2023–24 Middle States Self-Study Process for Reaccreditation

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), recognized by the United States Department of Education, is Susquehanna University’s regional accreditor. Accredited higher education institutions regularly conduct self-studies with their accrediting agency. Under MSCHE, some 600 institutions, primarily in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, undergo a comprehensive self-study every eight years. Susquehanna has been accredited by MSCHE since 1930. Its last reaffirmation was in 2014.

The two-year Self-Study process will guide the Susquehanna community through the self-study design, the development of a self-study report and will culminate in a site visit by peer educators and administrators.

Susquehanna community members are serving on the steering committee and working groups to prepare a Self-Study report that highlights our strengths as an institution and identifies recommendations for future improvement. The Self-Study report will be submitted to MSCHE in August 2023 in advance of an October site visit.

The Self-Study started with Self-Study steering committee members attending a variety of Self-Study Institute sessions and the MSCHE Conference in fall 2021 to learn about the processes, revised standards, and content expectations for the comprehensive self-study initiative.

One Middle States’ expectation is broad-based campus participation in the Self-Study process. Susquehanna excels in community commitment and transparency, as demonstrated through recent efforts and successes of enhancing the Susquehanna student experience and engagement of colleagues over the past few years.

Members of the Self-Study working groups pledge continuous information sharing and engaged participation through this Self-Study website as the Susquehanna community conducts an exciting, reflective institutional examination driven by continuous success and innovation.

Accreditation Reaffirmed 2024

Reaccreditation Approved

Working Groups

  • Working Group for Standard I: Mission and Goals
  • Working Group for Standard II: Ethics and Integrity
  • Working Group for Standard III: Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
  • Working Group for Standard IV: Support of the Student Experience
  • Working Group for Standard V: Educational Effectiveness Assessment
  • Working Group for Standard VI: Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement
  • Working Group for Standard VII: Governance, Leadership, and Administration
  • Working Group for Verification of Federal Compliance
  • Working Group for Self-Study Communications

Timeline

  • Self-Study Design Begins – February 2022
  • Self-Study Draft Begins – June 2022
  • Initial Self-Study Draft Completed – February 2023
  • Self-Study Draft Shared with Campus (following review and edits) – May 2023
  • Preliminary Site Visit – April 2023
  • Final Self-Study Shared with Campus (following review and edits) – May 2023
  • Self-Study Submitted – August 2023
  • Self-Study Site Visit – October 2023
  • Self-Study Team Response – December 2023
  • Self-Study Launch (following commission-determined actions) – Spring 2024
  • Accreditation was reaffirmed March 14, 2024
  • Next evaluation 2031–2032

For the full timeline, click here.
For the MSCHE review team roster, click here.
For the 2023 Self-Study Report, click here.


To see MSCHE accreditation actions taken in the last 10 years, see the SAS.