MSCHE Organizational Structure

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There are two chairs of the MSCHE Self-Study, a staff representative and a faculty representative, in order to ensure equitable representation. All shared governance groups were involved in the discussion and acceptance of both co-chairs. The current Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) is also involved in the support of the Self-Study. Each of the seven standards for accreditation will be assigned to a Working Group chaired by one or two members of the Steering Committee. There will be an eighth Working Group to verify compliance and affirm the Requirements of Affiliation and will comprise a small working group across units. 

Steering Committee Membership and Working Groups 

The Steering Committee (SC), comprised primarily of individuals who were able to attend the MSCHE Self-Study Institute in Fall 2020, was selected in a collaborative effort with the participants from the Self-Study Institute, the ALO, the MSCHE Self-Study Co-Chairs, senior administrators, and shared governance groups. Names were solicited in an effort to seek representative membership from the faculty, staff, and administration. Membership by professional staff was also sought in a way to fully represent Academic Affairs on the Steering Committee. 

There will also be an Executive Committee of the Steering Committee that will be responsible for the communications plan, coordination of logistics, points of contact for questions from the community, among other high-level approaches. This committee will consist of both co-chairs, the ALO, and the Associate Provost for Student Success and Academic Quality. 

The Steering Committee will meet at least once a month during Academic Year 2021 – 2022, and each meeting will be framed by readings from the MSCHE website and Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation. In each meeting, breakout groups will generate lists of analytic research questions for each standard and aligned institutional priority. Analytic research questions will be developed and vetted by the Steering Committee and Working group members, Co-Chairs, and University Provost. A list of working groups has been proposed (see below) with input from Academic Affairs Directors, Academic Deans, and the Chair of the Faculty Senate. Timelines for AY 2021-2022 were discussed with the Co-Chairs and an orientation will be planned to include Steering and Working Group Committee members for the week before fall semester begins. Working Group charges will be developed in the summer of 2021. Membership to the Working Groups will be proposed and selected prior to the beginning of the Fall 2021 semester. Invitations will be sent by the University President to Working Group members. 

The SC will meet throughout the Fall Semester, and tasks will be guided by a syllabus the Co-Chairs will create in the summer of 2021. The goals, meeting agendas, and activities for the semester will focus on becoming familiar with resources and documents related to MSCHE Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation, Self-Study, and Team Visits. 

The goals for the SC and WGs include:

1. The ability to interpret and explain the Middle States Commission on Higher Education’s (MSCHE’s) accreditation standards. 
2. The ability to convey to the campus community the importance the Commission places on institutional planning and assessment, including the assessment of student learning.
3. The ability to explain the MSCHE evaluation process. 
4. The ability to assist in producing an excellent and useful Self-Study report; specific skills include mobilizing the institution for Self-Study.
5. Working collaboratively across the seven standards with Commission staff.
6. Developing analytical questions to guide the working groups’ research. 
7. Assuring the Self-Study report appropriately addresses the Commission’s standards and their criteria. 
8. Assuring the Self-Study report is analytical, forward-looking, supported by evidence, and useful to the institution’s self-understanding and self-improvement. 
9. Prepare the university community in preparing for and hosting the evaluation team visit. 

Each working group will produce a chapter on a single, assigned standard. The chapter, an evidence based and analytic study, highlighted by examples of best practices and attentive to areas for improvement, will demonstrate the university is meeting the standard and engaged in ongoing improvement aligned with its mission.

Members of the WGs will comprise a wide variety of stakeholders from the university community. Representatives may include: the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees, Office of the President, Strategic Planning Office, faculty from departments and programs within the five Schools, General Education Program, Honors Program, Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Office of Title IX, Human Resources, General Counsel, Faculty of Color Coalition, Gallaudet Staff Council, standing committees of Faculty Governance, Athletics Department, Financial Aid Office, Office of the Registrar, Campus Activities, Student Financial Services, Student Body Government, and Graduate Student Association.