Operating under enabling legislation found in the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as amended, Chapter 73, Salem State College is a comprehensive four-year institution offering baccalaureate degrees, masters degrees and the C.A.G.S. As required by the Commonwealth, degree programs are offered only after specific approval by the Board of Higher Education, according to established procedures. The College seeks to be fully compliant with all local, state and federal laws, rules and regulations governing its various operations, and, in fact, strives to not only adhere to the "letter" of each law, rule or regulation, but also to understand its history, context, and purpose, as well as adhere to its original intent or "spirit". In compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, Salem State College, through its affirmative action/equal opportunity policies, its three collective bargaining agreements, its academic and student life policies and procedures, and its administrative and financial policies and procedures has developed a framework of ethical standards which apply across the College.

In describing the "Integrity" of the College, it is important to note that two major suppositions underlie or serve as bedrock to the ethical operation of an institution. The first is that "integrity" or "ethical practices" do not exist as a separate entity, but rather are woven throughout, and serve as the basis for all operations and functions of the College. In this regard, evaluation of the integrity of the College is embodied in each of the preceding ten standards from the development and implementation of a mission which accurately delineates the character, populations and goals of the College, through its various policies, processes, operations, facilities, resources, and functional structures to its relationships and communications. For this reason, assessments of "integrity" are fundamental to all standards of this Self Study. The second supposition is that "integrity" (or "ethical practices") is essential to institutional effectiveness, and must be the foundation upon which on-going comprehensive assessment and evaluation efforts are developed and implemented. Again, this principle is integrally embedded in all standards described in the sections above.

Implicit in the mission of the College, and underlying all academic policies is the commitment of Salem State College to the principle of academic freedom, and the free pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. A specific statement of academic freedom is contained in the collective bargaining agreement between the Board of Higher Education and the Massachusetts Teachers Association/Massachusetts State College Association (Faculty and Librarians Union). The right of the faculty to teach and pursue knowledge, to engage in scholarly activity of the individual’s choice, to research and to be guided by scholarly research, to question, examine and analyze the assumptions on which other scholars have based their work, and the right to be integrally involved in the governance of the College as well as other rights are specifically guaranteed to the Salem State Faculty not only by institutional commitment, but by the aforementioned collective bargaining agreement. The right of students to freely select a program of study within approved and clearly communicated parameters, and the right of students to study, to research and to question assumptions is basic to the teaching and learning process.

Primary to the integrity of the operation of any institution of higher education is the relationship between faculty member and student and the teaching process itself. Salem State College, as a teaching institution, places high priority on this relationship. Historically, there have been a number of scattered efforts on the campus to examine teaching effectiveness and student learning. During the past three years, with the establishment of the Council on Teaching and Learning, the College has made an effort to institutionalize and to centralize this effort. This Council, consisting of ten faculty members and librarians appointed by the Salem Chapter of the Massachusetts State College Association and approved by the President of the College, with funding currently provided by the Vice President of Academic Affairs, accepts as its charge matters having to do with "how students learn" and "how faculty teach". The Council has developed and offered a number of workshops for faculty on such topics as global perspectives in education, the changing face of the student body, understanding students of various cultures, pedagogy and methods of instruction, and the use of small group projects and internships in the education of students. Recently, Salem State College has applied to become a "Carnegie Teaching Academy College" in the hopes of developing a Center for Teaching and Learning with resources to support the teaching and learning process. Success in this effort would also provide resources for faculty to travel to other campuses to observe their work in this area.

The commitment of Salem State College to equity, fairness, equal opportunity and diversity is clearly spelled out in the most recent Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity and Diversity Plan and the individual non-discrimination policies and procedures. Because of a breakdown in the Affirmative Action higher education structure at the state level, these policies which were previously developed, revised and submitted jointly by the nine state colleges of the Commonwealth, are under review and revision at the institutional level during the 1999-2000 academic year. Specific policies on racial, religious and ethnic discrimination, gender and sexual orientation discrimination, sexual harassment, persons with disabilities, and age discrimination speak clearly about institutional commitment in these areas. The Salem State College Hiring Policy and Procedure has checks to insure the fair and equitable treatment of candidates for positions and is overseen by the Office of Equal Opportunity and Human Rights. The Discrimination Complaint Procedure (also under the jurisdiction of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Human Rights) provides an enforcement mechanism for all of these policies and procedures. This complaint procedure covers allegations of discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability and veteran status and is available to all students, employees, applicants for employment or admission, and "other persons having dealings with the institution". In addition, all collective bargaining agreements contain fairness, equity and non-discrimination language, contain language regarding ethical conduct, and have negotiated grievance procedures to protect unit members against unfair treatment.

