Sandra E. Elman
Telephone: Fax:
Email: [email protected]
Professional Experience
President, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Redmond, Washington, September 1996 - present. (Note: The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is a regional accrediting commission recognized by the United States Department of Education. It is not a governmental entity.)
Responsible for overseeing the accreditation of 157 institutions in the Northwest region of the United States including the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. (The Commission recently extended its scope of recognition to include international institutions as well. The Commission is presently working with institutions in Europe and Canada.) Oversee the Commission’s accreditation reviews aimed at assuring the educational quality of undergraduate and graduate programs in multitude of disciplinary fields; provide oversight of undergraduate and graduate curricula in humanities, social sciences, sciences, arts, and professional fields including law and medicine in accordance with the Commission’s standards of accreditation and related policies. (Institutions accredited by the Commission include liberal arts colleges, community colleges, comprehensive and research universities, tribal colleges and a virtual university.) Work closely with administrators and faculty on issues of general education, programmatic development, students’ learning outcomes, and planning. Assist academic leaders in developing appropriate policies, protocols, and outcomes measures to ensure programmatic quality. Conduct workshops for Boards of Trustees and CEOs regarding accreditation standards on governance, financial stability, and institutional integrity. Provide leadership in formulating and reviewing the Commission’s policies, programs, and procedures; direct the Commission’s training and research activities; and serve as representative for accreditation to federal and state governments and to the general public.
Past Chair, Council of Regional Accreditation Commissions (CRAC), USA, September 2001 – ______.
Provide leadership for the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions. The Council includes the Executive Directors and Commission Chairs of the seven regional accrediting commissions in the United States. Represent the regional accrediting commissions in national and international settings including the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity of the United States Department of Education and at various international conferences. Serve as Project Director for PEW Grant, “Building Capacity of Regional Accreditation to Assess Student Learning Outcomes,” PEW Charitable Trusts, 2001-2004.
Graduate National Security Seminar, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, June 2005.
Chair, Audit Committee,Unity College, Unity, Maine, July 2002- present. Vice Chair, Board of Trustees,Unity College, Unity, Maine, July 2001 – present.
Associate Director, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Bedford, Massachusetts, May, 1991 – August, 1996.
Primary responsibility for overseeing Commission’s entire self-study program for all 200 accredited and candidate institutions. Work closely with presidents, administrators and faculty in conceptualizing and sustaining the self study process and in developing the self-study document. Develop and conduct self-study workshops. Conduct preliminary, often multiple, site visits to campuses. Review all institutional reports including substantive change proposals. Formulate selected Commission policies such as the Policy Statement on Institutional Effectiveness, and prepare memoranda for Commission meetings. Assist in Commission reviews and prepare notification letters to institutions. Monitor state and federal initiatives that impact institutional accreditation. Work with state higher education boards and external agencies on regulations and issues related to accreditation. Manage the collection and maintenance of data on affiliated institutions, and develop and assist in the implementation of data collection instruments. Directed a process aimed at monitoring the status of fiscally vulnerable institutions. Participate in the training and selection of team evaluators and team chairs. Represent Commission on Institutions of Higher Education and the Commission on Technical and Career Institutions on the Regional Accreditation Staff Committee. Serve on the Association’s Annual Meeting Planning Committee. Authored several accreditation publications including the Self-Study Guide, Self- Study Option with Areas of Emphasis and the annual Self-Study Workshop Manual.
Assistant Director, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Winchester, Massachusetts, 1990 - 1991.
Director, Special Research Projects and University-wide Public Service Council, University of Massachusetts, Office of the President, University of Massachusetts. 1989 - 1990.
Designed and conducted research projects aimed at informing the University’s planning efforts with regard to graduate education, faculty recruitment and retention, and international education. Worked with colleagues from five campuses to coordinate initiatives aimed at enhancing the University’s public service mission.
Projects included:
Preparing Liberal Arts Graduates for the Corporate Workplace: Sociological Principles
That Make a Difference.
Enhancing the Quality of the Academic Workplace: Incentives and Rewards for
Faculty Work.
Europe, 1992: Implications for American Universities. The Role of the Urban University in the 1990s.
The Status of Minority Faculty in Massachusetts Colleges and Universities.
Senior Associate, John W. McCormack Institute of Public Affairs, 1984 - 1989, and Associate Professor, Master of Science Public Affairs Program, 1987 - 1990, University of Massachusetts at Boston.
Responsibilities included research, teaching, and applied public policy work. Served o numerous national, state and local commissions, advisory councils and task forces. Worked with federal and state agencies, state legislatures and gubernatorial committees, statewide higher education councils and corporate boards on an ongoing basis.
