the usage culture. OIT collaborations stretch across various academic and

administrative units as well and external partnerships with other institutions, agencies,

and companies.

OIT has developed a Business Process Model for engaging academic units in

determining their technology needs prior to the commencement of a semester.

Additionally, proposed IT policies are presented to the Deans Council, University

Council, and the Union for review and approval prior to seeking Board of Regents

approval. Other OIT partnerships include the Office of Design & Construction to ensure

adequacy of building technology during the design stage of new construction,

Enrollment Management to optimize systems and tools, HR to assist with employee

onboarding, and more. In addition to OIT’s relationship with the Morgan community,

campus-wide announcements, webpage content, newsletters, and social media

presence have all proven to be effective ways in which OIT keeps the campus

community informed about ongoing projects, alerts, training opportunities, and IT-

related events.

OIT has deployed enterprise virtualization technologies for application and database

server farms in on-premise data centers. This progressive shift from the traditional

"bare-metal only" infrastructure computing model enables reduction of energy

consumption and an increase in operational efficiency by minimizing the number of

bare-metal hardware hosts while scaling up "virtual machines" in the server hardware

units.

The process of collecting campus-wide inventories of classroom A/V technology and

computer labs has helped strengthen OIT’s relationship with various constituents, while

providing valuable information on the state of these facilities and equipment.

Additionally, a series of consultation sessions with user groups are being conducted

with the goal of determining how IT resources are being used and how OIT can best

leverage its resources to accommodate the users’ growing/changing IT needs.

Audits


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An independent certified public accountant (CPA) Firm conducts an annual independent

audit of the University’s generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) financial

statements, confirming the financial viability of the radio station (WEAA), enrollment

reported to the Maryland Higher Education Commission, Athletics Agreed Upon

Procedures (AAUP) and the Federal A133 single audit. Since the implementation of

GASB 34/34 in FY 2002, every year, the University received an unqualified opinion from

the CPA Firm. Also, since fiscal year 2008, The University’s reserves have increased

steadily to approximately $60M from $22M in fiscal year 2005.

Also, approximately every three to four years the State Legislative Auditor performs a

compliance audit. For 2008, seventeen (17) compliance deficiencies were noted in the

Final Legislative auditor’s report versus seven (7) compliance findings for 2014, an

improvement of over 55 percent as follows:

Compliance Findings 2008 vs 2014

Compliance Findings 2008

Information Systems Security and Control *

Finding 14 – MSU’s Computer Network Was Not Adequately Secured 24

Finding 15 – Administration and Monitoring of a Critical Network 25 Device Need

Improvement

FY 2014 Finding 5 – Access, Monitoring, Password, and Account Controls Over

Critical Systems Were Not Sufficient

FY 2014 Finding 6 – The Intrusion Detection Prevention System Was Not Properly

Protecting the Network

FY 2014 Finding 7 – Malware Protection on Workstations and Servers Needs

Improvement

Strategies to measure and assess the adequacy and efficient utilization of

institutional resources

Morgan State University has initiated a continuous process for developing and

perfecting both internal and external strategies for assessing the adequacy and efficient

use of institutional resources that support the institution’s mission and goals. These

strategies include Morgan’s Board of Regents’ recent establishment of a new standing

committee, the Audit Committee, to devote particular attention to oversight of the

University’s internal controls, review of the financial statements and management's

corrective action plans in response to deficiencies cited by the auditors. The committee

also reviews and approves internal audit's long range plans and activities, monitors


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ethics and compliance with laws, and ensures fraud hotlines are maintained. Internal

strategies are those that are part of Morgan’s overall in house system for assuring that

all units within the University are expending funds in accordance with University

guidelines and strategic direction.

Chief among these internal strategies are a series of internal audits conducted by the

office of Internal Audit & Management Review (IAMR) which is responsible for an audit

process designed to assist the University in achieving its mission by evaluating and

offering recommendations to improve the effectiveness of financial accounting and

reporting, information technology, internal control, and operational and compliance

related activities. The IAMR reports on a quarterly basis to the Audit Committee of the

Board of Regents assist management in assuring the Audit Committee of the Board of

Regents, senior administrative officials as well as external parties that the University’s

financial resources are being properly managed and accounted for, and that Morgan is

complying with applicable processes and laws.

The University has two major units set-up to continuously assess campus non-

academic operations. These offices are the Office of Planning and Institutional

Effectiveness, which reports directly to the President, and the Office of Institutional

Research, which reports to the Provost. Collectively, these offices, development

surveys and other tests, collect data or store data, analyze data elements, and report

data elements in formats that strategically assist administration, faculty, and staff in

making concrete decision relative to the utilization of, and planning for, University

resources. There are many compliance and financial reports required by local, state,

and federal agencies that deal with the effective use of institutional resources. Some of

these reports are: The University Dashboard that outlines the progress towards

meeting the goals of the institution’s strategic plan, the retention & Graduation Data

Report, the Comparative Data on Degrees Awarded Report, the National Survey of

Student Engagement, the Freshman Survey, the Exit Survey, and the Follow up Survey.

Also, are surveys dealing with employee and student satisfaction.

Other internal strategies include surveys to individual units, internal audits, tests of

systems, and financial and compliance reports. External strategies may include,

external audits, surveys and feedback from external agencies that procure and received

services via the institution’s programs and units. The Office of Institutional Research

that currently reports to the Office of the Provost. This Office has completed conducts

the Freshman Survey-Designed by the Higher Education Research Institute, an Exit

Survey of graduating Morgan seniors and recent graduates to rate their satisfaction with

academic learning and support and campus-wide services, a Follow-up Survey of

Morgan graduates to assess their career and continued education endeavors, and the

National Survey of Student Engagement. A number of other survey instruments that

are used to determine the effectiveness of human and non-human resources. The

results of these survey, not only determine past progress, but they also give an

indication of future needs.


