MANUAL FOR SELF-EVALUATION

MANUAL FOR SELF-EVALUATION

1. Preliminary remarks
There is general agreement amongst experts in theological education that: “Accreditation is a process which has at least two main aspects.
First or all, accreditation gives a school the opportunity to more clearly analyze itself in relation to accepted academic standards and, in light of these standards, to implement an orderly program for the school's development. Secondly, accreditation shows the position of the School in relation to the accepted standards so that its activity is recognized and evaluated by external sources thus guaranteeing its acceptance in a wider circle of churches, missions, amongst other educational institutions as well as in the society around them.
For all intents and purposes, the most significant part of the accreditation process is the self-evaluation, and only to a lesser extent, although more notable, is the self-evaluation confirmed by the accreditation team which then recognizes the School form the point of view of the accrediting association. That is, the self-evaluation is the most laborious and painstaking part of the entire accreditation process.
The self-evaluation is a detailed analysis of all sides of a School's life which fall under the domain of the standards and of the recommendations of the accreditation team. This analysis is intended not only for determining the School's actual situation, but also for working out a plan for changing those aspects of the School's life which still don't correspond to the standards. Thus, the self-evaluation report contains both consultative and strategic planning aspects.
Through completing the self-evaluation one can briefly determine as self-criticism and “self-correcting” that which is expressed in the general analytical report

It follows, then, that the self-evaluation is not simply an instrument of criticism (and self-criticism), but also an positive instrument.
It's also good to remember that the self-evaluation is not a one-time event, but a constant process that will be completed once every five years and, in a shorter form, annually.

2. Procedures for self-evaluation.
The methods and procedures for conducting a self-evaluation according to the standards are not regulated by or determined by this present document. Rather the suggestions here stated are to be taken as recommendations. Every School must choose those procedures which it finds most convenient and practical for their self-evaluation to take place.
Several Schools give this responsibility to a single person naming him the “coordinator” and entrusting him to work out the best approach and methodology for completing his work. He in turn delegates assignments to other staff and gathers materials for the report. However, a majority of Schools consider it expedient to appoint a small committee of from three to five people under the chairmanship of the School's Academic Dean or Rector and then divide up the work into several committees.
The work should be divided up according to the sections found in the EAAA standards. That is, administrative, buildings and grounds, academic affairs, student life and extracurricular activities. An effective self-evaluation process can be attained by making sure that all staff, teachers, and even students, are involved such that the self-evaluation becomes a powerful instrument for increasing the effectiveness of the entire academic process.
It's important to develop protocols and to document the decisions of the committee during the course of the self-evaluation so that there can be a disciplined process which is completed on time. At its very first meeting the committee needs to decide two questions:

Keep in mind that usually this work can take an entire academic year to complete and that the entire report must be sent to the members of the accreditation team and to the Executive Director of the EAAA no less than one month prior to the final, evaluative visit.
During the process of carrying out the self-evaluation the Chairman of the committee, or any of its members, can turn to the Executive Director for any advice they might need.

3. Self-evaluation report
The results of the self-evaluation should be reduced to a written report which reflects the strengths of all those working on the self-evaluation, the current conditions of the School, and ideas for improvement.
The report should be structured according to the sections of the EAAA standards, not according to your own organization, and must hold to the following requirements:
The report must describe the current situation in each area, evaluate each area, make known strengths and weaknesses and present a specific plan or action which will make each area better. In this plan of action clear timetables and actual fulfillment of suggestions should be clearly shown.
Each section must end with conclusions and recommendations.

While writing about the current situation it's important to show the history of the School's development including numerical data which shows the rate of growth for the last three years.

