MSCHE Reaccreditation Update
By Office of the President | Jan 23, 2023
As part of Downstate’s Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) reaffirmation of accreditation, our Middle States coordinating committee has completed the first phase of the self-study process to establish committee structures, self-study leadership, and a project timeline. The next phase began on January 10 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, which will culminate in a site visit in Spring 2025. The Department of Education mandates institutional accreditation to qualify for Federal Title IV student financial aid and for federal research grant funding. Downstate’s last reaffirmation of accreditation was in 2016 and is valid for eight years.
I am pleased to announce the Chairs, Co-Chairs, and members of the Executive Bridge Committee, the Self-Study Steering Committee, and the nine Working Groups, respectively. Our Middle States coordinating committee, together with each Working Group Chair and Co-chair, is currently working to identify individuals throughout the institution to serve as members of these important groups. Please keep an eye out for more information about the Working Groups and what they will each undertake through the reaffirmation process.
We have linked the Middle States Self-Study to the work we have undertaken for our IMPACT 2030 Strategic Plan, highlighting our commitment to continuous improvement and strengthening and sustaining the institution, analyzing our institutional priorities, responding to challenges, and adapting practices against our mission.
These elements are critical and serve as a reminder as each of our Committees and Working Groups assess the seven Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation. Seven of the nine Working Groups will focus respectively on the seven Standards as described in each of the following video links. Standard I – Mission and Goals | Standard II – Ethics and Integrity | Standard III – Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience | Standard IV – Support of the Student Experience | Standard V – Educational Effectiveness Assessment | Standard VI – Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement | Standard VII – Governance, Leadership, and Administration.
Two additional Working Groups, Compliance and Communications, headed by Will Versfelt, Esq., interim chief campus counsel, and Dawn S. Walker, MPA, Communications & Marketing vice president, will support the overall planning and reaffirmation process to verify institutional compliance with accreditation-relevant federal regulations as well as communications planning and implementation to assure an inclusive and transparent self-study process among the entire Downstate community and our external stakeholders.
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.
I am grateful to everyone who has selflessly agreed to join us in this critical work. I look forward to a collaborative and engaging process, a positive site visit, and the successful reaffirmation of Downstate’s accreditation with MSCHE.