The next steps in the accreditation process include town halls Oct. 7 and 8 for the UMB community to provide feedback on the report.
Just as the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is composed of seven schools that work independently but together to create a successful institution, the University’s seven Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) working groups have been busy drafting the self-study report that is a major component of the accreditation process.
This spring, UMB’s MSCHE steering committee is marking a milestone: After submitting several drafts of the self-study report and holding town halls last fall for the UMB community to provide feedback, the final draft is being reviewed by co-chairs Roger J. Ward, EdD, JD, MSL, MPA, provost and executive vice president, and Mark A. Reynolds, DDS, PhD, MA, dean, University of Maryland School of Dentistry.
“The steering committee has come through and achieved their big deliverable for spring 2024,” said Gregory C. Spengler, MPA, associate vice president for institutional effectiveness, Office of the Provost, who is chair of UMB’s logistics committee and the MSCHE accreditation liaison officer. Spengler added that the University is on schedule in the accreditation process.
Every eight years, UMB goes through an evaluation by MSCHE, one of seven institutional accreditors recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. As part of the accreditation process, the University must complete an institutional self-study that carefully considers its educational programs and services, with particular attention to student learning and achievement, and determines how well these programs and services accomplish the institution’s goals, fulfill its mission, and meet the MSCHE standards.
Along with ensuring that UMB is in compliance with the commission’s standards for accreditation, MSCHE accreditation is an opportunity to strengthen the University through a comprehensive evaluation. It is also necessary for the University to continue to receive federal funding.
The 22 members of UMB’s steering committee were divided up to co-chair the working groups, which were composed of about 85 faculty, staff, students, and alumni with representation across the schools and central units. Each working group wrote a chapter on an MSCHE standard:
- Mission and Goals
- Ethics and Integrity
- Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
- Support of the Student Experience
- Educational Effectiveness Assessment
- Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement
- Governance, Leadership, and Administration
Reynolds said the UMB community should take pride in the collaborative efforts demonstrated by members from across the University serving on the steering committee, logistics committee, and working groups.
“They have effectively led a comprehensive and reflective self-study process, compiling and summarizing evidence from all areas of our institution that document UMB’s compliance and commitment to excellence and continuous improvement,” he said. “The teamwork and collaboration throughout this process have been remarkable, fostering a culture of shared learning and innovation. This process has provided numerous opportunities for individuals to exchange ideas, share stories, and collectively enhance our institution’s practices for the better.”
Richard Dalby, PhD, professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, and co-chair of the Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience working group, said serving on the working group is like voting: You need to do it if you expect to have an influence on the outcome.
“It’s a lot of work, much of it invisible to the campus community, but it’s for a great cause and makes UMB stronger for everyone,” he said. “Accreditation matters. It’s not glamorous work and it can be frustrating, but at the end of the day, it means UMB can be confident in its students and programs. Our entire community benefits from thoughtful introspection and renewed shared purpose.”
Building Upon Success
Jenny Owens, ScD, MS, vice provost of academic affairs and strategic initiatives, has a unique perspective because she was part of the last self-study.
“Every time I participate, I learn something new. It’s valuable to see where we can connect the dots and share best practices,” said Owens, co-chair of the Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience working group. “Although there are always ways to improve, it’s nice to take a moment and reflect on how far we’ve come as a university since the last one.”
Spengler said the working groups, each made up of about a dozen people and three steering committee co-chairs, were given broad guidelines but decided on their own how to proceed: whether they met in person or virtually, met once a week or every three weeks, or established subcommittees.
“This demonstrates the way the steering committee worked together,” said Spengler, who also serves as co-chair of the Educational Effectiveness Assessment working group. “Many of them knew each other, but they hadn’t ever really worked together for the better part of a year for a single cause. They stayed on schedule and produced seven chapters that are strong.”
Vanessa Harrington, MS, SHRM-CP, executive director of security and compliance, UMB Police and Public Safety, and co-chair of the Ethics and Integrity working group, said working with people from across the University was one of the highlights for her.
“It has been wonderful serving on a committee that helps to not only bring together all the information that makes UMB a great institution but also to identify ways that we can build upon its success,” she said. “This opportunity has allowed me to work with colleagues from so many departments, sharing thoughts, ideas, and achievements.”
Bill Joyner, JD, MSW, assistant vice president, Office of Community Engagement, and co-chair of the Mission and Goals working group, agreed, saying this has been a unique opportunity to learn about UMB and the people who make it work.
“Serving on the committee has been hard work but a meaningful way to give back to UMB,” he said. “The best part about this process has been getting to know and becoming friends with University leaders I otherwise would never have worked with. These relationships are meaningful both professionally and personally.”
Susan M. Antol, PhD, MS, RN, assistant professor, Family and Community Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing, said co-chairing the Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience working group challenged her to use leadership and critical thinking skills. She emphasized that as the Faculty Senate representative, it was important to integrate faculty voices into the report.
“Collaborating with University leadership to illustrate UMB’s accomplishments and contributions of faculty and staff has increased my respect and gratitude for Universitywide dedication to education, innovation, and service,” she said.
Spengler compared the working groups’ efforts to the seven schools at UMB. “That’s kind of a model of UMB overall, where we have seven schools and each of them are slightly different and they have different ways of doing things, but at the end of the day, we’re collectively a very successful institution,” he said.
Dalby said working on the Middle States self-study report gave him more knowledge about the breadth and depth of programs offered by each school and the enthusiasm of faculty and instructional specialists.
“Day to day, it’s easy to get caught up in what’s not going well, but stepping back to look at the big picture, I realize many things at UMB are the envy of other institutions,” he said.
After the co-chairs work with the steering committee on revisions and edits in length to pare the self-study to 100 pages, the draft will be shared with the deans and other UMB leadership for their input in early summer.
Town Halls on Oct. 7-8
The next step will be sharing the self-study report with the broader UMB community in preparation for two town halls in the fall: in person on Oct. 7 and virtual on Oct. 8.
“The primary purpose of the town hall will be to give the campus community the opportunity to give us direct feedback,” Spengler said. “The self-study is also intended to be a process for self-reflection and for the campus to take the time to look at how well we’re conducting ourselves among these seven standards for accreditation that have very specific expectations.”
Ward said UMB is including all members of its community in the process.
“It is important to seek the holistic perspectives of UMB’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni in our accreditation process to exemplify UMB’s dedication to its core values and commitment to continuous improvement,” he said.
Spengler added that the self-study identifies opportunities for improvement that may be included in the University’s next five-year strategic plan, which will be developed in 2026.
About the same time as the town halls, an initial visit will be held by UMB’s evaluation chair, who will receive a draft of the self-study report.
The other major component of the process will take place in spring 2025: an in-person site visit with UMB hosting the peer evaluation team, whose members are from other accredited institutions, for several days. The site visit will include meetings with University leadership — including student government leaders, faculty leaders, professional staff leaders, and staff who work with students.
Spengler said the emphasis will be on the students.
“That’s the primary focus of accreditation — ensuring that institutions are providing good education for their students and that we’re doing what we say we’re doing,” he said.