Standards for Accreditation
MSCHE 2022 Question
Regional Accreditation
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education
The regional accreditor for Drexel University is the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Accreditation is an expression of confidence in an institution’s mission and goals, its performance, and its resources. An institution is accredited when the educational community has verified that its goals are achieved through self-regulation and peer review. The extent to which each educational institution accepts and fulfills the responsibilities inherent in the process of accreditation is a measure of its commitment to striving for and achieving excellence in its endeavors.
Starting in the spring of 2019, Drexel will begin the process of creating a self-study in preparation for a site visit in the spring of 2022. This beneficial process will encompass the work of the entire university as we Build a Stronger Drexel Together.
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as one of seven regional accrediting agencies to conduct accreditation and pre-accreditation (Candidacy status) activities for institutions of higher education in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, including distance education and correspondence education programs offered at those institutions.
The Commission is a voluntary, non-governmental, membership association that defines, maintains, and promotes educational excellence across institutions with diverse missions, student populations, and resources. It examines each institution as a whole, rather than specific programs within institutions.
Strategic Goals
- Strategic Goal 1: Provide relevant and reliable assurance of educational quality through an effective and efficient accreditation model that promotes innovation.
- Strategic Goal 2: Develop a healthy, forward looking, and adaptive organization.
- Strategic Goal 3: Broaden public understanding of the value of accreditation through advocacy and education.
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education Accreditation Standards and Requirements of Affiliation are comprised of the enclosed seven standards and 15 requirements which serve as an ongoing guide for those institutions considering application for membership, those accepted as candidate institutions, and those accredited institutions engaged in self-review and peer evaluation. Accredited institutions are expected to demonstrate compliance with these standards and requirements, to conduct their activities in a manner consistent with the standards and requirements, and to engage in ongoing processes of self-review and improvement.
Four principles guided the development of these standards:
- The mission-centric standards acknowledge the diversity of institutions;
- The focus of the standards is on the student learning experience;
- The standards emphasize institutional assessment and assessment of student learning
- The standards support innovation as an essential part of continuous institutional improvement.
Drexel University is currently in the self-study creation process in preparation for the April 2022 accreditation review by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. This reflective effort is led by a representative steering committee composed of staff and faculty from across the campus.