2027 Self Study
What is accreditation
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE), serves as an independent authority in the realm of higher education.
“Accreditation is a process of peer review that the educational community has adopted for its self-regulation since early in the 20th century. It is a voluntary process intended to strengthen and sustain the quality and integrity of higher education, making it worthy of public confidence. Institutions choose to apply for accredited status, and once accredited, they agree to abide by the standards of their accrediting organization and to regulate themselves by taking responsibility for their own improvement.” (2010, Middle States Commission of Higher Education)
Accreditation Videos
The MSCHE Standards of Accreditation
Standard I: Mission and Goals
The institution’s mission defines its purpose within the context of higher education, the students it serves, and what it intends to accomplish. The institution’s stated goals are clearly linked to its mission and specify how the institution fulfills its mission.
Standard II: Ethics and Integrity
Ethics and integrity are central, indispensable, and defining hallmarks of effective higher education institutions. In all activities, whether internal or external, an institution must be faithful to its mission, honor its contracts and commitments, adhere to its policies, and represent itself truthfully.
Standard III: Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
An institution provides students with learning experiences that are characterized by rigor and coherence at all program, certificate, and degree levels, regardless of instructional modality. All learning experiences, regardless of modality, program pace/schedule, level, and setting are consistent with higher education expectations.
Standard IV: Support of the Student Experience
Across all educational experiences, settings, levels, and instructional modalities, the institution recruits and admits students whose interests, abilities, experiences, and goals are congruent with its mission and educational offerings. The institution commits to student retention, persistence, completion, and success through a coherent and effective support system sustained by qualified professionals, which enhances the quality of the learning environment, contributes to the educational experience, and fosters student success.
Standard V: Educational Effectiveness Assessment
Assessment of student learning and achievement demonstrates that the institution’s students have accomplished educational goals consistent with their program of study, degree level, the institution’s mission, and appropriate expectations for institutions of higher education.
Standard VI: Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement
The institution’s planning processes, resources, and structures are aligned with each other and are sufficient to fulfill its mission and goals, to continuously assess and improve its programs and services, and to respond effectively to opportunities and challenges.
Standard VII: Governance, Leadership, and Administration
The institution is governed and administered in a manner that allows it to realize its stated mission and goals in a way that effectively benefits the institution, its students, and the other constituencies it serves. Even when supported by or affiliated with a related entity, the institution has education as its primary purpose, and it operates as an academic institution with appropriate autonomy.
Frequently Asked Questions for Middle States Accreditation
“Accreditation is a process of peer review that the educational community has adopted for its self-regulation since early in the 20th century. It is a voluntary process intended to strengthen and sustain the quality and integrity of higher education, making it worthy of public confidence. Institutions choose to apply for accredited status, and once accredited, they agree to abide by the standards of their accrediting organization and to regulate themselves by taking responsibility for their own improvement.” (2010, Middle States Commission of Higher Education)
Accreditation means that standards of quality and excellence have been met. The core principles for universities accredited by the Middle States Commission of Higher Education (MSCHE) include the diversity of institutions, focus on the student learning experience, emphasis on institutional assessment and assessment of student learning, and continuous institutional improvement and innovation.
Accreditation is required for campuses to be eligible to participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs.
The Self-Study can also provide important recommendations for improvement and innovation, both self-identified by the institution, and recommended by the visiting peer-review Team.
With the success of students being our highest priority, Trocaire College is committed to continually working to improve its educational programs, resources, facilities, and services. Reaccreditation entails an in-depth evaluation of how effectively the college’s programs, resources, facilities, and services align with its mission to promote student success.
The reaccreditation process takes place every 8 years, and involves two stages of evaluation: a campus-wide Self Study, and an on-site evaluation by a team of experts from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The reaccreditation process is an opportunity to assess the extent to which we are accomplishing the shared vision of our institution and serves as a point of departure for charting the future direction of Trocaire College and building towards a better campus community.
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education(MSCHE) is a voluntary membership association that “defines, maintains, and promotes educational excellence across institutions with diverse missions, student populations, and resources.” As a participating institution, GCC engages in a self-study process every 8 years.
Representatives from MSCHE will hold a series of informational meetings with faculty, staff and students to get their feedback about Trocaire College’s performance in a variety of areas.
The MCHE Team evaluates the analysis in the Self-Study Report and draws on insights gained from their visit interviews. Since the Self-Study Report and On-Site Evaluation Visit result from careful analysis that has incorporated feedback from multiple stakeholders, the Report has the potential to influence institutional decision making for several years.
According to MSCHE, “The Commission’s accreditation process ensures institutional accountability, self-appraisal, improvement, and innovation through peer review and the rigorous application of standards within the context of institutional mission.”
The Self-Study should be an honest appraisal of the institution, that is evidence-driven, and consistently demonstrates the use of assessment (throughout each standard or chapter). It provides an opportunity to engage multiple stakeholders in an extensive analysis of the college’s strengths and areas for improvement and innovation.
The Evidence Inventory, a cataloged and referenced inventory of documents, processes, and procedures, provides opportunity for the institution to develop sustainable resources that the college should continuously update to document ongoing compliance.