Cayuga CC’s Accreditation Reaffirmed by Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Cayuga Community College announced today that the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) formally reaffirmed the College’s accreditation through the 2032-33 academic year.

Conducted for member institutions every eight years, the reaccreditation process includes a comprehensive review of all College offices and operations to ensure compliance with MSCHE Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation. The MSCHE is comprised of more than 500 higher education institutions, and confirms the educational quality of its members for the public.

Cayuga President Dr. Brian Durant said the reaccreditation is a significant achievement for the College, whose accreditation was previously reaffirmed in the 2015-2016 academic year during Dr. Durant’s first year at Cayuga.

“We’re proud of this reaffirmation of accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. We’ve worked diligently over the past three years as part of this process, and it represents outstanding effort by our entire staff and faculty. It’s a tremendous reflection on our institution, our teamwork, and the quality of education and services we provide the community,” he said.

The reaccreditation process involves a thorough evaluation of the College conducted by a team of administrators and educators who serve as peer evaluators for MSCHE. Reaccreditation confirms institutional accountability, self-review, innovation, and continuous improvement at MSCHE institutions.

The review included a self-study analysis of all components of Cayuga, from the College’s Mission and Vision to the operation of its offices and students’ experiences. The process includes interviews with staff, faculty and students, evaluations of offices and programs, and a formal visit to the College. Evaluators also visit institutions that partner with the College, including high schools where students participate in concurrent enrollment programs.

An essential aspect of the reaccreditation process is the Institutional Self-Study. The report, compiled by the College over several years, addressed the standards used in a MSCHE review, including Mission and Goals, Support of the Student Experience, and Governance, Leadership, and Administration. This lengthy report outlined the College’s services, relevant data, strengths, internal reviews, and planned improvements.

Dr. Durant praised Dr. Richard Bower and Dr. Terry Kupp, two professors who co-chaired the Self-Study Steering Committee for Cayuga, as well as the staff and faculty who served on Standard Working Groups for the Self-Study.

“Richard and Terry did remarkable work guiding us through the Self-Study process and coordinating efforts with our committees to collect and share information in the Self-Study Report. Their work, and the work of the staff and faculty on our Standard Working Groups who assisted in this process, was truly outstanding,” said Dr. Durant.

Cayuga’s next evaluation visit is scheduled for the 2032-33 academic year.

For more details on Cayuga, visit www.cayuga-cc.edu. For more details on MSCHE, visit https://www.msche.org/.