Courses taught in the MSPA Program: Foundations of American Culture A Changing American Culture The Public Interest
Seminar on Educational Policy
As Co-founder and Senior Associate of the New England Resource Center for Higher Education which was located within the McCormack Institute, I worked on grant proposals, served as Co-Chair of the New England Academic Affairs Roundtable, and designed, with colleagues, the Center's activities.
Associate Director, Commission on the Future of the University of Massachusetts (Known as the Saxon Commission. Reference to President David Saxon, then Board Chair, MIT.) 1988 - 1989.
Responsibilities included working with the Chairman and Commission members -- business/industry leaders, legislators, university and college presidents -- in developing recommendations regarding the governance and finance structures of the University of Massachusetts. Supervised staff and coordinated working sessions with members of the Board of Regents of Higher Education, various Boards of Trustees and representatives from the university sector. Recommendations of our Commission were enacted into law by Governor Weld in 1991.
Coordinator, Academic Policy and Planning, Central Administration, University of Maryland, 1983 - 1984.
Developed this newly created office with the Vice President for Policy and Planning. Worked closely with system and campus-based offices for Academic Affairs, Graduate Studies and Research, and Administration and Finance, deans and faculty from all five campuses, as well as the State Coordinating Board for Higher Education, the state legislature, selected federal agencies, foundations and congressional committees on a variety of academic, research and budgetary issues affecting either specific campuses or the University. Primary responsibilities included formulating research, programmatic and instructional University-wide budget priorities that provided bases for annual budget requests; implementing an integrated University-wide planning process; developing a long-range academic/fiscal/facilities plan; analyzing policy alternatives affecting undergraduate and graduate programs and providing, in conjunction with other Central and campus colleagues, assessments of institutional directives.
Special Legislative Assistant to the Executive Vice President, University of Maryland, Adelphi, Maryland. February, 1983 - September, 1983.
Authored comparative study on state regulation and institutional finance, Management Efficiency and State Control: Budget and Fiscal Flexibility at the University of Maryland and Its Peers. Provided Board of Regents and members of gubernatorial commission with ongoing documentation and briefs that examined the relationship between the research and programmatic needs of the University and appropriate internal and external funding mechanisms.
Special Assistant to the Dean and Faculty Coordinator, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley. 1979 - 1980.
Responsibilities included writing research and grant proposals, policy papers and institutional studies, progress reports on graduate studies and research task forces and committees, addresses for professional conferences, and disseminating information to faculty. Conducted research for project on articulation between state systems of postsecondary education; developed departmental recommendations to meet University and federal policies and regulations.
Researcher, Carnegie Council on Policy Studies in Higher Education, Berkeley, California. 1978 - 1979.
Collaborated on Academic Adaptations: Higher Education Prepares for the 1980s and 1990s, a study of diversity and change in American higher education. Worked with Clark Kerr and associates on final reports of the Council.
Assistant to the President responsible for Academic Policy Planning and Research Coordination, Ohlone College, Fremont, California. 1975 - 1977.
Worked with the Dean of Instruction and the President on a range of academic and programmatic issues including curricular development and the incorporation of technology into the curriculum. Designed and directed needs assessment study of Fremont-Newark Community College District.
Instructor, Education and Social Service Courses, Field Studies Program, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill, California. 1975 - 1976.
Assistant Director of International Programs and Foreign Student Advisor, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts. 1970 - 1972.
Promotional Copywriter, Bantam Books, New York. 1969 - 1970. Instructor, Language Arts, Public School 102, New York. 1968 - 1969.
Selected Recent Presentations and Professional Activities
Seminar Participant, Invitational International Seminar on the Accreditation of Professional Higher Education, sponsored by ENSP Ecole Nationale De La Sante Publique, Rennes, France, August 27-29, 2003.
Presenter, “Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act: Issues and Implications,” Public Policy Forum, Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), Portland, Oregon, November 12, 2003.
U.S. Representative/Member of a four person International Evaluation Committee for the Swiss Quality Assurance Agency to Franklin College, Lugano, Switzerland, February 17-20, 2004. Lecturer/Seminar Leader, “Effective Leadership in a Changing and Uncertain Environment,” Academic Leadership Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, April 23-24, 2004.
Panelist, “Policy Discussion: Accreditation in the West,” WICHE (Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education) Commission Meeting, Boise, Idaho, May 18, 2004.