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External strategies incorporate those instruments that are required by external agencies

including, local, state, and federal government, private funding agencies, and private

Foundations. Most of these agencies have their own systems for evaluating the

effectiveness of units in expending resources according to schedule. An example is the

federal Title III Program that provides nearly $8,000,000 annually in federal funding for

various activities throughout the institution. This program has internal as well as

external assessments to determine the extent to which, the federal funds received are

being used according to the federal regulations that govern the program. These

assessments are internal by way of periodic reviews by the Title III staff via, monthly

activity reports, time and effort reports, and monthly meeting minutes. They are

external in terms of contracting with an outside independent auditor who reviews the

programs funded to determine their overall effectiveness in doing what they are

responsible for achieving and, sometimes, making recommendations for how these

programs can be more productive in utilizing federal funds to make their jobs much

more viable and successful.

The institution also receives requests from numerous external agencies that are

intended to determine how effectively the University utilizes its resources. The following

list represents a few of the reports, including, the Annual Performance Report for Title

III, the Maryland Higher Education Commission Reports, namely, Enrollment Reports,

Degree Reports, Retention Reports, Graduation Reports, Transfer Reports,

Performance and Accountability Reports, and Maryland Student Financial Support,

Reports. The External Audit Report is completed every two years and gives an overall

assessment of financial compliance with University regulations and internal and external

guidelines for use of resources.

Overall, the University has very clear processes to determine the extent, to which,

allocated resources and used in ensuring the successful achievement of the Mission

and Goals of the University.

Several periodic assessments of the effectiveness of planning, resource allocation, institutional renewal processes, and availability of resources are mandated by the State including an annual Performance Review Report, a Diversity Report, an Independent Audit, a Legislative Audit . . . The University's Audited GAAP based, annual financial statements are posted on the University’s web site and are divided into the following sections:

1. Report of Independent Public Accountants 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis 3. Financial Statements 4. Notes to the Financial Statements 5. Required Supplemental Information

SB & Company, a certified public accounting and business advisory firm, conducted the

independent audit and reported their comprehensive findings to Morgan’s President

David Wilson and the University’s Board of Regents. The SB & Company’s November


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2016 independent financial statement audit, revealed no material weaknesses,

unresolved debt covenants, fraud or abnormalities detracting from the issuance of an

unmodified opinion.

Summary and Conclusion

While there are numerous measures for judging the degree of compliance with this

standard, it is noteworthy that the campus has successfully adapted to the state’s

general unfavorable demographic trends. It has anticipated these trends, planned

accordingly, and made adjustments as required.

As shown below, the number of public high school graduates in the state has been

gradually declining, although in a few years the overall number of graduates will

increase slightly.

However, the composition of high school graduates has changed dramatically in recent

years, with a significant decline in the number of whites and an increasing proportion of

African Americans and Hispanics. On average, these latter two groups have lower

levels of pre-college academic preparation and are less affluent than the whites they are

replacing. This change in the composition of the college-age population will continue.

Morgan has long anticipated the impact of these trends on higher education enrollments

and made numerous presentations and written numerous articles on the topic to alert

state policy makers and the general public. Morgan was an exception to most

campuses and statewide officials in predicting an adverse impact on state enrollments

and in making changes to adjust to the changes taking place.

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

201

0

201

1

201

2

201

3

201

4

201

5

201

6

201

7

201

8

201

9

202

0

202

1

202

2

202

3

202

4

202

5

202

6

202

7

202

8

202

9

203

0

203

1

203

2

Projections of MD Public High School Graduates


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The statewide result of the changing demographics of the college-age population has

been a decline in freshmen entering college, a decline in full-time undergraduates, and

a decline in total enrollments. State officials have described these as unanticipated.

3,794

21,543 20,304

6,125

31,692

25,853

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

MD Public HS Grads/Completers byRace/Ethnicity

Asian African American Hispanic White

330,646

304,093

260,000

270,000

280,000

290,000

300,000

310,000

320,000

330,000

340,000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Total Maryland Higher Educational EnrollmentsxUMUC

-8%


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While Morgan’s enrollments have declined, the downturn has been at half the rate or

less of the statewide decline. This is particularly noteworthy because a relatively large

share of Morgan’s student body is financially disadvantaged and, hence, has a lower

probably of enrolling than the typical college student in the state.

Hence, if enrollments can be considered a summary indicator of the effectiveness of

institutional planning, resource allocation to support planning objectives, and

improvements required to attract students, Morgan’s ability to effectively address this

standard is affirmed.

165,608

148,853

130,000

135,000

140,000

145,000

150,000

155,000

160,000

165,000

170,000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

MD FT Undergraduate Enrollmentsx UMUC

-10%

80187689

59655739

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Morgan Enrollments

Total Full-Time Undergraduate

-4%

-4%


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Recommendation

Standard VII: Governance, Leadership and Administration

X.1 Statement of the Standard The institution is governed and administered in a manner that allows it to realize its stated mission and goals which effectively benefits the institution, the students, and other constituencies. When supported by or affiliated with other unaccredited organizations (governmental, corporate, religious, educational system), the institution has education as its primary purpose, and operates as an academic institution with appropriate autonomy. Morgan State University meets this standard of accreditation. The evidence that supports this standard is found in the analysis of data and discussion of the standard’s criteria presented below. X.2 Introduction to Governance Structure The structure of postsecondary education in the State of Maryland was established by the Higher Educational Reorganization Act of 1988, which established the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). Maryland’s postsecondary system is comprised of six segments of public senior higher education including the Maryland Association of Community Colleges, the Maryland Association of Private Colleges and Career Schools, the Maryland Independent College and University Association, Morgan State University, St. Mary’s College of Maryland (St. Mary’s), and the University System of Maryland (USM). Morgan, St. Mary’s and USM are each governed by an independent board. In 1988, Morgan was designated by the state legislature as Maryland’s public urban

http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/25ind/highered/html/43highf.html

