Foundations of Excellence® Application Process
Enrollment for the 2013-2014 Foundations of Excellence National Cohort opened on September 1, 2012. Campuses interested in being selected as a member of the next National Select Cohort must complete a brief on-line application. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt. Applications are reviewed and spaces awarded on a rolling basis during this period until capacity is reached. Applications must be received no later than June 30, 2013. The Gardner Institute’s goal is to work with a limited number of two- and four-year institutions each year to ensure they receive the maximum amount of individual attention from our staff. In this current year, the Institute is supporting 36 institutions engaged in Foundations of Excellence First Year, Transfer Focus and/or Implement. To apply for First Year or Transfer Focus enrollment please proceed through the following steps:
Step 1. Register
- Create a “MyFoundations” account by clicking here.
- Select “Create Account.”
- Provide requested contact information. This will open a welcome page.
Step 2. Apply
- Select “Foundations of Excellence National Select Cohort” OR “Foundations of Excellence Transfer Focus” on the welcome page.
- Provide the names and contact information for the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Academic Officer, Chief Student Affairs Officer and an Administrative Assistant (optional).
- Provide the name of the individual(s) likely responsible for directing the project on campus (i.e., the person whom the Gardner Institute will term the “liaison”). If the decision has not yet been made as to who will serve in this leadership role, please enter the name of a temporary primary contact person.
- Provide a written response to the following prompts: (Limit each response to no more than 200 words.)
FoE in the First College Year
- Briefly describe your institution’s current approach(es) to the first year. (~200 words)
- Briefly describe your institution’s prior experience in first-year assessment. (~200 words)
- Comment briefly on why your institution wishes to participate in the next cohort of the Foundations of Excellence initiative. (~200 words)
- Comment briefly on the level of support for the Foundations of Excellence process from senior institutional leaders – chief executive, academic affairs, and student affairs officers. (Note: Our past experience has indicated that the success of the Foundations of Excellence process is highly dependent upon strong support from all campus constituent groups, especially senior campus leaders). (~200 words)
FoE Transfer Focus
- Briefly describe your institution’s current approach(es) to facilitating (or supporting) the transition of transfer students. (~200 words)
- Briefly describe your institution’s prior experience in transfer-related assessment. (~200 words)
- Comment briefly on why your institution wishes to participate in the Foundations of Excellence Transfer Focus self-study process. (~200 words)
- Comment briefly on the level of support for the Foundations of Excellence Transfer Focus process from senior institutional leaders – chief executive, academic affairs, and student affairs officers. (Note: Our past experience has indicated that the success of the Foundations of Excellence process is highly dependent upon strong support from all campus constituent groups, especially senior campus leaders). (~200 words)
Step 3. Phone Conversation between John Gardner and your CAO
Before the Gardner Institute can proceed to offer a slot to a campus, it is our practice for our Institute President, John Gardner, to have a phone conversation with the institution’s Chief Academic Officer. This is to insure several things: first of all, that the applicant campus fully understands the potential outcomes of the Foundations of Excellence process and the level of institution-wide commitment necessary to derive maximum benefit from the process. Secondly, it is important for the Institute to be assured that the CAO and the most senior administrative levels of the institution will be adequately engaged in, understanding and supportive of the process. In prior years this has been one of the most important steps for the overall success of the self study to follow.
If you have any questions about this process, please feel free to contact the Gardner Institute at info@jngi.org or 828-233-5874.
Application Deadlines
Applications will be reviewed upon receipt. Applications are reviewed and spaces awarded on a rolling basis during this period until capacity is reached. Applications must be received no later than June 30.
Required Steps for Accepted Institutions
Accepted institutions will receive an Agreement, CEO approval form, and invoice from the Gardner Institute for execution by the campus. Signature of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or his/her designee on the approval form confirms that the CEO is authorizing an institutional commitment to make a good faith effort to participate in and complete the project with his/her full support. The Gardner Institute will confirm acceptance by returning a copy of the executed Agreement.
Payment of Comprehensive Fee
Because of the rolling admissions and selections policy for Foundations of Excellence, campuses will be notified on an on-going basis. The selection process will terminate and all selected campuses will have been notified promptly, but no later than July 20, 2012. Once a campus is selected and officially confirms its intention to participate, an official agreement will be provided by the Gardner Institute for execution prior to beginning formal participation in the Foundations of Excellence self-study process. The agreement must be executed, returned and the comprehensive fee tendered no later than July 20, 2012. If there are extraordinary circumstances regarding the timing of our due date for fee payment, such as a state-wide budget year for public institutions commencing after this date, please advise the Gardner Institute for consideration. While a campus may terminate its agreement with the Gardner Institute at any time, there will be no refunds after July 20, 2012.