Administrators have begun the process of forming 16 committees responsible for evaluating the University’s daily operations, accomplishments, and goals, as the first step in the reaccreditation process. Accreditation, which must be renewed on a large scale every 10 years and a smaller scale every five years, will be up for review by members of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) on Sept. 30, 2012.
“The process should be seen as significant,” Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Rob Rosenthal wrote in an e-mail to The Argus, “because it gives the campus as a whole a chance to step back from our normal routines and really examine what we do and why, and that’s a very healthy thing to do.”
According to Rosenthal, reaccreditation is important to receive federal funding, especially for financial aid. Associate Provost Karen Anderson said that reaccreditation allows the University to offer Pell grants and federal student loans. Rosenthal said administrators are not concerned that Wesleyan will not be reaccredited.
President Michael Roth also spoke to the significance of reaccreditation beyond the financial reasons.
“The internal reason is more interesting,” Roth said. “It’s a time when you actually get to think about what you’re doing well and where you can do a better job.”
In order to be reaccredited, the University must provide up-to-date information on its progress in eleven categories, called “Standards.” One committee is assigned to each Standard, which include the Academic Program, Financial Resources and Mission and Purpose. Five other committees oversee the work of the 11 Standards committees.
Committee chairs are chosen by a Steering Committee, which consists of Rosenthal, Anderson, Director of Institutional Research Michael Whitcomb, Chair of the Faculty Ann Wightman, and Vice Chair of the Faculty Gil Skillman.
“Our approach is highly collaborative: we want engagement from across the University,” Anderson said. “Students, faculty, librarians, staff, alumni, and trustees will all be part of this process.”
According to Anderson, once the committees are formed, they will solicit ideas and feedback from students, faculty, and staff. Roth said that reaccreditation offers an opportunity for the University to evaluate the effectiveness of a Wesleyan education.
“We could be very proud of ourselves because we’re highly selective and we have very smart students,” Roth said. “When they get here they’re very smart, when they leave they’re very smart, but how are we adding to their experience? That’s what we need to find out.”
Each of the 11 Standards committees will present their research to the Visiting Committee from NEASC on Sept. 30, 2012, and the entire process should be finalized by the spring of 2013.
“Over the course of the self-study, we gather information to see where our strengths and weaknesses are, and to make sure that our students are learning what we think we’re teaching, and that they’re having the kind of experiences as undergraduates and as graduate students that we think we’re providing,” Roth said.