http://mhec.maryland.gov/Documents/MHECStatePlan_2014.pdf


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university, giving the institution a specific mission to serve the state’s urban population. In May 2017, Morgan was officially re-designated as Maryland’s preeminent public urban research university. This new designation is the result of legislation, Senate Bill 1085 (see appendices), approved by the 2017 Maryland General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Larry Hogan. Consistent with this legislation, the re-designation adds to Morgan’s mission as a research university, “providing higher education and graduate study in the Baltimore area with a mission of instruction, research, and service.” Pursuant to Article 14 of the Education Article, (page 798-803). Annotated Code of Maryland, Morgan State University is a public corporation and an independent unit of State government §14–101 (2)(3) and is not included in the University System of Maryland §14–101.1. Government of the University is vested in a 15-member Board of Regents appointed by the Governor §14–102 (a)(b). As set forth in §14-104(a)(1), the Regents are responsible for the management of the University and has all the powers, rights, and privileges that go with that responsibility and may not be superseded in its authority by any other State agency or office in managing the affairs of the University §14-104(a)(2). The powers of the Board of Regents set forth in §14–104.(a)-(k) include, but are not limited to: adopting rules and regulations consistent with the laws governing and managing of the University; reviewing and/or adopting all manner of policies and procedures for the proper management of the University; preparing and submitting budgets; contracting to receive or provide services; establishing all manner of personnel standards; ( setting tuition and fees; using the receipt of fees for the purposes for which they were collected, establishing academic programs, reviewing and approving operating and capital budgets requests; and appointing a President of the University who shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the University and Chief of Staff for the Board of Regents. The Board of Regents is an active governing body with sufficient autonomy to assure institutional integrity and to fulfill its responsibilities of policy and resource development, consistent with the mission of the institution. Ample evidence exists of the BOR’s autonomy and accountability for decision-making regarding hiring, academic standards, policies, budgets, and establishing the regulatory administrative framework at Morgan. For example, since the last decennial review by MSCHE in 2008, the Regents have:

• hired a new President in 2010, Dr. David Wilson;

• revised the Board of Regents Bylaws;

• approved the award of online graduate degrees in Education (Ed.D) and (M.Ed), Electrical Engineering (MSEE), Project Management (MSPM), Business Administration (MBA), and Social Work (MSW); online undergraduate degrees in Electrical Engineering (BSEE); and online post baccalaureate certificates in Psychometrics, Project Management, and Urban Sustainable Communities;

• established an Audit Committee as the BOR’s fourth Standing Committee; and,

• established several “Special” or ad hoc BOR Committees including an Evaluation Committee, Nominations Committee, Policy Committee,

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2017RS/Statute_Web/ged/ged.pdf

http://www.morgan.edu/about/administration/board_of_regents/committees.html


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• etc., etc., The Regents have posted Board Policies and Procedures which are broad statements that have been approved by the Board on particular issues that support the purpose, principles and philosophy of the mission of the University. In summary, the establishment of a governing Board exclusively dedicated to the governance of Morgan State University has been essential to the growth and development of the university consistent with its mission. The governance structure of Morgan State University consists of its Board of Regents (BOR); the administration, led by a President and Chief Executive Officer; and the University Council. The President is the Chief Executive Officer of the University, and is appointed by the Board of Regents and serves at its discretion. The President is responsible for the administration of the University and the supervision of all of its units. The Executive Assistant to the President, the Special Assistant to the President, the Director of University Relations, the Internal Auditor, the General Counsel, the Vice Presidents and the CIO also report directly to the President. Figure 1 illustrates a short version of the University’s organizational structure (a more detailed organizational chart can be found in the appendix section)

Figure 1: Overview of University Organizational Structure Morgan State University has the same system of leadership and governance that it had 10 years ago for the last MSCHE decennial review. There is a new President (who began in 2010) and there has been some reorganization and restructuring of responsibilities within the administrative structure of the University. However, the basic structure and governance remains the same. The University’s system of governance is consistent with the MSCHE’s Standard VII. It clearly defines the roles of institutional constituencies in policy, resource development and decision-making and includes an active governing body with sufficient autonomy to assure institutional integrity consistent with the mission of the institution.

BOR

Provost and Senior VPAA

Dr. Gloria Gibson

VP International

Affairs

Dr. Joan Robinson

VP Studentl Affairs

Dr. Kevin Banks

VP of DRED

Dr. Victor McCrary

VP of EMASS

Dr. Kara Turner

CIO

Dr. Bisi Oladipupo

VP for AEO

Dr . Maurice Taylor

VP of Finance & Management

Sidney Evans

President

Gen. Counsel

University Council

Chief of Staff

Internal Audit

Govt Relations

Special Assistant

Legal Counsel to BOR

VP of Instiutional Advacement

Cheryl Y. Hitchcock

http://www.morgan.edu/office_of_the_general_counsel/board_of_regent_policies_and_procedures.html


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The conclusion of the 2008 MSCHE review was that the University’s leadership and governance organization had been effective in policy development and decision making and met the appropriate fundamental elements of leadership and governance. The overall structure remains intact, but has been strengthened with some reorganization of the University’s administrative units. The structure and the improvements/changes that have been implemented are discussed in the sections that follow. X.3 Improvements/Changes in Governance and Summary of Overall Structure

and University Leadership Over the last several years, the Management Team/administration of the University has been restructured to reflect its growth in size and complexity, to enable better management of its programs and resources as it fulfills its mission. With the adoption of the 10-year strategic plan entitled “Growing the Future and Leading the World” in 2011, the administration embarked on a restructuring plan that included the creation of nine divisions with Vice President positions including a Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA), and a Chief Information Officer (CIO) that report directly to the President. Several new divisions were created to support and ensure the successful implementation of the five goals presented in the strategic plan. The four new administrative divisions include Academic Outreach and Engagement (AOE), Enrollment Management and Student Support Services, International Affairs, and Research and Economic Development This restructuring has been exceedingly effective in managing the operations of the University and University policy development and decision-making. Three examples are shown below to prove that the creation of the new divisions is positively impacting the overall growth and progress of the university in the past six years. The office of the VPAA was restructured in order to improve the retention and graduation rates of the university. The Office of Student Success and Retention (OSSR) that is housed within the Division of Enrollment Management and Student Success (EMSASS) has worked in close collaboration with the Division of Academic Affairs and the University’s nine Colleges and Schools to provide continuous, high-quality support for undergraduate students from matriculation to graduation. Under the leadership of the OSSR, the university has achieved a first to second-year retention rate above 70% for the past 5 years (average 74%). In contrast, the average university retention rate had hovered around 67-69% for the previous decade. This gain was achieved through an aggressive and comprehensive program focused on increasing academic success and achievement through early intervention and systematic tracking of undergraduate students. One of the most recent appointments is the VP for EMSASS that has been tasked to oversee the university’s new “50 by 25” goal, which plans to increase the graduation rate to 50% by 2025. Since the university’s number one goal is “enhancing student success,” we believe that the new restructured division will identify and implement statewide and national “best practices” that are shown to improve the retention and graduation rates of underrepresented minority students.

