BY ASHIA TROIANO

In print | Published November 20, 2008

This year, Swarthmore is up for review by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an organization that accredits colleges and universities across America. Chaired by Ellen Magenheim, Professor of Economics, the Middle States Steering Committee, which is composed of fifteen faculty members, will perform and document a self-evaluation demonstrating that Swarthmore meets Middle States’ standards of excellence.

Middle States has lain out fourteen points that the College must address to be awarded reaccreditation, some of which include institutional resources, integrity, and student admissions and retentions. These points are addressed first by a self-study the committee completes and then an outside committee, composed of faculty from other colleges, which reviews the college as well.

Magenheim stressed the importance of having a complete self study, which will be released to the College community for feedback once written. “Really what we want is for people to look at the report and say, ‘Does this fully and accurately convey who we are, what the college is?’ When the visiting team comes, their approach will be informed by what the self study says so we really want it to be an accurate picture — our strengths and also the challenges we face.”

Swarthmore’s 2020 campaign, an effort to improve the college based in the needs of each division of the college, is an integral part of the process. The 2020 Planning Steering Committee, along with the Middle States Steering Committee and eight other planning groups, are all working together to review the College. “The 2020 Planning process is really an independent process, something we at Swarthmore wanted to do. It would have happened independent of Middle States. We integrated the two because it seemed more valuable that way,” Magenheim said.

Swarthmore was last reaccredited in 1999. “We are confident we merit reaccreditation. The process gives us an opportunity to take a snapshot of who we are and realize what we have accomplished,” said Constance Hungerford, Provost and member of the Middle States Committee.

“I am sure we will be reaccredited, and that is what would be expected … The process will give the review team (an independent group of academics) a substantial first-hand view of what we do and who we are. That is important because people chosen for work on these teams are in a position to appreciate what we do that is unique and remarkable and the impression they take away will effect the external impression of the College in academic circles,” Rachel Merz, Professor of Biology and a member of the Middle States Steering Committe, said in an e-mail.

While the self-study will be available to the entire college and to all involved in the process, it is unclear whether it will be available for those outside the College community. “The self study will be available to anyone in the college community. We haven’t talked about how it might be used [outside the college],” said Magenheim.

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