How to Write Section-G of Self Study Reports of the Program

Important Note:

Section-G of SSR of the Program.

Section-G is the crux of SSR and requires great care in writing. Remember that it is not important to write for each standard. What is more important is to MEET each standard in its essence. It simply means that the program should first meet the standard and then respond to each criteria. Remember that each response must be supported by evidence (where applicable).

It should be noted that Self Evaluation Scale Report (SESR) Comprises of Section-G. This report is based on standards given in section-G. Each standard and criteria is scored (star scoring). Thus, it is suggested to first rank each standard on STAR then answer the standard in SSR. This would help you write SSR effectively.

We will be discussing each standard separately in the next post.

Dr Usmani

Stage-1 of Writing SSR of the Program

Important Note:

It is important to note that SSR is written for program as well as for institutions. It is a must to choose the right template of NCAAA for writing SSR. SECONDLY, remember that NCAAA has changed the template for writing SSR slightly. The new template is available in the revised handbook of NCAAA. Following guidelines are as per the new template of for program/institutions.

In the following, we will be discussing stage-1 of writing self study report of a program.

Stage-1: (Section A to F of Program SSR)

This stage comprises of Section A to F of self study report. 

Section A: This section comprises of 10 sub section. Begin with introduction and provide the information required in Section-A. It is better to use the heading of each and answer it accordingly.

Section-B: Requires not only the summary of Self Study Process, it also requires provision of data of students and faculty at different level. It is important to complete this section with care as the same data may be required/correlated in other sections.

Section:C: This section is important as it requires program mission, objectives and KPIs. This may be repeated in following sections but providing them here would help you stay focused throughout the report.

Section-D: This section requires the changes in external and internal environment that might affect the program. It may include mission, objectives, method of delivery etc.

Section-E: This section requires tabular presentation of data. It asks for changes made since last SSR. Then it requires 3 tables namely Apparent Program Completion Rate, Year to Year Progression, Comparison of Planned and Actual Enrolment. This section is important as it requires data supported by evidence. Thus it is suggested to provide data and keep the evidence ready for verification. The same data must be used in the following sections if required.

Section-F:  This section requires further elaboration of section C where we have mentioned program objectives. For each of the goals or objectives, it is required to show the indicators that were identified to monitor performance (KPIs), the result that was achieved, and a comment about the result. Thus it should look like this:

Objective # 1: ***********************

KPIs for the Objective: ******************************

Results of KPIs: ***************************************

Comments: *************************************

Once you complete section A to F, use the check-list to make sure that each sub section of the template has been addressed. 

Now you are ready for section-G of SSR. 

For questions or comments, please email: wahid.usmani@gmail.com

How to Write Self Study Report for Accreditation

As a QA professional in a public sector university in Saudi Arabia, I review program evaluation reports (SSR) submitted to Deanship of Quality before sending to National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment in order to see whether the reports are in compliance with NCAAA format. During this review, I have found that many reports are simply the compilation of different parts without any coherence. It is because writing a self study report requires a systematic approach leading to a unified output.

Considering the significance of Self Study Reports (SSR), I find it necessary to share with my colleagues and faculty engaged in writing SSR as to how the report can be made more effective and accreditation oriented.

I will write this series of posts in order to avoid providing too much in put in one go and would be happy to answer any of the questions which would enhance your clarity.

Step by Step Guide:

1. Download the template for SSR from NCAAA website. Make sure you do not use the old format. Remember there are two different formats. Once for Institutional Self Assessment and the other for Program Self Assessment. For convenience, we would discuss program self assessment report mechanism.

2. Divide the report in three sections i.e. Section-1 ( A to F part of the template)
                                                                  Section-2 ( G part of the template comprising of Standards)
                                                                  Section-3 (H to K section of the template)

3. Assign one section to one group of faculty with a deadline for review of completed work.

4. For each section, read the template first before answering for the section. Each table or data required must be first collected.

5. Use a checklist to see whether a section is completed or not. For the checklist, send me an email at awusmani@yahoo.com .

6. if you complete the checklist with all entries as "YES", your report would be ready to be submitted to NCAAA.

I will continue this blog taking up each section individually so that my readers may be facilitated further.

Dr Usmani