http://www.morgan.edu/about/administration.html

http://www.morgan.edu/about/administration.html

http://www.morgan.edu/academic_outreach_and_engagement.html


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The first new unit to be created after the restructuring of the Division of Academic Affairs was the Division for Research and Economic Development (D-RED) (2013) to better facilitate and coordinate grant applications, technology commercialization and to promote faculty research that raises the profile of the University as it aspires to elevate its Carnegie Classification as a Doctoral Research University. Since its creation, D-RED has succeeded in increasing its awarded grants and contract funding by 11% since FY2013 with the total awards for the 2016 being around $32M D-RED has also succeeded in securing and managing two of the largest awards in the history of the institution: the renewal of the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research (GESTAR) contract from Universities Space Research Association and “A Student-Centered, Entrepreneurship Development (ASCEND) Training Model to Increase Diversity in the Biomedical Research Workforce" cooperative agreement from NIH. Both the GESTAR contract ($28.5M from 2011-2016; GESTAR II ~$18M from 2016-2021), and the ASCEND cooperative agreement ($24.3 M over 5 years) are significantly improving the University’s research infrastructure, and building Morgan’s national reputation as one of the Nation’s premier research HBCUs among the 10 HBCUs which have been designated as Doctoral Research Universities. The Division of Academic Outreach and Engagement (AOE) was also created after the restructuring of the Division of Academic Affairs to expand Morgan’s engagement with communities throughout the region and around the globe in order to utilize the knowledge and expertise derived from research conducted by the University’s faculty and students. The Division’s initiatives are intended as a direct implementation of the University’s Strategic Plan’s 5 goals. Among the most significant accomplishments for the Division are program initiatives in the Center for Continuing and Professional Studies (CCPS), Morgan Online, Summer Session & Special Programs, and the English as a Second Language Program. The CCPS provides scholarships for adult students through a 2011 one-million-dollar endowment from the Bernard Osher Foundation. Similarly, the Improved Opportunities for Parents (IOP) Program provides financial support for student-parents, including international student-parents, to complete bachelor’s degrees leading to employment and self-sufficiency. The accomplishments of CCPS will be used to continue to significantly impact enrollment, retention, and graduation rates of adult learners along with creating additional resources and partnerships for Morgan State University. Over the past decade, Morgan State University worked to expand its online education degree programs and courses by establishing Morgan Online. As a result, the number of online trained instructors increased from 92 to 181 and the number of online/hybrid courses increased from 157 to 250. In addition, the number of online/hybrid students increased from 1217 to 2571. Morgan now offers seven online degree programs, and three online post-baccalaureate certificates are offered in Project Management, Psychometrics, and in Urban Sustainable Communities. The Division of International Affairs was also created to better handle the rising number of international students and to promote a campus of global citizens with diverse


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backgrounds that are ready to make a lasting impact in an interdependent and global world. Morgan has now established more than 30 international relationships with universities from around the world and the campus now enrolls more than 800 international students. This division has worked very closely with the division of AOE to increase the number of international students that are enrolled in summer and winter courses. The Office of Summer Session & Special Programs has seen a 33% increase in summer school and a 69% increase in winter session course offerings (2014-16) and, congruently, it has enrolled a larger and more diverse student body (see attached graphs in the appendix section). X.3.1 Board of Regents Again, the governance of the University is vested in the Board of Regents, consisting of 15 members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. One member of the Board is a student in good academic standing at the University. Except for the student (who serves for one year), the Board members serve for a term of 6 years and until a successor is appointed. The Board has statutory authority set forth in Section 14-104 of the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland for the management of the University and has all the powers, rights, and privileges that go with that responsibility. This authority may not be superseded by any other State agency or office. The Board has the authority to adopt rules and regulations consistent with the laws governing and managing of the University. The Board has the authority to (1) review or adopt all manner of policies and procedures for the proper management of the University; (2) prepare and submit budgets; (3) contract to receive or provide services; (4) establish all manner of personnel standards; (4) fix tuition and fees, use the receipt of fees for the purposes for which they were collected, establish academic programs, review and approve operating and capital budgets requests; and (5) appoint a President of the University who shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the University and Chief of Staff for the Board of Regents. The establishment of a governing Board exclusively dedicated to the governance of Morgan State University has been essential to the growth and development of the university consistent with its mission. The structure includes an active governing body with sufficient autonomy to assure institutional integrity and to fulfill its responsibilities of policy and resource development, consistent with the mission of the institution. Ample evidence exists of the BOR’s autonomy and accountability for decision making regarding hiring, academic standards, policies, budgets, and establishing the regulatory administrative framework at Morgan. For example, since the last decennial review by MSCHE in 2008, the Regents have:

• hired a new President in 2010, Dr. David Wilson;

• revised the Board of Regents Bylaws;


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• approved the award of online graduate degrees in Education (Ed.D) and (M.Ed), Electrical Engineering (MSEE), Project Management (MSPM), Business Administration (MBA), and Social Work (MSW); online undergraduate degrees in Electrical Engineering (BSEE); and online post baccalaureate certificates in Psychometrics, Project Management, and Urban Sustainable Communities;

• established an Audit Committee as the BOR’s fourth Standing Committee;

• established several “Special” or ad hoc BOR Committees including an Evaluation Committee, Nominations Committee, Policy Committee,

