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For Immediate Release
July 1, 2014


Middle States Commission on Higher Education: Suffolk Fully Accredited

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education has notified Suffolk County Community College that the College remains fully accredited and has been taken off warning based upon the proof submitted by the College documenting full compliance with the Middle States’ requirements.        

Suffolk was warned in 2012 that it had not produced evidence that it was in compliance with two of the Commission’s 14 accreditation standards: Standard 7 - Institutional Assessment and Standard 14 -  Assessment of Student Learning, and was also asked for more information about two other standards involving budgeting and resource allocation.

The College submitted a monitoring report and was visited by a small team of reviewers from the Commission in October 2013. The Commission team was satisfied with the information provided concerning budgeting.

“We appreciate the diligence of the Commission’s team,” said Suffolk County Community College President Dr. Shaun L. McKay, “and we will continue to document the College’s assessment processes, the advancement of student learning and the effectiveness of our Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness in order to meet the expectations of our accrediting body.”

“Our College undertook a tremendous effort to implement a Comprehensive Assessment Plan for Institutional Effectiveness, including performing assessment activities in every academic program and in the administrative and educational support units at the College,” said Dr. McKay.

After reviewing all evidence and meeting with faculty, administration, and the College’s Board of Trustees, the Commission team found the College in full compliance with all 14 Middle States standards. The team made a recommendation to the Commission to remove the College’s accreditation warning status at its June 2014 meeting and  to reaffirm that Suffolk County Community College is and remains fully accredited.

The Commission also informed the College that its next self-study and on-site evaluation is scheduled for 2017-2018.

About the Middle States Commission on Higher Education The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is a voluntary, non-governmental, membership association that is dedicated to quality assurance and improvement through accreditation via peer evaluation. Middle States accreditation instills public confidence in institutional mission, goals, performance, and resources through its rigorous accreditation standards and their enforcement.