Middle States Commission on Higher Education

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is FSU's regional accreditation agency.

In 2006, a Middle States Evaluation Team conducted a campus visit and affirmed that Frostburg State University continues to meet the eligibility requirements for accreditation. The visiting team made four recommendations that must be addressed in the 2011 Middle States Periodic Report.

2006 Middle States Recommendations

Recommendation for Standard 2: Planning, Resource Allocation, and Institutional Renewal. Frostburg should fully review and revise its planning and resource allocation processes to more fully engage the broader campus community and to provide for transparency within the process, including the provision of explanations for establishing priorities and analyses of how budget decisions impact each division.

Recommendation for Standard 7: Institutional Assessment. Frostburg should move quickly to adopt and implement its draft Institutional Assessment Plan. Full implementation requires evidence that results from the institutional assessments are used in the decision-making process.

Recommendation for Standard 10: Faculty. Frostburg should develop and implement a comprehensive plan for improving the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty. This effort requires special emphasis on the coordination of campus-wide initiatives to expand the size and diversity of applicant pools.

Recommendation for Standard 14: Assessment of Student Learning. Frostburg should move quickly to implement all components of its proposed student learning assessment plan. This effort requires addressing the unevenness in assessment within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, full implementation of the proposed General Education assessment plan, and evidence that results from the student learning outcomes assessments are used in the decision-making process.

Middle States Accreditation Resources

Characteristics of Excellence 2006 - This document outlines eligibility requirements and standards of accreditation for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It serves as a guide for those institutions considering application for membership, those accepted as candidate institutions, and those accredited institutions engaged in self-review and peer evaluation.

Self Study: Creating a Useful Process and Report - Membership in the Middle States Association includes a commitment to continuous self-study. A decennial evaluation involves an institutional self-study and a visit by a team of external peer evaluators.

Team Visits: Conducting and Hosting an Evaluation Visit - Following the submission of an institutional self-study, a Middle States evaluation team conducts a peer review of the institution.

Handbook for Periodic Review Reports - The Periodic Review Report (PRR), due five years after the decennial self-study and reaffirmation of accreditation is a retrospective, current, and prospective analysis of the institution. It is an essential phase of the accreditation process.

Student Learning Assessment Options and Resources - This handbook serves as a resource for institutions seeking a bridge between the Commission’s standards for accreditation and the practical daily challenges of assessment and continuous improvement.