Middle States Reaccreditation Timeline

Steering Committee and Workgroup Participants (grouped by Standard)

Fall 2022

Identify self-study co-chairs, leadership team members, and working group co-chairs.

Spring 2023

Middle States kick-off meeting; workgroup membership finalized; visit to campus from our Middle States liaison; Steering Committee submits Design document.

Summer 2023

Steering Committee hosts a large, all-standards meeting to bring everyone involved together to brainstorm in a retreat format; workgroups begin their research on their standard; continued communication with campus on progress of Self-Study.

Fall 2023

Steering Committee leadership team continues regular meetings with work group co-chairs, working groups meet with appropriate stakeholders and continue research for standards and compliance regulations; workgroups submit chapter outline to Steering Committee co-chairs.

Winter 2024

January – workgroups finalize their research and submit chapter draft Steering Committee co-chairs.

February – Draft documents and evidence reviewed for initial editing by Core Steering Committee. Evidence gurus prepare detailed documentation spreadsheet.

March – Core Steering Committee returns documents to standard workgroup co-chairs for feedback regarding changes suggested by Core Committee.

The Commission provides Rensselaer leadership and ALO with suggestions for evaluation team leader.

Spring 2024

April to Early May – Core Steering Committee co-chairs receive documents back from workgroup co-chairs and prepare initial draft document. 

Visit dates for the Preliminary visit by the Team Chair in Fall 2024, as well as the Team Visit in Spring 2025 are determined.

May – Core Steering Committee co-chairs present self-study draft to the full Steering Committee and senior Institute leadership. Core Steering Committee co-chairs meet with President and Provost to review draft and materials to be shared with Board of Trustees.

Summer 2024

June to July – Draft document is circulated to entire campus community for input and comment period.

August – A comprehensive community event is held for the entire Institute, including presentations from Steering Committee and workgroup co-chairs, to present findings and obtain additional feedback.

The Summer 2024 draft report is now available for the community to review.  The draft can be reviewed using the following link:  MSCHE Draft Self Study Report. Please submit any feedback on the report by September 30, 2024 sending to the Rensselaer Middle States email address: mscheselfstudy@rpi.edu.

A hybrid meeting was held on the findings, recommendations, and next steps for the process on Tuesday, August 27th from 2:00 - 3:00pm at the CBIS/Isermann Auditorium. Below are links to the recording as well as the presentation slides.

Fall 2024

Feedback from the community is incorporated into the report. The president, cabinet, and board of trustees review the report.

MSCHE Team members for the visit are appointed.

Organize and prepare for the Team Chair preliminary visit.

The preliminary visit is scheduled for Thursday, October 17, 2024. During this visit, the MSCHE Team Chair, Dr. Teik C. Lim, President of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, along with Dr. Eugene Deess, Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness, will be visiting our campus. They will meet with various stakeholders, including the Board of Trustees, senior leadership, faculty, staff, and students, in separate sessions. The agenda for the Preliminary Visit is available on the side panel. Open sessions for faculty and staff are a part of the schedule and you are encouraged to participate in those sessions. The venue and times for these sessions are on the agenda.

The draft report has been sent to the MSCHE Team Chair prior to the Preliminary Visit on October 17, 2024. The draft report is now available to review using the following link: MSCHE Draft Self Study Report September 30, 2024.
 

Winter 2025

Final changes made to report after feedback from campus and visiting team chairperson. Final Self-Study report, Evidence Inventory, and Verification of Compliance report  are uploaded to MSCHE portal 6 weeks prior to the Team Visit.

Spring 2025

Rensselaer hosts visiting team.

Steering Committee and Workgroup Participants

  • Dr. Emily Liu, Professor and Department Head, Industrial and Systems Engineering, School of Engineering
  • Dr. Mohua Bose, Associate Vice Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Planning, and MSCHE ALO
  • Dr. Keith Moo-Young, Past Co-Chair, Former Vice Provost and Dean, Undergraduate Education

Standard 1 - Mission and Goals

Workgroup Co-Chairs:

  • Dr. Lee Ligon, Associate Professor & Associate Dean, Biological Sciences, School of Science
  • Colleen Smith, Dean, Graduate Experience

Workgroup Members:

  • Dr. Margaret McDermott, Lecturer, Lally School of Management
  • Jackie Stampalia, Director, Client Information Services
  • Dr. Nishtha Langer, Associate Professor, Lally School of Management
  • Colleen Smith, Dean, Graduate Experience
  • Sarah Niemann, Assistant Vice President, Office for Research
  • Duane DeWeerdt, Project Manager, Campus Planning
  • Regina Rossello, Manager, Marketing
  • Christian TeBordo, Communications Specialist, Sr.