In addition to its policies and procedures in these areas, the College has developed many programmatic initiatives to affirmatively recruit, admit, hire and support students and employees from diverse groups who were previously under represented in, or under served by, the college community. In the employment area, both the hiring procedures and administrative mandate encourage the recruitment and selection of women, people of color and other previously or presently under represented groups. In the admission of students, the Admissions Office has historically placed a great deal of emphasis on recruiting students of color by holding special open houses, and heavily recruiting at high schools with large minority populations. Marketing materials and efforts are designed to portray Salem State as a diverse community, and to make minority communities a part of the target population. In addition, the College has for many years operated significant programs designed to serve low income, first generation and minority students. These programs provide special admission criteria, a summer program, and additional academic support for enrolled students. In recent years, the College has applied for and received a grant to operate its McNair Scholars Program. This program is designed to identify and recruit undergraduate students of color and encourage and support them in their pursuit of graduate studies. It is now coordinated by a young Ph.D., a Hispanic male, who was himself enrolled in the McNair program. In addition, the Charlotte Forten Distinguished Scholarship program supports students of color who have demonstrated high scholastic achievement and leadership potential.

Other programmatic initiatives include the development of the CALL Center (Center for Adult and Lifelong Learning) which was developed to serve older returning students, many of whom are also served well by the transfer policies and articulation agreements with various community colleges which allow for an easier and smoother transfer of credit from one institution to another. Various student life programming efforts are designed to educate students about diversity issues and to support groups of students from previously under served groups (African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Gay, Lesbian and Bi-Sexual, Women).

The single fastest growing group of students on the Salem State College campus (as on many other campuses) is the students with disabilities. Historically, the College has made significant efforts with respect to the accessibility of facilities and the servicing of these students. Understanding the social context within which Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act were legislated, the College has sought to place a priority on "leveling the playing field" for students, employees and members of the general public who have disabilities. The past five years have seen remarkable progress in this effort. A new Office for Students with Disabilities was created, staffed, and moved to a fully accessible, convenient and visible location. This office services the needs for academic (and other) accommodations, aids and adjustments, and advocates within the College Community for these students. In addition, the College has undergone a number of major facility renovation projects (some with state capitol money and some with College funds) and has made access a fundamental portion of each project. Three elevators, numerous power doors, an "airway" connecting an inaccessible wing of a classroom building to another wing served by an elevator, accessible restrooms and ADA compliant signage have been some of the results of these projects.

Key to the integrity of the institutional mandate to meet the developmental needs of students, to protect their rights and motivate them to fully accept their responsibilities, is the publication by the College of clear and coherent policies with respect to academics, privacy, dishonesty and other conduct. The College endeavors to strictly adhere to these policies and to apply them equally to all students. Policies and procedures concerning Academic Dishonesty, The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the Fair Information Practices Act, Disruptive Student in Classroom, the syllabus and final exam policies and the Student Grievance Procedure on Academic Matters are clearly laid out in the Salem State College Catalog. Additional rights and responsibilities of students and procedures for their implementation are published in The Compass (student handbook), Student Conduct Code, and The Guide to Residence Hall Living. The Judicial Code (contained in the Student Conduct Code) provides prompt and fair resolution of matters within its jurisdiction. In addition, students play a major role in the governance process and are strongly encouraged, through the Student Government Association, to serve on college committees.

The importance of the institutional commitment to integrity can be clearly seen by examining the undergraduate curriculum. Five different courses in Ethics are offered by the Department of Philosophy, Nursing, Social Work and Business majors are either strongly encouraged or required to take an appropriate Ethics course.

The Institutional Research Review Board is a standing body that deals exclusively with all research using human or animal subjects. The rights of subjects of biomedical and/or behavioral research are protected by this Board’s review of the research design.

Salem State College, in its managerial, personnel, administrative and financial operations and its dealings with external organizations, including the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education subscribes to high standards of integrity and honesty. As stated in its Catalog, the College strives to incorporate all of the Commission standards, but most particularly the Integrity standard and the integrity components of all other standards, into its fundamental principles, policies, operations and practices.

