York College is embarking upon the multi-year period of self-assessment and evaluation essential to our continued accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
As part of the MSCHE reaccreditation process, York College conducts a Self-Study every eight years, alongside Annual Institutional Updates. The Self-Study is framed/guided by seven comprehensive standards for accreditation and four requirements of affiliation, which ask the college community to examine all aspects of York College's functioning with transparency, rigor, and reflection.
Be sure to stay informed! In addition to this webpage, we will produce Accreditation Updates to keep the York College community in the know.
About Re-Accreditation
Learn more about the Middle States Re-Accreditation Process from AVP, Dean of Students James Salnave and Professor Lidia Gonzalez in this short video.
Middle States Standards
Standard I. Mission & Goals
The institution’s mission defines its purpose within the context of higher education, the students it serves, and what it intends to accomplish. The institution’s stated goals are clearly linked to its mission and specify how the institution fulfills its mission.
Standard II. Ethics & Integrity
Ethics and integrity are central, indispensable, and defining hallmarks of effective higher education institutions. In all activities, whether internal or external, an institution must be faithful to its mission, honor its contracts and commitments, adhere to its policies, and represent itself truthfully.
Standard III. Design & Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
An institution provides students with learning experiences that are characterized by rigor and coherence at all program, certificate, and degree levels, regardless of instructional modality. All learning experiences, regardless of modality, program pace/schedule, level, and setting are consistent with higher education expectations.
Standard IV. Support of the Student Experience
Across all educational experiences, settings, levels, and instructional modalities, the institution recruits and admits students whose interests, abilities, experiences, and goals are congruent with its mission and educational offerings. The institution commits to student retention, persistence, completion, and success through a coherent and effective support system sustained by qualified professionals, which enhances the quality of the learning environment, contributes to the educational experience, and fosters student success.
Standard V. Educational Effectiveness Assessment
Assessment of student learning and achievement demonstrates that the institution’s students have accomplished educational goals consistent with their program of study, degree level, the institution’s mission, and appropriate expectations for institutions of higher education.
Standard VI. Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement
The institution’s planning processes, resources, and structures are aligned with each other and are sufficient to fulfill its mission and goals, to continuously assess and improve its programs and services, and to respond effectively to opportunities and challenges.
Standard VII. Governance, Leadership, & Administration
The institution is governed and administered in a manner that allows it to realize its stated mission and goals in a way that effectively benefits the institution, its students, and the other constituencies it serves. Even when supported by or affiliated with a related entity, the institution has education as its primary purpose, and it operates as an academic institution with appropriate autonomy.
Cheryl Morrison, Associate Director, Financial Aid
Elizabeth Quaye, Assistant Professor, Accounting and Finance
Selena Rodgers, Professor and Chair, Social Work
Janine Scott, Director of Individual Giving, Donor & Foundation Relation, Institutional Advancement and Communications
Charmaine Townsell, Senior Director, Student Wellness and Resources
Data Experts and Evidence Inventory
Rachel Ng, Director of Institutional Research, Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Planning
Ray Moncada, Manager of Institutional Research, Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Planning
Timeline for Steering Committee Deliverables
Initial outlines from Working Groups, including indication of what your WG’s evidence needs are: Due May 15, 2025
Detailed outlines of research, evidence identification, collection and evaluation: Due December 15, 2025
First Draft of the Report of Findings Due from Working Groups: March 1, 2026
Self-Study Leadership Group reviews, Report of Findings, and provides feedback: March 15, 2026
Second Draft of Report of Findings Due from Working Groups: May 15, 2026
Steering Committee Review and Feedback of Preliminary Draft of the Self-Study Report: September 15, 2026
Final Self-Study Report: February 1, 2027 (tentative; final date TBD following discussion with VP Liaison and Self-Study Evaluation Team Chair)
Town Hall Schedule
The Self-Study is intended to be a comprehensive, inclusive, collaborative, and reflective process. To stay informed, please refer to this page, check your emails, and engage in public forums. If you have questions about the Self-Study, please contact the members of the Self-Study Leadership Group.
April 7, 2025 - 11:45 - 12:30 in 3D01: MSCHE VP Liaison Visit
The institution’s mission defines its purpose within the context of higher education, the students it serves, and what it intends to accomplish. The institution’s stated goals are clearly linked to its mission and specify how the institution fulfills its mission.
Standard II. Ethics & Integrity
Ethics and integrity are central, indispensable, and defining hallmarks of effective higher education institutions. In all activities, whether internal or external, an institution must be faithful to its mission, honor its contracts and commitments, adhere to its policies, and represent itself truthfully.