The Regents have posted Board Policies and Procedures which are broad statements that have been approved by the Board on particular issues that support the purpose, principles and philosophy of the mission of the University. In summary, the establishment of a governing Board exclusively dedicated to the governance of Morgan State University has been essential to the growth and development of the university consistent with its mission. X.3.2 University Administration There are two distinct elements of the University’s Administration: the Management Team and the Academic Affairs Council. These are briefly described below: Management Team David Wilson, Ed.D., the 12th president of Morgan State University, has a long record of accomplishment and more than 30 years of experience in higher education administration. Dr. Wilson holds four academic degrees: a B.S. in political science and an M.S. in education from Tuskegee University; an Ed.M. in educational planning and administration from Harvard University and an Ed.D. in administration, planning and social policy, also from Harvard. He came to Morgan from the University of Wisconsin, where he was chancellor of both University of Wisconsin Colleges and the University of Wisconsin–Extension. Before that, he held numerous other administrative posts in academia, including: vice president for University Outreach and associate provost at Auburn University, and associate provost of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Short bios of the senior management team are provided in the appendix section. The President presides over the Management Team, which consists of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, seven Vice Presidents and other personnel reporting directly to the President. There is also an Extended Management Team, which includes its regular members, the Deans, other activity directors and the President of the Student Government Association. The Management Team also includes several Directors and Assistants to the President who manage Government Relations, Public Relations & Communications, and Internal Audit & Management

http://www.morgan.edu/office_of_the_general_counsel/board_of_regent_policies_and_procedures.html


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Review, as well as the General Counsel. These Teams meet regularly (at least twice a month). More specifically, there are nine University Divisions: Academic Affairs, Academic Outreach & Engagement, Finance & Management, Institutional Advancement, International Affairs, Planning & Information Technology, Research & Economic Development, Student Affairs, and the newly created Enrollment Management & Student Academic Support Services. With the exception of Planning & Information Technology which is led by the University’s Chief Information Officer, the other eight Divisions are each headed by a Vice President of the University. Academic Deans manage the 10 individual Schools and College of the University. These include the following: College of Liberal Arts, School of Architecture & Planning, School of Business & Management, School of Community Health & Policy, School of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, School of Education and Urban Studies, School of Engineering, School of Global Journalism & Communication, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Social Work. Together the President, Vice Presidents, Directors, General Counsel, a Chief of Staff, and Academic Deans manage the day-to-day operations as well as plan for the long-term future of the University through a traditional top-down line management approach. The University Council (described further in Section X.3.3) as stipulated in its Board of Regents approved bylaws also has a formal consultative relationship with the President. The Academic Affairs Council In addition to the overall strategy for the University, the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs presides over the Academic Affairs Council, which is composed of the college/school/institute deans and directors. The Council meets regularly (at least one a month) to discuss academic issues. In 2007, Morgan State University was classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a doctoral research institution. The Academic Affairs Council has the important responsibility of ensuring that the University maintains high quality educational programs at the doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate levels for the broad range of academic programs offered at the University. Along with the academic deans and directors, the Division of Academic Affairs administers existing programs, revises and reviews those programs, and develops new ones, including the development of on-line courses, as well as a number of new initiatives such as the Faculty Mentoring Program; the Foundation of Excellence and the BRAC initiative. Further, as a means of strengthening existing programs, a uniform assessment program has been developed and implemented in all educational offerings. X.3.3 University Council


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In 1975, the Maryland legislature granted Morgan university status with the authority to award doctorates and reestablished a singular governing Board of Regents. In 1986, the Board directed the President to develop a system of internal governance that promoted broader participation of the various constituencies of the University. That structure was expected to: (1) reflect the institution’s development from a liberal arts college into a comprehensive university, with five distinct colleges and schools, (2) establish the primacy of the role of the departments and colleges/schools/institute in matters of curriculum; appointment, promotion and tenure; and other academic matters, and (3) improve internal relations and communications within the University. After an extensive period of review and considerations of models of University governance by faculty, students, classified employees and professional administrative staff, a governance structure was recommended to the Board of Regents and on November 19, 1987, the Board of Regents approved the establishment of the University Council and its Constitution and Bylaws. In 1991, the Board assessed the effectiveness of the University Council and determined that it had evolved into an effective forum for faculty, students, professional and classified employees to have input into the overall operation and governance of the University. On August 21, 1991, the Board issued a “Resolution on University Governance” affirming that it strongly believed that the University Council system of internal governance was appropriate and effective, based on the organizational structure and overall status of the University. During that period of assessment, the Board considered a proposal by a small group of faculty to establish a separate faculty organization (described as a faculty assembly or faculty senate) and determined there was no compelling need for such a body, since the University Council structure provides faculty with a 2/3 majority vote and also assures a participatory governance structure. The University Council consists of voting and non-voting members selected in accordance with the criteria specified in the Bylaws (See “University Council Bylaws” document in the appendix section). The non-voting ex-officio members consist of the President, all the VPs and Deans. There are voting members that consist of three faculty members from each school or college that are elected for a two year term, five members of the university's “Professional Administrative Staff” that are elected for a two year term, two members of the university's “Classified Employees” that are elected for a one year term and three students that are elected for a one year term. One of the students is always the President of the Student Government Association (SGA), and the second is a graduate student. The bylaws also indicate that other than an ex-officio member, “no person shall serve more than two consecutive terms as an elected member of the University Council.” The executive committee of the University Council consists of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and 6 sub-committee chairs. The University Council sub-committees are: Academic & Student Affairs Committee (ASAC), Budget & Finance Committee (BFC), Technology & Communication Infrastructure Committee (TCIC), University Professional Welfare Committee (UPWC), Physical Plant Committee (PPC), and Athletics Committee (AC). The university council meets twice per semester during the university hour