As a rule the self-evaluation report should be from 300 to 500 pages of typed text and contain the following parts: Introductory part.
Included in this part are: the title page; letter to the EAAA on behalf of the School's rector (president) in which he approves of the information contained in the report; a copy of the letter to the EAAA of the School's desire to begin the accreditation process; the full text of the report (reports, if there are several) for the accreditation team visiting the School and the text of the letter containing the School's reaction to the visit.
Also included should be a general description of the School's activities for the preceding after-visit period according to each of the accreditation team's recommendations citing the corresponding page in the report where the complete explanation may be found.
In addition, this section should include information which describes how the report was put together including the names of those responsible for each section and a list of those who participated showing the extent of their involvement and the timeframe in which the work was completed.
First section: The School's history and general information.
This section gives the School's general contact information and describes its founding and historical development.
Second section: The School as an organization and its tasks.
This section should describe the School's legal status, that is, it's juridical standing, its goal and Mission Statement, and it's specific tasks, while mentioning facts that demonstrate the School's stability, financial activity, how the financial side of the School is organized, and so forth.
Third section: Management and administration.
The School's management structure should be described in this section with an explanation of its adequacy for meeting the goals and conditions for the School's existence; information on the Board of Directors including how it operates; descriptions of the School's other committees and boards substantiating their reason for existence; staff job descriptions with special attention given to the main administrators; and an explanation of the School's relations with churches and denominational unions.
Fourth section: the faculty.
This section should show the quantity and qualification of the teachers, especially in regard to national teachers; how they work with students, with the administration and amongst themselves; their legal situation, and perspectives on raising the qualifications of teachers; the quality of their spiritual life and participation in church life, their responsibilities to the teachers, their workload and their pay.
Fifth section: the School's property and grounds.
This section is dedicated to showing what property the School owns, including the equipment and modern technology needed for academic studies; perspectives on present construction and the future improvement of buildings and grounds. In this regard, special attention should be paid to the living and sanitary conditions for the students studying on campus. This section should also describe the library facilities, the condition of its collection, cataloging, new purchases (especially periodicals), and also how it is financed.
Sixth section: Academic programs.
This is one of the most important sections of the report. It should include a short description of all the School's programs and a similar description of program which is under consideration for accreditation. In particular, it should be demonstrated that the School's selection of subjects is in line with its goals for the program being accredited and that the taking of these courses will result in meeting the goals at the end of the student's time of study. It should also be shown that that the program is in line with EAAA standards. There should be a description of course plans, methods of evaluation and attestation of knowledge learned, the means for putting this into practice, and so forth.
Seventh section: Student life.
This section should cover admission requirements for the program under examination; the means used for advertising the courses and entrance exams; the students' financial obligations for their own education; a description of the students' dorm life with special attention paid to the description of the students' spiritual life, their participation in local church ministry, the organization of their leisure time, and how they are represented before the School's management. It is important to show what type of ministry graduates are involved in as well as to indicate how the School will maintain contact with them.
Every section should be accompanied by a number of appendices, carefully numbered and corresponding to the section number being described. As a rule, if a section takes up around 20 pages, then the appendices should be around 50 pages.
Several documents are required to be a part of the self-evaluation report:
The school's Charter and general financial report for the preceding three years (on an annual basis);

The composition of the Board of Directors for the last three years (on an annual basis), the School's management structure, and the responsibilities of the School's main leaders;
The School's Statement of Faith, and manuals for teachers and for students (or guidelines for each);
The School's academic catalogs and advertising materials, examples of final exams and students' personal work; and the list of teachers for the last three years;
A complete description of the program being accredited including the course plan students must follow in order to graduate.
Any other additional material which describes and documents the School and the program to be accredited.
The self-evaluation report should be sent to the EAAA office no later than one month prior to the final visit and, in agreement with the Executive Director be sent to all members of the accreditation team. Thus, the School needs to produce at least five copies.
4. Advice on the essence of accreditation
(from the “European Evangelical Accrediting Association (EEAA)”
First of all, the self-evaluation is a process, and not simply a document. Usually the self-evaluation takes a large part of a year and includes a vast amount of information, a process of critical analysis, the formulation of a collective opinion and judgment, realistic correction, and often a far-reaching overview and evaluation; the result of which is, in its final form, a report whose weight and full value completely depends on the trustworthiness of the process.
Secondly, the self-evaluation is self-researched and not simply a measurement of the institution and its programs according to some external collection of standards. The extent to which it involves all aspects of the life of the school and its programs is independent of whether of not these aspects are referred to in the standards. The self-evaluation gives the School's leadership a multi-sided view of their institution. The Standards, in this case, serve only as guidelines and suggest a general scheme for research; but not under any circumstances should they be considered restrictive or, an exhaustive scheme for analysis.
Thirdly, the self-evaluation is a critical process and not simply an exercise in self-justification. On the contrary. The School should have a healthy perception of who they really are. But the full significance of this process consists in the fact that it is connected with coming to grips with the root causes of their deficiencies, through their analysis and evaluation.
Fourthly, the self-evaluation is a correcting process and not simply a reflection of strengths. Once the research is finished, it will become clear what the institution and its programs need to do in order to bring themselves up to their own expectations and goals, let alone those expected in the accreditation association standards. All of these things are an integral part of the process of evaluation.
This procedure means that self-evaluation doesn't have to be a negative experience. On the contrary. It's important for the school to investigate and discover it strengths and to uncover its weaknesses. The self-evaluation must give its undivided attention to both the former and the latter.
The purpose of self-evaluation is not to draw attention to a School's problems. On the contrary. The School voluntary makes the decision to become involved in a process which is intended to discover its weak and strong points in the presence of, and with help of, a limited number of friendly and informed external observers and consultants. Only sincerity and straight forwardness is appropriate in such a matter.
So it's really important that the School's staff participating in the self-evaluation are involved in all stages of the process. In this regard, they must know well that what's going on during the School's entire evaluation. This is not just for the benefit of the members of the accreditation team doing the external evaluation, people who have similar Christian obligations and professional cares, but also for the benefit of the School as a whole. They must understand that the accreditation team is coming from a friendly point of view trying to understand their problems, rejoicing in their strengths and, most of all, are deeply interested in how they can help the School in its effectiveness in bringing the church of Jesus Christ to the entire world.
The self-evaluation must be completed constructively, sincerely, with feelings of mutual sympathy and Christian partnership from all sides.
5. Instructions for directing the self-evaluation process
(from the “European Evangelical Accrediting Association (EEAA)”
The EEAA has elaborated a list of questions and recommendations which help a School's leadership more deeply analyze the work of their institution thus making the self-evaluation more effective as an instrument of self-development.
The text below is a translation of these instructions which should not be taken as obligatory requirements but rather as supplementary material that can help make work easier for those doing the self-evaluation.

