Frequently Asked Questions
What is accreditation?
Accreditation is an activity that encourages institutional quality through a process of self–evaluation and peer review. In the six New England states and designated overseas areas, the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) undertakes the evaluation of the region’s colleges and universities. This process includes a self–study by the institution, followed by an on–site visit by a visiting team of peer educators, and a subsequent review and decision by the CIHE commission. Accreditation is carried out both to assure the quality and to foster improvement of an institution.
To learn more about accreditation and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Institutions of Higher Education please visit the NEASC and CIHE websites.
How will Yale be evaluated?
NEASC evaluates institutions against eleven standards: Mission and Purposes, Planning and Evaluation, Organization and Governance, the Academic Program, Faculty, Students, Library and Other Information Resources, Physical and Technological Resources, Financial Resources, Public Disclosure, and Integrity. The standards are written to afford institutions the opportunity to be creative, innovative, and collaborative in approaching self–study and engaging in self–examination for purposes of institutional improvement. Although each of the eleven standards will be examined thoroughly, the commission's judgments about accreditation are made about the institution as a whole.
The standards, last updated by NEASC in 2006, can be found in our NEASC Standards page.
When will reaccreditation take place?
The University has been accredited continuously by NEASC since 1929 and is formally evaluated once every ten years—with less formal five–year reports in between. To view the most recent reports, please visit our 1999 Yale NEASC Reaccreditation page and the 2004 Yale NEASC 5–Year Report page.
On November 1–4, 2009, a visiting team appointed by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of NEASC and led by Morton Schapiro (Williams College president and president–designate of Northwestern University) will conduct the next comprehensive evaluation for Yale’s continued accreditation.
Who will participate in Yale’s reaccreditation process?
Accreditation is a highly participatory process requiring the work of many and the input of all. In the weeks and months ahead, faculty, students, staff, and the broader Yale community will be invited to provide feedback and ideas. To coordinate the project Yale has designated a steering committee and eleven standards committees to begin collecting information and drafting our response to the standards of accreditation. Committee members are listed in the 2009 Self–Study Committees page.