http://www.morgan.edu/unversitycouncil

http://www.morgan.edu/unversitycouncil

http://www.morgan.edu/Documents/ADMINISTRATION/univcouncil/constbylaws.pdf


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(Thursdays from 11am until 1pm) to assure that there is maximum participation from its members. The University Council is responsible for reviewing proposed policies and advising the President concerning those policies. The University Council may also, on its own initiative, make recommendations to the President for the President's and the Board of Regent's consideration with respect to any matter of University-wide significance and impact. The University Council Constitution/By-Laws establishes the Morgan State University Council as a campus-wide governance structure involving the administration, faculty, professional administrative staff, classified employees, and student body in the ongoing operation of the University. The constitution and by-laws provide the faculty with two-thirds (2/3) majority representation on the University Council, with representation from each college/school/institute and the faculty-at-large. The University Council has had a very good working relationship with the administration during the past 6 years because they both agree and believe in the importance of shared governance. The University Council has worked very closely with the administration to submit names and place faculty and staff members on various important search committees and campus wide task forces. Members of the UC participated on search committees of several senior administration positions including Provost and VPAA, CIO, VP of Finance, and Deans. The 5 committees and additional ad-hoc sub-committees of the University Council have also tackled important “projects” such as: the re-distribution of a percentage of the Indirect Cost funds (IDC) back to faculty members, raised the issue of pay compression across the different schools, provided feedback on the smoke free campus policy proposal, and made recommendations on how to improve the current Tenure and Promotion Policy (T&P). Some of the recommendations of the UC get implemented in the same calendar year, while others take several years before they are fully executed. The University Council introduced an online collaboration and discussion forum using the Blackboard learning management software in 2013 to facilitate more cooperation and collaboration from all members of the university community. The new online discussion forum has increased participation from faculty and staff who are not voting members of the University Council by allowing them to easily submit their comments and suggestions to the work being conducted by the different sub-committees. The University Council is also pleased that the administration has created a “Budget Advisory Committee (BAC)” that seeks input from various constituents of the university before making difficult decisions how to allocate limited resources among the different divisions of the institution. The University Council has at least two members that seat on the BAC and give recommendations to the VP of Finance and Management. X.3.4 Student Government Association The Student Government Association (SGA) constitutes the third aspect of shared governance at Morgan State. It is a vital force in the lives of all members of the University community. The University encourages students to appreciate the privileges of and to assume the responsibilities for self-government. The activities and responsibilities of the Student Government Association are substantively designed and

http://www.morgan.edu/hr

http://www.morgan.edu/Documents/ADMINISTRATION/OFFICES/HR/Smoke-Free%20Policy%20_3.24.15.pdf

http://www.morgan.edu/sga


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operated as real life experiences for training students to function effectively; and to take responsibility while navigating through life. The most recent accomplishments of the SGA span the fiscal, political, social and academic lives of Morgan State students. X.4 Assessment of Effectiveness of Governance, Leadership, and Administration The senior administrators of the Management Team and the Academic Affairs Council hold regular meetings to discuss, set, and coordinate communication of strategic decisions to all levels of the University as it relates to the goals of the University’s strategic plan Through these meetings, along with meetings between the President and the Board of Regents, accountability is maintained. Figure 2 shows a continuous university wide assessment process that is conducted on a yearly basis. One of the main concerns of the administration has been the improvement of the overall customer service delivery to the students enrolled in the institution because the number one goal in its 10-year strategic plan is to “Enhance Student Success.” After holding several town hall meetings in 2011 and 2012, with all members of the university, the administration implemented a “360 degree multi-rater performance evaluation policy” in 2013/14 in order to better evaluate and improve the delivery of service at all levels of the university. Every employee of the university, faculty, staff, and administration (including the President) was required to attend a half-day “Morgan Cares” training geared to show the participants how to properly hear the concerns of the students and provide them with the best possible service. The training sessions and subsequent quality improvement steps taken by the administration have significantly improved the delivery of service in the offices of admission, financial aid, housing, student dining services, etc. The administration constantly monitors the delivery of effective costumer service in its various divisions and organizes additional training sessions if necessary. The Office of the Assistant Vice President for Assessment located within the division of Academic Affairs, came about as a result of one of the outcomes of the last Middle States Accreditation review in 2008. This office works with the University Assessment Committee (UAC), the vice presidents, the deans, faculty, students to support the strategic initiatives of the university by directing the implementation of the “Comprehensive Assessment Plan” and the “General Education Program.” The office of assessment uses a cloud-based, Outcome Assessment System for the Academic and Non-Academic units called Searchlight. The Searchlight software has increased the efficiency of the collection, analysis, and distribution of data because it automates elements of Institutional Assessment, Outcome Assessment, and Re-Accreditation processes campus-wide. Some of the methods used to accomplish its goals are but not limited to: standardized testing, an annual cycle of undergraduate and graduate program assessment, program review, surveys, course evaluations, accreditation requirements, and special assessment projects. It also works with other University Divisions to collect, analyze, report on and use data related to institutional effectiveness,

http://www.dreamteammsu.com/dreamteam-updates.html


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accreditation; student success, satisfaction and retention; and campus performance against key benchmark indicators. Some of the priorities of the office of assessment are improving overall student learning outcomes (SLO), overseeing the implementation of the Morgan general education program called Creating Opportunity to Reach Excellence, or C.O.R.E; help departments prepare for internal review cycles every 5 years, and assure that external review cycles of programs with external accrediting processes are aligned with their professional association's standards (5-7 years). One of the accreditation mandates for individual colleges/schools is the ability of the colleges/schools to have a voice in governance. The organizational structure of the university is designed so that leaders at all levels have autonomy and responsibility to develop, implement, monitor and report upon activities in their units. Governance is monitored through the extensive reporting system at all levels of the university. Each school and the College of Liberal Arts have to submit a comprehensive self-study documentation in order to meet the standards and requirements of the various external accreditation agencies. Accreditation visits for each school are conducted every three to six years depending the requirements of the accrediting agency. The Office of Assessment also prepares and conducts assessment surveys for all face to face and online courses at the end of each semester. Once the surveys are completed by the students, the results are forwarded to the Deans of each school, the Chairs of each department, and finally to each individual instructor. If there are any courses that show unusually high levels of negative assessment by the students, the department Chairs will contact the instructors and discuss ways to improve the course delivery the following semester. Faculty are encouraged to review the evaluation reports of their courses and plan for any improvements for the following semester. Faculty members with positive course evaluation reports can use the results in their promotion and tenure application to show their effectiveness in teaching. The Office of Assessment facilitates the collection of Individual Annual Report (IAR) in the spring of each year (due in April) for the members of the faculty and administrators so that they can list their professional activities and accomplishments during the academic year and show that they are in accordance with the university’s mission of teaching, research and service to the community at large. The assessment of faculty and staff in the division of academic affairs is also not a one-way process. Faculty members also get the chance to evaluate their department chairpersons and Deans once per year. The main concern voiced by faculty members is that they do not know what happens to the results of these evaluations once they are submitted to the VPAA’s office and how they are used to improve the performance of the department chairpersons and Deans. Sample evaluation forms are shown in the appendix section. The university uses results of the annual reports to improve the delivery of service by both academic and non-academic units and programs, and for adjusting the goals for the next reporting cycle(s). In conclusion, the annual report process that is conducted at each level of the university is designed to illustrate the connection between division and