1.0.0. Administration
1.1.0. Accompanying materials
1.1.1. A list of the members of the Board of Directors showing their responsibilities and professions, church membership, length of service on the Board and the length of their current term. It's also important to indicate the legal basis and the means in which each member of the Board was appointed (what or who they represent).
1.1.2. A legal document which describes their rights to property, investments, and when they became active in relation to the Board of Directors and the School's administration.
1.1.3. The dates and locations of Board of Director meetings for the preceding three years, attendance (quantitatively) and the approximate duration of the meetings.
1.1.4. Official goals and basis for the institution.
1.2.0. Questions to look at
1.2.1. Are the goals of the school clearly defined and set forth in published documents?
- Are these goals in line with the School's program as a whole?
- What aspects of the program are not covered by these goals.
- What specific measures are regularly undertaken to guarantee that staff and students are aware of these goals?
- What evidence is there that these goals, in one way or another have been achieved or are being achieved?
- Is there a need to change or expand these goals to bring them more in line with the actual potential of the School achieving them?
1.2.2. Are these goals adequate so that the owners, that is, the Board of Directors and the Administration, have the power to make responsibilities and the chain of command clear and delimited?
- Evaluate the actual work of the management process giving specific examples beginning of how management works from the suggestions of the main administrator and how these decisions have been put into practice. In this regard, indicate: Where did the suggestion originate? Who looked at it? How was the decision made to put it into action? How soon and how well was it done?
- To have the protocol of Board of Directors sessions for the last three years for checking by the accreditation team.
1.2.3. Are the chain of command and areas of responsibility clear and corresponding to those determined internally by the administration?
Is the administration sufficient for effectively running the School?
1.2.4. Describe and evaluate how the current form of administration is doing.
1.2.5. Are correct financial procedures being followed evidenced by the following:
All income and expenses are supported by proper and completed documents;
Are the accounting ledgers are available for inspection at any time?
Is the budget put together on an annual basis and examined and approved by the Board of Directors?
Are the accounting ledgers audited annually by external auditors?
1.2.6. Do you have an organized and well-thought out approach to publicizing the School to the general public?
1.2.7. What are the main proposals for developing the School that are available for inspection? What are the main projects that have been approved and what are the unresolved problems the School is now facing? Does the School have a five-year development plan?
1.2.8. In order to confirm the School's stability for the preceding three years, present information on the continuity of the Board of Directors, administrative personnel and the faculty. Do you have a large turnover of students and in financial affairs?

Give evidence of the strengths and weaknesses in this area of the School's activity, corrections that are to be made, or for those that are planned to be made, and their completion.

