The Daily Bulletin Archive

An institutional task for Buffalo State College in academic year 2007–2008 is to prepare a Periodic Review Report (PRR) for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The commission is the unit of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools that accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in the middle states region.

Middle States accreditation is available to higher education institutions in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands.

Middle States provides the primary regional accreditation for Buffalo State College, with the first accreditation awarded in 1948. Accreditation, once awarded, is periodically validated by the college giving evidence of continuing compliance with Middle States standards for accreditation. The current 14 standards address the following areas.

Standard 1: Mission and Goals

Standard 2: Planning, Resource Allocation, and Institutional Renewal

Standard 3: Institutional Resources

Standard 4: Leadership and Governance

Standard 5: Administration

Standard 6: Integrity

Standard 7: Institutional Effectiveness

Standard 8: Student Admissions and Retention

Standard 9: Student Support Services

Standard 10: Faculty

Standard 11: Educational Offerings

Standard 12: General Education

Standard 13: Related Educational Activities

Standard 14: Assessment of Student Learning

The accreditation cycle requires institutional response in three major ways.

1. Institutions develop and submit a comprehensive self-study, which is followed by a visit of a peer-evaluation team to the campus. This occurs for initial accreditation and usually on a 10-year cycle for reaccreditation. Buffalo State’s last site visit was in academic year 2002–2003.

2. Institutions prepare and submit a mid-term Periodic Review Report (PRR) in the fifth year following an accreditation visit. Buffalo State’s PRR is due to Middle States by June 2, 2008.

3. Institutions annually reply to certain Middle States areas so that a yearly Institutional Profile (IP) is prepared. With the assistance of Yves Gachette,director of institutional research, I submit Buffalo State’s IP in April of each year.

Buffalo State’s primary task in 2007–2008 is to prepare and submit the PRR. The Buffalo State committee responsible for preparation of the PRR is co-chaired byRob Delprino, associate professor of psychology, andStephen Chris, senior psychologist with the Counseling Center.

Members of the committee are:

Dorcas Colvin, associate vice president for policy and planning, Strategic Planning

Yves Gachette, director, Institutional Research

Scott Johnson, assistant dean, First-Year and Academic Support Programs, University College

Maureen Lindstrom, assistant director, Information Commons, E. H. Butler Library

Rosalyn Lindner, associate vice president for curriculum and assessment, Academic Affairs

Maria Pacheco, associate professor, Chemistry

David Pomerantz, associate professor, Exceptional Education

Kevin Railey, associate provost and dean, Graduate School

Deborah Renzi, coordinator of field education, Social Work

Kerran Sanger, associate professor, Communication

Buffalo State’s PRR will be a document of approximately 50 pages that includes the following sections.

1. Executive summary: A brief overview of Buffalo State and a summary of major changes and developments since the decennial accreditation.

2. A summary of Buffalo State’s response to recommendations from the 2002–2003 team report and institutional self-study. Buffalo State PRR will address follow-up to recommendations in the six study topics in the 2002–2003 self-study. The six topics are:

Topic 1: Programs and Services for First-Year Students

Topic 2: Programs and Services for Commuter Students

Topic 3: Distinctive and Pivotal Undergraduate Educational Experiences

Topic 4: Creating an Intellectually Vital Environment for Graduate Studies

Topic 5: Course Scheduling and Availability

Topic 6: Recognizing Student and Faculty Success in the Teaching and Learning Process

3. A brief narrative identifying Buffalo State’s major challenges and/or current opportunities. This section will also include appropriate updates relating to many of the 14 Middle State’s standards.

4. An analysis of enrollment and financial projections for the next five years.

5. Evidence that outcomes assessment processes for both institutional effectiveness and student learning are in place at Buffalo State and that results are being used at the institution.

6. Evidence that institutional planning and budgeting processes are linked at Buffalo State.

Items submitted to support the PRR typically include catalogs, financial statements, assessment plan, strategic plan, and other documents if needed to support the PRR text.

Middle States will assign Buffalo State’s PRR to two external reviewers (usually provosts at similar, but not SUNY, institutions). The lead external reviewer will consult with the second reviewer and prepare an external reviewer’s report, which is forwarded to Buffalo State and Middle States. A financial associate appointed by Middle States will prepare a financial analysis. These reports will be completed in September 2008, and the Middle States Commission will meet in October 2008 to discuss the reports and to make a decision on continuing the college’s accreditation.

Buffalo State will use the PRR to validate continued compliance with accreditation standards and to assess institutional progress since the last evaluation visit. It also provides opportunity for campus dialogue about the institution. The committee preparing Buffalo State’s PRR will circulate a draft report and seek comments from the campus in early 2008. I encourage your participation in this important effort as Buffalo State validates its accreditation with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.