University Accreditation Site Visit Oct. 17–20

Contributions and perspectives from faculty, staff, and students have been the foundation of the University’s self-study report in preparation for our 10-year regional accreditation through the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE, formerly NEASC).

This Oct. 17-20, the University will host the campus visit component, and the perspectives of the faculty, staff, and students continue to be key elements in accreditation. The University community is invited to read all or part of the self-study report and to participate in the site visit. Chapter 4 on the Academic Program, chapter 5 on Students, and chapter 6 on Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship may be good starting points if you only want to read one chapter.

The self-study report is divided into nine chapters aligning with the nine NECHE accreditation standards. As the self-study was developed, themes emerged reflecting the priorities across the University. The themes include:

                Transforming the Baccalaureate Experience

                Data-Driven Assessment

                Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

                Student Success

                Physical Plant

                Becoming One University Community

                Reaching Financial Equilibrium

 

The self-study is viewable by members of the University community on this Sharepoint site. 

The site visit will include opportunities for site visit team members to meet with separate groups of faculty, staff, and students to gain their perspectives on how the University achieves its mission. Each forum is dedicated to a particular group to allow for discussion of issues specific to that population. 

We invite you to mark your calendars for the following forum opportunities:

                Faculty: Monday, Oct. 18, 4–4:50 p.m. (Wilde Auditorium)

                Staff: Tuesday, Oct. 19, 3–3:50 p.m. (Wilde Auditorium)

                Students: Monday, Oct. 18, 1–1:50 p.m. (North Café, Gengras Student Union)

The site visit team will deliver its report on Wednesday, Oct. 20,, at 11 a.m. in Millard Auditorium. Per NECHE requirements, there will be no question-and-answer period to follow, but the entire University community is invited to attend.