As part of its Middle States accreditation process, the George Washington University has developed a comprehensive self-study that evaluates its progress over the past decade.
The purpose of accreditation is to demonstrate that GW is meeting the standards set forth by its regional accrediting agency and the federal government. Without its accreditation, GW would not be able to receive federal funds including Title IV federal financial aid.
The draft self-study will be posted for comment until Friday, Nov. 10, before being finalized and submitted to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), a voluntary membership association of colleges and university located primarily in the mid-Atlantic region.
The accreditation process, which takes place every 10 years, involves a self-study, a peer review visit conducted by a team of academics and administrators from other institutions and a final ruling on the accreditation status of the institution. MSCHE accreditation applies across the university, regardless of accreditation processes for individual schools or programs. In GW’s last accreditation review, President Thomas LeBlanc, then executive vice president and provost at the University of Miami, served as the chair of the peer review team.
The self-study measures progress on a range of criteria, including advancing the university’s mission, ensuring excellence in teaching and scholarship, assessment of the student learning experience, supporting academic success and a positive student experience, and insuring that the institution’s planning processes, resources and structures are aligned and sufficient to fulfill its mission and goals.
The self-study was conducted by a 19-member steering committee, led by Paul Duff, professor of religion, and Cheryl Beil, associate provost for academic planning and assessment, and eight working groups that included representatives from all 10 GW schools.
GW community members can provide feedback on the self-study on the Office of the Provost website or at town halls on the Foggy Bottom and Virginia Science and Technology campuses. The town halls will be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 30 in Marvin Center, room 301, and at noon Nov. 2 in Exploration Hall, room 121, at the VSTC.
