Overview of 2003 Self-Study
Western Connecticut State University is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The University conducts a very thorough self-study every ten years in order to renew its accreditation. The self-study process is an opportunity for the University to do a candid self-evaluation, measuring itself against the 11 NEASC Standards for Accreditation. The document developed by the self-study team, with the help of the University community, describes what we do, offers an appraisal of how well we are doing our job, and makes projections about future directions and needs.
A seven-member Steering Committee, chaired by Dr. Carol A. Hawkes, Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, has been appointed. Five members of the Steering Committee attended a NEASC Self-Study Workshop at the New England Conference Center on October 25-26, 2001. In addition to the Steering Committee, there are sub-committees charged with the task of preparing reports on each of the 11 Standards.
During the summer of 2002, the members of the Steering Committee and the Sub-Committees will develop a first draft of the Self-Study. The draft will be posted on the the web site in the Fall of 2002, and over the next few months, members of the University community will be invited to submit their comments and recommendations. A revised draft will be sent to NEASC for review in the Summer of 2003, and the final document will be mailed to members of the Visiting Team in September of 2003.
A Visiting Team, made up of faculty and administrators from comparable institutions, will come to the University on October 19-22, 2003. After sharing its findings in an exit interview, the Team will prepare a report to the NEASC CIHE. The Commission will take take action at its next meeting.
