by Elizabeth Meade Our Reaccreditation through Middle States Commission on Higher Education Presentation to the New Members of the Board of Trustees, September 27, 2012

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 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 1 st ; Spring 2013 MSCHE selects the team; Working groups submit a draft chapter (March 15 th ); 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?