Elmira College Accreditation Reaffirmed

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), the agency responsible for accrediting colleges and universities in the Mid-Atlantic region, recently reaffirmed Elmira College’s accreditation, finding the College in compliance with MSCHE’s seven accreditation standards.

The accreditation process spanned the 2022-2024 academic years, producing a comprehensive self-study and written report. The process was overseen by a Steering Committee co-chaired by Dr. Mitch Lewis, Georgia Harkness Professor of English Literature, and Dr. Patricia Ireland, EC Provost. The Steering Committee and its subcommittees coordinated with the entire campus community to review key institutional documents, policies, and procedures.

“The accreditation process was truly a team effort,” exclaimed Lewis. “This effort included not only those who were involved directly with the self-study, but everyone associated with the College because the accreditation process is a comprehensive institutional study. We don’t achieve full compliance without the help of the entire EC community.”

In the final steps of the accreditation process, a MSCHE Visiting Team came to campus for three days to verify the College’s report. The Team toured the College and interviewed many members of the campus community, compiling an in-depth report with valuable insights, acknowledgements, and recommendations for the College.

“We’re proud to receive confirmation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that our accreditation was reaffirmed,” commented Dr. Charles Lindsay, Elmira College President. “Their Evaluation Team recognized not only our progress, but also the imagination, courage, and vision that define the Elmira College approach to student learning and institutional stewardship.”

In the report, the Visiting Team commended the College for coordinating across offices to enroll one of the largest classes of students in a decade for the 2024-2025 academic year. They also noted that EC is maintaining its recent success and is on track to enroll a similarly large class this fall.

“This has contributed to the sense of hope and positivity across campus,” said the Visiting Team in the report.

The Visiting Team also applauded the College’s “significant and systematic attention” to student retention led by CAPE, the Center for Academic and Professional Excellence.

“We note the effective use of assessment data by CAPE and the Behavioral Intervention Team, and encourage other student support areas to similarly use data-driven decision making in developing and implementing action plans” to improve the student experience, wrote the Visiting Team.

These insights were coupled with praise for EC’s financial management at a time when some colleges and universities, particularly smaller, private institutions in the northeast, are struggling.

“They are to be commended for the creative efforts that have significantly reduced their debt burden, and the implementation of the cy-pres process in concert with the Reimagining Elmira College plan to restore the operational and financial health of the institution,” wrote the Visiting Team.

The College community is excited to implement the recommendations from the Visiting Team and, never resting on their laurels, will continue to make institutional improvements with regular operational assessments. The next accreditation visit is scheduled for 2032-2033.