Kean University Gets Ready For the Middle States Accreditation

Universities are accredited by regional accreditation bodies. The New Jersey regional accreditation body is the Middle States Commission on Higher Education also know as MSCHE. The MSCHE is the component of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools that accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in the Middle States region, including Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and various locations internationally. The commission is a voluntary, non-governmental membership association that examines each institution as a whole.The process is to assess the operation of the entire university. It is done every ten years and is a significant activity. On one hand, regional accreditation is voluntarily, but if a school is not regionally accredited, then the students from the university are not eligible for state or federal funds. It is an investment for everyone and in the best interest for those who attend Kean.
Also the bigger issue involving accreditation simply helps measure how well the university is fulfilling its mission and takes a look at what standards are being met. There are fourteen standards of excellence based on the commission. Those standards determine what the universities are succeeding in and continues to support those areas. It also helps discover weaknesses and how to improve in those particular areas. There are one hundred people across the campus, including students, faculty, and staff and administrators who are in the two year process of the self-study review until spring 2011.

There will be students involved as part of the accreditation process where each will perform in working groups at examining standards and help to assess the university. It also gives students the chance to give feedback for those who will present to the university community by reaching out through general forums and various campus groups.

"This is just a wonderful opportunity for us to reflect on Kean as an institution, where we have been for the last ten years, since 2001 which was our last self study process, and see where we want to go in the next ten years. What goals did we achieve? What goals do we want to set forward on making Kean a world-class institution that we set out to become?" said Dr. Kenneth Sanders, Kean University associate provost and associate vice president for academic affairs, who also serves as co-chair.

Dr. Kenneth Sanders and Dr. Barbara Lee, associate professors of special education will work with a steering committee, who are representatives of the Kean community, will collaborate on the institution's performance through a series of self-study and assessments to determine its progress.

The overall result of an institution is judged based on requirements and the standards that have been met. The Middle States Commission reviews its performance by a team of peers assigned by the commission to judge the progress of the university and its resources. An institution must have an appropriate mission for higher education, goals for student learning that is organized, staffed, and supported to accomplish its mission. The Middle States Commission also looks at the institution's instructional, research, and programs are developed, monitored, and supported by qualified professionals.

"There's been a tremendous amount of change at the university in the last six years. This will help us lay the foundation to where the university goes in the future. We need to see what we are doing right and see what we need to fix. We want to get the word out on campus that this is going on and for people to be aware of it and get input from people," explained Dr. Sanders of Kean's reaccreditations.

Kean University was first accredited in 1960 and reaccredited in 2006. The university completed its Middle States Periodic Report and is presently in the process of self-study review for 2010-2011.