NECHE Accreditation: Call for Public Comment
Monday, February, 27th, 2023 From Provost General Announcements News and Events
Dear members of the Tufts community,
Once every ten years, Tufts University is evaluated by and achieves accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), one of seven accrediting commissions in the United States recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Tufts has been accredited by NECHE since 1929 and was last reviewed in 2013. In March 2023, Tufts will undergo a comprehensive evaluation visit by a team of faculty and administrators from peer institutions representing NECHE. Our accreditation by the Commission encompasses the entire institution.
Accreditation is a voluntary, peer review process that assures quality to the public, eases student transfer between institutions by signaling quality, provides institutions with access to federal financial aid, and certifies a graduate’s credentials to employers. The Commission accredits approximately 220 institutions in the six-state New England region as well as several American-style institutions overseas.
For the past two years, Tufts has been engaged in a process of self-study, addressing NECHE’s nine Standards for Accreditation, which span all aspects of university life, governance, and mission. We would like to extend our deepest thanks to the Accreditation Steering Committee and the members of the nine working groups who worked tirelessly to create the self-study document.
An evaluation team will visit the institution from March 12 until March 15, 2023 to gather evidence that the self-study is thorough and accurate. The team will recommend to the Commission a continuing status for the institution. Following a review process, the Commission itself will take the final action.
The public is invited to submit comments regarding the institution to:
Public Comment on Tufts University
New England Commission of Higher Education
3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 100
Burlington, MA 01803-4514
E-mail: info@neche.org
Public Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution. The Commission cannot settle disputes between individuals and institutions, whether those involve faculty, students, administrators, or members of other groups. Comments will not be treated as confidential and must include the name, address, and phone number of the person providing the comments.
Public Comments must be received by March 15, 2023. The Commission cannot guarantee that comments received after that date will be considered.
We look forward to keeping you updated throughout this process.
Best regards,
Dawn Geronimo Terkla
Associate Provost, Office of the Provost
Accreditation Steering Committee, Co-Chair
Marty Ray
Chief of Staff, Office of the President
Accreditation Steering Committee, Co-Chair