Accreditation Self-Study Report

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

We are pleased to present the final self-study report and appendices that University of Maryland Global Campus has submitted to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, prior to the MSCHE peer evaluation team visit to Adelphi and Largo March 20–23, 2016, and earlier visits by some team members to UMGC sites in Europe, Asia, and Maryland. Ultimately, the team will make a recommendation on reaffirming UMGC's accreditation, which the Commission will act upon in fall 2016.

The evaluation process, which culminates with MSCHE's decision, is one that began more than two years ago, when UMGC proposed a design for the self-study to MSCHE. The self-study would document our compliance with accreditation standards and also explain how we will continue to meet quality standards as we move forward in fulfilling our mission. When the design was approved, committees across UMGC went to work, reviewing documents and analyzing our performance against the standards. Their hard work led to the development of the first draft of the self-study, which you were invited to review in December 2015. Your analysis and feedback helped strengthen and polish this final report.

We hope you take time to read this self-study report—and that you take as much pride in it as we do. It details UMGC's ongoing commitment to its mission of serving adult students, and it offers valuable perspective on our strengths and challenges going forward.

While the accreditation process is important, its focus—our ongoing improvement and our ability to fulfill our mission—is even more so. This self-study shows how we have grown and innovated over the past decade and points to the path ahead. We invite everyone at UMGC to embrace the vision that will guide us forward along that path.

Thank you for your ongoing support of UMGC and for the important roles you play in the success of our university.