Lehigh’s accreditation process began in the fall of 2005 with the formation of a steering committee and subcommittees to start working and drafting documents for internal review. Two key reports comprising an institutional self-study – one on compliance with Middle States standards and the other on selected topics the university had chosen to explore more comprehensively – were drafted, shared with the campus community for review and suggestions, and submitted to the evaluation team.
The centerpiece of accreditation renewal was the self-study, in which the institution presented evidence in support of compliance with Middle States standards, identified areas where stronger ties to mission can be achieved and recommended ways to bring those ties to reality. Lehigh’s self-study focused on three areas: the first-year experience and beyond, technology support for a learning-centered mission and advancement of student learning. Recommendations in these areas will be used as part of the comprehensive strategic planning process initiated by President Alice Gast in 2007.
The Middle States evaluation team included faculty and administrators from several colleges and universities. If you have any questions regarding the Middle States process or outcome, please contact the Office of the Provost.