Northwest has defined ten areas in which students should be competent by the time they graduate:

1. Communications Competencies
2. Critical/Creative Thinking Competencies
3. Problem-Solving Competencies
4. Computer Competencies
5. Self-Directed Learning Competencies
6. Competence in a Discipline
7. Personal/Social Development
8. Teamwork/Team Leading Competencies
9. Multicultural Competencies
10. Cultural Enrichment

Aligned with these educational Key Quality Indicators (KQIs) is an established common core of General Education requirements, which consist of 42 credit hours of fully transferrable courses per state requirement. Additionally, because we are preparing our students to enter a highly dynamic, interconnected world, Northwest also has established six hours of Institutional Requirements that are aimed at developing competencies necessary to work with people representing diverse cultures (three hours) and at developing information technology competencies (three hours). General Education goals and assessment strategies are located here .

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All academic departments follow the Seven-Step Planning Process (SSPP; described in detail in Category 8) in developing their instructional programs; this ensures alignment with Northwest’s mission, vision, and core cultural values. The SSPP inherently encourages planning and innovation by requiring departments to 1) identify and link their department KQIs with the university’s KQIs; 2) set goals and objectives; 3) create and track the results from an assessment plan; 4) create and execute action plans; 5) develop trends; 6) institute improvements; and 7) set stretch targets. Faculty and chairs annually review the results of their seven-step plan, relevance to their mission, and report this review to their academic dean and to the provost. This report is discussed in the annual meeting with the provost, dean, chairperson, and department faculty. Both Northwest’s Board of Regents and the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education have statutory authority for reviewing and approving degree programs.

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Northwest was the first “electronic campus” in the nation; at that time, Northwest provided computers in every residence hall room and in laboratories across campus. Now all full-time undergraduate and graduate students receive a laptop computer, the cost of which is included in their tuition. In 85% of courses, faculty supplement their instruction with a course management system. Additionally, during the Fall 2008 trimester, over 200 students and 4 faculty will pilot Sony eReaders and eBooks in their courses. Both textbook publishers and Sony are eager to work with Northwest to further develop the technology and enhance the available electronic sources to improve the educational utility of these devices. (NOTE: NORTHWEST RECENTLY DECLARED THIS AS AN ACTION PROJECT.)

Northwest offers these key instructional programs at all degree levels of the institution: The Missouri Academy, Teacher Education, Agriculture, Business, Geographic Information Systems, and Applied Computer Science. Northwest’s largest programs are in business, psychology, education, and agriculture. The Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics, and Computing is an innovative residential high school program that admits students based on their high academic performance. Students enroll in regular university courses and receive a high school diploma and their Associate’s degree at the end of the two-year program. The Academy focuses on providing academic support mechanisms and networks so students achieve academic success.

Northwest’s nationally recognized Teacher Education program is a key instructional program due to the university’s historical institutional mission, the Horace Mann Laboratory School, and its national leadership in teacher education, evidenced by its receipt in 2006 of the Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Teacher Education. The Professional Education Unit offers undergraduate programs in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Middle School Education, Early Childhood Special Education and Secondary Education, as well as masters level programs in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Middle School Education, Reading Specialist, English Language Learners, Guidance and Counseling, and Secondary Education. The programs also are unique in their delivery: In addition to traditional delivery, teacher educators deliver instruction via a variety of delivery mechanisms (e.g., online, “blended” online/tradition, and ITV) Finally, students may earn an Ed.D. in the cooperative doctoral program with the University of Missouri.

Northwest’s programs in Agriculture are key due to the facilities, research opportunities, and practical experiences available to students. The farm is a 448-acre facility that employs a farm manager, animal technician, crop technician, swine herdsman, and University students. The beef herd is composed of Gelbvieh, Angus and Charolais cattle. Suffolk ewes bred with Dorsett rams produce market lambs, which are used in meats class. A farrow-to-finish swine operation gives students an opportunity to explore changes in the pork industry. In addition to the animals, the University grows corn and soybeans, alfalfa, and grass hay. Research is conducted for soil analysis and global positioning. Northwest also has a U.S. patent for its cutting-edge bio-energy project which processes animal waste into fuel. Located on the edge of campus, the dairy provides plenty of hands-on instruction. The 80-plus herd of Jersey, Holstein, and Brown Swiss is artificially inseminated. Approximately 40 lactating cows are milked twice each day, often by student employees. The Embryo Transfer Laboratory also is housed at the dairy. Students are involved in all stages of the process, from palpating cows to freezing embryos. Finally, the horticulture complex houses classrooms, a research laboratory, and a preparatory room for horticulture students. A growth chamber can simulate any type of growing environment on earth. Seven greenhouses feature state-of-the-art technology and are heated with circulating water.

The Master of Science in Applied Computer Science offers students with a strong undergraduate background in a technical computing discipline an opportunity to increase their technical expertise and to complement that expertise with fundamental business concepts related specifically to information technology. Another key instructional program is the online Master of Science degree in Geographic Information Science. The online Masters program includes courses on such GIScience topics as modeling with GIS, geostatistics, cartographic design, GIS database design, and project management. The target population for the online Masters program consists of people working in business or government who wish to use GIS technology to solve real-world problems and who need in-depth knowledge that goes beyond the mechanics of using GIS software.

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Northwest ensures this in three ways: Through faculty professional development, student instruction, and curricular planning. Faculty professional development. In the year-long New Faculty Orientation, the Counseling Center and Talent Development Center present information on the characteristics of Northwest students. Additionally, these presentations include information regarding learning disabilities, mental health, physical challenges, etc. In addition, the Counseling Center offers colloquia on teaching and learning styles at various times throughout the academic year. The Center for Instructional Technology in Education (CITE) offers training and workshops that support faculty in their use of instructional technology. The Teacher Education unit provides “Best Practices” seminars and regular faculty development seminars in which these issues are discussed. The Faculty Senate Welfare Committee also provides instructional professional development workshops for faculty throughout the academic year.

Student Instruction. As mentioned in 1C1 above, Northwest partly addresses its students’ needs to function in an interconnected and diverse world through its multicultural/diversity institutional requirement. Students meet this requirement by completing 3 credit hours in one of a variety of relevant courses. Northwest also encourages students to study abroad by offering several exchange programs; students who complete the comprehensive major in international business must study and/or complete an internship in a foreign country. Additionally, Northwest’s graduate in education have a “diverse” experience requirement.

Curricular Planning. Step 1 of the SSPP requires academic departments to validate their educational KQIs. A department might do this by reviewing assessment data, examining changes in the discipline and reevaluating student/stakeholder needs and expectations, and/or linking the KQIs to the university’s KQIs. Regular reaffirmation of the KQIs via focus groups, program assessment plans, national standards, and professional organizations, ensures their currency and relevance.

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Northwest has a long-standing tradition of financially supporting research (via its Culture of Quality funding) and of encouraging its faculty, staff, and students to examine diverse opinions/theories/approaches in an environment that protects one’s intellectual freedom. For example, Northwest funds scholarship and creative activities through various mechanisms:

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