MSCHE vs. DEAC — Meeting Briefing

1

What Each Accreditor Is

MSCHE

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Regional Accreditor · 14th Edition Standards

TypeRegional accreditor — the gold standard in U.S. higher education

TerritoryMid-Atlantic U.S. (DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA) + internationally

FocusComprehensive institutional quality — all modalities, all operations

PrestigeHigher Tier Broadly recognized by employers and grad schools

Credit TransferWidely accepted — virtually all institutions recognize MSCHE credits

Standards7 Standards · 53 compliance items · 57 exhibits

Title IV✓ Eligible

The Question It Asks"Is this a legitimate, high-quality university?"

DEAC

Distance Education Accrediting Commission

National Accreditor · Distance Education Specialist

TypeNational accreditor specializing in distance/online education

TerritoryNationwide · UMF's current accreditor

FocusQuality of distance learning delivery specifically

PrestigeLower Tier Some employers and grad programs do not recognize

Credit TransferLess accepted — some institutions will not take DEAC credits

Standards10 Standards · Distance delivery focused

Title IV✓ Eligible

The Question It Asks"Is this a legitimate, quality distance learning program?"

2

The Core Difference

M

MSCHE evaluates the whole institution

Mission, governance, finances, faculty, assessment, planning, student support — every dimension of the university is reviewed. Distance education is one component, not the focus.

D

DEAC evaluates how you deliver at a distance

DEAC was purpose-built for correspondence and online schools. It evaluates delivery quality, student support for remote learners, and technology infrastructure — not broad institutional governance.

⚠

Why UMF Is Pursuing MSCHE

MSCHE regional accreditation opens doors that DEAC cannot — graduate school acceptance for UMF alumni, broader employer recognition, credit transfer to other institutions, and eligibility for students whose employers require regionally accredited degrees. The DEAC foundation is solid, but MSCHE is the credential that fully legitimizes UMF as a university in the eyes of the higher education community.

3

Where Each Accreditor Goes Deeper

Area	↑ MSCHE Goes Deeper	DEAC Equivalent
DEI in Mission & Planning	Explicit — disaggregated data required across 4+ standards; measurable DEI goals with evidence of progress	General nondiscrimination language; not data-driven
Financial Ratios	NACUBO methodology required — Primary Reserve, Net Operating Revenue, Viability, Composite Financial Index (4-year trend)	General financial health review; no prescribed ratios
Long-Term Financial Plan	3–5 year plan required with documented assumptions, enrollment projections, and viability scenarios	Not explicitly required
KPI Reporting to Board	Documented board review of KPIs required — evidence that the governing body regularly reviews performance data	Not specifically required
Board Self-Evaluation	Systematic, documented board self-evaluation with follow-up evidence required	Not required
Campus Climate	Required — surveys with results, stakeholder communication, and documented follow-up actions	Not required
Constituent Planning Input	Required — documented evidence that faculty, staff, and students meaningfully participate in strategic planning	Not required
Disaggregated Data Depth	6+ population breakdowns required — race/ethnicity, gender, Pell, first-gen, full/part-time, online vs. on-campus — across multiple standards	Some disaggregation required but less prescriptive
Governance Standards (Std VII)	Entire dedicated standard — CEO credentials, board composition, bylaws, COI disclosures, minutes, self-evaluation all required	Administrative capacity addressed but much lighter
Policy Review Cycle	Documented periodic review of all institutional policies required (Standard II)	Not specifically required

Area	↑ DEAC Goes Deeper	MSCHE Equivalent
Self-Paced Course Windows	Specific maximum completion time rules for self-paced courses	Not prescribed
Technology Infrastructure	Detailed platform and delivery system requirements — LMS standards, uptime, student access	General IT planning (Exhibit VI-25)
Distance Refund Schedules	More prescriptive formulas for refunds specific to distance learners	Disclosure required but formula not prescribed
Student Identity Verification	More prescriptive — specific proctoring and verification method requirements	Written policy required (Exhibit II-20) but method not prescribed

4

Overlapping Exhibits — File Once, Use for Both

These documents satisfy requirements under both accreditors. Existing DEAC evidence can be updated and reused — no need to build from scratch.

