Standard(s):

Standard 3: Institutional Resources
The human, financial, technical, physical facilities and other resources necessary to achieve an institution's mission and goals are available and accessible. In the context of the institution's mission, the effective and efficient uses of the institution's resources are analyzed as part of ongoing outcomes assessment.

Standard 5: Administration
The institution’s administrative structure and services facilitate learning and research/scholarship, foster quality improvement, and support the institution's organization and governance.

Institutional Resources and Administration

Resources

1. What strategies does the institution employ to measure and assess the level and efficient utilization of institutional resources required to support the institution's mission and goals? Are benchmarks used? If so, how are they selected? Are resource trends over time analyzed? How does the institution determine its future educational and other needs in terms that define what resources will be needed? Are alternative sources such as outsourcing considered regularly? If used, how are outsourced services supervised and assessed?

2. What is the resource allocation process at this institution? Which constituencies are involved, when, and in what way? How does constituency involvement in the allocation process reflect broader governance structures? Are there constituencies affected by the allocation of resources that are not adequately represented in this process? Who makes final allocation decisions? How are these decisions communicated in the institutional community?

3. Is there a process in place to ensure that there is adequate faculty, staff, and administrative support to fulfill the institution's mission and to achieve outcomes expectations? How does this process work to identify any areas in which there may be shortfalls? If there are shortfalls, how are these addressed within the planning and budget-setting activities?

4. What is the budget development process employed for making resource allocation decisions at the unit and the institutional level? What is the schedule for making such decisions? Specifically, how does the budget process link to relevant planning and assessment processes? Are annual and multi-year budgets prepared for all units (including any relevant subsidiary, affiliated or contractual relationships) as well as institution-wide?

5. What are the procedures for determining facilities and infrastructure needs, and how are priorities established? How are decisions linked to mission and outcomes expectations? Is there a current facilities master plan and a current assessment of success in addressing elements of the plan? What ad hoc decisions have been made and why?

6. What academic support facilities and services are essential to programs offered on campus and at off campus locations or for distance education students? How are such distinctions made and who is responsible for making them? Has an assessment been done to determine whether relevant facilities and staffing levels are adequate to meet the needs of programs? If there are shortfalls, how are these addressed?

7. How does the campus integrate electronic and other technologies to support its educational mission and goals? How does the campus determine what equipment is needed and how are assessments of the effective and efficient use of these resources made? Is there an IT plan? What constituencies are involved in the development of this plan and who is responsible for its implementation? How is the IT plan linked to institutional planning and resource allocation decision- making? Are there shortfalls in this area, and if so, how will these be addressed?

8. What institutional controls are in place to deal with financial, administrative and auxiliary operations, and the allocation of assets? Who is responsible? What continuing assessments are made to ensure that controls are adequate to meet institutional needs?

9. Do the annually audited financial statements demonstrate that the institution has been financially responsible? Have any associated management letters been provided to the institution? Have all items covered in management letters been adequately addressed by the institution?

10. What methods have been employed to determine whether the institution has made effective and efficient use of its human, physical, and fiscal resources? What conclusions have been drawn based on such assessments?

11. How are the results of such assessments used in new rounds of planning and resource allocation decisions? What examples of specific change are relevant?

Administration

1. Is there a chief executive whose primary responsibility is to lead UMUC toward achieving its goals and who has responsibility for the administration of the institution? Is there adequate definition of the CEO’s responsibilities, as well as guidance and supervision?

2. How does UMUC determine what combination of academic background, professional training, and/or other qualities appropriate to UMUC’s mission best equip its president? How does it assess the president’s performance? (Note: Such an inquiry should focus on the process of performance assessment. The self-study itself is not an appropriate vehicle for assessing presidential performance.)

3. Do the administrative leaders and staff members have appropriate skills, degrees, and training to carry out their responsibilities and functions? How are required skills or training identified? On what basis are administrators and staff members assessed?

4. Provide evidence that UMUC has qualified staffing appropriate to the goals, type, size, and complexity of the institution.

5. Do adequate information and decision-making systems support the work of administrative leaders?

6. Are the lines of organization and authority sufficiently clear to ensure institutional efficiency and effectiveness?

7. Display the institutional organization chart. Does the chart differentiate staff and line responsibilities? Are the job responsibilities of all senior members of the administration clearly understood by those individuals and in the institution as a whole? Are there regular opportunities for senior administrators to meet to consider matters that cross the boundaries of individual responsibility?

8. What is the process for periodic assessment of the effectiveness of administrative structures and services? Does this include periodic redefinition of administrative and staff responsibilities? Is it conducted in a manner that can lead to improvement without creating conflict?

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