MSCHE Self-Study 2024 – 2025

MSCHE Self-Study 2024 – 2025
Team Chair Visit: November 4, 2024
Full-Team Site Visit: March 23-26, 2025

MSCHE Self-Study 2024 – 2025

Kingsborough Community College has begun the Self-Study process for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) re-accreditation process.

The purpose of the Self-Study is to:

  • Engage the institutional community in an inclusive and transparent self-appraisal process that actively and deliberately seeks to involve members from all areas of the institutional community
  • Utilize the findings from our self-study process to create an action plan for 2026-2030 that aligns with our strategic plan and CUNY’s master plan
  • Demonstrate how the institution currently meets the Commission’s Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation
  • Focus on continuous improvement in the attainment of the institution’s mission and its institutional priorities

 

Meet the Middle States Standards

In order to demonstrate how Kingsborough meets the Commission’s Standards for Accreditation, it’s important to know what the Standards for Accreditation are. You can read more about them at the Middle States website. Keep an eye out here and in your emails to learn more about the Standards and our Self-Study Team’s evaluation of how well we are meeting them as a College. (NOTE: MSCHE has recently published a new set of Standards, the Fourteenth Edition. However, for our Self-Study we will be the in the last cohort to use the Thirteenth Edition).

Prior to conducting the Self-Study, the MSCHE Self-Study Steering Committee was asked to develop a strategy and design for the Self-Study, which is available for you to read. Kingsborough Community College 2024-25 Self-Study Design (SSD) In conducting the Self-Study, the College has assembled teams, known as Working Groups, which will review evidence related to each Standard for Accreditation set out by MSCHE. We encourage everyone to take some time to familiarize themselves with the Standards – and we will be making sure you have many opportunities to learn and talk with people who are experts on them!

To help us guide our work in a meaningful way, as we review the Standards we will also be focusing on how the College meets these four Institutional Priorities, which were developed by the Steering Committee and College leadership:

  1. Student Success: Focus on providing high-quality innovative instruction that has demonstrated success among our student populations; offer an extensive array of opportunities and learning experiences to build skills needed to succeed in the workforce or transfer to a four-year college; emphasize the development of individualized and holistic supports to meet the unique needs of our urban community college student population.
  2. Collaborative environment: Achieve a collaborative environment that includes all members of the community in order to break down silos between divisions through clear and consistent communication across the College; create opportunities for communication across divisions to ensure a seamless, holistic, supportive experience for students, faculty, and staff.
  3. Data-informed processes and decision making: Strive for resilient and stable functioning in the face of COVID-19 and other enrollment- and funding-related challenges through collecting, sharing, and using data and assessment results to focus efforts on key strategic initiatives and ensure that they are effective; use our successes as a model to other community colleges in demonstrating how pedagogical and student support practices translate into student success.
  4. Diversity, equity, and inclusion: Engage in enrollment and pedagogical practices designed to increase access and continued success in populations traditionally underrepresented in colleges (e.g., adults, minoritized groups); cultivate a campus community that not only strives to remove barriers but also actively seeks to include diverse voices, perspectives, and opportunities for current and prospective faculty, staff, and students.

These Institutional Priorities were developed as a way to help us make sure the self-study process informative and useful for us, so that we can use it to help showcase what makes KCC uniquely amazing and the special place to work or go to school that we all know it is, and to identify areas where we want to be able to better support our students, faculty, and staff.

 

What makes KCC great is our community. We know that is what sets us apart and makes us stand out! Going through this re-accreditation self-study process is important, reflective, and essential to the future success of KCC and our students. As we continue to do this work, it will take the involvement of the entire campus community and us all working together to make this a successful process. Keep checking this site (and checking your emails!) for opportunities to get involved.

Semester 

Activities 

Summer 2022 

August 2022 
  • Self-study co-chairs (Steering Committee) selected 

Fall 2022- Winter 2023 

October 2022- November 2022 
  • A co-chair from each standard and the self-study core group attend the Middle States Institute (MSI)
  • MSI attendees meet to review institute information and begin to formulate self-study work

December 2022- February 2023 
  • Steering committee meets to develop institutional priorities and charges for working groups
  • President Schrader hosts a kick-off breakfast for co-chairs to meet and receive input on self-study design work from Senior staff 1 and 2 
  • MSCHE VP liaison scheduled for spring 2023 
  • Co-chairs of each standard develop lines of inquiry and begin to identify evidence

Spring 2023 

April 2023 
  • Visit by MSCHE VP Liaison 

May 2023 
  • Approval of self-study design 
  • Self-study design communication plan is launched, including a self-study website 
  • Initial meeting of Working Groups to discuss charges and plan 

Summer 2023

 

July-August 2023
  • Co-chairs work with Evidence Inventory Committee to compile evidence and prepare for review

Fall 2023 

 

September 2023 
  • College-wide kick off for self-study 
  • Working groups begin to meet regularly 

October 2023 
  • Meeting of steering committee and members of working groups, if available. Each group will be asked to report on their progress, any gaps in evidence they have identified and questions they might have. 

