Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Accreditation

Accreditation Renewal

Hilbert College is working towards renewal of its Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) accreditation status.

The first part of the MSCHE process includes a two-year institutional self-review to explore key components of the College, including student learning experiences, institutional mission and goals, our organizational governance, and more. The self-study requires an institution to engage in a collaborative process to identify institutional priorities, assess progress in fulfilling them, and to reflect on opportunities for improvement and innovation.

MSCHE provides opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and members of the public to submit comments regarding the qualifications for accreditation of its member institutions.

Self-Study Design

View the Middle States Self-Study Design here. A Hilbert email address is required to access this link. This document has been submitted to MSCHE.

Background

Why the MSCHE study is important

Accreditation has a direct impact on the College. As an MSCHE accredited institution, Hilbert secures its designation as a qualified institution of higher learning, and signals our priorities of continual improvement into the future.

MSCHE accreditation grants the College and its students access to federal funding through resources such as Federal Financial Aid through Title IV.

For more information about Hilbert College’s accreditation, please visit the MSCHE website.

Standards for Evaluation

Standards-based self-study approach
The College’s self-study will be organized by the standards for MSCHE accreditation under the fourteenth edition. Each standard has a dedicated working group focused on report delivery and meaningful impact and overlaps with the Hilbert College’s strategic planning efforts.

Mission and Goals
Ethics and Integrity
Design and Delivery of the Student Experience
Support of the Student Learning Experience
Educational Effectiveness Assessment
Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement
Governance, Leadership, and Administration
Compliance with Accreditation-Relevant Federal Regulations

Committee Members

Each of the self-study standards has its own dedicated committee, working diligently on ensuring proper representation in the report. In addition, the Steering Committees provide overarching leadership and support for the report.

Steering Committee Leadership Team

Kristine Lynn Still, Ph.D., Provost and Executive Vice President
Katelyn Letizia, Ed.D., Assistant Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Registrar
Donald E. Vincent, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair of Digital Media & Communication

Mission and Goals Committee

Chair: Chloe Santangelo, Library Director
Diedre Debose, Ed.D., Vice President of Mission and Equity
Krisi Kopp, Director of Academic Operations
Melissa Laidman, Public Services & Instruction Librarian
Megan Lee, Admissions Counselor
John Sullivan, Assistant Professor of Intelligence and Data Analysis

Ethics and Integrity Committee

Chair: Colleen Kumiega, Professor of Human Services, Chair of Behavioral Sciences
Grace Adams, Director of Residence Life & Community Standards
Ryan Caster, Interim Chief Financial Officer
John Culhane Jr., J.D., Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Alex Gill, Director of Student Involvement
Lauren Gill, Assistant Dean of Admissions
Shelby Russell, Director of Creative Services

Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience Committee

Chair: Caitlin Szalkowski, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology
Kristen Connolly, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
Tara Kazmark, Assistant Professor of English, Writing Coordinator
Jenelle Lukasik, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Amy Smith, Ph.D., Interim Academic Dean, Professor of English, Director of Honors
Rachel Wozniak, Assistant Vice President of Student Life, Career Development, Service Learning & Community Engagement

Support of the Student Experience Committee

Co-Chair: Bobbie Billotta, Director of Human Resources
Co-Chair: Rachel Wozniak, Assistant Vice President of Student Life - Career Development, Service Learning & Community Engagement
Johnny Black, Head Men’s Soccer Coach
Kera Bush-Turner, Director of International Education
Deb McLoughlin, Associate Vice President for Student Success
Tim Seil, Director of Athletics

Educational Effectiveness Assessment Committee

Co-Chair: Habibul Bakht, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Chair of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Co-Chair: Charles Ernst, Ph.D., Professor of English, Director of Center for Excellence in Learning
John D’Amico, Professor of Business, Chair of Business
Laura Dannebohm, J.D., Associate Professor and Chair of Criminal Justice
David Reis, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Chair of Liberal Studies, Director of First Year Experience
Sharon Sisti, Associate Professor of Human Services
Megan Witzleben, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English

Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement Committee

Chair: Jessica Hoffman, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology
Patrick Johnson, Associate Professor of Accounting
Julie Kusmierz, Ph.D., Professor of Human Services
LeeAnn Petronsky, Director of Annual Fund and Alumni Engagement
Jeremy Trumble, Chief Information Officer

Governance, Leadership, and Administration Committee

Chair: Herb Kauderer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English
Laura Edholm, Associate Athletic Director, Title IX Coordinator, Head Men’s and Women’s Golf Coach
Katie Halper, Assistant Director of Enrollment Operations
MaryAnn Hobar, Associate Professor of Crime Scene Investigation
Kathleen Christy, Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Gordon Snow, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy

Compliance with Accreditation-Relevant Federal Regulations Committee

John Wise, Ph.D., Director of Institutional Research and Assessment
Jack Napier, Project Management Specialist at Hilbert College Global

Alignment with Strategic Plan

Alignment of Institutional Priorities with MSCHE Standards for Accreditation

Middle States Standards	Strengthen a culture that is inclusive, equitable, diverse, and accessible	Enhance connections both within the Hilbert community and with external communities	Identify how ongoing assessment of processes can be used to increase student success and retention
Standard I: Mission and Goals	X	X	X
Standard II: Ethics and Integrity	X	X
Standard III: Design and Delivery of Student Learning Experience	X	X	X
Standard IV: Support of the Student Experience	X	X	X
Standard V: Education Effectiveness Assessment	X		X
Standard VI: Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement	X		X
Standard VII: Governance, Leadership, and Administration	X	X

Timeline

Below lists the Self-Study project timeline, including important deliverables and future key projects.

2024

May - Draft Self-Study Design; Submit Self-Study Design; Self-Study Preparation Visit with VP Liaison
June - Revision of Self-Study design based on feedback and review of design
July/August - Finalize Self-Study Design
September - Begin Self-Study Data Collection
November/December - Evaluate data, identify further evidence collection needs, and submit first outline

2025

January/February - First draft of Working Group chapters using report guidelines
February - Review of first draft of Working Group chapters by Co-Chairs and Steering Committee
March - Second draft of Working Group chapters using report guidelines; Review of second draft of Working Group chapters by Co-Chairs and Steering Committee
April - Complete Working Group chapters and submit to Co-Chairs; Co-Chairs finalize draft of Self-Study and share with Steering Committee
May - Self-Study draft shared with the campus community
June - Collection and assessment of campus community feedback
July - Revision of Self-Study draft based on campus community feedback
August - Submit Self-Study draft to Middle States Team Chair; Final Self-Study report shared with the campus community
November - Final Self-Study report and supporting documents uploaded to MSCHE portal

2026

February/March - Prepare for and host on-site evaluation team visit
April/May - Receive draft report, submit corrections, submit evaluation team report, submit formal institutional response
June - Middle States determines action