Salem State College is fully committed to comprehensive assessment of its policies and practices, and specifically of those that relate directly to the effective implementation of its ethical policies and procedures. Assessment of these areas is complex, and, to be comprehensive, must deal not only with quantitative and qualitative outcomes of specific policies and procedures, but with participation, inclusion, communication and relationships as they relate to systems and programs. At the present time, many of the policies and procedures have a "self assessing mechanism" through either checks and balances in the systems themselves, or through complaint and grievance processes that have several levels of appeal. Policies and procedures are periodically reevaluated by the offices responsible for their implementation as well as by the upper administration. Since such assessment, like the institution, is not a static, one time snap shot, but is, rather, a continuous process requiring extensive communication between various constituencies, assessment tools and mechanisms must be flexible enough to adjust and change as the College adjusts and changes, policies, procedures and priorities change, and new problems which must be addressed are recognized. During Academic Year 1999-2000, all of the policies and procedures mentioned in this standard will receive intense scrutiny through the appraisal portion of this Self Study. Specifically scheduled for major revision because of factors unrelated to the Self Study are the Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity policies and procedures and the Hiring Policy and Procedure.

The fulfillment of the Mission of Salem State College has, at its base, the integrity of its operations, the honesty of its communications, the quality and moral strength of its continuing self assessment and the commitment to change and grow in response to this assessment. The integrity of the College itself is grounded in the process of fulfilling its mission. Salem State College is committed to doing so.

Following the general order of the Description section of this standard, this appraisal will deal with each area highlighted in that section, moving from the fundamental commitment to academic freedom, through the various elements of the standard, to an appraisal of the assessment of the College’s ethical practices. The standard against which this appraisal will be conducted will, as nearly as possible, be the standard of balance, taking into account as much as possible the divergent perceptions and views which are basic to any institution of higher education.

With respect to the principles of academic freedom for both faculty and students within the College Community, the principles are clearly articulated and maintained. On the faculty side, the free pursuit of knowledge, the questioning and analysis of scholarly research, the engagement of faculty members in scholarly activity of their choice, and the freedom to be integrally involved in the governance of the College are principles which have not been questioned to any appreciable degree, and appear to be principles around which there is consensus. No major problems in these areas have come to the fore in recent years with the exception of occasional negative peer evaluations of the quality of a faculty member’s scholarship which are a necessary part of the tenure and promotion process and serve to maintain appropriate standards of academic quality within the College. On the student side, the freedom of a student to select a program of study (within appropriate parameters and standards), to study, to research and to question assumptions is again an area around which there appears to be general consensus.

Tension exists, however, when one examines the right of the faculty member to teach: to develop the Syllabus for the course in question, to present material as s/he wishes, and to assign grades to the work completed by students. These principles are strongly upheld by the academic administration of the College. Each member of our large and committed faculty has developed her/his own style and method of teaching, which s/he feels is best suited to presenting the material of the course, and has developed and maintains academic standards for grading. With the advent of the development of scholarship in such areas which include but are not limited to learning theory, multiple intelligences, and cultural and gender differences, coupled with the societal and legal changes which have occurred in the last two decades, the competing rights and perceptions of students and faculty have become more apparent. Developing awareness (and occasionally, misperceptions) by an increasingly diverse student body of their rights as individuals and as groups, coupled with their sometimes less than perfect understanding of academic freedom and faculty rights, juxtaposed with the less than total sensitivity to and knowledge about the diverse needs, perceptions and legal rights of a changing student body, on the part of some few faculty members, occasionally create an environment which is may be characterized by tension and lack of meaningful communication. Although some tension between individuals within these groups will always exist, this is an area that requires increased attention, attention which takes the form of increased communication of differences and increased understanding of the rights and responsibilities of both students and faculty. Particular attention needs to be paid in the areas of disability, culture, gender, and age and level of maturity. Raising the level of awareness of the student body to both sides of the equation (that is faculty rights as well as student rights) and the necessity for open communication, coupled with the exposure of the faculty to pedagogical methods which better meet the needs of this changing student body and the development of forums for discourse around these subjects need to be given a high priority. The work of the Council on Teaching and Learning is endeavoring to address teaching strategies and pedagogical methods and is one element addressing this issue. However, increasing discourse and communication are essential to bringing whatever resolution is possible to this area of tension.