Winter 2024 

January 2024-February 2024 
  • Co-chairs of working groups submit first draft of their self-study chapter by January 15 
  • Core group reviews drafts 
  • Feedback is provided to the co-chairs  

March 2024 
  • Co-chairs meet with their working group to incorporate feedback  

April 2024- May 2024 
  • Co-chairs of working groups submit second draft of their self-study chapter by May 1. 

Summer 2024 

July- August 2024 
  • Core group and steering committee compile, edit and prepare full self-study report 

Fall 2024 

September 2024- November 2024 
  • College-wide town halls for input on the self-study  

  • Team Chair Visit: November 4, 2024

December 2024 
  • Self-study report revised based on input received 

Winter 2025 

January 2025 
  • President approves self-study report 

February 2025 

  • February 9: Final Self Study Report Due

Spring 2025

  
March 2025
  • Full-Team Site Visit: March 23-26, 2025

The Organizational Structure of the Steering Committee and Working Groups

The Steering Committee and Working Groups were selected in consultation with President Schrader, Provost Russell, Dean of Faculty Gordon Alley-Young, and members of the Steering Committee. The goal in creating the groups was to involve faculty and staff from across the College, ensuring that we have a good mix of areas of expertise and also are able to get a diverse set of perspectives.

The following individuals have been selected to serve on the MSCHE Steering Committee:

Standard/Role 

Name 

Title/Department 

Steering Committee Core Group 

Loretta Brancaccio-Taras (Co-chair) 

Professor, Department of Biological Sciences 

Sarah Dillon (Co-chair) 

Assistant Professor, Department of Art 

Colleen Davy 

Dean of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Effectiveness/ALO 

Johana Rivera 

Vice President for Enrollment Management

Standard 1: Mission & Goals 

Jessica Cinelli 

Grants and Program Development Specialist, 

Office of Workforce Development 

Joan Zaloom 

Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing 

Standard 2: Ethics and Integrity 

Cynthia Olvina

Administrative Specialist, Academic Affairs

Michael Sokolow 

Associate Professor, Department of History, 

Philosophy, and Political Science 

Standard 3: Design and Delivery of the Student 

Learning Experience 

Helen-Margaret Nasser

Director, Student Union & Intercultural Center

Annie Del Principe 

Professor, Department of English 

Standard 4: Support of the Student Experience 

Althea Maduramente 

Director of Student Wellness Services 

Daniel Kane 

Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism 

& Hospitality 

Standard 5: Educational Effectiveness Assessment 

Dorina Tila 

Associate Professor, Department of Business 

Tziporah Stern 

Associate Professor, Department of 

Mathematics 

Standard 6: Planning, Resources, and Institutional 

Improvement 

Andres Escobar 

 Interim Vice President of Finance and Business

Mary Ortiz 

Professor, Department of Biological Sciences 

Standard 7: Governance, Leadership, and 

Administration 

Carey Manifold 

Assistant Dean of Advisement 

Scott Cally 

Professor, Department of Communications 

and Performing Arts 

Evidence Inventory 

Jonathan Cavalieri 

Institutional Effectiveness Manager 

Linda McKernan 

Special Projects Assistant 

The Working Groups consist of the members of the Steering Committee and 5-10 people. The role of the Working Groups will be to evaluate evidence related to their Standard and use it to create a narrative explaining how KCC does (or does not!) meet the requirements of their Standard.

