Middle States Reaffirmation of Accreditation Update

By Office of The President | Feb 21, 2023

As part of Downstate’s 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 – October 2023) will focus on identifying and collecting evidence to demonstrate compliance with the seven MSCHE Standards for Accreditation and 15 Requirements of Affiliation. 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 – 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 – 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’s 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—a President or similar senior executive from one of our peer institutions—plus 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