The area of equity, fairness, equal opportunity and diversity from the point of view of clearly articulated policies and procedures, many of which are under revision, is relatively strong in content. Increased attention needs to be paid to the dissemination of these policies, and the development of mechanisms for bringing about a more universal understanding of these concepts across the College Community. Again, areas of tension exist: tension between the availability, interest and willingness of members of the College Community to read, attend workshops on, and develop an understanding of these concepts and the need for such understanding; tension between the availability of fiscal and human resources to accomplish this task and the need to do it; and tension between divergent points of view of the necessity for bringing about greater understanding in these areas. Clearly, however, greater attention needs to be focused here. Progress has been made in the last decade with the inclusion of some of these policies (or a synopsis thereof) in increased numbers of College publications. Greater priority needs to be placed on these matters in the coming years.

With respect to the hiring policies and procedures of the College, an analysis of their effectiveness in creating a more diverse College community reveals that more emphasis needs to be placed in this area as well. While significant strides have been made over the years in the classified and some administration areas, and in the faculty area regarding gender diversity, recruiting and hiring faculty of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds is an issue which needs continuing and enhanced attention. The recruitment of faculty candidates of such diverse backgrounds is the area that has been problematic. The procedures have safeguards and review processes to encourage favorable consideration of candidates of diverse backgrounds and while not perfect, by any means, these safeguards serve the College reasonably well. The recruitment of such candidates, however, is an area that has proved difficult. It has been the experience of Salem State College, and many other institutions of higher education, that faculty candidates are best recruited by faculty members, particularly those in their own or related disciplines. Again, this effort is one that is fraught with tensions: faculty members who are teaching a four course load each semester, advising students, serving on both departmental and institutional governance committees, and addressing themselves to their own research are frequently lacking in time and energy to address themselves to this effort; fiscal resources for attendance at discipline specific conferences are limited; competition with private institutions for promising young scholars of color in an era of both salary equity awareness and fiscal constraint lessens the competitive position of the College; the high cost of living in the region discourages candidates for junior faculty positions who have no personal ties in New England; and a societal demand for candidates of color (particularly African-American candidates) as opposed to the numbers of qualified candidates seeking positions creates a situation where the demand exceeds the supply. In addition, in some cases the qualifications for positions are structured too narrowly to allow for the diverse backgrounds of candidates of color, and in some disciplines the lack of availability of academic positions and the competing rights of individual candidates to be "best qualified" by standards that are, on occasion, less than flexible, have contributed in part to insufficient progress in the recruitment of candidates of color. In addition, the support of new faculty in general, and new faculty of color in particular, has been somewhat less than ideal. The Office of Academic Affairs targeted two new faculty of color who were hired without doctoral degrees and attempted to support them through degree completion. One of those faculty members has been awarded her doctorate; the other has resigned from the College.

Some of these tensions are societal and fiscal and are difficult for the College to remedy. Others must be more fully addressed either by programmatic or budgetary priority and/or by increasing the level of understanding of some of the reasons for the College’s lack of sufficient progress in this area. Salem State College needs to focus on those areas where it can effect change and develop strategies for remedying the existing situation. The key to working through this situation is to develop increased understanding in the College Community of the areas where changes can effect progress, without encouraging the surface approach which has been seen in some employment environments in the past few decades, the approach of hiring a candidate solely, or substantially because of the candidate’s race or ethnicity, occasionally at the expense of the legal rights of other candidates. Such an approach serves neither the successful candidate nor the College and its students well. The development of strategies which include the appropriate structuring of positions and qualifications, providing faculty (and others) with the time and resources to recruit a diverse pool of candidates for each position, and the development of further programmatic initiatives in the area of recruitment and retention of faculty of color are activities which need to be given a higher priority.

A large part of the fairness, equity, equal opportunity and diversity standard are the procedures for registering and resolving complaints of various kinds. The negotiated grievance procedures of the three collective bargaining agreements that serve the employees of the College are procedures which have been agreed upon by the parties and which appear to work well within the parameters of the existing contracts. The Discrimination Complaint Procedures of the College are currently under review and possible revision. These procedures were developed with the full participation of Counsel to assure the protection of the rights of all parties. A synopsis of these procedures is contained in a variety of publications, but further and more frequent dissemination of this information, perhaps in a more accessible format, particularly to students, has potential for improving the utilization of these procedures. Further, there have been observations that these procedures do not serve students as well as they should. Here too, various tensions exist: tension between the competing rights of the person filing a claim or complaint, and the rights of the person against whom it is filed; tension between encouraging the filing of complaints and bringing about an understanding of what legal discrimination is; and tension between the need for increasing the knowledge of the availability of complaint processes, and the understanding of the concept and the human resources available to complete these tasks. The resolution of some of these tensions could perhaps be accomplished by a more "user friendly" and educational document, and this is the aim of the current efforts of revision. The tensions created by competing rights, however, can only be assisted through greater communication and understanding.

