Middle States Commission on Higher Education Announces Actions from its November 2022 Meeting

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) has made public the accreditation actions approved at its November 16-17, 2022, virtual meeting.

“The Middle States Commission on Higher Education met to discuss the accreditation status of several institutions but also reviewed the draft of the revised Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation following the many months of constituency engagement,” said Commission Chair Dr. Davie Gilmour. “The reflection offered throughout this meeting continued to demonstrate the Commission’s focus on its values and how best we can serve our institutions and students as a quality assurance agency.”

Standards Endorsement

The Commission voted to endorse the draft of the fourteenth edition of the Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation. Member institutions will vote on the revised standards via their presidents by January 27, 2023. A session on the revised standards will be presented at the MSCHE 2022 Annual Conference on December 9, 2022, in Philadelphia, PA.

Visit the Standards Revision Report page to view the draft.

Accreditation Actions

Among the actions, the Commission acted, as summarized:

Reaffirmation of Accreditation

Reaffirmed the accreditation of the following institutions:

American Academy of Dramatic Arts

Capitol Technology University

Georgetown University

Kean University

Keuka College

Thomas Edison State University

University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla

University of Puerto Rico at Carolina

Reaffirmed the accreditation of Valley Forge Military College, following the institution’s show cause appearance before the Commission, and removed the institution from non-compliance show cause because it is now in compliance with Standard II (Ethics and Integrity), Standard III (Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience), Standard IV (Support of the Student Experience), Standard V (Educational Effectiveness Assessment), Standard VI (Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement), Standard VII (Governance, Leadership, and Administration), and Requirements of Affiliation 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14. The institution must submit a monitoring report by March 1, 2023.

Reaffirmed the accreditation of Erie Community College and removed the institution from non-compliance warning because it is now in compliance with Standard V (Educational Effectiveness Assessment). The institution must submit a monitoring report by July 5, 2023.

Reaffirmed the accreditation of the University of Puerto Rico – Medical Sciences Campus and removed the institution from non-compliance warning because it is now in compliance with Standard VI (Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement) and Requirement of Affiliation 11. The institution must submit a monitoring report by July 5, 2023.

Postponement

Postponed a decision on the self-study report for Washington Adventist University and requested a supplemental information report, due December 1, 2022, documenting evidence of (1) the audited financial statements for fiscal year 2021 (Standard VI and Requirement of Affiliation 11), and (2) submission of the 2021 audited financial statements to the Commission, United States Department of Education, and other parties as required by regulation and/or law (Standard VI and Requirements of Affiliation 5 and 11). The institution must submit a supplemental information report by December 1, 2022.

Grant of Accreditation

Granted accreditation to Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and, in accordance with federal regulation, noted the retroactive date of accreditation is March 5, 2020.

Complex Substantive Change

Included the change in legal status, form of control, or ownership for NUC University within the institution’s scope of accreditation effective December 1, 2022, that includes a merger of Columbia Central University with NUC University, effective December 1, 2022. NUC University is the surviving institution. The Commission directed a complex substantive change site visit as soon as practicable but no later than six months after December 1, 2022, the anticipated date of the transaction. Columbia Central University’s accreditation will cease on June 30, 2023.

Postponed a decision for Paul Smith’s College complex substantive change request and requested a supplemental information report, due January 5, 2023.

Non-Compliance Actions

In each of the following non-compliance actions, the institution will have a follow-up team visit following submission of its monitoring report and include a Commission liaison guidance visit to discuss the Commission’s expectations.

Non-Compliance Probation

Placed the American College of Financial Services on probation and noted that the institution’s accreditation is in jeopardy because of insufficient evidence that the institution is currently in compliance with Standard V (Educational Effectiveness Assessment), Standard VI (Planning, Resources and Institutional Improvement), and Requirements of Affiliation 8, 9, 10, and 11. The institution must submit a monitoring report by March 1, 2023, and remains accredited while on probation.

Non-Compliance Warning

Warned Athabasca University that its accreditation may be in jeopardy because of insufficient evidence that the institution is currently in compliance with Standard V (Educational Effectiveness Assessment) and Requirements of Affiliation 8 and 10. The institution must submit a monitoring report by July 5, 2023, and remains accredited while on warning.

Warned Rosemont College that its accreditation may be in jeopardy because of insufficient evidence that the institution is currently in compliance with Standard VI (Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement) and Requirement of Affiliation 10. The institution must submit a monitoring report by July 5, 2023, and remains accredited while on warning.

Additional Resources

To access all actions and details related to the November 16-17 meeting, please visit the MSCHE Recent Commission Actions page.

For information about specific MSCHE institutions, visit the institution directory to access a Statement of Accreditation Status (SAS). The Statement of Accreditation Status (SAS) is the official statement of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) about each institution’s current accreditation status and scope of accreditation. The SAS also provides a brief history of the actions taken by the Commission.

Policies and Procedures

Accreditation Actions: https://go.msche.org/Accreditation-Actions

Accreditation Review Cycle and Monitoring: https://go.msche.org/Accreditation-Review-Cycle-and-Monitoring

Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation: https://go.msche.org/Standards-for-Accreditation

Communication in the Accreditation Process: https://go.msche.org/Communication-In-The-Accreditation-Process

Public Disclosures: https://go.msche.org/Public-Disclosures

Institutional Non-Compliance Actions, and Policies and Procedures

Show Cause Appearance Before the Commission Prior to Withdrawal of Accreditation: https://go.msche.org/Show-Cause-Appearance-Procedure

Appeals from Adverse Accrediting Actions: https://go.msche.org/Appeals-from-Adverse-Accrediting-Actions

Non-Compliance And Adverse Actions by Status: https://www.msche.org/non-compliance-and-adverse-actions/ (Choose the institution to download the letter sent to the institution.)

Teach-Out Plans and Agreements: https://go.msche.org/Teach-Out