BMORENEWS.com

Coppin State University

Middle States Nod Is Free of Negative Recommendations

(BALTIMORE - August 13, 2008) – Coppin State University’s national accreditation has been extended for 10-years by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Coppin has received consecutive accreditation “reaffirmation” since 1962.

The new approval, which was announced recently by Coppin’s new president, Dr. Reginald S. Avery, caps a 34-month review of the university’s programs and operations. Preparation began in 2005. The formal review was launched last Fall. It was conducted by a campus-based steering committee and teams representing the commission.

“We received the status ‘To Reaffirm Accreditation’ without any negative recommendations,” said Dr. Scott Jackson Dantley, Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Planning. “We met all standards.” The accreditation process requires institutions to comply with 14 major standards.

The commission notified Coppin of the accreditation extension by letter on June 27, 2008.

“The Middle States Accreditation process allows the university to engage in an internal review of all its programs and operations and confirm that we are true to our mission, beliefs and ideals of putting students first,” said President Avery.

“Academic excellence and community engagement are core values of Coppin State University’s urban mission,” he said. “The … reaffirmation … for another 10 years is proof that we are maintaining accountability university-wide and are responsible for our own improvement and development.”  

Dr. Sadie R. Gregory, Coppin’s Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dr. Dantley, directed the re-accreditation process on campus. They served as co-chairpersons of Coppin’s 70-member Middle States Steering Committee.    

“Coppin must do everything within its power to prepare our young people for the world in which they must live,” said Dr. Gregory. “This requires us to continue to uplift the institution’s rich 108-year-old legacy of `Nurturing Potential and Transforming Lives’”.

“Coppin State University accepts the responsibility to govern its academic programs and all university operations which in turn promote higher student achievement and ensures that we are remaining true to our urban mission,” said Dr. Dantley.

Coppin was last reaffirmed by the Middle States Commission in 1998. A required five-year “periodic review” was conducted successfully in 2003. In 2005, Coppin’s president appointed faculty, staff, and administrators to the middle states steering committee. It was composed of 14 sub-committees, each charged with documenting the university’s compliance with one of the accreditation standards.        

Headquartered in Philadelphia, the Middle States Commission selected Dr. Edison O. Jackson to chair Coppin’s visitation team. Members included scholars, presidents, provosts, deans, faculty, and administrators from higher education institutions from across the nation.

The accrediting process is intended to strengthen and sustain the quality and integrity of higher education, making it worthy of public confidence. Fidelity to the process by institutions reflect their commitment to freedom and quality in higher education.

The Middle States Commission is the unit of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools that accredits degree-granting institutions in the Middle States Region. The region includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and several locations internationally.

Coppin is a model urban, residential liberal arts university located in the northwest section of Baltimore. It provides academic programs in the arts and sciences, teacher education, nursing, graduate studies, and continuing education.