Office of the Provost

About Middle States and the Self-Study Process

An institution of higher education is a community dedicated to the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge, to the study and clarification of values, and to the advancement of the society it serves. To support these goals, institutions of higher education within the Middle States region joined together in 1919 to form the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, a professional association devoted to educational improvement through accreditation. Today's successor organization for higher education accreditation is the Middle States Commission oh Higher Education.

Accreditation is the means of self-regulation and peer review adopted by the educational community. The accrediting process is intended to strengthen and sustain the quality and integrity of higher education, making it worthy of public confidence and minimizing the scope of external control. The extent to which each educational institution accepts and fulfills the responsibilities inherent in the process is a measure of its concern for freedom and quality in higher education and its commitment to striving for and achieving excellence in its endeavors.

-from Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education
Published by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Links:

• Middle States Commission on Higher Education -A link to the main page for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
• Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education -Eligibility Requirements and Standards of Accreditation
• Self-Study: Creating a Useful Process and Report -A manual for institutions preparing for the self-study and peer review processes.
• Student Learning Assessment: Options and Resources -Clarifies Middle States expectations regarding Standard 7: Institutional Assessment and Standard 14: Assessment of Student Learning in Characteristics of Excellence.