Few outside of academia understand the complexity of a reaccreditation process or the magnitude of its importance to an institution. So what is accreditation, and why is it so significant? Basically, accreditation is the stamp of approval for a college or university.
Accreditation agencies provide common standards for colleges and universities without which prospective students, employers, and peer institutions would have no criteria for judging the quality of the education offered by a particular institution. On set schedules, these agencies investigate whether a school meets specific, rigorous standards and is therefore qualified to issue academic degrees. Even though there are many legitimate accrediting bodies (including agencies focused on particular disciplines like nursing or engineering), in the U.S. six regional accrediting agencies are key. For Baruch College, that crucial accreditation is issued by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). So the College cheered on Jun. 24 when the commission voted to “reaffirm [Baruch’s] accreditation and to commend the institution for the quality of the self-study process and the self-study report.” The College was reaccredited through 2020.
“The process that culminated in Baruch College’s reaccreditation began more than two years before and started with conducting a thorough, very serious, very critical self-analysis,” explains James McCarthy, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs and one of the co-chairs of the Steering Committee (the other, Terrence Martell, Emanuel Saxe Distinguished Professor of Finance and director of the Weissman Center for International Business).
The self-study process was a model of efficient, creative teamwork. At its core were five working groups representing faculty, students, and administration. These groups were charged with investigating the extent to which the College satisfied the “Characteristics of Excellence” set forth by MSCHE.
“Without appearing too arrogant, we had no doubt but that we would be reaccredited,” says McCarthy. “Therefore, we used the self-study process, first, as an opportunity to engage in a serious examination of our recent accomplishments and future challenges and, second, to be recognized by our peers for Baruch College’s considerable accomplishments over the past 10 years.”
And notice they did, citing the College’s significant achievements: for students, improvements to admission standards, graduation rates, and workplace success; for faculty, increased national and international recognition; and regarding physical space, a transformation of Baruch College’s facilities.
Following reaccreditation celebrations, McCarthy offered thanks to the over 700 individuals campuswide who participated in the process, but it is clear that he and Baruch College are not resting on their laurels. In fact, the 2010 reaccreditation team strived to create a blueprint for 2018, when the process begins all over again. In addition to preparing comprehensive, easily accessible documentation, the College used the 2008–10 process to educate future accreditation team participants. “A very great advantage in the 2010 reaccreditation process was the participation of faculty and staff involved in the review in 1990 and 2000,” says McCarthy.
In 2020 Baruch College will be judged in part by how well it addresses MSCHE’s 2010 recommendations. “What’s interesting about MSCHE’s recommendations is that each and every one is a recommendation we made about ourselves,” explains McCarthy. “So MSCHE—in effect—reaffirmed our self-study. They trusted our self-judgment.” Those recommendations include the development of multiyear business and enrollment plans, enhancements to student life, and the continued recruitment and development of a highly talented and diverse faculty.”
In fact MSCHE was so impressed by Baruch College that it has asked McCarthy and reaccreditation coordinator Library Professor Stanton Biddle to work with the agency on assisting the next group of colleges undergoing reaccreditation, in 2012. McCarthy and Biddle have been invited to present at an upcoming MSCHE conference, with McCarthy giving one of two keynote addresses at the opening plenary session. “I’ll talk about the factors that led to our success in this process,” he says.
—Diane Harrigan