Your involvement in the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) process to reaffirm our accreditation strengthens our commitment to delivering a high-quality, mission-driven education that prepares students to become leaders and engaged citizens in an increasingly interconnected world.
Reaffirmation is more than a compliance exercise. It is an opportunity to affirm that Monmouth University meets the rigorous standards of our accreditor and to reflect—honestly and thoroughly—on our performance, our progress, and our path forward. It is a comprehensive, evidence-based review of how we live our mission and advance our strategic priorities of academic excellence, student success, and inclusive access.
The upcoming campus visit by the external review team offers a valuable moment of peer engagement. Our visitors, colleagues from other institutions, will bring expertise, objectivity, and fresh perspective to their review. They will also witness firsthand the distinctive qualities that set Monmouth apart—our unparalleled location, our nationally recognized academic programs, our deep investment in student success, and our bold aspiration to become a national leader in integrating excellence and access.
Key Dates
April 6
MSCHE visiting team arrives at Monmouth University
April 7
Day 1 of meetings on campus
3:30 p.m. | Open Session | Pollak Theatre
April 8
Day 2 of meetings on campus
April 9
Oral summary of the visiting team’s findings to the campus community
9:15 a.m. | Great Hall Auditorium
9:45 | Team departure
June 2025
Notification of Commission action
Understanding MSCHE Accreditation
Every eight years, Monmouth University undergoes a rigorous reaffirmation process through MSCHE, our regional accrediting body. This process affirms the quality and integrity of our academic programs, operations, and student services.
A pivotal moment in the reaffirmation cycle is the Evaluation Team Visit. An external team of peer evaluators—leaders from other accredited institutions—visits Monmouth to assess our compliance with accreditation standards and alignment with our institutional mission.
During their multi-day visit, the team meets with students, faculty, staff, trustees, and administrators. They review our documentation, explore topics raised in the self-study, and assess how Monmouth lives out its values and commitments in practice. The visit is collaborative, and provides an opportunity for constructive dialogue and institutional reflection on who we are and who we aspire to be.
Preparing For the Site Visit
Although the evaluation team has already identified individuals with whom they would like to meet, every member of the campus community should be prepared to speak with members of the team. While the team is on campus, you may also be asked to meet with them or to provide additional information.
Key Questions to Consider
- How does your area uphold the mission and values of Monmouth University?
- How does your area advance institutional priorities?
- Think of examples of recent initiatives, how they’ve been implemented, and what you may envision as future directions.
- How do you assess your own practices?
- How do you use evidence to continuously improve your work and your unit’s effectiveness?
Tips for a Good Meeting
- The MSCHE external review team visiting campus is equally interested in our success.
- When answering questions, be concise, be honest, and share examples of our strengths and areas for development.
- If you don’t know an answer, it’s OK! We can help to identify who may have the information.
- Be flexible. Meetings may wrap up early or require additional time. It all depends on whether the review team gathers the information they feel they need for their assessment.
- If you’re asked to gather more evidence, please send it to Christine Benol at cbenol@monmouth.edu and indicate which team member requested the documentation.
Resources to Help You Prepare for Your Meetings
Monmouth’s Self-Study
The Executive Summary is an overview of the key learnings that resulted from the extensive investigative process.
Self-Study Report Summary
Provides a quick overview MSCHE standards with examples of how Monmouth University demonstrates compliance with each standard.
Standards for Accreditation
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education Accreditation Standards and Requirements of Affiliation are comprised of seven standards and 15 requirements which serve as an ongoing guide for institutions engaged in self-review and peer evaluation. Accredited institutions are expected to demonstrate compliance with these standards and requirements, to conduct their activities in a manner consistent with the standards and requirements, and to engage in ongoing processes of self-review and improvement.
These standards affirm that the individual mission and goals of each institution remain the context within which these accreditation standards are applied. They emphasize functions rather than specific structures, recognizing that there are many different models for educational and operational excellence.