Long a subject of tension and contention, the Student Grievance Procedure on Academic Matters is one that students and their advocates assert is "not responsive to student needs". A student who has a complaint about a professor is instructed by this procedure to first see the professor, then, if resolution is not achieved, to see the Department Chair, and so on up the academic line. Complaints voiced by students and their advocates say that nothing gets resolved, that response is not timely, and that the student always loses. On the other side, and again the tension between student rights and faculty rights comes to the fore, is the issue of the right of the faculty member to teach and to grade. Realistically, although less publicized, perhaps, a number of student complaints do get resolved by the faculty member, the Department Chair or the Dean. Again too, competing perceptions and misperceptions, a lack of understanding or attention to the rights of the opponent, and the unavoidable dynamic of human personalities come into play. In a grade complaint, the lack of understanding on the part of some students of the difference between effort expended and quality of work achieved, and on the other hand the almost unquestioned right of the faculty member to assess the work and provide a grade for that work makes it difficult to resolve the tension. One Woman’s Studies group on campus, which is composed of faculty, students, staff and administrators, is examining the policies of other institutions to see if a better and more effective policy and procedure can be developed. Some of the policies under review contain a peer review process for resolving grade complaints, but any recommended change in the current policy and procedure will be subject to the governance process. The tension here, at present, is unresolved, but subjecting it to scrutiny and discussion may have the effect of bringing about further understanding of the problem and new and creative suggestions for its resolution.

The recruitment and admission of students of diverse backgrounds has long been a priority of Salem State College and is an area in which the College has, during the past decade, enjoyed significant success. The last three years, however, have brought stringent state mandated admissions standards that have removed some of the flexibility previously enjoyed by the admissions staff. During the current year the College, after long effort, has been successful in persuading the Board of Higher Education of the Commonwealth to exempt the admissions to the special programs that were designed to, and have served a large number of students of color, from the standards. Again, tension has been apparent; specifically tension between inflexible state standards allegedly designed to upgrade academic quality over against the College’s commitment and mission to provide accessible education to previously underserved groups. This tension is one that is not easily resolved, but one that the College has and will continue to work through.

The special programs designed to provide support and services to previously underrepresented students continue to serve these students well. The fact that these programs are grant funded however, produces a situation that is significantly less than ideal. The majority of staff for these programs are hired on a year to year basis, without the security of state employment, and the salaries allowed by the grants are somewhat less than generous. This has led to high staff turnover, with periods of time where positions remain unfilled, significantly disrupting the continuity of the programs. In addition, space constraints have led to less than optimal functioning. Again, tension exists between the need to provide improved conditions for these programs and the fiscal constraints of the College. On balance, however, the students in these programs are well served and the retention rates are high.

The CALL Center (Center for Adult and Lifelong Learning) which serves older returning students has provided space for these students to congregate, to study and to grow. Recently, the new Dean of Continuing Education and Non-Traditional Programs has added an emphasis for this Center to continue to develop as the advocate for the additional and different needs of these students. The vision is to develop additional needs based support services for this group of students, to listen to them and to empower them. A need for further work on transfer and articulation agreements has been identified, as has the need for new delivery systems (the possibility and feasibility of accelerated programs and distance education are being explored) to further address the needs of these and other students.

The Office for Students with Disabilities has made significant strides over the last several years in terms of providing services, academic aids and adjustments, and accommodations for students with a variety of disabilities. Areas that continue to need growth have to do with increasing the understanding of both faculty and students about the rights and responsibilities of both groups. Here the tension between the faculty member’s right to manage the learning environment in the classroom and the student’s right to accessible learning is one which the College is working hard to resolve. An excellent effort was made by this office in the Spring of 2000. The Office for Students with Disabilities held a reception for faculty and students, honoring specific faculty members who had been selected by the students with disabilities as being sensitive to them and helpful in meeting their needs. Further efforts are needed. Exposure, education and communication are key to this effort, with new strategies for goal accomplishment being a priority for this Office.