Standard 1: Mission & Goals

Co-chairs: Jessica Cinelli, Grants and Program Development Specialist, Office of Workforce Development and Joan Zaloom Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing

Name

Title/Department

Mabel Chee

Director of Development

Shoshana Friedman

Associate Professor, Mathematics

Dawn Levy

Associate Professor, Business

Tracy Steffy

Assistant Professor, History, Philosophy, and Political Science

Standard 2: Ethics and Integrity

Co-chairs: Cynthia Olvina, Administrative Specialist, Academic Affairs and Michael Sokolow Associate Professor, Department of History, Philosophy, and Political Science

Name

Title/Department

John Acosta

Professor, Communications and Performing Arts

Carlos Arguelles

Associate Professor and Chairperson, Library

Mary Dawson

Professor, Biological Sciences

Asif Hussain

Assistant Vice President for Information Technology

Avery Mullen

Registrar

Gila Rohr

Interim Executive Director of Human Resources

Tisha Ulmer

Assistant Professor, English

Shaune Wallace-Bostic

Diversity Specialist, Office of Equal Opportunity & Diversity Management

Standard 3: Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience

Co-chairs: Annie Del Principe Professor, Department of English and Helen-Margaret Nasser, Director, Student Union & Intercultural Center

Name

Title/Department

Karolina Bizik

Director of Continuing Education

Shawna Brandle

Professor, History, Philosophy, and Political Science

Evan Caccioppoli

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Communications and Performing Arts

Tyronne Johnson

Assistant Professor, Allied Health, Mental Health and Human Services

Alyse Keller

Associate Professor, Communications and Performing Arts

Vanda Seward

Assistant Professor, Behavioral Sciences

Dawn Taitt

Adjunct Lecturer, Music

Standard 4: Support of the Student Experience

Co-chairs: Daniel Kane, Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism & Hospitality and Althea Maduramente, Director of Student Wellness Services

Name

Title/Department

Laura Armour

Administrative Specialist, Access-Ability Services

Nefer Bovea

Associate Director, ASAP

Seanna Carter

 Registrar Specialist

Ruben Landaverde

Financial Aid Specialist

Melissa Merced

Director of Student Life

Paula Risolo

Senior Academic Advisor, Health Sciences & STEM Academy

Mary Shannon

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Standard 5: Educational Effectiveness Assessment

Dorina Tila, Associate Professor, Department of Business and Tziporah Stern, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

Name

Title/Department

Sarah Bradwisch

Professor, Nursing

Amanda Kalin

Director of Curriculum Development & Program Planning

Lauren Levesque

Director of Institutional Research

Ryan McKinney

Professor, Communications and Performing Arts

Kristin Polizzotto

Professor, Biological Sciences

Penny Soden

Perkins Grant Officer

Standard 6: Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement

Andres Escobar,  Interim Vice President of Finance and Business and Mary Ortiz Professor, Department of Biological Sciences

Name

Title/Department

Wendy Chu

Assistant Professor, Library

Tom Eaton

Assistant Professor, Art

Erica Levy

Director of Admissions

Paul Ricciardi

Professor, Communications and Performing Arts

Peter Santiago

Student Psychological Counselor, Access-Ability Services

Jacob Segal

Professor and Chairperson, History, Philosophy, and Political Science

Joseph Velez

Academic Affairs Budget Manager

Standard 7: Governance, Leadership, and Administration

Scott Cally, Professor, Department of communications and Performing Arts and Carey Manifold, Assistant Dean of Advisement

Name

Title/Department

Aba Agolli

Interim Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations

Jennifer Corby

Assistant Professor, History, Philosophy, and Political Science

Celeste Creegan

Higher Education Officer, Director of Environmental Health and Safety

Carlos de Cuba

Associate Professor, Communications & Performing Arts

Mark Eaton

Associate Professor, Library

Barbara Fairweather

Administrative Manager, Academic Affairs

Matthew Gartner

Professor, English

Jason Leggett

Assistant Professor, Behavioral Sciences

John Mikalopas

Professor and Chairperson, Physical Sciences

Evidence Inventory

Linda McKernan, Special Projects Assistant

Jonathan Cavalieri, Institutional Effectiveness Manager

Name

Title/Department

Michael Rosson

Professor, Library

Why is this important? And, why should it matter to me?

 Because we are here to serve you! And to ensure you successfully earn the highest quality degrees KCC can offer you.  The Self-Study Process is where we will reflect on different areas of the College, on what we have done in the past, evaluating our current processes, and looking towards the future.

How do I get involved?

KCC students are the backbone to our success and will play a crucial role in this process.  Keep an eye out on your emails – look for the Middle States Self-Study logo – for more information about the process and opportunities to get involved.

If you are interested in more information or want to get involved, please e-mail: Linda.mckernan@kbcc.cuny.edu