Transcript Middle States 101: Understanding the New Paradigm of

Our Reaccreditation through
Middle States Commission on Higher
Education
Presentation to the New Members
of the Board of Trustees,
September 27, 2012
by Elizabeth Meade
Elizabeth M. Meade
■ Acting Provost since November 2012
■ Associate Provost, previously
■ Chair of Humanities, previously
■ Professor of Philosophy
■ Ph.D. in philosophy from Boston College
– Research focus in ethics
What is Middle States?
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education
accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in
the Middle States region, which includes Delaware,
the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New
York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin
Islands, and several locations internationally.
The Commission is a voluntary, non-governmental,
membership association that defines, maintains, and
promotes educational excellence across institutions
with diverse missions, student populations, and
resources. It examines each institution as a whole,
rather than specific programs within institutions.
Peer evaluation system
■ Reviews by teams of faculty and
administrators of other colleges and
universities
■ Accreditation currently entirely voluntary
■ May be subject of state/federal regulation
in the future
Characteristics of Excellence
Compliance
■ We need to demonstrate compliance with
each of the 14 Standards of Excellence
■ Areas of non-compliance could result in a
need for a follow-up report, a warning,
probation, or loss of accreditation
■ MSCHE currently issuing more warnings
than previously
Reaccreditation Cycle
■ Major Self-study due every 10 years
– CCC’s last decennial report was 2004
■ Periodic Program Reviews due every 5
years
– CCC’s last PRR was accepted November
2009
■ New self-study process beginning now, re-
accreditation expected Spring 2014
Decennial Review
Decennial Review
1) Comprehensive Self Study of the entire
institution based on the Characteristics of
Excellence.
2) The final report will be approximately 100
pages
• Contains 8 Chapters
• Make suggestions and
recommendation
3) Supporting Materials will be at least 3,000 to
5,000 pages
4) There will be no fewer than 200 separate and
unique supporting documents
Decennial Review Purpose
1) Strengthen Cedar Crest through the next
decade;
2) Demonstrate Compliance with the 14
Standards;
3) Demonstrate to our Constituents that our
institution has value.
Decennial Review Time Line
Spring 2012
 Working groups are formed;
 Self-Study Design Document is created
 MSCHE Liaison visits Cedar Crest
Fall 2012
•Working Group Training;
• Working Group meetings;
• A progress report is written on December 1st;
Spring 2013
• MSCHE selects the team;
• Working groups submit a draft chapter
(March 15th);
• Chapters are edited and synthesized into a
document
Decennial Review Time Line
Fall 2013
• Campus reviews the draft;
• Evaluation chair reviews the self-study report;
• The Board reviews the draft;
• CCC sends a draft copy to the team chair;
• CCC prepares the final version of the self-study
report.
Spring 2014
• Team Visit;
• Team Report;
• Institutional Response.
Summer/Fall 2014
• Middle States meets and acts on the findings.
What will we have to show?
Do you have plans to sustain the
institution?
•Strategic Plan(s).
• Financial Forecasts based on real
assumptions;
•Enrollment Management Plan;
• Facility Master Plan;
MSCHE : Who owns each plan? How are
they being updated?