ADA compliant physical accessibility of all campus buildings and grounds continues to be a priority for the Office of Facilities. Although great progress has been made, and the "readily achievable" deficiencies have been remedied, a number of problems still exist. The tension between complete accessibility compliant with the ADA, and the fiscal constraints of the College is being slowly resolved as each suite of offices, classrooms, etc. are renovated. Each renovation has as a priority the meeting of ADA standards of accessibility.

The articulation of the various policies designed to meet the developmental needs of students, to protect their rights and to motivate them to accept their responsibilities is clear and definitive. Although these policies, both academic and developmental, are under continuing review by various governance committees, and the standard of "due process" underlies them all, one area of potential growth or improvement has been the subject of continuing discussions.

Although the College constantly strives to clearly communicate academic standards and curriculum requirements in a timely and meaningful way, some areas of misunderstanding appear to exist. Again, the tension between the need to do more than publish these procedures, and the constraints of the limited resources of both the administrative staff and the faculty is a tension in need of resolution. The development of strategies for clearer and perhaps more accessible communication of these standards and requirements is an ongoing process and one which deserves further development.

The Description section of this Standard makes reference to the institutional commitment to integrity embedded in the undergraduate curriculum through its required courses in Ethics found in some of the professional programs. Since it is the purpose of the Appraisal section to assess institutional integrity, it seems appropriate here to assess integrity and ethical practices, not as platonic ideals, but as they relate to the purpose of the College itself. If we are to hold integrity and ethical practices as fundamental values, and hold the College accountable for ethical practices in all of its functions and operations, then the College has some responsibility as its seeks to educate its students, to provide those students with ways to develop a means of arriving at their own ethical practices, if not in terms of commitment, then in terms of behavior. Non sectarian values, which the College espouses, include such areas as academic honesty, the promotion of diversity and pluralism, civil behavior, treating others with respect and dignity, refraining from sexual harassment or any other behavior that degrades others, refraining from illegal activity including stealing, assault, etc., and, generally, behaving in such a way as to promote civilized community living. The division of Student Life, through a multiplicity of programs, does an excellent job of addressing these issues on a continuing basis, but many students who are commuters and are often fully employed, have neither the time nor the energy to regularly attend these and other programs.

The Ethics courses mentioned in the Description section clearly provide instruction in the development of values. Across the College, many faculty members work with their students to engage them in ethical analysis. The Freshman Seminar, which is required of all undeclared freshmen, addresses some of these issues, depending on the faculty member who is teaching. There is, however, no required element of the curriculum that assures that such ethical development is addressed by all students. Core curriculum at some other institutions contains such a requirement. Currently the curriculum of Salem State College does not. Although there is currently no external requirement that it do so, and core curriculum revision is dealt with through the governance process, it would appear that the College has some responsibility to its students in terms of ethical development, and the development of the skills necessary to reach ethical judgments and behave in ethical ways. Again the issue of "values education" is one which is filled with tension and divergent points of view. Whether or not this issue can best be addressed through curriculum requirements, through role modeling, through programmatic efforts, or through other means is certainly an issue that needs to become a subject of discourse within the College Community.

An examination of the functioning of the Institutional Research Review Board over the past several years has shown marked improvements in both utilization of the Board, and in its internal operations. Historically, there has been a problem of members of the College Community conducting research on human or animal subjects failing to go through the appropriate process. In the last several years, the policy has been proactively disseminated, meetings have been held with Department Chairs to explain the process, required forms have been redesigned to provide easier use, an abbreviated process for simple surveys has been developed, and support staff have been assigned to handle the administrative work of the Board. Although not yet perfect, the improved process has led to increased utilization of the Board and strengthened the oversight of research using human or animal subjects.

Integrity in managerial, personnel, administrative and financial operations continues to be a commitment of Salem State College. Based on an expressed need to serve all of the constituencies of the College on a more integrated and smoother basis, along with the need to assure that the College is adhering to "best practices" in all of its operations, Salem State College has recently purchased and is implementing the PeopleSoft administrative computing system throughout its entire operation. Conversion to this system, which will be done over an extended period of time, will assure that the administrative practices of the College are accomplished in the most efficient and cleanest manner possible. While integrity is a function of the sum of the policies, practices, and individuals working within an institution, assuring that "best practices" are used, with all of the safeguards embedded in the system, should allow the College to better serve its various constituencies.