Keynote Speaker, “Adult Learning Practices and Accreditation,” Conference on Best Practices in Adult Learning, Marylhurst University, Marylhurst, Oregon, May 21, 2004.
Moderator and Presenter, Pre-conference Workshop, “Got Data, Now What? Using Assessment Results as Power Tools in Your Library.” Library Administration and Management Association of the American Library Association, Orlando, Florida, June 25, 2004.
Presenter, “The Accreditors: What Is Happening Nationwide and What Do You Want to Know About It?” Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium, Boise, Idaho, June 28, 2004.
Plenary Speaker, “Regional Accrediting Commissions: Mutual Concerns and Collaborative Endeavors,” Distance Education Demonstration Program, United States Department of Education, Seattle, Washington, September 23, 2004.
Selected Presentations Prior to Executive Director Position
Moderator/Panelist, “Regional Accreditation and Assessment: Challenges, Perspectives, and Lessons Learned.” AAHE (American Association for Higher Education) Conference on Assessment, Quality and Accreditation, Boston, MA. June 12, 1995. Coordinated this session which was the first of its kind to include representatives of accrediting associations in all six regions.
Workshop Presenter, “Creating Linkages: Utilizing Organizational Strategies and Outcomes Assessment.” The National Institute on the Assessment of Experiential Learning, Princeton, NJ. June 11, 1995.
Keynote Speaker, “Redefining Scholarship.” Faculty Seminar Day at Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY. March 16, 1995.
Workshop Leader, Pre-Conference Workshop: “The Evaluation of Faculty Applied Work.” AAHE Conference on Faculty Roles and Rewards, Phoenix, AZ. January 19, 1995.
Panelist, “Reaching Across the Chasms: Strategies for Initiating Discussions of Faculty Productivity.” AAHE Conference on Faculty Roles and Rewards, Phoenix, AZ. January 20, 1995.
Seminar/Workshop Leader for Senior Level Administrators, Restructuring the University: Maximizing Management Effectiveness and Quality Assurance. The University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. November 24-25, 1994.
Plenary Speaker, “The Transformation of Higher Education: Taking Charge of Accountability.” Co-presenters, David A. Longanecker, Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, and James R. Mingle, Executive Director, State Higher Education Executive Officers. Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) Conference, San Francisco, CA. July 25, 1994.
Panelist, “The Self Study, The Accreditation Visit and Prior Learning Assessment.” The National Institute on the Assessment of Experiential Learning. Princeton, NJ. June 14, 1994. Luncheon Speaker, “Creating Community on Urban Campuses: What Works and Why?” The Freshman Year Experience. Special Focus Conference on Urban Campuses. Charleston, SC. June 3, 1994.
Seminar Leader, Seminar on Academic Planning for the Chancellor and 14 Presidents of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, Hershey, PA. April 5-6, 1994.
Symposium Leader, “How Accreditation Views General Education: Outcomes Rather than Prescriptions.” Symposium on General Education in the Professional College Curriculum. Sponsored by the Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA. March 11, 1994.
Moderator, “Reinventing the California State Universities.” AAHE Forum on Faculty Roles and Rewards, New Orleans, LA. January 29, 1994.
Panelist, Closing General Session, “Toward the Year 2000: Change Is The Constant.” National Conference on Opportunity and Responsibility: The Link Between Public Universities and State Capitals. Sponsored by California State University, Sacramento; AASCU, NASULGC, Council of Governments, National Governors’ Association and National Conference of State Legislatures, Sacramento, CA. April 16, 1993.
Featured Speaker, “Accreditation Standards and Institutional Effectiveness: Questions of Mission, Autonomy, and Innovation.” Sponsored by the New Hampshire College and University Council. Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH. February 12, 1993.
Co-Presenter, “Accreditation: A Means for Enhancing Faculty Life and Quality of the Academic Workplace.” AAHE, Forum on Faculty Roles and Rewards, San Antonio, CA. January 30, 1993.
Moderator, “The Role of Professional Service in Promotion and Tenure Decisions: Institutional Case Studies That Can Help You.” AAHE Forum on Faculty Roles and Rewards, San Antonio, TX. January 29, 1993.
Panelist, “The Academic Institution into the 21st Century.” Professional Development Institute for Academic Administrators. Sponsored by the Kellogg Program. New England Center, Durham, NH. January 8, 1993.
Presenter, “Implementing NEASC Assessment Standards.” AAHE Assessment Conference, Miami, FL. June 24, 1992.
Workshop Leader, “Evaluating and Rewarding Faculty for Professional Public Service.” AAHE National Conference, Chicago, IL. April 5, 1992.
