AUB functions under a charter of the Education Department of the State of New York, which registers and certifies AUB’s curricula, degrees, and certificates. The Lebanese government also recognizes AUB degrees, and it does so through the equivalence committees of the Ministry of Education and Higher Learning. Until recently AUB never considered pursuing further accreditation. Most United States universities, however, in addition to being certified in a specific place (as is AUB in the State of New York) also have regional accreditation. AUB has embarked on the long process of achieving, through one of the six regional accrediting bodies, institution–wide accreditation. Such a prerequisite, in most cases, would be needed for later individual accreditation of the professional schools at AUB.

Since New York State is within the “Middle States” region (which also includes New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands), AUB is applying for accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Membership in the Middle States Association includes a commitment to continuous self-improvement through self-study and review by peers. Colleges and Universities become members of the Association upon accreditation by the Commission.

Middle States accreditation is an expression of confidence in an institution’s mission and goals, its performance, and its resources.  Based upon the results of an institutional self-study and an evaluation by a team of peers and colleagues assigned by the Commission, accreditation attests the judgment of the Commission that an institution has met the following criteria:

·         that it is guided by well-defined and appropriate goals;

·         that it has established conditions and procedures under which its goals can be realized;

·         that it is accomplishing its goals substantially;

·         that it is so organized, staffed, and supported that it can be expected to continue to accomplish its goals; and

·         that it meets the standards of the Middle States Association’s Commission on Higher Education.

The key document developed by the Commission to guide institutions through the application for accreditation and re-accreditation is Characteristics of Excellence: Standards in Higher Education. The standards reflect indicators of quality that are appropriate for institutions of higher education and are the basis for judging institutional effectiveness. They identify an institution’s mission, goals, and objectives as guideposts for all aspects of the accreditation protocol.

Stages

Committees

Self Study 2002

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