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unit level strategic planning process; and to align the planning and resource allocations decisions.

Figure 2: Continuous university wide assessment process X.5 Standard VII Conclusion and Recommendations The University has a clear and well-established structure, administrative leadership, and lines of authority. The leadership structure follows traditional top-down line management principles, but it includes transparency in its governance structure and open lines of communication between senior administrators, deans, department heads, faculty, staff, and students. The roles and responsibilities of the President and Vice Presidents/Senior Leadership positions are well articulated and clearly delineated to allow effective day-to-day operations of the University. Overseeing the overall leadership and well-being of the University is the long-standing University Board of Regents. The Board provides effective oversight of the President/Senior Leadership and ensures that the goals of the University are being met through the policies and strategies being implemented by the Senior Leadership. Annual reviews are conducted for all University leaders, administrators, faculty, and staff to ensure the effectiveness of

Students Assess Faculty, Programs, and

Institutional Effectiveness

Senior Faculty Assess Junior

Faculty

Chairs Assess Faculty and

Students

Deans Assess Chairs and Associated

Deans

Provost Assesses

Deans, Chairs, Faculty

President Assesses

Provost and Vice Presidents

Board of Regents (BOR)

Assess President

IHE Community

Assess the BOR

We are ALL

Accountable

to each other !


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governance and leadership. When necessary, adjustments are made in the spirit of continuous improvement. Therefore, the University is in complete compliance with Standard VII. With this said, however, the following recommendations also emerged as areas needed for improvement at the conclusion:

• A greater decentralization of decision-making authority of administration in areas such as budget and hiring would further develop the shared-governance culture on the campus

• More transparency on the impact of the end-of-the-year evaluations of all administration, faculty and staff in order to further improve the efficacy of all units

• More tangible incentives for faculty research as part of the fulfillment of the university’s mission and strategic plan inclusive of the possible creation of a Center for Excellence in Research

APPENDICES

1. Morgan State University – Designation as the State’s Preeminent Public Urban Research Institution University

2. Table 4. Inventory of Required Learning Experiences by School/Colleges,

Internships, Research Opportunities

3. Inventory of Surveys and Studies of the Office of Institutional Research Morgan State University


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4. General Education Student Learning Outcomes


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Table 4

Inventory of Required Learning Experiences by School/Colleges, Internships, Research Opportunities

Experiential Learning (Internship, Field Placement, Practicum, Clinicals, etc…)

Capstone Research

Earl G. Graves School of Business & Management

ACCT 497:ACCOUNTING INTERNSHIP/ COOPERATIVE EDUCATION

BUAD 486:INTERNSHIP AND FIELD EXPERIENCE

FIN 497:FINANCE INTERNSHIP/COOPERATIVE EDUCATION

INSS 495: INTERNSHIP IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS

School of Computer, Mathematical & Natural Sciences

BIOL 498: SENIOR INTERNSHIP BIOL 499: SENIOR RESEARCH OR TEACHING/ TUTORIAL ASSISTANTSHIP

MDTC 422: CLINICAL PRACTICE: HEMATOLOGY/MICROSCOPY

MDTC 432: CLINICAL PRACTICE:TRANSFUSION MEDICINE/BLOOD BANK

MDTC 441: CLINICAL PRACTICE: MICROBIOLOGY


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PHYS 498: SENIOR INTERNSHIP

School of Engineering

TRSS 499: Senior Transportation Project*

CEGR 492:SENIOR REVIEW AND PROJECT PROP

TRSS 497: Senior Transportation Seminar*

CEGR 493:SENIOR PROJECT

EEGR 490:SENIOR DESIGN PROJECT

EEGR 491: SENIOR DESIGN PROJECT II

IEGR 496: SENIOR DESIGN I

IEGR 498: SENIOR DESIGN II

School of Architecture & Planning

ARCH 498: ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN INTERNSHIP

CMGT 498: CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT INTERNSHIP

School of Community Health & Policy

NUSC 466: FOOD AND NUTRITION FIELD EXPERIENCE

NURS 454: TRANSITION INTO PROFESSIONAL NURSING

NUSC 480: RESEARCH METHODS

School of Social Work

SOWK 432: FIELD EDUCATION AND LAB I

SOWK 436: SENIOR SEMINAR

SOWK 460: SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH

SOWK 433: FIELD EDUCATION AND II

Experiential Learning (Internship, Field Placement, Practicum, Clinicals, etc…)

Capstone Research

School of Education & Urban Studies

EDUC 488: STUDENT TEACHING—DUAL EXPERIENCE

SCED 490: OBSERVATION AND STUDENT TEACHING IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

FACS 421: EXIT SEMINAR IN FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES

EDUC 489: PHASE II – STUDENT TEACHING SEMINAR

ELED 487: STUDENT TEACHING IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

