Home

Middle States Accreditation

Bank Street College of Education is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the US Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). MSCHE provides accreditation for all programs offered by the College. To maintain accreditation, the College must meet MSCHE’s rigorous Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation. MSCHE accreditation assures students, their families, and the public of the educational quality of a Bank Street education.

Why do we need to be re-accredited?

Our graduate school students are not eligible for financial aid unless we are accredited. The re-accreditation process lets us identify our successes and plan to meet future challenges. Accreditation provides an assurance of receiving a quality education and gaining recognition by other colleges and by employers of the course credits and degrees earned. This process is a strategic opportunity for Bank Street to engage in self-reflection, growth, and innovation. By upholding high standards and consistently seeking to improve, the College not only meets eligibility criteria for financial aid, but also ensures its lasting impact on students, education, and society as a whole.

Self-Study Process & Timeline

MSCHE monitors and evaluates member institutions using an eight-year cycle of accreditation review. This culminates with the self-study evaluation, which requires institutions to engage in a comprehensive and reflective assessment process to evaluate educational quality and the institution’s success in meeting its mission. As part of this two-year self-assessment process, along with creating the strategic plan, the College will identify institutional priorities and opportunities for improvement and innovation. Our self-study review process started in Summer 2021 and included self-examination, analysis, collection, and documentation of practices, policies, procedures, and evidence and the sharing of information to confirm accuracy, understanding, and completeness.

Middle States Self-Study and 2023 Strategic Plan Timeline

The strategic planning process has been aligned to the College’s work on the Middle States accreditation process, which started in Spring 2022 and will end in Spring 2024.

Fall 2022 Spring 2023–Fall 2023 Spring 2024
  • Establish Steering Committee and Working Groups (Middle States)
  • Launch community engagements with All-Staff Retreat, October
  • Hold engagement opportunities for all constituent groups, including faculty and staff, families, students, alumni, trustees, and others
  • Submit self-study design to Middle States Liaison (Middle States)
  • Commission Staff Liaison Self-Study Prep Visit, September 2022 (Middle States)
  • Continue to hold engagement opportunities for all constituent groups, including faculty and staff, families, students, alumni, and trustees
  • Draft self-study report (Middle States)
  • Preliminary visit by Middle States team chair, Fall 2023 (Middle States)
  • Finalize written strategic plan and develop key performance metrics to track initiatives
  • Share final strategic plan for board approval
  • Continue implementation and evaluation of outcomes and report on progress
  • Submit final self-study report and supportive documentation (Middle States)
  • Self-Study Evaluation Team Visit, Spring 2024 (Middle States)

Self-Study Committees and Working Groups

The Steering Committee was established collaboratively in Fall 2022. Selected members represent the constituencies across the College whose work is directly related to the Middle States standards and our institutional priorities. The co-chairs of the Committee leading the self-study process are Suleyni Abreu, Ann Cox, and Dr. Jessica Charles. In Summer 2022, Dr. Nilda Bayron-Resnick retired and Dr. Jessica Charles assumed co-chair responsibilities. Members of the Steering Committee include the co-leads of three working groups aligned to the standards as outlined below.

View List of Committee and Working Group Members

Middle States Self-Study Evaluation Visit

The College’s accreditation evaluation visit will take place from March 10-13, 2024. The oral summary of the review team’s findings will be shared with the College community at the conclusion of the site visit on March 13. Access the full self-study report

Evaluation Team

Carissa MasseyTeam Chair

Carissa Massey is provost at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, a small independent special-focus arts college in Central Pennsylvania. Dr. Massey earned her bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Bethany College, a Master of Arts in Art History from Marshall University, and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Arts: Art History, Aesthetics, and Theory from Ohio University along with a certificate in gender studies. Dr. Massey began her career in higher education 23 years ago, serving as a professor of art history and gender studies for over 17 years. As a professor, she mentored students in research and also conducted research about stereotypes of Appalachians in American visual culture. She also served as director of the Women’s Center at Bemidji State University and director of women’s and gender studies at Adrian College. Her administrative leadership experience includes serving as a department chairperson, dean of graduate studies, and in her current role as a provost. She is a strong proponent of assessment and accreditation and serves as a peer volunteer for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the Higher Learning Commission, and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Team Members

Dr. John A. Noakes
Dean of the School of Education and Associate Provost
Arcadia University

Dr. Carol J. Ruffin
Director of the Office of Academic and Career Advising
Syracuse University

Mr. John T. Schiavone
Chief Operating Officer
Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine

Dr. Deborah Van Camp
Associate Provost for Academic Assessment (and Associate Professor of Psychology)
Trinity Washington University