Penn College Reaccredited by Middle States Commission

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education the unit of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools that accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in the Middle States region has reaffirmed accreditation for Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Penn College President Dr. Davie Jane Gilmour received notification recently that the commission reaffirmed the College's accreditation in sessions held June 26-27. The commission also commended the College for its progress since the previous accreditation action and for the quality of the report detailing the College-wide, two-year self-study initiative.

The voluntary, self-regulatory peer-review process takes place every 10 years. Penn College was last accredited by Middle States in 1992. In March, the commission sent a team of peer evaluators - consisting of nine officials from similar colleges and universities - to Penn College for an on-site review that is a required component of the Middle States reaccreditation process.

"We are delighted that the Middle States Commission on Higher Education has once again provided its stamp of approval, confirming that Penn College is accomplishing its mission and meeting its educational goals," Dr. Gilmour said. "We are especially pleased that the commission chose to go a step further in commending the College for progress made in the past decade and for submitting an exceptional self-study report. The self-study process affords us an excellent opportunity to take stock of our efforts and enhance our effectiveness. The results confirm our status as a leader in the field of technology education."

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 includes input from faculty, staff and students, as well as business-and-industry representatives and community members.

Areas evaluated during the process include: mission, goals and objectives; planning, resource allocation and institutional renewal; institutional resources; leadership and governance; administration; integrity; institutional assessment; student admissions; student-support services; faculty; educational offerings; general education; related educational activities; and assessment of student learning.

The faculty and administrators who coordinated the Middle States self-study effort at Penn College were: 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.

The scope of the latest reaccreditation was expanded to include Penn College's distance-learning programs.

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.

For more information about the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, visit on the Web. For more information about Penn College, visit online.