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Middle States Commission on Higher Education FAQs

The College of Saint Rose is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The College of Saint Rose’s accreditation status is Non-Compliance Warning. The Commission’s most recent action on the institution’s accreditation status, on June 22, 2023, was to warn the institution. The College’s Statement of Accreditation Status is maintained on the MSCHE website. MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

On June 29, 2023 the College was notified by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education – the accreditor that oversees colleges and universities in our region – that, as part of the College’s re-accreditation evaluation process, Saint Rose must include a report on its financial planning and budget processes and use of assessment results, due by January 2024.

Middle State’s notification does not impact the upcoming 2023-2024 academic year. The College remains accredited and will continue to work with Middle States in this process. The College is already working on the fiscal strength goal of our strategic plan, which includes strengthening existing academic programs, enhancing modes of delivery, developing new degree programs and certificates, and increasing fundraising.

Here’s what you should know about the 2023-2024 academic year:

  • The College will operate “business as usual.”
  • There will be no reductions to academic programs, services, or athletics teams.
  • Student scholarships and financial aid are unaffected.
  • The College will be able to disburse federal or NYS aid.
  • We’re looking forward to welcoming students back to campus in the fall for another successful academic year.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Over the past two years, the College has been undergoing its scheduled periodic reaccreditation evaluation. During the evaluation, Middle States identified two areas about which it requires additional information to demonstrate that the College meets the Commission’s seven Standards of Accreditation. This notification provides Saint Rose with the opportunity to respond to Middle States’ questions and requests for additional information related to two particular standards—in this case, the standards related to financial planning and use of assessment. It is important to note that there are no other findings or requests for information related to the other five standards, including ones related to academic programming and the student experience.

We expect that Middle States will report back to the College in the Spring of 2024.

Like many colleges and universities, the College has faced a decline in enrollment in recent years as a result of the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and a shrinking demographic pool of high school graduates in New York and the northeast. The College remains unwavering in its commitment to responding to these challenges and is actively pursuing new initiatives and exploring all paths to continuing the College’s mission.

 

Both the College administration and the Board of Trustees have been proactive and fully engaged in responding to the College’s financial challenges through budget mitigation measures and exploring a variety of strategies focused on improving the College’s financial position and ensuring our mission continues.

The College is already working on the fiscal strength goal of our strategic plan, which includes strengthening existing academic programs, enhancing modes of delivery, developing new degree programs and certificates, and increasing fundraising. These measures include launching the College’s Build the Teacher Pipeline Initiative and developing partnerships with other higher education institutions, such as the recent agreement with SUNY at Fulton Montgomery, and with other institutions and companies in the Capital Region.

 

We encourage students to register for the fall semester and pursue their studies as planned.

 

The College of Saint Rose remains accredited by Middle States and all specialized program accreditations remain in place.

 

Absolutely. The College of Saint Rose remains committed to addressing the teacher shortage in New York State and looks forward to welcoming our first class in this initiative this fall.

 

Awarded scholarship and financial aid packages including NYS and federal aid for the 2023-2024 academic year remain and are not affected by the Middle States notification.

We look forward to the College’s 2024 Commencement on May 11, 2024 at the MVP Arena. The Registrar’s Office will inform Class of 2024 graduates on how to apply, and detailed information can be found on our commencement website.