NECHE Self Study: Update and Invitation to Participate

Dear Colleagues:

As we all work together to craft our ten year NECHE Self Study, this is an update of the work so far and an invitation to all who want to join the volunteers already working in the nine Standards Committees. Staff and faculty are all welcome, we just ask that you let your Chair (faculty) or your Manager (staff) know of your intention to volunteer so that they can help you balance your service work. 

Emerson completed its last comprehensive review in 2013, and submitted an interim report in 2018. Both were well-received by accrediting body NEASC, now NECHE, and included suggestions for addressing areas for improved excellence. The timeline below is of work in AY 2020-21. The work will continue in AY 2021-22, with the drafting of the College’s self-study for the 2022 Comprehensive Evaluation, its circulation for feedback across all members of the Emerson community, and its incorporation of that feedback by August 2022 before the final draft and the September 2022 site visit of the NECHE evaluation committee. Below is our update.

In Fall 2020 we: 

• discussed NECHE, and the work for it, with Faculty Council and introduced the project to Assembly and called for volunteers
• formed the  Data Project Management Committee (Brooke Knight, Cheryl McGrath, Patrice Ambrosia, Mike Duggan) 
• reviewed the past NECHE letters and identified issues to address
• prepared packets of material for each standard (eg. form templates, 2013 and 2018 NECHE reports)

In Spring 2021 we:

• briefed President’s Council 
• identified the Standards Committees and their Chairs and Co-Chairs 
• added Maria Koundoura and Liz Chase to the Data Project Management team
• created the NECHE page on the College website
• presented NECHE at the Staff Forum
• all Standards committees are working on gathering the data, writing the description, appraising, and projecting the information from the data using the template of their data appraisal and projection forms (DAP’s)

We thank everyone for their help to current committees and welcome all who want to offer their service in this collaborative community-based project. If you have any questions, please contact Brooke Knight and Maria Koundoura by emailing neche@emerson.edu.

Best wishes,
Michaele Whelan
Provost and VP for Academic Affairs