38

Shared Exhibits

19

MSCHE-Only

Document / Evidence	MSCHE Exhibit	DEAC Standard	Update Needed?
Mission statement + board approval	I-1	Std I	Confirm 4-yr revision history
Strategic / institutional effectiveness plan	I-4	Std I, VIII	Add mission crosswalk table
4-year student achievement trend data (IPEDS)	I-5 IV-13 V-7	Std X	Add 6-population disaggregation
Student headcount data (disaggregated)	I-7	Std X	Expand population breakdowns
HR / faculty headcount data	I-8	Std III	Minimal — add trend tab
Academic freedom + IP rights policies	II-1	Std III	Verify IP covers online content
Grievance policies (student + faculty/staff)	II-5 II-6	Std V	Add MSCHE + state agency URLs
Conflict of interest policy	II-8	Std VIII	Minimal — confirm scope
Employee handbook	II-10	Std VIII	Verify hiring criteria section
Marketing and admissions materials (4-yr sample)	II-12	Std VI	Compile sample set if not done
Financial aid + cost of attendance disclosures	II-15 IV-7	Std IX	Add Net Price Calculator URL
Accreditation status disclosures (SAS, ECAR)	II-17 VI-30	Std IX	Update for MSCHE status once awarded
Student identity verification policy	II-20	Std II	Add fee disclosure statement
Credit hour policy (all modalities)	III-1	Std II	Add online formula explicitly
Sample syllabi	III-3	Std II	Expand to 8–10 across modalities
Faculty / Staff handbook	III-4	Std III	Add online teaching qualification criteria
Faculty qualifications table	III-5	Std III	Add % terminal degrees, FTE counts
Course evaluation instruments + trend data	III-6	Std III	Compile 4-yr trend summary
Program review samples (4-yr)	III-10	Std I, X	Add documented follow-up actions
Academic catalog (URL + PDF)	III-12	Std II, V	Confirm expected time to completion shown
Library resources + holdings (IPEDS)	III-16	Std IV	Add online access + usage statistics
Distance education policies	III-20	Std II (core)	Add RSI monitoring evidence
General education curriculum maps	III-23	Std I, II	Verify all MSCHE outcomes covered
Admissions philosophy + profile data (IPEDS)	IV-1 IV-2	Std V	Add 4-yr IPEDS admissions profile
Student handbook	IV-5	Std V	Confirm distribution evidence
Developmental education policy + data	IV-10	Std V	Add % DevEd + pass rates
Transfer credit policy + articulation agreements	IV-17	Std V	Add public URL + IPEDS transfer data
FERPA + student records policy	IV-21	Std IX	Add annual notification evidence
SLO matrix (ILO ↔ PLO mapping)	V-1	Std I	Build formal matrix if not documented
Curriculum maps by program	V-3	Std I, II	May need to formalize
Institutional assessment plan	V-4	Std X	Confirm written, approved version exists
Most recent assessment reports (by program)	V-5	Std X	Add follow-up actions section
Institutional + divisional org charts	VI-1 VII-19	Std VIII	Update to current year
Annual financial audits (4 most recent)	VI-20	Std VII	Confirm 4 consecutive years compiled
Title IV: PPA, CDR, financial responsibility score	VI-30	Std IX	Update to most current versions
Governing documents (bylaws, articles of inc.)	VII-4 VII-5	Std VIII	Confirm current, operative versions
Board meeting minutes (4-yr sample)	VII-8	Std VIII	Select minutes showing all board functions
Board member list + CVs + COI status	VII-10	Std VIII	Add independence percentage summary
CEO credentials + appointment documentation	VII-15	Std VIII	Add most recent evaluation