FACS 472 FASHION MERCHANDISING PRACTICUM

HEED 450: PRACTICUM: FIELD WORK IN HEALTH

RECR 470: PRACTICUM: FIELD


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WORK EXPERIENCE

College of Liberal Arts

GENL 396: SERVICE LEARNING I*

POSC 450: SENIOR SEMINAR IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

ECON 493: BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH

GENL 496: SERVICE LEARNING II*

ENGL 488: SENIOR HONORS THESIS I

THEA 450: SENIOR PRACTICUM

PHIL 490: SEMINAR I: PHILOSOPHICAL READING AND WRITING

PHIL 491: SEMINAR II

PSYC 487: SENIOR THESIS I

SOCI 380: METHODS OF SOCIAL RESEARCH

SOCI 453: INDEPENDENT STUDY

School of Global Journalism & Communication

COMM 497: Senior Media Experience

* Offered as an option Based on October Survey Responses & 2015-16 University Catalog

Inventory of Surveys and Studies of

the Office of Institutional Research Morgan State University

Prepared by

Dr. Aurora T. Garcia, Office of Institutional Research

1. Sixteen-Year Enrollment Trends of Morgan State University from 2000 to 2015

2. Sophomore Retention Rates (up to 2014)

3. Junior Retention Rates From Cohort 2000-2002 to Cohort 2013-2015 4.

4. Graduation Rates From Cohort 2000-2006 to Cohort 2009-2015

5. Number of Degrees Awarded by Morgan State University from 2000 to 2015

6. Support Programs, Services and Activities of the School of Engineering

7. The Impact of Financial Aid on Graduation: A Preliminary Study, June 2015

8. The Impact of Adjunct Faculty on Second Year Retention, April 2016


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9. The Use of Clickers in Engagement-Based Learning: Test Scores and Student

Engagement in Pre-College Math and Pre-College English: A True Experimental

Design

10. A Report on the an experiment in the use of integrated approach in teaching

Reading, Writing and History, June 2016, Project of CASA and the English

Department, Experimental Design

11. A Report on the Names of Historic Places at Morgan State University May 2016.

12. Exit Survey of the Graduating Students in December 2014

13. Exit Survey of the Graduating Students in May 2015

14. Exit Survey of the Graduating Students in December 2015

15. Recommendation on the Analysis of Workload Reports for the College of Liberal

Arts, October 2015

16. Six-Year Graduation Rates Morgan State University from Cohort 2000-2006 to

2009-2015 July 2015

17. Annual Student Satisfaction Survey with Office of Institutional Effectiveness

18. Class of 2015 Follow-up Survey

19. Spring 2016 Employer Survey

20. Annual Maryland Higher Education Commission Performance Accountability

Report (with Office of Assessment, and Division of Finance and Management)

21. Annual Access and Success Report for the Maryland Higher Education

Commission (with Office of Student Success and Retention, Center for Academic

Success and Achievement, School of Engineering)

22. Maryland Higher Education Commission Data Collection

23. Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System Collection

24. Annual U.S. News and World Report Survey

25. Morgan State University Dashboard (with Office of Institutional Effectiveness)


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General Education Student Learning Outcomes

Written and Oral Communication:

As stated in the Morgan State University General Education Outcomes, students will

demonstrate competency in Written and Oral Communication when they are able “to

read and listen with understanding and express themselves effectively in written and

spoken Standard English.” The standardized syllabus for English 101, the foundation of

Morgan’s Written and Oral Communication sequence (English 101, English 102,

Humanities 201, Humanities 202, and the Writing Proficiency Exam), states that upon

completion of the sequence, students will be able:

• to discuss, write about and present on complex topics;

• to apply the writing process to general education and major courses;

• to develop and disseminate their ideas through Written and Oral Communication;

• to demonstrate proficiency in grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and sentence

structure;

• to argue logically and with supporting evidence;

• to maintain a unified focus throughout an essay, speech, or presentation.

Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning:

A second core competency in Morgan’s general education curriculum is Scientific and

Quantitative Reasoning. As a doctoral research institution with an emphasis in the

mission on the STEM disciplines, Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning is a core

competency of particular focus and importance. Upon achieving proficiency on this

competency, students will be able:

• To solve mathematical and computational problems;

• To demonstrate knowledge of problem-solving methods and of the historical

development, present-day applications and cross-disciplinary connections of

mathematics and information structures;

• To demonstrate integrated knowledge of problem-solving techniques in the basic

concepts and principles of the biological and physical sciences, of the history and

philosophy of science, and of ecological, personal and social issues related to the

sciences.

Critical Analysis and Reasoning:

A third core competency in Morgan’s general education curriculum is Critical Analysis

and Reasoning. Critical Analysis and Reasoning is an essential skill identified in


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Standard 12 of the Middle States’ accreditation process and one of four core

competencies related to general education outcomes for the Maryland Higher Education

Commission. Although there are as many definitions of critical thinking as there are

institutions of higher education, students demonstrating Critical Analysis and Reasoning

at Morgan will be able:

• To integrate and apply facts, understanding, and experience to unique situations

and circumstances

• To apply knowledge and information to informed decision making

• To think critically and analytically;

• To gather information through research and use of the library and report that

information responsibly;

• To demonstrate integrated knowledge of problem-solving techniques in the basic

concepts and principles of the biological and physical sciences, of the history and

philosophy of science, and of ecological, personal and social issues related to the

sciences.

Technological Competency

A fourth core competency at Morgan is Technology Skills and Information Literacy. After completing the general education requirement in Computer Literacy, students will be able to describe the organization and characteristics of a computer and to explain the existence and use of computers in everyday life experiences, while applying this knowledge to utilize computers in their professional and personal lives. Students will also be able to gather information using a computer and the library for research and to report that information

So here is the total list of the Preparing Future Faculty Fellows from Morgan State since 2009.

Godfrey Vincent (History) 2009-2010

Gwinyai Muzorewa (History) 2010-2011

Marcus Allen (History) 2011-2012; 2012-2013

Barbara Franklin (Math Education) 2012-2013; 2013-2014;

Lynn Washington (postdoctoral, English) 2013-2014


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Barbara Franklin (postdoctoral Math Education) 2015-2016

Bridgette Robinson (History) 2015-2016; 2016-2017

Barbara Franklin (Math & Stats one-year full time instructional position) 2017-2018

Zaakira Din (History) 2017-2018