From March 22nd to March 25th, a team of Peer Evaluators from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) will be arriving on campus to conduct a visit to validate the results of the Queens College Self-Study Report. The visit is a part of the college’s eight-year reaccreditation cycle, a necessary process for the school to maintain their accreditation.
According to Rebekah Chow, Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness, “Every eight years, Queens College completes a Self-Study, which is followed by a site visit that takes place over several days.” To further explain it, she shared, “The Self-Study Report is a comprehensive and in-depth review of our adherence to, and innovation around, the expectations for accreditation as set forth in the [MSCHE’s] Seven Standards for Accreditation. This detailed evaluation across seven Middle States standards covers everything from our mission to finances and student learning.” The MSCHE serves as an institutional accreditor that ensures the educational quality of over 500 institutions of higher education, using peer review and established standards that evaluate educational quality.
The Self-Study is conducted to ensure that QC is following the seven standards developed by Middle States to guarantee that institutions of higher education are of high quality and competence:
- Standard I: Mission and Goals
- Standard II: Ethics and Integrity
- Standard III: Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
- Standard IV: Support of the Student Experience
- Standard V: Educational Effectiveness Assessment
- Standard VI: Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement
- Standard VII: Governance, Leadership, and Administration
Additionally, Queens College needs to meet these standards so students can receive financial aid and their credits can be transferred to other schools. “Institutional accreditation is also a requirement for the College to participate in the Department of Education’s Title IV federal financial aid program, and for academic credits earned at our institution to be transferrable to other accredited institutions of higher education,” stated Chow.
At the end of March 2026, a site visit will be conducted by a team of Peer Evaluators from the MSCHE, typically faculty and administrators from other accredited institutions, to verify if the results of the Self-Study are accurate. They will meet with groups on campus, such as “students, staff, and faculty in focus groups to ask about coursework, support services, decision-making, finances, and other topics.” The MSCHE Site Visit Guide for QC states that: “The Site Visit is an opportunity for broad engagement with the campus community” and it will “validate the information presented in the Self-Study and gather additional insight.” Once the site visit is complete, the evaluation phase of the reaccreditation process ends, and the cycle doesn’t resume until the next eight-year review.
Beyond institutional requirements, the Self-Study and site visit directly affect students’ academic experiences. Shawn Rajkumar, Student Association President, explained how two of the MSCHE standards shape student life. Standard three, Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience, “reviews faculty qualifications, course quality, and skills like critical thinking and communication. For undergraduates, it ensures general education builds well-rounded thinkers and course info and graduation timelines are accurate.” Standard four, Support of the Student Experience, “focuses on student success from admissions to graduation. It includes advising, tutoring, career support, transfer credit policies, and student life,” said Rajkumar. Essentially, the Middle States are evaluating whether Queens College supports its students throughout their academic careers, ensuring student success and, inevitably, graduation.
Although the Self-Study is written by approximately 80 staff and faculty, who drafted the report, students also took part in its development and continue to. According to Christopher Hanusa, Faculty Liaison for Evaluation and Assessment, and Professor of Mathematics, “Students were invited to read and offer feedback along with the college community on the first draft of the report back in September 2025. Student leaders were invited to meet with the MSCHE Peer evaluation Team Chair during his visit on October 7th, 2025, and will be invited to meet with the MSCHE Peer Evaluation Team during its upcoming site visit.” Because the report is about the college, which serves its community of scholars, students can RSVP to participate in an open session with the Peer Evaluation Team on March 24th, 2026.
Finally, once the site visit is complete, the Peer Evaluation Team will write a report of their findings to the Middle States, which will then be reviewed by the commission. An official decision if the college will be accredited is expected by summer 2026, determining Queens College’s standing until the next review cycle begins.
