Middle States Reaffirmation of Accreditation Update
By Office of The President | Feb 21, 2023
As part of Downstate鈥檚 Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) reaffirmation of accreditation, our Middle States coordinating committee has completed
Phase 1 of the self-study process to establish committee structures, self-study leadership,
and a project timeline. The project timeline will have six phases, culminating in
a campus site visit in Spring 2025.
Phase 2 began on January 10, 2023, with the first meeting of the Self-Study Steering Committee, whose first goal is to develop the Self-Study Design document, a roadmap for the self-study process. Phase 2 will conclude in May 2023 with the delivery of the Self-Study Design to MSCHE and an on-campus Self-Study Preparation Visit by the MSCHE Vice President Liaison assigned to Downstate.
Phase 3 (May 鈥� October 2023) will focus on identifying and collecting evidence to demonstrate compliance with the seven . Nine Working Groups with broad representation among the schools, colleges, and administrative areas will meet regularly to achieve their stated goals.
In Phase 4 (November 2023 鈥� May 2024), the Working Groups will leverage the evidence collected during Phase 3 to develop draft chapters for each of the seven Standards. Each narrative will include a succinct, objective, and cohesive summary and analysis of the evidence and identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities relative to the respective Standard.
In Phase 5 (June 鈥� December 2024), the Steering Committee and the Working Group leadership will collaborate to develop a unified 100-page Self-Study Report consisting of a refined chapter for each Standard and a curated electronic library of evidence to demonstrate compliance with the Standards and Downstate鈥檚 commitment to continuous improvement and strengthening of our institution. Phase 5 will culminate in December 2024 with the electronic delivery of the Self-Study Report and evidence library to MSCHE.
An external evaluation team will conduct a campus site visit in Phase 6, tentatively scheduled for late March or early April 2025. The evaluation team will consist of a Team Chair鈥攁 President or similar senior executive from one of our peer institutions鈥攑lus 5 to 10 experienced evaluators from peer institutions, among those accredited by MSCHE. The self-study project will conclude in June or November 2025 when MSCHE publishes its official report on our accreditation status.
The self-study process is led by Pascal James Imperato, M.D., MPH&TM, MACP, senior vice president for Academic Affairs and chief academic officer. D. Kane Gillespie, DMA, director, Evaluation, Outcomes Assessment, and Accreditation Services, and Jeffrey S. Putman, Ed.D., vice president for Academic & Student Affairs, will chair the Steering Committee, and Lori A. Bruno, MPH, assistant vice president, Office of Policy and Planning will co-chair the Steering Committee. Ann Marie Cullen, Administrator, Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, will serve as the Accreditation Liaison Officer. Tina Adjei-Bosompe, MPH, assistant director of Evaluation, Outcomes Assessment, and Accreditation Services, will be critical in the self-study. The U.S. Department of Education mandates institutional accreditation to qualify for Federal Title IV student financial aid and federal research grant funding.
For more information on the Self-Study process, please visit the new website.
Tags: Administration