Standard 2: Ethics and Integrity

Workgroup Co-Chairs:

  • Dr. Dorit Nevo, Acting Vice Provost and Dean, Graduate Education

Workgroup Members:

  • Craig Cook, General Counsel and Secretary
  • Dr. Ted Krueger, Associate Professor, School of Architecture
  • Jackie Turner, Deputy to the Director of Human Resources
  • Rachael Capo, Director, Procurement Services
  • Kimberley Osburn, Manager, Administrative Operations, Provost Office
  • Dr. Hyun Gook Kang, Professor, Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, School of Engineering
  • Michelle Simkulet, Director, Research Grants

Standard 3: Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience

Workgroup Co-Chairs:

  • Dr. Tracy Sullivan, Director, Archer Center for Student Leadership Development
  • Dr. Sibel Adali, Professor and Associate Dean, School of Science

Workgroup Members:

  • Dr. Victoria Bennett, Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering
  • Dr. Ben Chang, Professor, Games and Simulation Arts Sciences, School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
  • Ethan Coppenrath, Manager, Academic Client Support
  • Dr. Aric Krause, Dean, Academic, and Administrative Affairs, Rensselaer at Hartford
  • Chris Perry, Associate Professor and Associate Dean, School of Architecture
  • Dr. Don Schwendeman, Professor and Department Head, Mathematical Sciences, School of Science
  • Dr. Seemanti Ramanath, Lecturer, Biological Sciences, School of Science
  • Dr. Claire Gonyo, Institutional Research Analyst, Office of Institutional Research & Assessment

Standard 4: Support of the Student Experience

Workgroup Co-Chairs:

  • Karen Long, Director, Undergraduate Admissions
  • Louis Trzepacz, Dean, Student Success

Workgroup Members:

  • Dr. Freddie Colon, Professor and Department Head, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Science
  • Janelle Fayette, Dean, First Year Experience
  • Colleen Morrissey, Acting Director, Information Security
  • Dr. Tiffany Powell, Director, ARCH Academic Programs
  • Dr. Rich Radke, Professor, Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, School of Engineering
  • Lynnette Remillard, Business Manager, Lally School of Management
  • Dr. Deanna Thompson, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering
  • Jarron Decker, Director, Graduate Admissions
  • Julia Rowe, Undergraduate Student
  • Rene Mai, Graduate Student

Standard 5: Educational Effectiveness Assessment

Workgroup Co-Chairs:

  • Dr. Matt Oehlschlaeger, Professor and Associate Dean, Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, School of Engineering
  • Dr. Brett Fajen, Professor and Associate Dean, Cognitive Science, School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Workgroup Members:

  • Dr. Kurt Anderson, Professor and Associate Dean, Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, School of Engineering
  • Dr. Kristin Bennett, Professor and Associate Director, Mathematical Sciences, School of Science
  • Connie Grega, Director, Graduate Student Services
  • John Klucina, Production Coordinator, Video Services
  • Dr. Kevin Readdean, Director, Counseling Center, Student Health and Wellness
  • Dr. Amy Svirsky, Learning Assessment Specialist
  • Dr. Barb Cutler, Associate Professor, Computer Science, School of Science

Standard 6: Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement

Workgroup Co-Chairs:

  • Kelli Perry, Associate Vice President and Controller
  • Sue Proskine, Sr. Treasury Officer, Treasurer's Office

Workgroup Members:

  • Helen Grzymala, Assistant Vice President, Finance and Budget, Financial Planning & Budget
  • Mary Houghton, Acting Director, Enterprise Information Services, Database Administration
  • Liz King, Associate Director, Library Information Services
  • Brandy Pascazio, HR Specialist, Sr., Compensation and Employment
  • Kimberley Osburn, Manager, Administrative Operations, Provost's Office
  • Donna Tomlinson, Sr. Business Manager, Business Administration
  • Michael Sharp, Sr. investment Analyst, Investments
  • Jeannie Steigler, Associate Director, Advising and Learning Assistance Center
  • Dr. Deepak Vashishth, Director, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Dr. Amy Svirsky, Learning Assessment Specialist
  • Robert Carney, Manager, Project Management, Campus Planning

Standard 7: Governance, Leadership, and Administration

Workgroup Co-Chairs:

  • Rajni Soharu, Registrar
  • Dr. Andrew White, Director, Rensselaer Libraries

Workgroup Members:

  • Paul Martin, Assistant Vice President, Administration
  • Joel Kincart, Associate Vice President, Institute Advancement
  • Steven Schwan, Lead Business Manager, Administration
  • Dr. John Wen, Professor and Department Head, Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, School of Engineering
  • Will Fahey, Manager, Professional & Organizational Development
  • Dr. Charlie Potts, Director, Rensselaer Union
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