What is Middle States Accreditation?¹

Accreditation is a 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. The extent to which each educational institution accepts and fulfills the responsibilities inherent in this process is a measure of its concern for freedom and quality in higher education and of its commitment to strive for and achieve excellence in its endeavors.

Accreditation is a voluntary process. Institutions choose to apply for accredited status. Once accredited, they agree to abide by the standards of their accrediting organization and to regulate themselves by taking responsibility for their own improvement. In addition, the federal government requires that an institution be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting organization in order for its students to be eligible to participate in the Student Assistance Programs in Title IV of the Higher Education Act, as amended (HEA).

In the Middle States region, accreditation is an expression of the confidence that the Middle States Commission on Higher Education has in an institution's mission and goals, its performance, and its resources. Based upon the results of an institutional review by a team of peers assigned by the Commission, accreditation attests to the judgment of the Commission that an institution has met the following criteria:

• that it has a mission appropriate to higher education;

• that it is guided by well-defined and appropriate goals, including goals for student learning;

• that it has established conditions and procedures under which its mission and goals can be realized;

• that it assesses both institutional effectiveness and student learning outcomes, and uses the results for improvement;

• that it is accomplishing its mission and goals substantially;

• that it is so organized, staffed, and supported that it can be expected to continue to accomplish its mission and goals; and

• that it meets the eligibility requirements and standards of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Membership in the Middle States Association follows a period of candidacy lasting up to five years. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education reviews institutions periodically through either on-site evaluation or other reports. Accreditation is continued only as a result of periodic reviews and evaluations through assessments of institutional achievements.
 

¹retrieved from "Frequently Asked Questions: What is Accreditation?," at http://www.msche.org/?Nav1=ABOUT&Nav2=FAQ&Nav3=QUESTION01