Atlantic Cape faculty and staff serving on the Steering Committee and Working Groups for the Middle States reaccreditation process continue to work diligently on this critical project. The College was well represented at the Middle States annual conference in December, allowing us to learn, compare notes, and continue shaping our Self-Study.
(Pictured left to right: Sherwood L. Taylor, Dr. Gwen Setley, Dr. Josette Katz, Dr. Barbara Gaba, Dr. Denise Coulter, Stacey Zacharoff)
Self-Study requires rigorous self-assessment of the College’s strengths and challenges in meeting MSCHE’s Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation. Working Groups met regularly in 2025 to identify, collect, and analyze evidence that demonstrates our compliance with each Standard. The year ended with groups achieving the significant milestone of preparing an outline of their report chapter before the winter break.
As we begin Spring 2026, groups will continue to thoughtfully analyze how the College meets each Standard and will produce the first draft of their chapter by the end of February. Members of our cross-functional committees and Collegiate Assembly committees will then have the opportunity to review and provide input. By the end of the Spring semester, our goal is to complete the chapters and polish them into a cohesive report over the summer. The report will then be shared with the larger campus community for review and input.
For additional information on our Middle States Self-Study, contact your Steering Committee Co-Chairs at middlestates@atlanticcape.edu.
Fall 2025 - Middle States Accreditation Self-Study Update.
The MSCHE Steering Committee held its first fall meeting on September 10 to continue the work of our Middle States Self-Study process. The faculty and staff continue to contribute their time to support this vital work. During their meeting, the Steering Committee reviewed a summary of changes to the finalized Self-Study Design and reviewed key deliverables. Steering Committees will begin to work with their groups to prepare drafts of the Self-Study Report.
It is essential to recognize the extensive work that has been completed. Working groups have worked on identifying and collecting evidence to demonstrate compliance with the accreditation standards, laying a strong foundation for the Self-Study work that will continue during the upcoming Fall and Spring semesters. During this phase, our Working Groups will prepare drafts of the Self-Study Report, with a first review by our cross-functional committees and Faculty committees, which will serve as “external reviewers” in March 2026.
For additional information on our Middle States Self-Study, contact your Steering Committee Co-Chairs at middlestates@atlanticcape.edu
On Wednesday, April 2nd, Atlantic Cape Community College hosted Dr. Tiffany Lee, Vice President of Institutional Field Relations for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) at the Mays Landing campus for a Self-Study Preparation Visit.
Dr. Lee met with President Dr. Barbara Gaba, members of the Board of Trustees, our Middle States Steering Committee, and students, faculty, and staff to offer guidance and feedback on our plans for completing the self-study process for reaccreditation.
Under the leadership of Dr. Vanessa O’Brien-McMasters, and with the support of Co-Chairs Dr. Gwen Setley and Sherwood Taylor, a Steering Committee and Working Groups comprised of faculty and staff from across the college have begun compiling evidence that aligns to the MSCHE Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation. Dr. Lee praised our efforts thus far and provided concrete feedback on our planned approach to addressing our institutional priorities through self-study. We are honored that Dr. Lee also indicated her intent to recommend our Self-Study Design as an example for the next cohort of institutions going through the self-study institute!
Stay tuned for updates on the MSCHE reaccreditation process in upcoming issues of The Communicator or by visiting this page!
Atlantic Cape Community College kicked off its nearly three-year-long Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) reaccreditation process on January 31 with a gathering in the nursing lecture hall. College leadership, staff and faculty who have volunteered for this effort convened as President Dr. Barbara Gaba began the day by speaking to the tremendous importance of the work that lies ahead. “This is us telling our story to Middle States, by looking in the mirror and saying this is what we have accomplished these past eight years, how we have evolved, what issues have we faced, etc?”
Over the next two years, Atlantic Cape’s Reaccreditation Self-Study Team, comprised of a Steering Committee led by Dr. Vanessa O’Brien-McMasters, Dr. Gwen Setley and Sherwood Taylor, will lead seven working groups, which are led by two co-chairs and a cabinet liaison, responsible for assessing and demonstrating the College’s compliance, through the accumulation of documented evidence, with MSCHE’s Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation. Stay tuned for updates on the MSCHE reaccreditation process in upcoming issues of The Communicator.
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is an internationally recognized organization whose offices are located in Philadelphia, PA. MSCHE evaluates degree-granting institutions of higher education and helps these institutions improve their programs and services. The degrees we grant at Atlantic Cape would have little meaning without the stamp of approval from the Middle States. Many of our students transfer to four-year schools and go on to graduate degrees, and because our college is accredited by Middle States, those other colleges and universities do not question the validity of our graduates' credits.
(Pictured left to right: Dr. Christopher Carbone, Nicole Thompson, Janet Marler, Crista Golden, Richard Russell, and Joseph Sheridan; not pictured: Laura Batchelor and Connor McHugh)
(Pictured left to right: Dominic Tullio, Kayla Scannell, David Zuba, Laura Batchelor, Nancy Porfido and Carol A. Fraone; not pictured: Danielle Nelson and Dr. Hana Bajes)
