Allegheny College has non-compliance warning on accreditation

Allegheny College has been warned that its accreditation may be in jeopardy.

Middles States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) recently told the college that it has not provided enough evidence that it’s in compliance with the educational effectiveness assessment standard the commission requires.

Accreditation is the recognition that an institution maintains a certain level of educational standards. Allegheny College currently remains an accredited institution of higher learning with MSCHE, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

A report that the commission issued June 22 on the reaccreditation for Allegheny found the college was in compliance with six out of seven standards. However, the report found Allegheny did not present sufficient evidence of compliance with the educational effectiveness assessment standard.

Allegheny is committed to meeting all standards for accreditation, according to Ron Cole, the college’s president.

“Allegheny College is an institution of academic excellence with an unwavering commitment by faculty and staff to holistic student success,” Cole said in a statement to The Meadville Tribune. “We take seriously the quality of all programs and our accreditation status. I am confident that Allegheny’s accreditation is not at risk.”

Steven Levinsky, chairman of the Allegheny College Board of Trustees, did not respond to a message seeking comment.

According to MSCHE, the educational effectiveness standard requires:

• Clearly stated student learning outcomes at the institution and degree/program levels, which are interrelated with one another, with relevant educational experiences, and with the institution’s mission.

• Student learning programs characterized by coherence and appropriate assessment of student achievement throughout its offerings with evidence faculty and institutional stakeholders have considered and used assessment results to improve teaching and learning.

• Development and implementation of organized and systematic assessments that evaluate the extent of student achievement in general education.

• Sufficient support to sustain the assessment of student achievement and to communicate results of assessment to stakeholders.

• Periodic assessment of the effectiveness of assessment policies and processes a school uses for the improvement of educational effectiveness.

Allegheny is to provide the commission with a report by Jan. 16, 2024, demonstrating evidence that it has achieved and can sustain ongoing compliance with the educational effectiveness standard.

“Prior to the MSCHE final report, we had already begun revisions to our assessment practices,” according to information posted on Allegheny’s website. “We are committed to meeting all of the MSCHE Standards for Accreditation. The Provost will soon announce the formation of a task force to expedite the work that’s taking place on assessment; further information will be forthcoming.”

If evidence is presented, the commission then may take action to revise Allegheny’s status on the educational effectiveness assessment standard as early as March 2024, according to the college’s website.

In late March of this year, the college hosted a seven-member team of external reviewers as one of the final steps in its reaccreditation process. Allegheny has been an accredited institution since 1921, according to MSCHE.

In the fall of 2020, Allegheny began an institutional self-study as part of the regular accreditation process through the commission, according to its website.