Collins Hired as New Director of Institutional Effectiveness
Dylan Hines
Manchester University has a new Director of Institutional Effectiveness, Dr. Kristina Collins. She will be overseeing accreditation and assessment for the university.
“Working with accreditation is ‘telling the story’ of Manchester University and how MU is meeting predefined criteria for quality processes,” Collins said. “Having accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), based in Chicago, is essentially a requirement for students to receive federal assistance.”
Collins explained assessment as the gathering of data to make sure students are learning what they need to be learning. “On each syllabus, you will see ‘learning outcomes’ or ‘learning goals,’” she said. “This is what you should leave the course with: skills, knowledge, competencies.”
Her role at Manchester is primarily behind the scenes, working with the faculty and administration to ensure that these criteria are being met. He position here will not involve daily interactions with students.
Collins has several years of experience leading accreditation and assessment work at previous institutions. For most of her 23 years in higher education, she was a faculty member in business.
She also serves as a commissioner for a specialized accreditor that accredits more than 1200 organizations across 60 countries. “I work with the 10-person Board to determine the accreditation status for these schools that represent all the regions we are active in,” she said.
Institutional effectiveness focuses on continuous improvement and providing evidence for growth. Collins says that this concept has even helped her in her personal life. She learned that it’s not enough to just say that you’ve done something. “I also want to be able to show ‘how‘ I have accomplished something or achieved a goal,” she said. “I also strive for continuous improvement in my personal and professional lives.”
Further, Collins believes that higher education is key to opening doors in both personal and professional lives. She is a first generation college student and credits her college experience with giving her opportunities she says she would have “never dreamed of.” And she encourages students to never give up.
Collins chose Manchester because she is a native of Fort Wayne and wanted to be closer to friends and family. “Manchester is known as a best-in-class institution and I knew that it would be a great fit for my experience,” she said.