Self-Study

Self Study Process

Accreditation with MSCHE is incumbent upon the College’s demonstrated compliance with the Commissions’ Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation within the context of our institutional mission and goals. The College must also demonstrate that it meets federal requirements through a Verification of Compliance process. The MSCHE‘s eight-year cycle of review involves an extensive self-study and on-site evaluation by a team of external peer evaluators. The self-study requires the College to comprehensively assess its programs, services, and operations. The review results in a final report documenting the institution’s strengths as well recommendations for improvement and opportunities for innovation. Read more about Middle States Accreditation.

To conduct the self-study, seven working groups, chaired by individuals who represent a cross-section of the institution, will identify and report evidence of the College’s ability to satisfy the following standards and requirements:

Standard 1: Mission and Goals
Standard 2: Ethics and Integrity
Standard 3: Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
Standard 4: Support of the Student Experience
Standard 5: Educational Effectiveness Assessment
Standard 6: Planning, Resources and Institutional Improvement
Standard 7: Governance, Leadership and Administration

Steering Committee Structure & Members

A Self-Study Steering Committee will be led by three tri-chairs leading seven working groups. Steering Committee members representing administration, faculty, and staff reflect the expertise of recognized leaders throughout the institution. Members of the Steering Committee have been assigned to lead each of seven working groups using a standards-based approach. This will allow the College to form efficient and intentional Working Groups based around standards with similar focus areas. The make-up of the Working Groups reflects a cross-section of College constituencies while permitting content experts to elaborate on their specific areas.

Chandra Gigliotti, Tri-Chair, Associate Vice President for Innovation, Learning, and Effectiveness
Charles Lartey, Tri-Chair, Director of Assessment
Juliet Smith, Tri-Chair, Dean for Liberal Arts and Sciences
Lori Riley, Lead Writer, Associate Professor of English
David Harper, Vice President for Workforce and Academic Programs
Kamari Collins, Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment Management

Chris Hall, Director of Institutional Research
Marci Leach, Executive Director of the Eastern Shore Higher Education Center
Kristy Floyd, Evidence Inventory Manager, Technical Services Librarian
Christle Foster, Director of TRiO Programs
Michelle Hall, Director of Constituent Engagement and Event Management
Rob Thompson, Associate Professor of Theatre and Department Chair of Arts and Humanities
Ann Reinecke, Director of Library and Academic Support
Susan Leroy, Assistant Professor of English
Pam Garton, Administrative Associate to the Associate Vice President for Innovation, Learning and Effectiveness

Timetable for Self-Study

Year	Date	Activity/Task
2020	December	Finish preview of Standards criteria
2021	March-April	Begin planning with President
2021	Summer	Selection of self-study Steering Committee
2021	Oct. 5-Nov. 16	Self-Study Institute
2021	October- December	Assemble Steering Committee
2022	January	Remote meeting with Commission staff liaison (2nd and 3rd week)
2022	January	Begin to draft Self-Study Design (SSD)
2022	February	Self-study kick-off event
	February	Assemble Working Groups
2022	February – April	Compose SSD
2022	Before April 1st	Submit draft SSD by April 1 (2 weeks prior to SSPV)
2022	May	Commission staff liaison self-study prep visit to campus
2022	June - July	Evidence pre-loaded into local evidence inventory
2022	Summer	Faculty off
2022	June – September	Revisions and acceptance of SSD
2022	September 9th	Working Groups Report #1 (per Standard) Lines of Inquiry and Plan of Action
2022	September 23rd	Working Groups Report #2 Preliminary Assessment Information: Collection and evaluation of evidence in support of the Standards, Requirements of Affiliation, college mission, Strategic Plan, Institutional Priorities
2022	October 21st	Working Groups Report #2 Update
2022	November18th	Working Groups Report #3 Determination of strengths, weaknesses, and/or opportunities for growth for each Standard(s). Identify gaps in evidence.
	January 6th	Preliminary draft of Working Group including text and data features.
2023	January – May	Begin draft of self-study report
2023	January – May	Self-study evaluation team chair chosen
2023	January – May	Visit dates chosen
2023	January – May	Accepted SSD sent to chair
2023	January – May	Working Groups review of drafts. Continue to collect and revise Working Groups progress reports and refine evidence inventory.
2023	April	Share draft of self-study with campus community
2023	Summer	Faculty off
	Summer	Have work groups review drafts of report
2023	May - Aug.	Finalize draft of self-study report
2023	May – September	Self-study revisions and campus review
	September	Self-study report draft sent to team chair (No less than two weeks before visit)
	September-October	Team chair’s preliminary visit
2023	October-November	Self-study report finalized based on team chair feedback and shared with campus
2023	December	Final Self-Study Report/ Verification of Compliance/Evidence Inventory uploaded to MSCHE portal (At least six weeks before team visit)
2024	March - April	Self-study Evaluation Team Visit
2024	February – May	Team report
		Institutional response
2024	June/November	Commission meets to determine action
		Visits conducted after April 15 are acted on by the Commission at the November meeting

Intended Outcomes of the Self-Study

Our specific intended outcomes of the College’s 2023-2024 Self-Study are:

Demonstrate how the institution currently meets the Commission’s Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation.
Focus on continuous improvement in the attainment of the institution’s mission and its institutional priorities.
Engage the institutional community in an inclusive and transparent self-appraisal process that actively and deliberately seeks to involve members from all areas of the institutional community.
Guide the development of the next Strategic Planning process.
Gain a keen sense of practices and policies that may need to be revised.
Adapt to the changing landscape of higher education to facilitate growth in the future.