Accreditation Process Begins

Montana State University is beginning the lengthy process to renew the university's regional accreditation, which is required once a decade.

The university will take more than a year to prepare for a visit in October 2009 by an evaluation team from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

While regional accreditation is a voluntary, self-regulatory process that helps assure quality and accountability, it is also enables students to be eligible to receive federal financial aid and for many of its programs to receive federal funding. a. MSU was last reaccredited in 1999.

"This accreditation process provides MSU the opportunity to look at itself in a comprehensive, analytical way with the goal of assisting the university to achieve its strategic objectives", says Joseph Fedock, senior vice provost, who will oversee MSU's re-accreditation efforts.

Fedock said over the coming months, the university will devote countless hours to prepare for the complex and in-depth self-study reporting process required by the accreditation process.

In addition to Fedock, other members of the MSU accreditation committee formed by MSU President Geoff Gamble include: Bruce Morton, former dean of Libraries who will assist Fedock; Robert Lashaway, University/Facility Services; Bruce Raymond, College of Business; Carina Beck, Career Services; Cathy Conover, Communications and Public Affairs; Jim Rimpau, Planning and Analysis; Kathy Attebury, Administration and Finance; Leslie Taylor, MSU legal counsel; Marvin Lansverk, English; Tamara Miller, Libraries; and Warren Jones, civil engineering.

The team will look at all aspects of the university and its effectiveness, including mission, goals, planning, educational programs, students, faculty, library, governance and administration, finance, physical resources and institutional integrity.