Update on reaccreditation
Boston College has entered a new phase of its decennial reaccreditation review by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), with this month's visit by Dennis C. Jacobs, head of the NECHE visiting team that will come to campus March 14-17.
Jacobs, who recently retired as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Fordham University, met on October 9 with University President John T. Butler, S.J., Executive Vice President Michael Lochhead, Winston Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley, and the team of BC administrators coordinating the reaccreditation process to preview the NECHE visit.
A key facet of the reaccreditation is the comprehensive self-study that the University has been preparing to assess compliance with standards across key areas that include academics, student life, governance, and organizational effectiveness. The NECHE visiting team under Jacobs’ direction—composed of educators and administrators from peer institutions—will review the self-study during their visit, speak with members of the University community, and examine supporting documents. The team’s membership is expected to be finalized in the next few weeks.
Both the self-study, which will be completed in January, and the visiting team report will be integral to the NECHE’s discussions on BC’s accreditation status. Good standing in an accreditation association is a requirement for participation in federal programs that support higher education.
Dennis C. Jacobs
The BC reaccreditation coordinating committee includes Associate Vice Provost for Assessment and Accreditation Jessica Greene; Vice President for Institutional Research and Planning Mara Hermano; Special Assistant to the Executive Vice President Carrie Klemovitch; Program Director for the Catholic Historical Research Initiative at Boston College Libraries Seth Meehan; and Special Assistant to the President Peter Martin, who is serving as the University’s accreditation liaison officer, the main point of contact between BC and NECHE
Martin said Jacobs was an ideal choice to lead the delegation, given his years in leadership positions at Fordham, Santa Clara University, the University of Notre Dame, and his broader background in higher education. “He knows BC, but [this visit} was a good opportunity to reacquaint himself with various aspects of the University, in preparation for the three-day visit in March.”
An advisory group has been formed to aid the reaccreditation coordinating committee, with members representing each of BC’s schools and vice-presidential divisions, such as Facilities Management, Human Resources, and University Mission and Ministry. But Martin emphasized the importance of contributions from the larger University community: “A broad cross-section of campus constituents has been involved in this effort in order to help Boston College reflect on its current programs and plan most effectively for the future.”
The committee has established a dedicated email address, NECHE2027@bc.edu, for any questions or comments from the BC community about the reaccreditation process.
Martin noted that NECHE President Lawrence Schall also recently visited BC, coming to campus in August to meet with Fr. Butler, who had assumed the presidency a few weeks earlier. Schall shared his impressions of BC in his blog, “NECHE on the Road,” praising the University for the stability of its leadership, its perseverance during financial difficulties in the early 1970s, and its dedication to providing students with aid that meets their full, demonstrated financial aid; he also extolled BC for creating the Pine Manor Institute for Student Success, and in particular the institute’s associate degree program, Messina College.
“BC’s narrative of resilient transformation is particularly relevant amidst these challenging times,” Schall concluded. “Five NECHE schools closed their doors last year, and we will doubtless continue to see others close or merge over the next decade. The Boston College story is a reminder that schools on the edge, (even more than once) can recover and, once healthy, help other institutions like Pine Manor to continue their mission in new and innovative ways.”