The University of Delaware’s Middle States Steering Committee seeks feedback from the campus community on the draft self-study document in preparation for its accreditation review by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Gathering campus input is an essential part of the preparation for the on-campus site visit in the spring of 2021. 

Campus and community stakeholders are invited to review the draft at www.udel.edu/middlestates, and offer comments via an online form through June 1. The draft was written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and therefore does not address the University’s response or the impact of the crisis. 

MSCHE outlines specific guidance for the self-study report, charging the Steering Committee with ensuring that the document be organized, analytical, concise (no more than 100 pages, single spaced), fair and honest.

In addition to the online comment form, Virtual Town Halls are scheduled for current University students, faculty and staff. Pre-registration is required. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

• Friday, May 8, 3:30-5 p.m., Standards I, II, VII and Executive Summary

  • Register https://udel.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAtfuGppjsrGt3qQYYphig67VgvhY7QEPXC

• Friday, May 15, 3:30-5 p.m., Standards III and V

  • https://udel.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcqc-CorTouHdVgLzMTPJ5SUkflnFfS2ner

• Tuesday, May 19, 4-5:30 p.m., Standards IV and VI

  • https://udel.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwsceihrj0sGdbKMXZqLK0f5Z1Xe9TgtEkv

Reaccreditation Process

In March 2019, the University announced the start of the review process, outlining a timeline for the 18 months ahead of the external review team’s site visit in spring 2021.

Given the size and scope of the institution, UD chose a standards-based approach to facilitate the development of the self-study and its evaluation. Middle States provides the following summary of the standards: “An accredited institution of higher education has an appropriate mission (I), lives it with integrity (II), delivers an effective student learning experience (III) and supports the overall student experience, both inside and outside of the classroom (IV). An accredited institution of higher education also assesses its own educational effectiveness (V), uses planning and resources to ensure institutional improvement (VI) and is characterized by effective governance, leadership and administration (VII).”

The Self-Study Steering Committee was charged to collectively lead the effort to engage the broader University of Delaware community in the self-study. In addition to coordinating the efforts of the six working groups, the Steering Committee was responsible for addressing Standard 1. Each of the six working groups was assigned to one of the remaining six standards. 

Working groups conducted a robust review and evaluation of the University’s programs, practices and policies relevant to their MSCHE standard. Each working group was responsible for gathering the evidence that shows how UD meets the criteria for their standard, identifying any gaps in evidence.

In the fall of 2019, self-study working groups solicited input from groups across the University, to inform development of their draft chapters, each focused on one of the seven standards of accreditation. These chapters were reviewed by the Steering Committee over the winter, revised and consolidated into a single document.

For more information visit www.udel.edu/middlestates. 

About Middle States Commission on Higher Education

The Mid-Atlantic Region Commission on Higher Education, doing business as the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), was formally incorporated under Pennsylvania Commonwealth law on March 1, 2013. From its origins in 1919 through February 2013, the commission was a unit of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Although now an independent corporation, the commission maintains an ongoing relationship with the Middle States Association.

The Commission on Higher Education is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education to conduct accreditation and pre-accreditation (candidacy status) activities for institutions of higher education in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, including distance education and correspondence education programs offered at those institutions. MSCHE is also recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit degree-granting institutions which offer one or more postsecondary educational programs of at least one academic year in length in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and other geographic areas in which the commission conducts accrediting activities.

The commission is a voluntary, nongovernmental 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.

UD has been accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education since 1921, with the most recent Self-Study completed in 2011 and reaffirmation in 2016.