Middle States Accreditation Team to Visit NBTS
October 22, 2021
A six-member peer review team will visit New Brunswick Seminary virtually for a four-day visit from October 25-28.
The team members will meet with board members, faculty, administration, staff, as well as students and alumni. The purpose of accreditation is to assure that the school achieves levels of excellence in higher education. The team is led by Dr. José R. Irizarry, who teaches at Villanova University in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies.
NBTS has been a Candidate for Accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) since 2018 when we were approved after a two-year self-study process. The self-study report process for full accreditation began in the Fall of 2018. The visit was due in the Spring of 2021 but was delayed because of the pandemic.
The self-study process took a deep look at the seminary and its operations, noting its strengths, challenges, and opportunities for growth and development over the next decade. The self-study committees were assembled from all of levels of the organization, and the process was led by Dr. Terry Ann Smith, Associate Dean of Institutional Assessment and Dr. Beth Tanner, Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs.
The self-study report looked at:
- A review to confirm that the seminary’s mission and goals are clearly aligned
- An examination of policies and practices that pertain to ethics and integrity
- An evaluation of the rigor and coherence of all student learning
- An audit of student support from admission through graduation and for alumni
- An analysis of educational effectiveness and learning assessment
- An appraisal of the alignment of strategic planning efforts, resource distribution, and institutional assessment and improvement
- A review of the seminary’s governing structure, leadership, and administration
On the last day of the visit, NBTS President, Dr. Micah McCreary, will receive a preliminary report from the visiting team. The results of that report will be shared internally. The seminary may file a response to the report. These two documents will be sent to the MSCHE Board, which will make the final decision on accreditation.
President McCreary will inform the community of the final decision of the Middle States Board when it is received along with the approved period of accreditation. This accreditation is important for the future of NBTS because it allows for cross-registration with other MSCHE schools, is recognized by a wider circle of higher education experts than our other accreditation with the Association of Theological Schools, opens up the possibility for state licensure for clinical students and associate or bachelor’s degrees in church leadership and theological studies.