2.0.0. Faculty
2.1.0. Accompanying materials
2.1.1. Give a list of faculty members for the preceding three years indicating:

2.1.2. Give the workload for both part-time and full-time teachers indicating the number of hours taught each week.
2.1.3. Give the average contact time that teachers have with students for the last three years. In calculating these numbers consider 12 hours of a part-time teachers workload as one full class.
2.2.0 Questions to look at
2.2.1. Evaluate the faculty according to such categories as: number of teachers, their qualifications, length of service, responsibilities. Also evaluate:
What evidence is there that teachers are concerned about their professional abilities and in keeping up to date with their specialization and teaching methodology?
How willingly does the faculty accept the doctrinal stand of the School?
Do the teachers take part in fellowship and worship services at the school and are they interested in their students' spiritual condition?
Is there the possibility of informal contact between the staff and students, and is it something advantageous?
2.2.2. How much additional work can a teacher perform (outside of teaching) without having a negative effect on the quality of their teaching?
2.2.3. Describe the teachers' room and the secretary situation for teachers; evaluate their adequacy.
2.2.4. How often are there teachers meetings? Where do these meetings take place? How long do these meetings usually last? On average how much time is devoted to routine business and how much to general strategy and other broader aspects of the School's educational and spiritual measures?
Look at the protocols of the teachers' meetings for the last three years: Is there any evidence that the decisions made at these meetings were actually put into practice? Prepare the protocols of the teachers' meetings for the last three years so that they can be checked by the accreditation team
2.2.5. Describe and evaluate the teaching committees. Is there a clear written description of their structures and procedures? Do protocols from these meetings exist? Prepare such materials for checking.
2.2.6. Explain the analogous is the pay and other benefits your School's teachers receive with that found for teachers in your country. When was the last time that salary and benefits were looked at again?
2.2.7. Describe various recent measures for increasing the academic qualifications and abilities of your teachers and evaluate their adequacy.
Do you have a system in place for evaluating the effectiveness of courses (lectures, seminars) and practical work?
Do your teachers have opportunity for further study? Describe the attendance of teachers at seminars, symposia or consultations at, or outside, the school for the preceding three years. Outline your plans for doing this in the future.
Finish this section with specific examples of strengths and weaknesses and outline corrections that have been carried out or are planned to be carried out.
3.0.0. School property
3.1.0. Accompanying materials
3.1.1. Include a diagram (plan-scheme) of the School's property identifying the various buildings and indicating what year a structure was built or remodeled.
3.1.2. Show the number of books that have been added to the library at the end of each of the preceding three years. Indicate which classification system is used and the number of books in each section.
3.1.3. Indicate the annual amount spent by the library for new acquisitions for the last three years. Include information on how students use the library.
3.1.4. Show the list of periodicals, journals, and so forth, and indicate which of them are paid subscriptions. Show your plan for developing the library over the next three years.
3.2.0. Questions to look at
3.2.1. Evaluate the suitableness of where the School is located, its facilities and furnishings for carrying out the academic process.
Discuss the adequacy of the classrooms and equipment, locations for worship services or conference hall, administrative offices, and so forth. Evaluate the adequacy of these locations for the people who use them and the equipment presently available to use.
3.2.2. Evaluate the size and quality of the library's holdings in relation to the breadth and concentration of books on each subject.
3.2.3. Evaluate the sufficiency of reference works and periodicals held in the library. Describe and evaluate other collections and materials in the library in a supplement to the list of books.
3.2.4. Describe the present library administrative structure. Describe the procedures used for acquiring new books.
Does the library have set hours when the students can make use of its facilities?
Are the students taught how to use the library? Evaluate the adequacy of library investment and condition?

Finish this section with specific examples of strengths and weaknesses in this section and outline corrections that have been carried out or are planned to be carried out.

4.0.0. Educational programs
4.1.0. Questions to look at
4.1.1. Describe and evaluate the educational programs of the School as a whole including all aspects of planned and extra measures having to do with spiritual and practical goals.
Is the program sufficient for achieving such goals? What aspects of the program really don't serve any specific goal? What aspects of the program need better leadership for serving the specific goals?
4.1.2. How does your academic plan as a whole demonstrate suitableness for specific groups of churches where students will serve?
For what type of ministries are you preparing your students? Can you demonstrate that they are successful in their places of ministry?
Do the School have an alumni association, or something similar?
How well is it functioning? What is your relation to it?
4.1.3. Describe any critical reviews and corrections to your educational program as a whole, to the academic plan, or to the schedule of courses over the last three years.
4.l.4. Do you have a written academic plan for each aspect of the
program, and for each course? If so, then evaluate how is corresponds with existing materials.
4.1.5. What types of programs do you have for students practical ministry while they're studying? Is it the type of ministry that they're studying to be involved in? Discuss your problems, expectations and cumulative experience in this area.
4.1.6. Describe and evaluate your program for increasing the qualifications of graduates after graduation, that is, additional study.
4.1.7. What type of short courses, guest lectures or other special programs have taken place over the last three years. Why were they held? What are your plans for the future in this regard?
4.1.8. Describe all other educational programs in the School. For example, classes for students wives, evening school, correspondence courses. Explain how they are organized and connected with the general program and to what extent they are connected with the School's goals and resources.
Finish this section with specific examples of strengths and weaknesses in this section and outline corrections that have been carried out or are planned to be carried out.

