Accreditation
MVCC is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Higher Education, one of six regional accrediting commissions representing broad geographic regions of the United States. This regional accreditation relies on a voluntary and comprehensive self–study and peer review process to identify strengths and areas of improvement in an effort to strengthen the quality and integrity of the institution and its offerings. Accreditation establishes a level of acceptable quality and does not involve a ranking of institutions. It recognizes an institution for its performance, integrity, and willingness to adhere to the Commissions standards of excellence. MSCHE reviews member institutions through periodic reviews and/or on–site visits and provides a period of candidacy lasting up to five years. Accredited institutions have access to federal funding for support of research and teaching and enrolled students are eligible for student assistance programs in Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act.
To receive and retain accreditation a college must commit to abiding by the MSCHE Standards and take responsibility for self–regulation and self–improvement. The MSCHE website outlines the Self–Study process and the compliance to the accreditation standards individually, as well as to the standards as a whole. According to the Commission, an accredited institution must demonstrate to the Commission that it:
- has a mission appropriate to higher education
- is guided by well-defined and appropriate goals, including goals for student learning
- has established conditions and procedures under which its mission and goals can be realized
- assesses both institutional effectiveness and student learning outcomes, and uses the results for improvement
- is accomplishing its mission and goals substantially
- is so organized, staffed, and supported that it can be expected to continue to accomplish its mission and goals
- meets the eligibility requirements and standards (link to Standards page) of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
