2023-2024 Self-Study for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

An institution of higher education is a community dedicated to students, to the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge, to the study and clarification of values, and to the advancement of the society it serves. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), through accreditation, mandates that its member institutions meet rigorous and comprehensive Standards, which are addressed in the context of the mission of each institution and within the culture of ethical practices and institutional integrity expected of accredited institutions. In meeting the quality Standards of MSCHE accreditation, institutions earn accredited status, and this permits them to state with confidence: “Our students are well-served; society is well-served.”

Download MSCHE's Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation.

The Self-Study Design (SSD) is a document developed by the institution to serve as a guide for the Self-Study process. It is a useful document that provides a blueprint for the Self-Study process, including the final Self-Study Report.

Click here to view BCCC's Self-Study Design.

The outcomes of the 2013-14 MSCHE Self-Study Campus Visit Summary:

• 2014 BCCC Placed on Warning
• 2015 Monitoring Report
• 2015 Reaffirmed by MSCHE and BCCC Removed from Warning
• 2016 Monitoring Report
• 2018 Progress Report 

What were the four (4) Standards with insufficient evidence which caused the College to be placed on “Warning”? 

• Standard 2: Planning, Resource Allocation, & Institutional Renewal
• Standard 3: Institutional Resources
• Standard 6: Integrity
• Standard 7: Institutional Assessment

 What was required of BCCC after the 2014 Self-Study?

• The College was required to submit a Monitoring Report in March 2015 documenting compliance with the four (4) Standards.
• A peer Team Site Visit followed the Report submission.

What was the outcome of the 2015 Monitoring Report?

• MSCHE accepted the Monitoring Report and removed the “Warning” and reaccredited because the College demonstrated compliance with the four (4) Standards.
• A second Monitoring Report was required for submission in September 2016 to document continued compliance.

Accreditation Activities 2016 - 2018

• The College’s 2016 Monitoring Report was accepted by MSCHE following a peer Team Visit.
• A Final Progress Report was requested by April 2018 focused on assessment of institutional effectiveness (Standard VII). 
• In 2017, MSCHE requested a supplemental information report on developments related to Standards II (Ethics & Integrity), VI (Planning, Resources & Institutional Improvement) & VII (Governance, Leadership, & Administration) to be submitted in January 2018. The report was accepted in March 2018.
• The Progress Report was accepted by MSCHE in June 2018.

The College will achieve the outcomes listed below through the process of Self-Study.

1. Demonstrate how the institution currently meets MSCHE’s Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation.
2. Focus on continuous improvement in the attainment of the institution’s mission and its institutional priorities.
3. Engage the institutional community in an inclusive and transparent self-appraisal process that actively and deliberately seeks to involve members from all areas of the institutional community.
4. Demonstrate progress on the Realignment Plan toward achieving key performance indicators, informing the future strategic plan of the College.
5. Expand the current academic assessment model into a comprehensive institutional assessment model, measuring the College’s effectiveness in achieving its strategic priorities.

The 2013-2014 MSCHE Self-Study and associated site visit identified areas for improvement at that time, namely Standard II (Planning, Resource Allocation, and Institutional Renewal), Standard III (Institutional Resources), Standard VI (Integrity), and Standard VII (Institutional Assessment). In the current MSCHE Standards (13th Edition), these themes primarily align to Standard II Ethics and Integrity, Standard V Educational Effectiveness Assessment, and Standard VI Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement. Given the work to meet compliance, these areas will be a focus for the current Self-Study.

The timing of the current Self-Study is in alignment with the end of the current Strategic Plan. The work connected to the Self-Study is an extension of the College’s focus on continuous improvement and institutional effectiveness. Outcome #5 recognizes the opportunity for the MSCHE Self-Study to aid the expansion and demonstration of a long-term approach toward ‘closing the loop’ in program and college assessment.

BCCC will utilize the Standard-Based Approach to prepare the Self-Study Report. The organization and preparation of the Self-Study Report, centered around MSCHE’s seven Standards and the four guiding principles, will allow BCCC to best demonstrate the delivery of high-quality educational services following its values and fulfilling its vision and mission. The Standards-Based Approach will assist the College to evaluate its progress in relation to the realignment tasks. In addition, this approach will:

• Facilitate a comprehensive review of the College’s programs, services, and operations.
• Realign the College’s plans for continued improvement to be consistent with the new MSCHE Standards.
• Assign one Standard to each working group, providing a clear distinction of duties between the groups.
• Bring focus to the Standards of particular concern to MSCHE in the past, particularly Standards II, III, VI, and VII, which fall under current Standards II, V, and VI.
• Facilitate cooperation, transparency, and engagement across the institution to ensure that all Cabinet areas are involved in the Middle States Self-Study process.

