Accreditation Information
ACCREDITATION REVIEW CYCLE
The MSCHE follows an eight-year accreditation review cycle.
SELF-STUDY
The self-study process is valuable to an institution; allowing an opportunity to demonstrate that it meets the expectations of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and to gain insights that will serve the institution for future years. The process demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement and will be used to strengthen and sustain our future as an institution of higher education. Through an inclusive process, we will engage in a careful analysis of institutional priorities that will be selected in the interest of identifying mission-related areas of improvement, responding effectively to challenges, and identifying and adopting innovative practices to achieve our mission, adapt to changes in higher education, and to best serve our students and community more readily.
ANNUAL INSTITUTIONAL UPDATE
The Annual Institutional Update (AIU) is a required mechanism for ongoing monitoring. The AIU requires institutions to provide key data indicators on an annual basis, including but not limited to enrollment, financial information, and measures of student achievement. Every year institutions enter or verify institutional data and upload required documentation. The data submitted from the AIU are aggregated into trends for use in other monitoring and review processes.
Buffalo State Accrediting Body
Buffalo State University is accredited by the the Middle States Consortium for Higher Education (MSCHE), one of six regional accreditors in the U.S. that provide institutional accreditation for higher education. Institutional accreditation helps to ensure educational quality and regulatory compliance across American colleges and universities. Further, accreditation through MSCHE establishes Buffalo State’s eligibility to participate in Federal student aid programs.
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 662-5606
Frequently Asked Questions
“Accreditation” is review of the quality of higher education institutions and programs. In the United States, accreditation is a major way that students, families, government officials, and the press know that an institution or program provides a quality education (Council for Higher Education Accreditation).
Accreditation means that standards of quality and excellence have been met. The standards of excellence for colleges and universities accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) span topics such as quality faculty and academic programs, sound fiscal planning and processes, and the assessment of educational processes, especially learning and integrity.
The reaccreditation process takes place every ten years and involves two stages of evaluation: a campus-wide Self Study, and an on-site evaluation by a team of experts from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The reaccreditation process is an opportunity to assess the extent to which we are accomplishing the shared vision of our institution and serves as a point of departure for charting the future direction of Buffalo State. The process demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement and will be used to strengthen and sustain our future as an institution of higher education. Through an inclusive and transparent process, we will engage in a careful analysis of institutional priorities that have been selected in the interest of identifying mission-related areas of improvement, responding effectively to challenges, and identifying and adopting innovate practices to more readily achieve our mission, adapt to changes in higher education, and best serve our students and community.
Buffalo State University’s Strategic Plan outlines the institutions mission, vision, values, promise and goals.
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is a voluntary membership association that “defines, maintains, and promotes educational excellence across institutions with diverse missions, student populations, and resources.” As a participating institution, Buffalo State engages in a self-study process every 10 years.
Representatives from MSCHE will visit our campus and hold a series of informational meetings with faculty, staff, and students to get their feedback about Buffalo State’s performance in a variety of areas.