During spring semester, the Higher Learning Commission self-study team has been working on revisions and additions to the first draft of the self-study, which was released in October 2012. The second draft is now ready for review and community comment.
Please look for the following in this second draft:
- NEW – An introduction that provides a brief history of St. Thomas, a summary of improvements made since the last self-study, a description of the self-study process, and an explanation of two overarching themes that help set the context for the rest of the self-study.
- UPDATED – Chapters (1-5) that include additional work by the criterion committees as well as many suggestions offered by members of the community during the comment period last fall.
- NEW – Strengths and opportunities for improvement at the end of each chapter.
- NEW – A structure for the final chapter. Here, you won’t find content; the final chapter is evolving as the other chapters wrap up. In the final chapter, we will focus on big-picture issues, summarizing our institutional strengths and offering broad recommendations related to the themes presented in the introduction and developed in the five criterion chapters.
This draft will be available May 20 – June 3. You can offer feedback through one of three ways:
- Web feedback form
- HLC Mailbox
- Open forums
- Minneapolis: May 28, 3-4 p.m., MOH 202
- St. Paul: May 30, 3-4 p.m., ASC 202
As you read, please keep in mind that this is a draft. Because content is still changing, you will see areas where editing for voice, mechanics and style is needed. We will begin the editing process for these issues after feedback for this draft is incorporated. At this time, we are most interested in your feedback on content.
As always, the self-study team appreciates your contributions toward this important effort. After more than two years of work, the deadline for both the self-study (June 30) and the visit from our peer reviewers (November 11-13, 2013) draws ever closer.