One function within the administrative structure of the College which will need enhanced attention in the coming years is the Human Resources function. While the past decade has seen the Office of Human Resources change its name from "Personnel" to "Human Resources", and add staff, enabling it to increase its support for the College and its employees in several areas, further development is needed. Current management theory has emphasized strategic planning and has transformed the concept of the personnel function from that of record keeping and activity which serves only Management, to a more comprehensive human resources function which views employees as a major and important resource of the College and, in addition, views employees as "whole persons", not simply functionaries within an institution. This current theory places increased emphasis in a number of areas such as workforce development and training, employee assistance, health and recreation, coordinated employee relations programs, management of crisis, systematic approaches to classification and compensation at all levels, and oversight of "best practices". Salem State College has not been able, because of fiscal constraints, antiquated systems, some of which are out of the control of the College, and other priorities within the College, to be on the cutting edge of current theory and practice. Some progress has been made through the development of an Employee Orientation Program, an Employee Handbook, increased use of technology, and the development of a campus based, contracted out, Employee Assistance Program. Other scattered efforts include the opening of the "Wellness Center", a fitness facility for students and employees operated by an academic department, and a Workers Compensation grant obtained by an entrepreneurial office of the Division of CE and Non-Traditional Programs which is an educational health and wellness program for employees. On balance, given the constraints noted above, this progress speaks positively for the College.

Taken against the current human resources concept, however, additional attention needs to be paid to the development of strategic planning for human resources and the development of the research necessary to support that planning, the development of a comprehensive training and professional development program for support staff and administrators, supervisory and managerial training, the development of a clearly defined and publicized Upward Mobility Program, career development counseling, coordinated health, recreation, and life planning programs, referral services in such areas as housing and dependent care, and a more intentional approach to community outreach and volunteer programs. Also, with the recent loss of the current employee assistance vendor, the Employee Assistance Program needs evaluation, redesign, and identification of a new vendor. In addition, a systematic approach to the classification and compensation of Administrator positions would provide equity to a workforce that has grown on an "as necessary" basis, without sufficient organization or planning to provide total equity and fairness.

In appraising the assessment mechanisms for the various policies, procedures and activities noted in the Description section of this Standard, be they embedded in the procedure itself, be they anecdotal, ad hoc or analytical, the lack of quantitative assessment tools becomes apparent. The measured development of such tools is a growth area that needs to be explored. However, it would appear that in all probability, nothing raises the awareness of the College Community to these issues, and encourages the necessary discourse that serves to assess the policies and practices of any institution of higher education more than the publication of a draft appraisal as a part of the NEASC Self Study Process. The reactions of the community to this document are perhaps the best assessment tool; they bring together a multiplicity of viewpoints, and provide the communication that enables a community to bring together divergent interest groups in conversation and communication about what the deficiencies or areas of growth are, and what can be done to resolve the tensions that inhibit movement between what is and what ought to be.

The appraisal of the integrity and ethical practices of an institution is a dynamic process, involving interaction between individuals and groups, the recognition of the tensions that exist, and the attempt to find some balance in the resolution of these tensions. The interaction, the communication, the analysis, the questioning, and the creation of discourse surrounding these issues is, after all, the heart of an academic institution. Salem State College is committed to this process and to the change and growth that it will create. Appraisal of institutional integrity provides the ground upon which to create a vision for the future and to build balanced projections for what needs to be done, realistically assessing what can be done, to move the College to a higher standard of integrity reaching towards what ought to be.

Key also to the development of such vision, or projection, is the understanding of the various processes and procedures which govern change within the College. No single person or group of persons can simply mandate changes in many (and particularly, the academic) areas. Change must take place through discourse, through increased understanding, through the development of proposals for change, and through the governance process. Although some few procedural changes can be mandated from above, such changes will not be effective without some attempt to build a degree of understanding and consensus, even where change can come about in this way. In addition, in developing projections for the future, it is necessary to apply the standard of balance and resolution. Recognition of the tensions described in the appraisal section of this document, and attempting to balance the resolution or partial resolution of these tensions, must be kept in the forefront of the effort. Further, the recognition of the fiscal and political constraints that are an ever-present reality for a state college in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, must be taken into account.

In the area of academic freedom, Salem State College commits itself to efforts to increase discourse, and thus understanding of the rights and responsibilities of both faculty and students. Developing methods of increasing this discourse to enhance understanding not only of rights and responsibilities but also of differences in background and culture will be an on-going effort. In addition, attempts will be made to secure the resources necessary for increased support to give faculty members opportunities to be exposed to a variety of teaching strategies and pedagogical methods.

