Coordinators Report Progress on University Accreditation Self-Study

The University of Cincinnati is marking the second year of its two-year self-study as the university seeks reaccreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC/NCA). Five writing teams from across the university are at work on a report to the HLC/NCA that will address the university’s accountability regarding five criteria

• Mission and Integrity
• Preparing for the Future
• Student Learning and Effective Teaching
• Acquisition, Discovery and Application of Knowledge
• Engagement and Service

The UC self-study steering committee attended a September retreat led by committee co-chairs Lawrence J. Johnson, dean of the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services, and Ralph Katerberg, head of the Department of Management for the College of Business. The retreat examined the first drafts of the chapters prepared by the writing teams. “We are way ahead of where we were the last time that we underwent the accreditation self-study,” Johnson said to the committee. The university undergoes reaccreditation every 10 years.

“I want to congratulate and thank all of you for the huge amount of work that went into this,” added Katerberg. “This is not what we do on a day-to-day basis, so it was a difficult kind of assignment. We thank you for your diligent effort.”

The writing teams were charged with submitting final revisions on the report by Oct. 15 to make the report available to the campus community for comment toward the end of fall. The self-study is an open process that involves broad participation from across the university and invites public comment related to the quality of UC and its academic programs.

“In every sense, reaccreditation is earned through a very rigorous, peer-review process,” says Anthony J. Perzigian, UC senior vice president for Academic Affairs and provost.

The final self-study report will be sent to the HLC/NCA in March in preparation for a campus site visit by an HLC/NCA team from April 27 through April 29, 2009. The national team will report its actions and recommendation for continued accreditation next fall.

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