Middle States | Russell Sage College

Middle States is Sage’s institutional accrediting organization. Full accreditation reviews occur every eight years, with a periodic review four years into the cycle. Sage’s most recent reaccreditation visit was in the spring of 2021.

The MSCHE Defined

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is a voluntary, non-governmental, regional membership association currently serving higher education institutions in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other geographic areas in which the Commission conducts accrediting activities.

Mission

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education assures students and the public of the educational quality of higher education. The Commission’s accreditation process ensures institutional accountability, self-appraisal, improvement, and innovation through peer review and the rigorous application of standards within the context of institutional mission. (https://www.msche.org/about-us/mission/)

Intended Outcomes of the Russell Sage College Self-Study

We will demonstrate that Sage meets the MSCHE accreditation standards through a self-study grounded in evidence, marked by analysis of the evidence, and tempered by reflection on how we might most effectively learn from our conclusions to foster continuous improvement.
We will engage in an inclusive and transparent self-appraisal process that actively and deliberately seeks to involve members from all areas of the Sage community to reflect on the status of current institutional priorities outlined in the strategic plan.
We will capitalize on intersection of the new Strategic Plan and the self-study to advance our strategic priorities, identify gaps in the College’s readiness to implement such priorities, and recommend opportunities to achieve institutional mission and goals.
We will further embed educational effectiveness and overall assessment into the institution’s culture and continue to link assessment with planning and improvements in student learning and achievement.

Steering Committee

The makeup of the Steering Committee is as follows:

Rick Barthelmas, Vice President for Finance and Administration
Dr. Kim Fredericks, Dean School of Management
Dr. Bobbi Gabrenya, Chair of Faculty, Interdisciplinary Studies
Dr. Theresa Hand, Provost, ALO, Chair of the Steering Committee
Dr. Deb Lawrence, Undergraduate Dean
Sharon Murray, AVP for Student Life/ Dean of Students, Albany
Dr. Pat O’Connor, Chair and Professor of Psychology
Lori Pizer, Director of Institutional Research
Kelley Robinson, Director of Financial Aid
Kirk Robinson, Director of Institutional Effectiveness
Dr. Frank Vozzo, Chair of the Faculty 2016-19, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Self- Study Process	Timeline
Steering Committee formed & working groups charged	January–May 2018
Middle States Liaison Visit	April 2019
Self-Study Design Submitted	June 2019
Second Draft shared with community members	May–September 2020
Final Draft shared with community members	January–February 2021
Submission of final Self-Study report to MSCHE	March 2021
Self-Study Site Visit	April 19–21, 2021