STANDARD 3:


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The Institution Holds, or Provides Access to, Information Resources Deemed Sufficient in Scope, Quality, Currency, and Kind to Support Academic Offerings and the Scholarship to its Members.

    • 36 y 3.7 Upon heeding the recommendations set forth by the WASC Team (MR1 and MR12) and acknowledging that the library is an area of great importance in the teaching-learning process, CETYS University has initiated a process for the reorientation of the library function. The Library Development Strategic Plan was prepared, with an emphasis on human resources, bibliographic resources to support the academic programs (59), and on purchasing computer equipment and software to encourage the use of information technologies in libraries as well as access to information banks and networks, also considering the universities with which CETYS holds agreements at an institutional level.

The educational services director and library personnel from the three campuses participated in drafting the development plan, also with the advice of Dr. Susan Parker, Director and UCLA library top financial authority. On September 19 and 20, 2007, Dr. Parker visited the library facilities at the three campuses, and on October 15 she prepared the first feedback report and recommendations for the development report. On October 22, 2007, a telephone conference between personnel from the CETYS library and Dr. Parker took place, and Dr. Parker reviewed the Ensenada library construction project (new library facilities in Ensenada). An analysis of the current situation has been prepared by considering the standards of the ALA (American Libraries Association) and the CONPAB (Mexico). Under the responsibility of the Academic Vice-presidency, the library personnel continued to work on the development of a strategic plan and on the construction project of the new library facilities in Ensenada with the support of Dr. Parker. This library strategic plan was concluded in November of 2007. (60) Regarding the operational aspects of the libraries at the campuses, matters are still in a transition phase in order to redefine responsibilities, both of the campus Directors, as well as of the library Directors, with a focus on meeting the objectives of the strategic library plan.
Related to the aforementioned, another activity that is carried out is personnel training, which is one of the main components of the library development plan. During the present year, the following events have been attended:

    • CETYS University System Second Interlibrary Meeting, which took place on Friday July 20, 2007 in the city of Ensenada.
    • Attendance at the course “Alfabetización Informacional” (Informational Literacy): A basic course for librarians”, taught by Gabriela Sonntag from the California State University-San Marcos library, on October 3, 4 and 5 of 2007, with a 20 hour duration.
    • Attendance at the “Segunda Jornada Bibliotecológica de Baja California”, organized by the Baja California Librarian Association, which took place on October 29.
    • A visit to the San Diego State University library was carried out on November 9 of 2007, as part of the Sister Libraries Agreement program.
    • It is expected that one of the library directors will begin a Master’s Program specializing in library issues in February of 2008.

The main components of the library development plan are:

  • Collections and Access
  • Information Literacy
  • Staff
  • Space and Facilities
  • Technology
  • Services
  • Leadership
  • Collaboration and Outreach
  • Outcome Assessment  

