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Middle States Accreditation

Founded in 1846 as the nation's first Benedictine college, Saint Vincent College ranks as a first-tier National Liberal Arts College (US News and World Report).

Middle States Accreditation

Accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is the central way in which Saint Vincent externally validates its mission. It applies to both the College and the Seminary. As our accreditation is reaffirmed, we are able to continue administering federal grants and student loans. Moreover, MSCHE accreditation facilitates the transfer of academic credit for students and ensures that all academic work will be recognized by accredited graduate and professional schools.

MSCHE is a global institutional accreditor recognized by the United States Secretary of Education since 1952. As an accreditor and member of the regulatory triad, MSCHE assures students and the public of the educational quality for its over 500 institutions of higher education. The Commission’s accreditation process ensures institutional accountability, self-appraisal, improvement, and innovation through peer review and the rigorous application of standards within the context of institutional mission.

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MSCHE Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation (listed below) address every area of Saint Vincent’s operations: academic programs, faculty and staff expertise, campus services, finances, governance, and more. MSCHE reviews all of its accredited colleges and universities every eight years to reaffirm accreditation status. The timeline below shows key dates in Saint Vincent’s reaffirmation of accreditation review, which is scheduled to be completed in the 2025-2026 academic year.

MSCHE Standards for Accreditation

  1. Mission and Goals
  2. Ethics and Integrity
  3. Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
  4. Support of the Student Learning Experience
  5. Educational Effectiveness Assessment
  6. Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement
  7. Governance, Leadership, and Administration

Reaffirmation of Accreditation Timeline

2023 (Fall)

  • Campus Leaders Attend MSCHE Self-Study Institute
  • Core Team and Steering Committee formed

2024 (Spring)

  • Working Groups formed
  • Self-study design submission to MSCHE (March)
  • MSCHE Liaison campus visit (April)
  • Working Groups analyze evidence and begin working on chapter outlines
  • Working-group campus outreach for additional input

2024 (Fall)

  • Self-study chapter outlines due (December)
  • MSCHE Team chair confirmed
  • Working groups continue to analyze evidence, work on chapters, and receive community-wide input
  • Completed chapters due by December 2024

2025 (Spring)

  • Chapters combined into final draft for Steering Committee review
  • Draft of Self-Study Report available to Saint Vincent College and Seminary community for feedback​
  • MSCHE Team chair visit​
  • MSCHE evaluation team selected

2025-26 Academic Year

  • Final draft of self-study report sent to Evaluation Team six weeks prior to the visit
  • MSCHE Evaluation Team visit

 

This timeline will be updated as new details become available.

Saint Vincent College and Seminary is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; 1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166; Wilmington, DE 19801. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is a global and regional accreditor recognized by the US Department of Education to conduct accreditation activities that assure the public and students of educational quality.
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