Moderator/Panelist, “Institutional Accountability: From Voluntary Accreditation to State Agency Oversight?” Co-presenter, Steven Pappas, Executive Director of the National Advisory Commission on Accreditation and Institutional Eligibility, Department of Education. AAHE National Conference, Chicago, IL. April 7, 1992.
Moderator/Panelist, “Accreditation and Assessment: Toward A Symbiotic Relationship.” AAHE Conference on Assessment, San Francisco, CA. June 11, 1991.
Plenary Speaker, “Rethinking The Role of Scholarship.” Wingspread Conference, Racine, WI. January, 199l
Keynote Speaker, “Academic Excellence.” Heidelberg College, Tiffin, OH. November 8, 1990.
Other Invited Keynote and Plenary Addresses
Plenary Address, "American Higher Education: Challenges and Dilemmas,"Southern Italy's Fellows Program Annual Meeting, Harvard University. June 3, 1987.
Keynote Address, "Leadership For a New Age In Continuing Higher Education: Effective Advocacy on the Campus." Association for Continuing Higher Education (ACHE), Region V Annual Conference, Greensboro, NC. March 18, 1988.
Plenary Address, "University-Industry-Government Partnerships: Prospects for Economic Development," Harvard University/AID (Agency for International Development), International Conference on University, Research and Industry, Ravello, ITALY. October 7, 1988.
Plenary Address, "Integrating Liberal and Professional Learning in a Post-Industrial Culture," Twenty-Eighth Annual Conference of the Association for General and Liberal Studies, Wilkes-Barre, PA. October 14, 1988.
Keynote Address, "New Priorities For Academic Leaders," State System of Higher Education, Academic Officers Conference, Indiana, PA. October 19, 1988.
Keynote Address, "Challenges, Options and Strategies for The Extended University," University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, IN. January 9, 1989.
Keynote Address, "The Academic Workplace in an Interdependent Environment," The School for International Living, Brattleboro, VT. March 24, 1989.
Plenary Address, "Europe 1992: Implications for North American Cities and Universities. "Fourth International Urban Universities Conference. Montreal, QUEBEC. September 28, 1989.
Publications
Books
New Priorities for the University: Meeting Society's Needs for Applied Knowledge and Competent Individuals (with E. A. Lynton). San Francisco, Jossey Bass, 1987.
Monographs
Professional Service and Faculty Rewards: Toward an Integrated Structure, (with S. M. Smock), NASULGC, Washington, D.C. November, 1985.
Articles
"Rewarding Professional Activity" (with E. A. Lynton and S. M. Smock), Thought and Action, Volume 1, No. 2, Spring, 1985, 101-108.
"Assessment in Career-Oriented Education" (with E. A. Lynton) in C. Adelman, ed., Assessment in American Higher Education, Washington, D.C.; U.S. Department of Education, 1986.
"Education: Crisis, Challenge and Commitment," in P. Davies and F. Waldstein, eds., Political Issues in America Today, Manchester University Press, Manchester, England, 1987.
"The Academic Workplace: Perception versus Reality," New England Journal of Public Policy, Volume 5, Summer/Fall, 1989.
"Corporate Culture and The Liberal Arts," Connection: New England's Journal of Higher Education and Economic Development, Volume V, No. 1, Spring, 1990.
“The Faculty Reward System and Accreditation,” Metropolitan Universities, Volume 1, No. 4, Spring, 199l.
"A Continuing Conversation About Professional Service," (with Sue Smock) AAHE Bulletin, Volume 44, No. 9, May, 1992.
"Regional Accreditation and the Evaluation of Faculty," Metropolitan Universities, Volume 5, No. 1, Summer, 1994.
“Academic Freedom and Regional Accreditation: Guarantors of Quality in the Academy,” in Ernst Benjamin and Donald R. Wagner, eds. Academic Freedom: An Everyday Concern. Jossey Bass Publishers, San Francisco, California. Winter, 1994.
“A Regional Accreditation Perspective on Contingent Faculty Appointments,” in Ernst Benjamin, editor. Exploring the Role of Contingent Instructional Staff in Undergraduate Learning. Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, California. Fall, 2003.
Academic Background
B.A. Political Science, History, Hunter College, NY, 1968
Graduate Courses, Philosophy Department, Brandeis University, 1970 - 1971 M.A. Policy, Planning and Administration,
University of California, Berkeley, 1974 Ph.D. Examinations passed with distinction
Ph.D. Policy, Planning and Administration, University of California, Berkeley, 1982. Teaching Areas
American Culture Public Policy
