This webpage will serve as a central hub for updates, documents, and opportunities for community engagement.
About Middle States Accreditation
Evolving from its origins as Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» Academy, Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» was chartered by the Board of Regents of the State of New York in 1896. It is considered the oldest private institution of higher education on Long Island.

Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» was first accredited by the (MSCHE) in 1921 and most recently reaffirmed in 2019. Accreditation is a peer review process that ensures colleges, universities, and educational programs meet established quality standards.
Accreditation by Middle States—a global institutional accreditor for over 500 institutions of higher education—is a hallmark of academic excellence and institutional integrity. Accreditation affirms that we meet rigorous standards for student learning, faculty quality, and operational effectiveness and validates the high value of an Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» degree. Additionally, accreditation is required for our students to be eligible for federal financial aid.
Self-Study
Whether an institution is seeking its first accreditation or taking steps to reaffirm its accreditation—as Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» is—a self-study is a mandatory process. In Spring 2025, Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» began its self-study process in preparation for re-accreditation in 2027.
The Self-Study is a comprehensive and collaborative review of Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³»â€™s accomplishments, innovations and growth over the past seven years. It will also address potential future challenges and opportunities. The ultimate goal is for the Self-Study to paint a picture of where Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» currently stands, how it fulfills its mission and serves its constituents both currently and in the future.
Guided by MSCHE’s seven standards, the self-study process involves the entire community and provides a holistic evaluation of the University by its students, faculty, staff, and administration.
Your input—whether through surveys, focus groups, or feedback—is essential for us to document your experience with Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³»â€™s dedication to academic excellence and institutional integrity.
Key Phases and Timeline
- September 2024: Middle States Steering Committee co-chairs were selected.
- January 2025: Middle States working groups and committees were finalized.
- March 26, 2025: Visit from Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³»â€™s Middle States Liaison, Dr. Ryan Hartnett, vice president for institutional field relations.
- Fall 2025: Middle States Steering Committee co-chairs provide updates to campus constituents via email and in meetings with the Board of Trustees, faculty, deans, assistant/associate deans, chairs, student affairs staff, student groups and campus advisory committee.
- August 2025 – September 2026: Working Groups gather and analyze data and develop draft chapters of the self-study. The Executive Steering Committee reviews, edits and synthesizes chapters to produce the draft self-study. There will be opportunities for the community to participate in and contribute to the self-study process.
- October 2026: The first draft of our self-study document will be available on a password-protected intranet for community feedback.
- November 5, 2026: Town Hall for faculty and staff
- November 16, 2026: MSCHE team chair’s preliminary visit
- Early 2027: Self-study submitted to MSCHE.
- March 21–24, 2027: MSCHE onsite evaluation team visit
- June 2027: Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» will receive accreditation information and recommendations from the commission. These will be communicated to the Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» community.