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WHAT IS THE SELF-STUDY?
In order to maintain its accreditation by the Middle
States Commission on Higher Education (the Commission),
Philadelphia University engages in an internal review
process to assess the extent to which we are meeting the
14
Standards for Accreditation set forth in the Commission’s
Characteristics of Excellence for Higher Education. Every ten years, this internal review results in
a written Self-Study that is submitted to the Commission.
Our process of self-study began in the spring of 2004 with
the appointment of a Steering Committee to oversee the
self-study process. Membership on the
Steering Committee
includes administrators, faculty and an undergraduate
student.
The Steering Committee developed a plan for the Self-Study
and submitted it to the Commission for its approval in July
2004. The plan for the Self-Study included the following
goals:
- Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the degree to
which Philadelphia University is fulfilling its mission.
- Engage multiple constituencies in the self-study
process.
- Prepare a written analysis that summarizes the
degree to which Philadelphia University is meeting the
fourteen standards outlined by the Commission on Higher
Education document, Characteristics of Excellence in
Higher Education.
- Make recommendations to improve institutional
effectiveness.
- Strengthen institutional planning and improve
processes for assessing institutional effectiveness
To conduct the assessment and analysis processes, the
Steering Committee created seven working groups, each of
which was assigned one or more standards for accreditation
to review. Steering Committee members also served on one of
the working groups. Over 80 people participated in the
working groups.
During the 2004-2005 academic year, the seven working groups
collected data and began to draft reports of their findings.
The Steering Committee reviewed these reports through the
fall of 2005 and developed a draft Self-Study document. This
document, still in draft form, is currently being reviewed
and discussed across campus. The final Self-Study will be
submitted to the Commission and to a peer review team on
March 1, 2006.
The team visit
An evaluation team of eight peer reviewers from other
colleges and universities, assembled by the Commission’s
staff, will visit Philadelphia University from April 23 to
26, 2006 to determine how well are meeting the Standards for
Accreditation. The team will meet
with students, faculty, staff and administrators, review
materials not included in the Self-Study and tour campus
facilities. In the morning of April 26, 2006, the team will
present an Oral Report of its findings in a forum open to
the campus community.
After the team visit
Following the visit, the team chair will submit a report of
its findings to the Commission. Philadelphia University will
be invited to review the report and submit a written
response. In June 2006, the Commission will review the
Self-Study, the team report, and the University response to
the report and will make a determination on accreditation.
This determination includes one of the following actions:
reaffirmation of accreditation, a requirement for follow-up
activities, an order to show cause why accreditation should
not be removed or the removal of accreditation.
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