Even though the financial resources for the changes required in the library have not been quantified, the budget was increased during the second semester of 2007. It is recognized that the challenge faced in developing the library is great and important and that is why the institution is aligning its efforts for the fulfillment of this goal.
The Library investment carried out by CETYS System for year 2007 is presented in evidence #59-B. Specified in this evidence are the investments per campus and where the funding sources to cover such needs will be obtained. The increase of this budget complies with the MR1 of Team WASC: “the university needs to substantially invest in its information resources”. We will continue to work on the library strategic development plan, with a special emphasis on graduate programs.
The use of Information technologies has played a very important role in achieving learning outcomes. One of the most important technological tools that currently being used is the Blackboard platform, which has been systematically used for the last three years. During the January-June 2007 semester, it was used in 47% of the total courses that were offered in undergraduate programs in the Mexicali and Tijuana campuses. In these courses the instructors used Blackboard tools as follows: Announcements 41%; Course Information 43%; Teacher Information 26%; Course Documents 49%; Assignments 30%; Discussion Board 28%; External links 15%; and Online Tests 11%.
During the August–December semester of 2007, 5 online courses were offered; Blackboard was the online delivery tool for these courses. (Statistics of the 5 courses BB) (61).
Nevertheless, there are opportunities for improvement in the use of Blackboard. Training courses exist, but there is no mechanism to ensure instructor attendance at such courses. Required attendance would result in an increase in the number of courses using this platform, and also an increase in the use of its various elements.
Another tool used by instructors are the databases and the academic supplementary resources available on the Internet, since this not only allows them to have access to current information, but also develops the ability to search and select information by students. (database use) (38).
The need for information systems that provide support to the academic administration that will provide better support to school directors, program coordinators, and instructors overall has been identified. For this reason, the following projects are in a development phase:
Electronic Portfolio, which will allow follow-up on student assignments and learning outcomes.
The academic information Web Site, which is divided in to:
* Academic indicators, which is an Executive Information System that will allow the academic directors to have timely access to the various academic aspects, such as terminal efficiency, full-time instructor coverage and instructor performance.
* Reports for Academic Directors on student academic progress.
* Information on regulations, policies and general statistics.
CETYS University has sought the advice of external experts, such as in the case of the electronic portfolio, in which we have received support from Dr. Paul Kim (Stanford University) (18) who visited us twice during 2007. Dr. Kim provided us with advice on the initial implementation of our e-portfolio and made some recommendations on improvements we have to perform on our information technologies at an institutional level. Dr. Kim is the Director of Information Technologies in the School of Education at Stanford University. We are confident that with his support we will be able to satisfactorily comply with the recommendations set forth by the WASC Team on information technologies and evidence of student learning outcomes.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES AND DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES
(CFR’s: 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11)
The Institution has an Organization Chart that Clearly Depicts Positions, Associated Responsibilities, and Lines of Authority.

    • CETYS University has been experiencing a series of additional changes in its academic organizational scheme with the purpose of responding to the new national and international trends in education and its improvement. Until December of 2006, the academic area in the CETYS University System was the sole responsibility of the Education Direction and the Campus Directions, the same group that established all of the academic policies of the institution. This group established the foundations for the creation of new programs, evaluation systems, and professoriate compensation, the modification or updating of curricula, the hiring of instructors, setting their salaries, the definition of academic loads of faculty members, alumni degree requirements, among others.  Academic decision making was highly centralized. The Presidency and its staff Directors established all policies.

As of January of 2007, with the appointment of the Academic Vice-presidency (2), the CETYS University System has been experiencing a series of additional changes in its organizational structure so it may respond better to its educational objectives and to stay on top of the newest national and international trends in higher education.
The Institution has an Independent Governing Board that Exercises Appropriate Oversight over Institutional Integrity, Policies, and Ongoing Operations.
3.9 The CETYS University system has a civic non-profit association that supervises its permanence and integrity, known as IENAC (Instituto Educativo del Noroeste, Asociación Civil).  It is a non-profit organization that is the complete owner of the assets, goods, and property of the institution (IENAC Diagram) (62).
Through the Executive Commission and the different committees of the Association, as well as the chapters operating on each of the campuses, the IENAC oversees that the institution provides timely reports regarding student learning, the competitiveness and relevance of the academic programs, the involvement and curriculum appropriation by the faculty, student satisfaction related to the educational services received, and how CETYS University resorts to external resources to assess its educational effectiveness.  (Tijuana Chapter Agenda: WASC, assembly reports, committees) (63).
The IENAC committees are advisory to both the President and the Executive Commission, which are defined as the following committees: Educational, Planning, Nomination, Financial, Capital Campaign, Pensions, and Image.  The state committees report directly to the Executive Commission. These committees in some cases are also structured locally and seek to support the tasks of the Campus and Chapter Director, while at the same time they are part of the State Committee.
The IENAC, consistent with the continuous learning of how higher education institutions operate, conducts reflection and study retreats on the operation and administration of universities (Workshops for Board Members #75).  Along the lines of the aforementioned, IENAC members will participate at the beginning of 2008 in a tour to different universities in the state of California in order to learn more about the trends in higher education. WASC has suggested a series of universities whose missions are very similar to that of CETYS University so that the visitors will have adequate reference points.

 

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