About Middle States Accreditation

What is Middle States?

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education 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.

Every 10 years, institutions that are accredited by Middle States must undergo a rigorous Self Study to maintain accreditation. Downstate's decanal Self-Study Evaluation Visit is scheduled for 2016. In order to prepare for that visit, our Self Study will launch in Spring, 2014.

Accreditation by Middle States attests that an institution:

• Has a mission appropriate to higher education' Is guided by well-defined and appropriate goals, including goals for student learning;
• Has established conditions and procedures under which its mission and goals can be realized;
• Assesses both institutional effectiveness and student leaning outcomes, and uses the results for improvement;
• Is accomplishing its mission and goals substantially;
• Is organized, staffed, and supported so that it can be expected to continue to accomplish its mission and goals; and
• Meets the requirements of affiliation and accreditation standards of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Link to Middle State Accreditation website.