Click here to view our Self-Study Timeline.

 

• Archived Newsletters:
  January 10, 2024
  March 2, 2024
• General Communications
• Schedule of Events 

The Steering Committee membership, detailed below, includes faculty and staff from across the College’s Cabinet areas.

Co-Chairs, Steering Committee
Eileen F. Hawkins, Director, Institutional Research
Aundrea Wheeler, Assistant Vice President, Curriculum and Instruction

Co-Chairs, Standard I: Mission and Goals
Michael Berends, Director, Marketing
James Dyett, Professor and Program Coordinator, Physical Therapist Assistant Program

Co-Chairs, Standard II: Ethics and Integrity
Shawnette Shearin, Director, Budget & Contracts
Bryan Miller, Director, Disability Support Services

Co-Chairs, Standard III: Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
Ghazanfar Mahmood, Associate Dean, Nursing and Health Professions
Brian Terrill, Director of E-Learning

Co-Chairs, Standard IV: Support of the Student Experience 
Anthony McEachern, Associate Dean, Arts and Social Sciences
Donna Thomas, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs

Co-Chairs, Standard V: Educational Effectiveness Assessment
Nicole Deutsch, Director, Assessment
Katana Hall, President, Faculty Senate; Chair, Program Review and Evaluation Committee; Professor, English and Theater

Co-Chairs, Standard VI: Planning, Resources and Institutional Improvement
Peter Farrell, Deputy Chief Information Officer
Anna Lansaw, Director, Procurement

Co-Chairs, Standard VII: Governance, Leadership, and Administration
Eileen Waitsman, Controller
Patricia Raines, Bursar/Director, Student Accounts

Self-Study Coordinator Accreditation Liaison Officer
Becky Burrell, Vice President, Institutional Effectiveness, Research and Planning 

Self-Study Coordinator
Jacqueline Hill, Vice President, Academic Affairs 

Standard I Working Group

This Working Group’s focus is how the institution’s mission defines its purpose within the context of higher education, the students it serves, what it intends to accomplish, how its stated goals link to its mission and specify how the institution fulfills its mission.

Co-Chair: Michael Berends, Director, Marketing

Co-Chair: James Dyett, Professor & Program Coordinator, Physical Therapist Assistant

Member: Quintin Davis, Associate Dean, Business and Technology

Member: Jeffrey Grell, Associate Professor, Mathematics

Member: Dorothy Holley, Associate Dean, Nursing

Member: Ja Hon Vance, Professor, English

Member: Kimberly Woolford, Accounts Clerk I

Administrative Support: Crystal Lucas, Administrative Assistant, School of Business, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Standard II Working Group

This Working Group’s focus is how the College, in all its activities, is faithful to its mission, honors its contracts and commitments, adheres to its policies, and represents itself truthfully.

Co-Chair: Bryan Miller, Director, Disability Support Services

Co-Chair: Shawnette Shearin, Director, Budgets & Contracts

Member: Saleem Chaudry, Director, Financial Aid

Member: Tad Delay, Assistant Professor, Philosophy

Member, Kenneth Hopkins, Manager, Job Placement & Employee Engagement

Member: Naesea Price, Professor, Developmental English

Member: Richard Walsh, Senior Analyst & Budget Coordinator

Administrative Support: Nisha Thomas, Administrative Assistant, Vice President, Student Affairs

Standard III Working Group

This Working Group’s focus is how the institution provides students with learning experiences that are characterized by rigor and coherence at all programs, certificate, and degree levels and are consistent with higher education expectations.

Co-Chair: Ghazanfar Mahmood, Associate Dean, Nursing & Health Professions

Co-Chair: Brian Terrill, Director, E-Learning

Member: Sherri Anna Brown, Assistant Vice President, Student Affairs

Member: Darlene Godwin, Program Coordinator, Early Childhood Education

Member: Patricia Fisher, Contract Technician

Member: Alana Hays, Associate Director, English Language Services

Member: Leslie Jackson, Director, TRIO Student Support Services

Member: Kevin Johnson, Director, Mayor's Scholars Program

Member: Fred Paraskevoudakis, Professor, Physical Science

Member: Scott Saunders, Associate Dean, Mathematics and Engineering

Administrative Support: Lynette Little, Administrative Assistant, School of Business, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Standard IV Working Group

This Working Group’s focus is how the institution recruits and admits students whose interests, abilities, experiences, and goals are congruent with its mission and educational offerings; and how the institution commits to student retention, persistence, completion, and success through a coherent, effective, and sustainable support system that enhances the quality of the learning environment and educational experience and fosters student success.