With respect to equity, fairness, equal opportunity and diversity, Salem State College commits itself to the development of abbreviated and more accessible communication materials for both students and employees, concerning polices, procedures, rights and responsibilities. In this area too, an attempt will be made to open the dialogue on these issues.

The issue of the recruitment, hiring and retention of faculty of color is one that requires both increased understanding and increased resources. Salem State College commits itself to developing a mechanism for working with schools and departments to assist them in developing, where possible, qualifications for positions that will be broad enough to attract a diverse pool of candidates. In addition Salem State College commits itself to putting a priority on securing resources for release time and travel money to enable faculty to attend discipline specific conferences to recruit faculty of color and on securing the resources necessary to support new faculty. It further commits itself to working to develop new and creative programmatic initiatives in the development of new recruitment and retention strategies.

With respect to the various complaint procedures, Salem State College commits itself to the review and possible revision of the Discrimination Complaint Procedures, attempting to develop a more "user friendly" and more educational document and a more accessible format(s). As far as the Student Grievance Procedure on Academic Matters is concerned, Salem State College commits itself to supporting efforts for developing new models, and to developing dialogue around those models. Proposals for change, however, can only be affirmed through the governance structure.

In the area of minority student recruitment, Salem State College commits itself to continued support for previous efforts (i.e. to maintenance of effort), and to continuing, in the most effective manner possible, to raise its concerns about inflexible standards at the state level. Salem State College also commits itself to an examination of the needs of its minority students and to an attempt to secure the resources necessary to meet them.

With respect to the special grant funded programs which have served minority students well over the years, Salem State College commits itself to a review of the need for space and resources, and to attempting to develop creative solutions to their staffing problems.

Salem State College commits itself to a thorough examination of the needs of returning, older students and to the development of needs based services and supports for these students. It further commits itself to investigating new delivery systems, including studying the feasibility of accelerated degree programs and distance education.

Through the Office for Students with Disabilities, Salem State College commits itself to increasing dialogue between the students with disabilities and the faculty members who teach them, and to the development of further programmatic initiatives to bring about greater understanding between the two groups. In addition, Salem State College, through its Office of Facilities, commits itself to continuing to place a high priority on bringing all of its facilities into full ADA compliance.

Insofar as the dissemination of academic policies and standards is concerned, Salem State College commits itself to reviewing its methods and materials, to evaluating them, and to attempting to develop new and more effective strategies for their dissemination.

With respect to the development of student ethics and values, Salem State College commits itself to supporting dialogue around this issue and to support for the development of proposals for ensuring that all students, before they graduate, are exposed to methods for developing the skills and tools necessary for developing their own value systems, for making ethical judgments based on those value systems, and for making choices leading to ethical behavior.

Salem State College commits itself to continued support of the progress made with respect to the utilization of the Institutional Review Board by persons conducting research on human or animal subjects.

With respect to the human resource function, Salem State College commits itself to an attempt to develop the resources of staff, space and funding necessary to engage in strategic planning and the research upon which that planning is based, to revitalizing its Employee Assistance Program, to developing plans for crisis management, to developing increased programming in the areas of employee relations, workforce development and training, and community outreach, and to developing a systematic review of its administrative position titles and compensation to assure fairness and equity.

Concerning assessment mechanisms for the various components of the Integrity standard, Salem State College commits itself to reviewing the need to develop quantitative as well as qualitative assessment tools. With the new reorganization of the Office of Institutional Research, it is hoped that the development of such tools will be facilitated. In addition, Salem State College commits itself to the review and incorporation of feedback from the publication of this self study and to the review of the necessity for developing tools and responsibility for conducting a regular assessment of the various elements of the Integrity standard and of reporting the results of that regular assessment to the President and the Board of Trustees.

In conclusion, while not assuming to bring Salem State College to a static conception of ideal integrity, this vision and projection have been made taking into account the possible, allowing for competing priorities and the tensions they create, the resources available and the social, cultural and political environment in which Salem State College exists. It is based on evaluation and assessment, on attempts at resolution and balance, on the notion that in an academic institution the discourse and the dialogue are an integral part of the essence of the College and its environment, and further, on the notion that progress or improvement is the desired goal. It will, we hope, bring Salem State College further along the continuum which begins with what is and ends with what ought to be.