Director:  Judith Termini
IK Jordan Student Academic Center (JSAC)  1220

TTY: 202-448-7030
Voice: 202-448-7030

In February 2008, the Gallaudet University Community completed an 18-month national self-study entitled "Foundations of Excellence."

The Foundations of Excellence Program is a comprehensive, evidence based, self-study and improvement process. It enhances an institution's ability to align its goals and action plans for student learning, success, and persistence in a liberal education curriculum. The centerpiece is a model for first-year excellence comprised of a set of principles, termed Foundational Dimensions® that have been developed in collaboration with more than 300 institutions. These dimensions provide an aspirational model that has implications for all facets of the university, and affects all initiatives from initial contact with potential students through admissions, orientation, and all first-year curricular and co-curricular experiences. More than 100 faculty, staff, students and administrators directly participated in the Foundations of Excellence Project at Gallaudet University beginning in November of 2006, to address three primary goals:

1. Substantially improve the quality of experience of students at Gallaudet.
2. Prepare students for a positive Liberal Education learning experience.
3. Involve a cross-representation of faculty, staff, students and administrators to address the Foundation of Excellence dimensions, make recommendations for improvement, and begin the process of implementing those recommendations.

While many recommendations were made by more than one dimension team, recommendations have been placed under the most relevant dimension. A review of all recommendations revealed six pervasive themes. To date, addressing these themes has resulted in significant changes and improvements related to all dimensions. Salient accomplishments are listed under each of the six themes.

1. Be explicit in our first-year programming through intentional articulation, design and implementation of philosophy, goals, outcomes, policies and practices for all first-year initiatives.
   • Gallaudet has revised its mission statement.
   • The FOE process has resulted in the development of a clearly articulated philosophy statement.
   • Units across campus are redefining their goals and outcomes in light of the new mission and philosophy statements.
   • The creation of the Enrollment Management and General Studies unit headed by an interim dean oversees policies and procedures affecting students.
2. Develop a campus-wide understanding of the needs of first-year students and provide structure and staffing that supports such an approach.
   • The creation of the Enrollment Management & General Studies unit provides the structure for addressing the needs of first-year students from the time of their initial inquiry through their progress in the General Studies program.
   • The change in the General Studies Requirements from 60 credit hours to 40 credit hours and the emphasis on integrated courses to fulfill those 40 hours enables first-year students to more rapidly matriculate into major programs.
   • The creation of a Director of Student Success enables early intervention with students from underrepresented populations.
   • National benchmarking assessments have increased importance in the determination of policies and procedures affecting first-year students.
3. Structure faculty and staff development opportunities that reinforce best practices in teaching, learning and student engagement.
   • The University has appointed a Director of Faculty Development who works closely with the Director of General Studies to provide multiple opportunities for improving teaching, learning and student engagement.
   • Several nationally recognized experts in the field of student-centered teaching and learning have been brought to campus to work with faculty and staff.
4. Identify the most engaging faculty and staff, and support and reward those who work with these students.
   • The process of redesigning the General Studies Requirements, developing integrated courses and preparing syllabi has highlighted which faculty and staff members are most engaged with students and committed to student-centered teaching and learning. That cadre of faculty and staff taught the fall semester GSR courses and identified like-minded individuals to join the teaching/learning process with first-year students and beyond.
   • The cadre of faculty and staff working with those students meet weekly as a group to discuss challenges, share insights and accomplishments, and make recommendations for improvement.
5. Become a data-driven, assessment-based institution that uses evidence for continuous improvement and decisions for admissions, placement and progress.
   • Gallaudet has appointed an Executive Director of Assessment to lead and coordinate assessment activities across campus. The assessment unit has developed a comprehensive assessment plan and rubrics for assessment applicable to every program level.
   • Likewise, Gallaudet has appointed a Director of Institutional Research to lead and coordinate data generation, collection and distribution of information related to the University's success in achieving its Mission.
6. Instill in all members of the community that policies and procedures supporting high expectations, academic rigor, and integrity must be supported daily in all aspects of our work.
   • Gallaudet has raised admission standards for entering students. Data is being collected to determine the effect of raised standards on the recruitment and retention of students.
   • Beginning in the General Studies Requirement curriculum, clear expectations have been articulated regarding the level of academic rigor that must be articulated for any course to receive approval from the Council on Undergraduate Education.