Coppin State University Middle States Accreditation

Accreditation is a process of reviewing the quality of higher education institutions. There are two types of accreditation at most higher education institutions, institutional and specialized*. Institutional accreditation is a comprehensive review by a private, nongovernmental organization specifically created to review higher education institutions and programs for quality. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education accredits Coppin State University at the institutional level.

Coppin State University (CSU) has been a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education since 1962. Since that time, every five years, the University participates in a comprehensive institutional review with representatives of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Coppin was last reaffirmed by the Middle States Commission on June 27, 2008.

Accrediting organizations develop standards that must be met in order to be accredited. For the Middle States Commission, the Characteristics of Excellence (2002) defines 14 standards grouped under two distinct headings: Institutional Context and Educational Effectiveness (See References link at left). In 2005, the president nominated faculty, staff, and administrators to serve on a middle states steering committed composed of 14 subcommittees. Each committee is charged with documenting the University's compliance with one of the Characteristics of Excellence standards. The co-chairs from the 14 subcommittees make up the CSU Middle States Steering Committee.

One of the primary goals of the standards is the commitment to accountability, through university-wide assessment practices, particularly the assessment of student learning. Many campus resources have been organized to assist with this accountability emphasis including the Center for Institutional Assessment and the Faculty Assessment Committee.

In closing, we invite and encourage the entire Coppin Family to learn more about the accreditation process through the use of this website. The links at left provide information about the complete process. We welcome your ideas. This critical opportunity requires your input as we assess and evaluate how well we are advancing our mission and strategic goals. While we continuously strive for excellence, we hope to build on the accreditation process to provide us with a roadmap for the future.

^*Specialized accreditation refers to review of a program. The evaluation is done by a specialized accrediting body and is often associated with a national professional organization or with a specific discipline. Coppin holds specialized accreditations with the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, National League for Nursing, the Council on Social Work Education, and the Council on Rehabilitation Education.