Standard I Mission and Goals
The institution’s mission defines its purpose within the context of higher education, the students it serves, and what it intends to accomplish. The institution’s stated goals are clearly linked to its mission and specify how the institution fulfills its mission.
Standard II Ethics and Integrity
Ethics and integrity are central, indispensable, and defining hallmarks of effective higher education institutions. In all activities, whether internal or external, an institution must be faithful to its mission, honor its contracts and commitments, adhere to its policies, and represent itself truthfully.
Standard III Design and Delivery of the Student
An institution provides students with learning experiences that are characterized by rigor and coherence at all program, certificate, and degree levels, regardless of instructional modality. All learning experiences, regardless of modality, program pace/schedule, level, and setting are consistent with higher education expectations.
Standard IV Support of the Student Experience
Across all educational experiences, settings, levels, and instructional modalities, the institution recruits and admits students whose interests, abilities, experiences, and goals are congruent with its mission and educational offerings. The institution commits to student retention, persistence, completion, and success through a coherent and effective support system sustained by qualified professionals, which enhances the quality of the learning environment, contributes to the educational experience, and fosters student success.
Standard V Educational Effectiveness Assessment
Assessment of student learning and achievement demonstrates that the institution’s students have accomplished educational goals consistent with their program of study, degree level, the institution’s mission, and appropriate expectations for institutions of higher education.
Standard VI Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement
The institution’s planning processes, resources, and structures are aligned with each other and are sufficient to fulfill its mission and goals, to continuously assess and improve its programs and services, and to respond effectively to opportunities and challenges.
Standard VII Governance, Leadership, and Administration
The institution is governed and administered in a manner that allows it to realize its stated mission and goals in a way that effectively benefits the institution, its students, and the other constituencies it serves. Even when supported by or affiliated with governmental, corporate, religious, educational system, or other unaccredited organizations, the institution has education as its primary purpose, and it operates as an academic institution with appropriate autonomy.
Alignment of Institutional Priorities with MSCHE Standards
Institutional Priorities Addressed in the Self-Study
The institutional priorities addressed in this self-study are the six themes articulated in the Monmouth University Strategic Plan 2021-2026. The first three themes are at the heart of the work of the University and are the institutional priorities used to guide the work of this self-study. The last three themes outline the conditions that must be present in order for the first three themes to become operationalized.
Institutional Priorities
Theme 1
Invest in Academic Excellence
Theme 2
Enhance the Student Experience
Theme 3
Cultivate a Diverse and Inclusive Campus Community
Supporting Themes
Theme 4
Improve Identity and Image
Theme 5
Modernize Infrastructure
Theme 6
Ensure Financial Stability
Alignment of Priorities with Middle States Standards
| Institutional Priorities | Standard 1 Mission & Goals | Standard 2 Ethics & Integrity | Standard 3 Design/Delivery of Student Learning Exp. | Standard 4 Support of the Student Experience | Standard 5 Educational Effectiveness Assessment | Standard 6 Planning, Resources & Institutional Improvement | Standard 7 Governance, Leadership & Administration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invest in Academic Excellence | X | X | X | X | X | ||
| Enhance the Student Experience | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Cultivate a Diverse & Inclusive Campus | X | X | X | X | X | ||
| Improve Identity and Image | X | X | X | X | |||
| Modernize Infrastructure | X | X | X | X | |||
| Ensure Financial Stability | X | X | X | X | X |
Mission Statement
Monmouth University is an independent, comprehensive institution of higher education committed to excellence and integrity in teaching, scholarship, and service. Through its offerings in liberal arts, science, and professional programs, Monmouth University educates and prepares students to realize their potential as leaders and to become engaged citizens in a diverse and increasingly interdependent world.
Core Values
Excellence in Teaching and Learning
Caring Campus Characterized by Mutual Respect
Personal and Professional Integrity
Diversity
Service
Empowerment of University Community