At a glance
Dr. Skip Sullivan, president of Alfred State, said the incredible work by faculty and staff on a regular basis is certainly the driving factor behind the action of Middle States to find the college in compliance with all 14 standards set forth by the commission.
Alfred State is proud to announce that the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) has reaffirmed accreditation of the college and commended the institution for the quality of its self-study process and report.
Dr. Skip Sullivan, president of Alfred State, said the incredible work by faculty and staff on a regular basis is certainly the driving factor behind the action of Middle States to find the college in compliance with all 14 standards set forth by the commission.
“This reaffirmation is a tribute to the quality and excellence of our college,” he said. “With our students at the forefront of our success, we couldn’t be happier with the results.”
Dr. Kristin Poppo, vice president of Academic Affairs, said, “The continued recognition from Middle States of our excellence provides us the opportunity to move forward by continuing to improve the Alfred State experience, creating new programs that meet industry needs, and better serving the State of New York.”
MSCHE, according to www.msche.org, is recognized by the US secretary of education to conduct accreditation and pre-accreditation (candidacy status) activities for institutions of higher education in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, including distance education and correspondence education programs offered at those institutions.
The commission, the website further states, is also recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit degree-granting institutions that offer one or more post-secondary educational programs of at least one academic year in length in those same geographic areas, and in other areas in which the commission conducts accrediting activities.
Speaking about the process of reaffirming accreditation, Dr. Jayne Swanson, associate vice president for Academic Affairs, said the college conducts a self-study every 10 years, and five years after each self-study is the Periodic Review Report. The self-study takes three-plus years to write, a timeline established by MSCHE.
As part of the MSCHE evaluation, the college has to show it is in compliance with the 14 MSCHE standards, all requirements of affiliation, and all accreditation-relevant federal regulations. Without accreditation, Alfred State students could not receive federally backed student loans, Alfred State credits would not transfer to accredited colleges and universities, its degrees would not be recognized by employers who require degrees from accredited institutions, and its standing for federal grants and donations from foundations and donors could be hindered.
Swanson noted that receiving a commendation for one area of a self-study is quite an accomplishment, let alone receiving one for the quality of two areas: the process and the report.