CEA - Quality Control & Assessment Process

Global Campus: Oversight & Assessment

As participation in study abroad and the availability of less traditional locations continues to grow, the field of study abroad today is attracting ever greater attention from American educational leadership, as well as significant federal, state and private financial funds that sustain study abroad. Appropriately, the demand for quality education abroad and the systematic assessment of learning outcomes that demonstrate it, are at the heart of building capacity in study abroad today.

The Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program, which seeks to help 1 million American students study overseas annually this decade, states: the study abroad academic experience “must be of such quality that it merits and earns academic credit accepted by the home institution […] a stipulation that requires assessment of program quality before credits can be awarded.”

Staff & Faculty

Our international faculty and staff’s backgrounds – personal, educational and professional – combined with their deep knowledge and understanding of the cities wherein they live, enhance our students’ study abroad experience at the Global Campus. Available to answer many questions, or even just assuage the inevitable first wave of homesickness, our international colleagues are what set us apart from other study abroad providers in the same cities. Many hold dual citizenship, advanced degrees, extensive experience in higher education and the field of study abroad, and all are passionate about cultural exploration.

Quality Control

One of the key benefits of a Global Campus is our ability to adapt and modify programs to meet the needs of universities, faculty and our students. How do we know what those needs are?

CEA students and visiting faculty are asked to evaluate their program and experience, from the strength of their coursework to their feedback on housing, language studies and cultural activities.
Each Global Campus undergoes regular review to ensure our curriculum and activities sync with U.S. institution majors, general education and graduation requirements.
Our review process is measured by the Standards of Good Practice approved by the Forum on Education Abroad, the leader in study abroad quality assessment.

School of Record: University of New Haven

The University of New Haven (UNH) acts as the School of Record for all Global Campuses. Global Campus courses are designed in conjunction with, approved and transcripted by UNH, which is accredited by the Commission on the Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (CIHE/NEASC). In addition, UNH reviews and approves all Global Campus faculty appointments. UNH and CEA also collaborate on ongoing assessment and improvement of Global Campus operations, guided by the Forum on Education Abroad’s Standards of Good Practice.

The Essential Role of CEA's School of Record

We welcome the Lincoln Commission's demand for increased accountability in assuring academic quality in study abroad programming and delivery. To this end, CEA has forged a comprehensive academic partnership with the regionally accredited University of New Haven to ensure that Global Campus course design and content, instructional pedagogy and delivery, and faculty credentials and experience meet recognized academic standards of U.S.-based and regionally accredited institutions of Higher Education.

The University of New Haven does not serve a pro forma function of “blessing” and transcripting our proprietary courses; rather, UNH exercises academic control of curriculum and personnel, applying standards for quality and conscientiousness equivalent to those of the home campus. We believe the model upon which the UNH-CEA partnership is based exceeds the "industry standard" for study abroad arrangements.

In the creation of their cooperative agreement, CEA Global Education and UNH utilized a variety of “best practice” documents to determine and apply the highest standards of academic quality control. They included:

NEASC-CIHE Standards for Accreditation
NEASC-CIHE Policy on Substantive Change
NEASC-CIHE Policy on Institutional Effectiveness
NEASC-CIHE Good Practices in Contractual Arrangements Involving Courses and Programs
NEASC-CIHE Principles of Good Practice in Overseas International Education Programs for Non-US Nationals
Forum for Education Abroad Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad
School of Record models provided by dozens of other universities

The contract between CEA and UNH was reviewed at length by the full Commission of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges in November of 2006 and was unanimously approved by the Commission, both in its original review and again, after the two-year review period required by the NEASC-CIHE Policy on Substantive Change. The relationship also has been approved by the UNH Board of Governors.

Assessing Study Abroad Outcomes at CEA

With such support, CEA Global Education has instituted an extensive set of internal processes for assessing program quality, academic integrity, classroom instruction, and student academic performance. In addition, we maintain active memberships in leading professional organizations advocating for best practices in study abroad programming and management. To ensure a culture of continuous improvement, we also invite opportunities for external and independent evaluation of all aspects of our academic and operational management. In short, we choose to demonstrate our commitment to continuous improvement in student learning outcomes through a multifaceted approach to internal and external program assessment.

CEA's Annual Self Study

The School of Record Agreement requires that CEA Global Education engage in a regular and structured process of reflection and self assessment in the form of written self study reports. Using the nine Standards of Good Practice adopted by the Forum on Education Abroad as a basis for assessing and improving all aspects of programming, our academic and administrative staff at each site write detailed reports and supply supporting documentation on the following academic and operational areas:

Mission
Student Learning and Development
Academic Framework
Student Preparation for the Learning Environment Abroad
Student Selection and Code of Conduct
Policies and Procedures
Organizational and Program Resources
Health, Safety and Security
Ethics and Integrity

To date, our academic and administrative teams have successfully conducted a comprehensive examination of CEA Global Campus sites in Rome, Florence, Paris, Madrid and Seville. Additional sites in Barcelona and Dublin will undergo self study assessments and corresponding UNH site visits in 2011 and 2012. This ambitious self study process has enabled us to review some of our notable strengths, to consolidate and polish procedures that work, and maximize efficiency in functions and tasks we know and do well. Alternatively, and of greater value, the self study process has helped CEA identify and prioritize areas where improvements can be made. Indeed, this is the very purpose and value of the self study exercise: it is an opportunity for self-reflection, self-criticism, and self-directed improvement so that the educational mission CEA – to create and facilitate opportunities for personal growth and global understanding through quality international education and cultural experiences – can be more effectively carried out to the direct benefit of our U.S. university partners and students.