Co-Chair: Anthony McEachearn, Associate Dean, Arts & Social Sciences

Co-Chair: Donna Thomas, IVP, Student Affairs

Member: Dawna Attig, Director, Client Services

Member:  Jamie Gillis, Coordinator, E-Learning

Member: Wendy Harris, Associate Registrar

Member: Charice Hayes, Assistant Professor, Business Administration

Member: Tamara Payne, Assistant Professor, Visual Arts

Member: Constance Mannone, Electronic Resources Librarian

Member: Tamara Payne, Assistant Professor, Visual Arts

Member: Elizabeth Van Pate, Director, Learning Commons/Library Services

Administrative Support: Carol Taylor, Administrative Assistant, Disability Support Services Center 

Standard V Working Group

This Working Group’s focus is how the assessment of student learning and achievement demonstrates that the institution’s students have accomplished educational goals consistent with their program of study, degree level, institutional mission, and appropriate expectations for higher education institutions.

Co-Chair: Nicole Fortune, Director, Assessment

Co-Chair: Katana Hall, President, Faculty Senate; Chair, Program Review and Evaluation Committee; Professor, English and Theater

Member: Rasheedah Evans, Program Coordinator, TRIO Student Support Services Member: Tiloy Gilyard, Assistant Professor, Respiratory Care

Member: Paul Long, Professor, English; Curriculum & Instruction Committee Chair

Member: Anil Malaki, Associate Dean, Natural & Physical Sciences

Member: Chuck Marquette, Director, Workforce Development & Continuing Education

Member: Duane Norwood, Coordinator, Special Programs

Member: John Pickett, Professor, English

Member: Carole Quine, Professor, Developmental English; Chair, Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee

Administrative Support: Theresa Tunstall, Administrative Assistant, School of Arts & Social Sciences

Standard VI Working Group

This Working Group’s focus is how the institutional planning processes, resources, and structures align with each other and are sufficient to fulfill its mission and goals, to continuously assess and improve its programs and services, and to respond effectively to opportunities and challenges.

Co-Chair: Peter Farrell, Deputy Chief Information Officer

Co-Chair: Anna Lansaw, Director, Procurement

Member: Phillip Gatling, Director, Student Live and Engagement

Member: Denise Holland, Professor & Program Coordinator, Cybersecurity and Assurance; Chair, Instructional Technology Committee

Member: Bob Iweha, Professor, Anatomy & Physiology

Member: Sylvia Rochester, Manager, Bookstore 

Member: Charles Wilson, Research Analyst II

Administrative Support: Takiyah Hamilton, Administrative Assistant, Information Technology Services

Standard VII Working Group

This Working Group’s focus is how the institution is governed and administered to allow it to realize its stated mission and goals to effectively benefit the institution, its students, and other constituencies.

Co-Chair: Pat Raines, Bursar/Director, Student Accounts

Co-Chair: Eileen Waitsman, Controller

Member: Ishwor Aryal, Director, Enterprise Applications Systems

Member: Melissa Baldwin, Assistant Bursar/Assistant Director, Student Accounts

Member: Elizabeth Massanopoli, Graphic Designer

Member: Noah Northcott-Grant, Director, English Language Services

Member: James Revis, Maintenance Carpenter

Member: Edna Street-Jones, Professor & Program Coordinator, Dental Hygiene

Member: Petal Sumner, Professor, Mathematics

Member: Natasha Williams, Director, Testing Center

Communication & Events Working Group 

The Communications and Events Committee will lead the organization and dissemination of information to the College and community throughout the Self-Study process. The Working Group is also charged with the organization of communication for related events.

Co-Chair: Michael Berends, Director, Marketing

Member: Carol Griffith, Project Manager, Information Technology Services

Member: Julianna Hawk, Assistant Professor, Psychology & Coordinator, Social Sciences

Member: Richard Miles, General Manager, WBJC Radio Station

Member: Jason Quick, Sr., Graphic Designer

Verification of Compliance Working Group

This Working Group’s focus is how the institution is governed and administered to allow it to realize its stated mission and goals to effectively benefit the institution, its students, and other constituencies.

Chair: Lylis Green, Chief Internal Auditor

Member: Jorge Beder, Manager, Accounting

Member: Saleem Chaudhry, Director, Financial Aid

Member: Marshall Goodwin, Director, Public Safety

Member: Keenan Jones, Director, Grants

Member: Karen King-Sheridan, Assistant Vice President, Academic Engagement & Partnerships

Member: Maria Rodiguez, General Counsel