5

MSCHE-Only — New Evidence Required

Exhibit	What It Is	Why It's MSCHE-Only
`I-6` DEI Goals Evidence	Measurable DEI goals with baseline, targets, and progress data	MSCHE requires explicit, data-driven DEI goals; DEAC has general language only
`I-9/10` Budget Alignment Samples + Expense Analysis	4-yr sample of budget requests citing mission; IPEDS expenditure % by function	MSCHE requires documented link between budget decisions and mission/goals
`I-11` Mission Review Evidence	Documentation of periodic mission review cycle	MSCHE requires evidence of formal, recurring mission evaluation
`II-3` Campus Climate Survey	Survey instrument, results, stakeholder communication, and follow-up actions	No DEAC equivalent; MSCHE requires regular climate assessment
`II-9` Policy Review Process	Documented policy review cycle — who reviews, how often, evidence of revisions	MSCHE requires a formal "policy on policies" process
`II-22` Policy Review Process	4-yr policy revision log with committee evidence	Same as above — DEAC does not require this
`VI-8` KPI Reports (with Board Review)	KPI reports + board meeting minutes showing review	MSCHE requires evidence the board regularly reviews performance data
`VI-14` Long-Term Financial Plan (3–5 yr)	Multi-year financial projection with assumptions documented	DEAC does not require a formal long-range financial model
`VI-18` Financial Ratios + CFI	NACUBO ratios: Primary Reserve, Net Operating Revenue, Viability, CFI (4-yr)	DEAC does not prescribe financial ratio methodology
`VI-22` Governance Manual	Institutional decision-making framework + sample meeting minutes	MSCHE requires documented decision authority structure beyond bylaws
`VI-24/25` Facilities + IT Master Plans	Capital plan, deferred maintenance, IT replacement cycle	More prescriptive in MSCHE; DEAC touches technology but less formally
`VII-3` Related Entities Disclosure	Documentation of any parent org, system office, or management company	MSCHE Standard VII explicitly requires related entities disclosure
`VII-11` COI Disclosures + Recusal Records	Signed annual COI disclosure forms + documented recusals (4-yr)	MSCHE requires signed disclosures and recusal documentation as evidence
`VII-13` Board Self-Evaluation Results	Instrument, results, and follow-up actions (4-yr)	DEAC does not require board self-evaluation; MSCHE Standard VII requires it
`VII-22/23` Admin Evaluation Evidence	Administrative unit reviews; faculty/staff surveys of administration	MSCHE requires systematic evidence that admin effectiveness is assessed
`VII-24` Governance Assessment Framework	Meta-assessment of governance, leadership, and administration effectiveness	MSCHE requires assessment of the governance system itself
DEI Planning Evidence (`VI-10/11/12`)	DEI goals in strategic plan + disaggregated data reviewed in planning	MSCHE Standard VI requires DEI integrated into planning and resource allocation
Constituent Participation Docs (`VI-5/6/7`)	Planning calendar + evidence that faculty/staff/student input shaped decisions	MSCHE requires documented inclusive planning; DEAC does not
Assessment Meta-Review (`V-14/15`)	Evidence that UMF evaluates its own assessment processes	MSCHE Standard V requires "assessment of assessment"; DEAC does not

6

Recommended Next Actions for UMF

1

Build Financial Ratios and Long-Term Plan

Calculate NACUBO ratios (Primary Reserve, Viability, CFI) for the past 4 fiscal years and build the 3–5 year financial projection with assumptions. This requires the CFO and 4 years of audited statements.

VI-14 VI-18 High Priority

2

Conduct Campus Climate Survey

No DEAC equivalent exists for this. Plan and administer a climate survey before the evaluation visit. Results must show action taken — not just collection. Budget 3–4 months for administration, analysis, and response documentation.

II-3 High Priority

3

Formalize Board Self-Evaluation Process

The board must evaluate its own effectiveness using a documented instrument (AGB or ACCT tools work well). Results and follow-up must be on record. This is new for DEAC institutions and needs lead time to complete properly.

VII-13 VII-24 High Priority

4

Expand Disaggregated Data Across All Standards

DEAC data likely needs more population breakdowns to meet MSCHE's standard. Pull from IPEDS and add race/ethnicity, gender, Pell, first-gen, full/part-time, and online vs. on-campus cuts to all achievement datasets.

I-5 IV-13 V-7 Medium Priority

5

Document Constituent Planning Participation

MSCHE requires evidence that faculty, staff, and students genuinely participate in strategic planning — not just exist in the org chart. Begin creating a planning calendar and capturing stakeholder input records now.

VI-5 VI-6 VI-7 Medium Priority

6

Build Formal KPI Reporting to the Board

Create a KPI report that senior leadership and the governing board review on a regular schedule. The key is documentation — board minutes must show KPIs were reviewed. Build the format and begin the cycle before the evaluation.

VI-8 Medium Priority

7

Update DEAC Exhibits to MSCHE Standards

38 exhibits carry over from DEAC, but most need updates — expanded disaggregation, additional URLs, online-specific policy language, follow-up documentation. Work through the Exhibits Guide and update each one systematically.

38 exhibits to update

8

Add Mission Crosswalk to Strategic Plan

MSCHE requires each institutional goal to explicitly map to a mission element. If the strategic plan doesn't already have this, create a one-page crosswalk table (Goal → Mission Element) as a companion document.

I-4 Lower Priority