Dear fellow members of the Columbia community,
Since May 2023, Columbia has been engaged in a self-study process in preparation for reaccreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) in academic year 2024-25. Accreditation is a regular process of quality assurance for universities and is required for students to gain access to federal funds, including student grants and loans. As part of this process, we have now completed a draft of a self-study report following extensive engagement with a steering committee, six working groups, and other members of the University’s schools and constituencies.
The draft report addresses MSCHE’s seven standards and uses a narrative-driven approach to highlight examples of our accomplishments, opportunities, and challenges in education, as well as the student experience and adjacent dimensions of the University. This structure reflects MSCHE requirements and cannot comprehensively catalogue all University activities.
To access the draft self-study report and to learn more about the reaccreditation process, please visit the University Accreditation website. Please note portions of this draft are based on information before the appointment of interim President Katrina Armstrong and will be updated to reflect additional organizational changes, programs, and initiatives in the coming months.
We value your feedback and invite you to provide your comments by Friday October 4, 2024 via this online feedback form. These comments will be incorporated in a revised draft that will provide the framework for an MSCHE site visit on April 6-9, 2025.
I would like to extend my gratitude to the steering committee, working groups, and all those across the University who continue to contribute to the self-study process.
Sincerely,
Angela V. Olinto
Provost
Professor of Astronomy and of Physics
