Carroll Community College has initiated a process of self-study in preparation for reaccreditation that will culminate in a team visit in 2011 by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).

Accreditation is a process of peer review that the educational community has adopted for its self- regulation. It is a voluntary process intended to strengthen and sustain the quality and integrity of higher education, making it worthy of public confidence. MSCHE examines the entire institution and how it meets a series of 14 standards.

Recently, MSCHE approved the college’s self-study design, an internal document which guides the college through the process in preparation for the 2011 visit. This approval gives college workgroups permission to proceed with the necessary research to questions intended to produce the documentable evidence that the college is meeting its goals.

One of the driving themes throughout the process is to establish how the college fulfills its mission. “All points of the self–study report should ultimately support our mission,” said Dr. Michael Kiphart, dean of students and a co-chair of the Steering Committee. “From the MSCHE perspective, our mission is central to our evaluation. The college needs to show how we are accomplishing our mission through the stated goals of the institution.”

Workgroups composed of faculty, staff, and administrators are meeting this summer and gathering information for the self-study report. “Participation in these workgroups provides the opportunity to evaluate what is happening at the college and how we may need to improve,” said Kiphart. Robert Brown, chair of Mathematics and co-chair of the Steering Committee, added “This is an excellent opportunity for the college community to be introspective on its mission and the processes of the past, as we focus on the future.”

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