A planning process would have to begin within six months from the date the requirement is adopted. A plan would have to be available no later than two years from the date of adoption. If the regulation were adopted in June 2001, then an institution would be expected to have begun a planning process by December 2001 and to have a plan available by June 2003. We propose this schedule to recognize that there will be a transition from old to new accreditation standards for institutions accredited by Middle States. Middle States expects to apply its new standards to institutions that begin self-study in 2002 and that have site visits in 2004.
General education is an integral part of many registered programs.
If an institution assesses general education across many of its programs, its assessment of general education can be considered part of the assessment plan for each program so long as each program's students are assessed for their achievement of general education goals. The proposed requirement is closely aligned with the November 2000 draft of new Middle States standards. The institution has developed and implemented an assessment plan and process that evaluates its overall effectiveness in achieving its mission and goals, its effectiveness in assuring that its students and graduates achieve the appropriate learning and other outcomes, and its efficiency in the use of its resources. We reviewed the standards of some other accrediting agencies used by institutions in New York, albeit in less detail than those of Middle States. This new requirement gives the Department a means to implement the recommendations of the Quality Assurance Initiative, uphold the standards for program registration and fulfill the Regents statutory duties to assure educational program quality and to protect consumers and the public.