5.0.0. Students
5.1.0. Accompanying material
5.1.1. Show the numbers of those studying for the last three years, dividing them up into various academic programs (for example: Bachelor of Theology, B. Th., diploma programs, etc. Also show the number of graduates by year for the last three years for each of these academic programs.
5.1.2. Put together a table showing the academic qualifications of all students that have applied over the last three years indicating the number of those who matriculated by each academic qualification (for example, 10 students with high school education, 6 students with basic theological education, and so forth).
5.2.0. Questions to look at
5.2.1. Compare the requirements for students entering your academic program with the requirements of similar academic programs in the educational system of your country.
Please report in detail every exception to these requirements for the last three years. Documents or notes regarding your admissions procedures of these students must be made available for checking by the accreditation team.
5.2.2. Describe and evaluate the methods, procedures and materials used to admit students (for example, application forms, entrance exams, etc.). Evaluate the means used for evaluating Christian qualities and practical Christian experience during the admissions process.
5.2.3. Enumerate on all situations for the last three years when students left your School not having completed their education. Indicate the reasons why they left.
5.2.4. Can you demonstrate that the evaluation of the personal development of each student is an integral part of their educational process?
Is the spiritual, behavioral and practical growth of each student a point of attention and evaluation during the course of study, or does such growth just happen on its own as an expected by-product of the academic program?
5.2.5. Indicate the length and quantity of daily classes for students, the average number of class hours in a day and in a week, the actual number of weeks in an academic year, and the number of academic years needed for each program.
5.2.6. Describe student accommodations, their size, furnishings and compare them with normal standards in your country for this level of education.
Can you demonstrate that the food service for the students meets sanitary norms?
Can your School meet high levels of medical and hygienic standards?
5.2.7. Describe what measures you have taken to have a systematic program for counseling all students, and evaluate these measures. What would it mean for your School to correctly caring for students' souls?
5.2.8. Have you had any serious student disciplinary problems in the preceding three years? Briefly explain the measures taken.
Were the actions taken in each instance in line with written rules that are known to the students?
Have you had any discussions with the student's church or with their sponsors concerning the measures taken? Write down the procedures of what happened and make them available for checking.
5.2.9. Does everyone at your School have good relations with each other? Is there a conscious effort to have good relations with each other, or is it just something spontaneous?
How does the School facilitate good relations between everyone? To what extent have you been successful?
5.2.10. Describe all regular non-academic activity which is considers a part of the general life of the School. Discuss whether or not these are in agreement with the School's goals. Is there need for improvement?
Describe and evaluate the conditions for personal and public worship.
Describe and evaluate the politics and practice of the student's non-class work responsibilities.
Describe and evaluate your program for student leisure activities.
5.2.11. Does the School have a program for students who are having difficulties in their studies?
5.2.12. Briefly describe existing student organizations and explain their role in meeting the goals of the institution.
Do you have written rules that form the basis for regulating student organizations? Can you demonstrate that every such organization evaluates its role in the context of the general goals of the School?
5.2.13. To what extent are students involved in the planning of these regulations for student and campus life?
How do the students participate in the process of the School making such decisions?
5.2.14. Describe relations between the School's staff and students and the local community, especially in regards to the local church. Can these relations be improved?
5.2.15. Describe student fees (fees for studying) and other student expenses; describe any changes during the preceding three years.
Evaluate the degree to which these fees correspond to the actual financial needs of the School, and compare whether or not they are higher or lower than the student's actual ability to pay, or for their sponsors to pay.
5.2.16. Describe your School's financial aid program (stipends, etc.) for needy students.
Include a description of the politics and procedures in this process. These, and all other notes, must be available for inspection by the EAAA accreditation team.

Finish this section with specific examples of strengths and weaknesses in this section and outline corrections that have been carried out or are planned to be carried out.