College Prepares for Middle States Re-Accreditation Visit

A team of peer evaluators sent by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools will visit Pennsylvania College of Technology on March 3-6 as the culmination of a re-accreditation process.

The voluntary, self-regulatory peer-review process takes place every 10 years. Penn College was last accredited by Middle States in 1992. The College recently completed a two-year self-study initiative and filed a report with Middle States, which will send a team of nine officials from similar colleges and universities to Penn College for the on-site review.

In the Middle States accreditation process, an institution's educational programs, processes and resources are evaluated to assure compliance with agreed-upon quality standards. The self-study process seeks input from faculty, staff, students, business and industry representatives and members of the community.

Middle States team members who will visit Penn College are: Stuart Steiner, president, Genesee Community College (team chairman); John M. Anderson, vice president for academic affairs, State University of New York College of Technology at Alfred; Ruth E. Andes, assistant dean, assessment and special projects, Genesee Community College; Paul F. Bryant, professor of humanities and social sciences, Schenectady County Community College; Craig A. Clagett, vice president for planning, marketing and assessment, Carroll Community College; Joan M. Finucci, professor of mathematics, Baltimore City Community College; Barbara A. Hornick-Lockard, library director, Corning Community College; Richard E. Reese, vice president for administration-treasurer, Finger Lakes Community College; and Jacqueline W. Kineavy, vice president for academic and student affairs, Passaic County Community College.

Founded in 1887, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools has member institutions in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other locations overseas.

Faculty and administrators coordinating the Middle States self-study effort at Penn College are: Doreen W. Shope, chairwoman; Tom F. Gregory, vice chairman; Dr. Mark D. Noe, information literacy chairman; Brett A. Reasner, overview chairman; Dr. Mary A. Sullivan, outcomes assessment chairwoman; and Alfred M. Thomas II, internal governance and planning chairman.