Application Process for Foundations of Excellence^® Participation

Enrollment opens on November 1st annually for the Foundations of Excellence initiative.   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 May 30th. The Policy Center's goal is to work with a small 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 we are supporting 26 institutions engaged in the Foundations of Excellence process.

Steps in the Application Process

Step 1. Register

• Create a "MyFoundations" account at www.fyfoundations.org.  
• Select "Create Account."  
• Provide requested contact information. This will open a welcome page.

Step 2. Apply

• Select "Foundations of Excellence National Select Cohort" on the welcome page.  
• Provide the names and contact information for the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Academic Officer, and Chief Student Affairs Officer.  
• Provide the name of the individual(s) likely responsible for directing the project on campus (i.e., the person whom the Policy Center 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 four prompts: (Limit each response to no more than 200 words.)

1. Briefly describe your institution's current approach(es) to the first year. (~200 words)
2. Briefly describe your institution's prior experience in first-year assessment. (~200 words)
3. Comment briefly on why your institution wishes to participate in the next cohort of the Foundations of Excellence initiative. (~200 words)
4. 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)

Step 3. Telephone Conversation between John Gardner and your CAO

Before the Policy Center can proceed to offer a slot to a campus, it is our practice for our Center Executive Director, 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 what are the potential outcomes of the Foundations of Excellence process and what is the level of institution-wide commitment necessary to derive maximum benefit from the process. Secondly, it is important for the Center 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 in the Policy Center obtaining closure on each application, and for the overall success of the self-study to follow.

If you have any questions about this process, please feel free to contact the Policy Center at info@fyfoundations.org or 828-966-5401.

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 May 30th.

Required Steps for Accepted Institutions

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 June 10, 2008. Once a campus is selected and officially confirms its intention to participate, an official agreement will be provided by the Policy Center 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 30, 2008. 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 Policy Center for consideration. While a campus may terminate its agreement with the Policy Center at any time, there will be no refunds after July 31, 2008.