University reaccredited, evaluators enthusiastic

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges’ Commission on Institutions of Higher Education has reaccredited UConn for another 10-year term, noting in glowing terms the University’s decade-long transformation.

“The University has been successful in meeting the expectations of the students in terms of academic quality, effective teaching, a vibrant student and campus life, internships, co-ops and career guidance,” says the report, created by the Commission’s evaluation team.

“There is genuine trust among the campus stakeholders as well as mutual admiration and respect – faculty are engaged and demonstrate a genuine concern for students and their profession; staff demonstrate passion and commitment to excel and support the academic mission of the University.

“This enthusiasm and energy is infectious and permeates the entire campus,” the report continues, “and it is clear that the University has mechanisms in place to continue transforming and building the culture of academic excellence it has created.”

University President Michael J. Hogan says, “The reaccreditation team saw many things during their review that I saw when I decided to come here. This is a University that is poised for greatness, led by excellent and caring faculty and staff and supported by a state government that has repeatedly shown its commitment to the state’s flagship University. Our future is, indeed, bright.”

Despite the overwhelmingly positive report, future growth could be jeopardized, the report says, unless the University hires more faculty to keep up with student demand and reduce class sizes.

Additional staff are also needed, particularly in Homer Babbidge Library.

“Library staffing is already low compared to ARL [Association of Research Libraries] peers, and further pressure will exist if there is additional faculty expansion,” the evaluation group said.

The reaccreditation report was compiled by Mark Nordenberg, chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh and chair of the nine-member evaluation team appointed by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.

It followed a three-year self-evaluation process led by Karla Fox, a professor in the School of Business. Fox coordinated the work of 11 committees studying various aspects of the University, based on the standards of accreditation.

The committees included faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees, and representatives of the UConn Foundation.

Their efforts were reviewed by the evaluation team, which also conducted a site visit and interviewed faculty, staff, and students in Storrs, at three regional campuses, and at the Health Center.

They came away impressed.

“The University’s self-study opened its institutional overview by describing that period [1995-2005] in the following way: ‘The last 10 years have been ones of tremendous growth for the University of Connecticut, in terms of quality, reputation, and physical infrastructure. Indeed, the changes at the institution have been so profound that this period sometimes is referred to as ‘The Transformation,’” Nordenberg writes.

“Despite some initial skepticism, members of the visitation team came to conclude that this very positive label was not inappropriate – both because of the actual progress that has been forged and because of the transformational impact of that progress on the spirit of the people of the University,” Nordenberg adds.

Fox, who has been a commissioner on NEASC’s Commission on Institutions of Higher Education for seven years and has reviewed more than 250 evaluation team reports, says it is rare to see reports this glowing.

“We are a shining example of a University on the move,” she says.

“We are actually changing the institution and achieving our goals. We have a wonderful story to tell. We’re unique in New England and in the country. We have done some marvelous things.”