Letter from the Administrator in Charge

October 2021

Dear Colleagues,

I am very glad to share a very positive update with you regarding the Self Study, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education accreditation process that we are pursuing with a focus on institutional improvement through reflection and innovation.  We began this process in the fall of 2019 by identifying our four institutional priorities:

• Teaching, learning and student success
• New and retained student enrollment
• Institutional financial sustainability
• Educational and employment pathways

After the appointment of the Self Study Steering Committee and the very successful work group kick off event in February of 2020, work on the self-study process began immediately and continued under the very difficult and uncertain conditions of the pandemic.  In truly remarkable fashion, the Steering Committee and Work Groups successfully met every deadline for accomplishment of key components of the self-study: completion of the Self Study Design which was submitted and accepted by Middle States in May of 2020; development of the first draft of the Self Study Report by June of 2021; and sharing of the draft Self Study Report with the college community, the Board of Trustees, and the MSCHE evaluation team chair in September 2020.  What makes this progress so exceptional and admirable is that much of the work done to meet all of these key outcomes was conducted in remote fashion.  This reflects the unwavering dedication to our college and the strong spirit of collaboration among all who have participated in this very important endeavor. 

Our next steps in the self-study process are a brief presentation by the Steering Committee to the Board of Trustees at their October meeting, a virtual visit of the evaluation team chair with the Board of Trustees at the December Board meeting, a town hall meeting in early March 2022 as preparation for the visit by the Evaluation Team which will occur in April 2022 as a virtual event.  The culminating activity is the meeting of the Middle States Commission in the summer of 2022 to determine the accreditation outcome. 

My very sincere gratitude to all who have and continue to be involved in the self-study process.  I am very proud of the fact that we have accomplished this work in a transparent and inclusive manner.  Your participation in this most important process have made this such a positive and rewarding experience.

Kind regards,

John Kowal

Administrator in Charge