One extensive study down, two committees and lots of questions to go. But are we ready?
After 18 months of preparation, the University will host an external team from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities for three days as it evaluates the school and decides if it meets the qualifications of reaccreditation.
Beginning today, a group of professional colleagues from other NWCCU institutions will conduct an intensive study of the University. It will meet with administrators, faculty and students in an effort to determine if the school is worthy of reaccreditation.
“We anticipate, of course, being reaccredited,” said Dave Hubin, co-chairman of the Accreditation Steering Committee, “but we also anticipate learning from visiting colleagues and the visiting Commission. We look forward to this external commentary and scrutiny.”
Hubin’s confidence in the University’s qualifications is not unmerited. The University has been consistently accredited since 1918. At present, reaccreditation takes place every 10 years.
Not only does accreditation give the University itself credibility as a strong institution, accreditation is critical to a university’s student body: Non-accredited universities are not permitted to award federal financial aid, including Pell Grants and Stafford Loans.
“We take accreditation very seriously,” Hubin said.
The NWCCU is only one of five regional accrediting bodies. It oversees regional accreditation for 160 institutions in the seven Northwestern states.
Accreditation is a long, involved process.
It begins with a representative of the commission visiting the campus 18 to 24 months before the evaluating committee itself arrives. The University’s self-study, which accounts for the 18 months of work that takes place beforehand, is a thorough self-evaluation guided by the University’s Steering Committee, which includes members of the University’s faculty, staff, administration and student body.
This year, the University is unique in the NWCCU because, upon request, it has been allowed to incorporate future plans into the current evaluation. The University is the first institution in the NWCCU to write the study this way, although other regional accrediting bodies already use the technique.
“(The self-study) is forward-looking in the sense that it addresses some of the challenges that we face and some of the opportunities that we have, as a university, in the future,” said Provost Linda Brady. “It enables the University to tell our story – to talk about the importance of academic excellence and to communicate to an external team what our challenges are in terms of delivering a high-quality educational experience.”
The self-study plays a very significant role in the accreditation process and a finished draft is mailed to the commission approximately four to six weeks prior to its campus visit. Thus, the group is able to study the University’s inner workings before it makes the trip. The Commission uses the study to get an idea of who to meet with on campus and what to look for.
The evaluating committee already has a few meetings set up. For example, members of the committee will meet with all the academic deans Tuesday afternoon. Then, individual members of the committee may request meetings with particular administrators or faculty members.
“I’m certain that the external team will make some very valuable suggestions for ways in which we can improve the quality of the institution, our service to students, and our support for faculty,” Brady said. “It’s frankly one of the reasons we engage in this process: to get feedback from individuals around the country.”
Brady strongly encourages any students with interest in providing the committee with feedback, be it questions, comments or concerns, to visit the EMU Boardroom Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. for what Hubin called an “informal and candid exchange.” Students will have the opportunity to convey what their personal University experience is with no University administrators present.
Brady has served on the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, another regional accrediting body, and said one of the most important components to the campus visit is the interaction between students and committee members.
With all of the preparation and thought that goes into the accreditation process, there is little anxiety when it comes down to crunch time.
Brady said the institution as a whole is excited to host the evaluating committee, and that scheduling the visit while classes are in session will allow the committee members to see the vibrancy of the University. As Hubin put it, the Steering Committee wants to ensure “that they see our campus as we see it.”
Contact the higher education reporter at [email protected]