Self Study Process

Peer Review and the Accreditation Cycle

*According to the Commission:

Accreditation is intended to strengthen and sustain higher education, making it worthy of public confidence and minimizing the scope of external control. Regional accreditation, a means of self-regulation adopted by the higher education community, has evolved to support these goals.

The decennial evaluation involves a significant institutional self-study and a visit by a team of external peer evaluators. This full evaluation occurs immediately before a candidate institution is granted initial accreditation, five years after that initial accreditation, and every 10 years thereafter.

An institution seeking reaffirmation of accreditation, initial accreditation, or candidacy for accreditation status must demonstrate that it meets or continues to meet all of the Commission’s eligibility requirements. The institution completes a Certification Statement concerning compliance with the eligibility requirements and Federal Title IV requirements, which is signed by the Chief Executive Officer and the Chair of the institution’s governing board and attached to the executive summary of the self-study report. The evaluation team report and the team Chair’s confidential brief to the Commission are required to affirm that, based on a review of the self-study, interviews, the Certification Statement that the institution has provided and/or other institutional documents, the institution meets or continues to meet the eligibility requirements.

*Source: Self Study: Creating a Useful Process and Design

Milestones in the Self Study Process

Fall 2009	President forms Planning Committee, Steering Committee and Work Teams
Spring 2010	Steering Committee charges Work Teams to develop questions for the Self Study Work Teams meet to review Characteristics and develop questions
Summer 2010	Self Study co-Editors submit Design Document to Middle States liaison  Work Teams assemble Evidence to inform their research on Self Study questions
Fall 2010	Middle States liaison Dr. Ellie Fogarty visits campus 9/15/10 Campus Workshops on the importance of Self Study Andrea Lex on Institutional Assessment 9/20/10 What is Middle States Re-Accreditation and Why Institutional Assessment is Important  All Workshops: Fall 2010 dates Work Teams submit draft reports to Steering Committee - fillable template
Spring 2011	Work Teams revise reports using Steering Committee feedback Stockton Community Views Middle States Informational Video Middle States Commission selects Visiting Team Chair Planning Committee selects Spring 2012 visit dates Self Study co-Editors begin draft based on Work Team reports
Summer 2011	Draft of Self Study published for college-wide feedback College-wide community provides feedback via Web site, email, telephone or in-person conversations with the Self Study co-Editors
Fall 2011	Final Draft of Self Study circulated for feedback and approvals Co-Editors send Self Study to Visiting Team Chair Visiting Team Chair makes preliminary visit to Stockton Stockton Times Weekly Installments of Draft Self Study Introduction  Chapter One - Standard 1 Chapter One - Standard 4 Chapter One - Standard 6 Chapter Two - Standard 2 Chapter Two - Standard 3 Chapter Two - Standard 5 Chapter Three - Standard 8 Chapter Three - Standard 9 Chapter Four - Standard 10 Chapter Five - Standard 11 Chapter Five - Standard 12 Chapter Five - Standard 13 Chapter Six - Standard 14 Chapter Seven - Standard 7
Spring 2012	Self Study Teams and Campus Community prepare for the Visit Stockton prepares Resource Room for Visiting Team Visiting Team spends several days on campus, meets with faculty, students, staff, Board members, makes public report to campus and files subsequent report to Middle States Commission
Summer 2012	Middle States Commission posts reaffirmation on Stockton's Statement of Accreditation Status