Standard III. Design & Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
An institution provides students with learning experiences that are characterized by rigor and coherence at all program, certificate, and degree levels, regardless of instructional modality. All learning experiences, regardless of modality, program pace/schedule, level, and setting are consistent with higher education expectations.
Standard IV. Support of the Student Experience
Across all educational experiences, settings, levels, and instructional modalities, the institution recruits and admits students whose interests, abilities, experiences, and goals are congruent with its mission and educational offerings. The institution commits to student retention, persistence, completion, and success through a coherent and effective support system sustained by qualified professionals, which enhances the quality of the learning environment, contributes to the educational experience, and fosters student success.
Standard V. Educational Effectiveness Assessment
Assessment of student learning and achievement demonstrates that the institution’s students have accomplished educational goals consistent with their program of study, degree level, the institution’s mission, and appropriate expectations for institutions of higher education.
Standard VI. Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement
The institution’s planning processes, resources, and structures are aligned with each other and are sufficient to fulfill its mission and goals, to continuously assess and improve its programs and services, and to respond effectively to opportunities and challenges.
Standard VII. Governance, Leadership, & Administration
The institution is governed and administered in a manner that allows it to realize its stated mission and goals in a way that effectively benefits the institution, its students, and the other constituencies it serves. Even when supported by or affiliated with a related entity, the institution has education as its primary purpose, and it operates as an academic institution with appropriate autonomy.
FAQs
What is institutional accreditation, and why is it important?
Accreditation is the way that institutions of higher education ensure that they are meeting standards of quality in the educational and co-curricular experiences that they offer to their students. Accreditation is important because it requires institutions, like York College, to investigate and document the areas in which they are doing well, and the areas in which there is room for improvement. An external accreditor, in our case, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, reviews the institution’s own assessment of its performance, and makes its own suggestions about where the institution is doing well, and where it can do better.
York is already accredited. Why is reaccreditation necessary?
Because many things can change in higher education, including budgets, personnel, understandings of best practice, and government policies and mandates, institutions aren’t just accredited once. Rather, institutions must be regularly reaccredited to show that they are keeping up with trends in higher education, and continuing to seek ways to best serve their students and the wider institutional community.
Who decides that York received reaccreditation?
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is a body made up of representatives of many higher education institutions, and has existed for over 100 years. MSCHE sets the standards for accreditation, and works with institutions to ensure that they meet those standards. As you can see below, the standards place the student experience at the center of an institution’s reaccreditation, and aim to ensure an that students’ education at an institution is planned with integrity and continuous improvement in mind. The standards are as follows:
1. Mission and Goals
2. Ethics and Integrity
3. Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
4. Support of the Student Experience
5. Educational Effectiveness Assessment
6. Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement
7. Governance, Leadership, and Administration
Who does the work of getting York reaccredited?
The process of reaccreditation is a complex and lengthy one, and many members of the college community participate. The process is led by a team of faculty and administrators appointed by York College’s President, and many other faculty and staff members, and students, participate in gathering information, analyzing it, and supporting their findings with evidence collected from across the college.
Are any students involved in the reaccreditation process?
Students are welcome to become involved in the reaccreditation process. While it is typically led by faculty and administrators because of the significant amount of time involved—time that students are devoting to their studies—students voices are a very important part of the process. Members of York’s Student Government Association (SGA) are included in the Working Groups which evaluate York’s performance with respect to the Standards, and York’s students will be consulted and be invited to give feedback at many points in the reaccreditation process.
Students who would like to learn more, or get involved, should contact Dr. James Salnave, Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students.
How long does the reaccreditation process take?
The reaccreditation process takes two years. Those two years are spent designing and implementing a Self-Study, having the Self-Study document reviewed and evaluated by representatives of peer institutions that are members of MSCHE, and responding to that review and evaluation. The College's Self-Study process will officially kick-off in Fall 2025 and will conclude in Spring 2027.
Who benefits from the reaccreditation process?
Everyone at York College benefits from the reaccreditation process. Most directly, students because they cannot receive federal financial aid if the institution is not accredited. Furthermore, their credits may not transfer, and employers and licensing boards may not recognize their degrees. More broadly, reaccreditation ensures that the institution’s programs, policies and practices meet externally agreed-upon standards of quality, and that the institution is continually monitoring and assessing its performance to make sure it is doing the best it can do for its students and broader community.
Ways You Can Participate
Representatives from student leadership will be invited to participate on the working groups
Respond to surveys - we want and need to hear your feedback
Attend a Town Hall (synchronous and asynchronous options): Schedule to follow
Review recommendations posted on this page (Fall 2026)
Town Hall Schedule
April 7, 2025 - 11:45 - 12:30 in 3D01: MSCHE VP Liaison Visit
