Town Hall Meetings Advance St. John’s Accreditation Review Process

Accreditation review allows St. John’s University to thoroughly assess its institutional priorities—with an eye toward ensuring the best student experience in the years ahead.

So said many of the faculty and administrative experts who shared results from two years of interviews and research with members of the University community at the second of three town hall meetings related to St. John’s accreditation review by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).

The most recent town hall meeting was on October 24 at the D’Angelo Center. The third and final town hall is scheduled for November 4 at the D’Angelo Center beginning at 1:50 p.m. St. John’s community members should RSVP to attend the final session. 

“Assessment is our opportunity to review our contract with our customers, who are our students,” said Marc E. Gillespie, Ph.D., Senior Vice Provost for Clinical Operations, Graduate Research, Assessment, Accreditation, and Institutional Analytics, Office of the Provost. “We want to regularly check what our students say they want to achieve and see how we are doing.” 

Colleges and universities that belong to MSCHE undergo a reaccreditation process every eight or 10 years. The process is held in two stages, beginning with a campuswide self-study in which the institution evaluates its processes, educational programs, and services.  An on-site visit from MSCHE evaluators follows that.

Site visits to the Queens, NY, Manhattan, NY, and Rome, Italy, locations occur in February and March. The reaccreditation process will be completed by the spring.

Working groups began research in seven self-study areas in 2022. The October 24 town hall  allowed those assessing St. John’s to share their findings. About 70 University community members attended the live town hall, with another 30-plus watching via live stream.

Among the attendees was Mohammed Iqbal, a sixth-year student in the Doctor of Pharmacy program, who came to learn about the future direction of his soon-to-be alma mater.

“It is an essential process,” Mohammed said. “It’s a great opportunity to get a definitive view of how we meet our standards and what we can improve.”

Steering Committee Cochairs Olga Hilas, Pharm.D., M.P.H., Professor and Industry Professional, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; and James D. Wolfinger, Ph.D., Dean, The School of Education, established three town hall dates at which members of the University community can review the findings of the seven working groups. The October 24 town hall focused on the student experience, student support, and assessment issues.

Findings from the October 24 town hall included the University’s demonstrated commitment to academic excellence; significant investments in the student learning experience and student health and well-being; and the consistency of assessments efforts across all programs.

Recommendations from the working groups included a continued commitment to revitalizing existing academic programs; enhanced promotion of student-support resources and the development of new ones; and an increase in assessment training opportunities.

The November 4 town hall will focus on resources and institutional improvement, as well as governance and leadership. A town hall on October 7 was dedicated to the University’s mission, goals, ethics, and integrity.

More than 100 members of the St. John’s community, including 15 students, are part of the working groups or steering committee.

“This appraisal gives us a chance to do a 360-degree evaluation of the University’s academic programs, technological standards, athletics, mission, and values,” Dean Wolfinger said. “We want an honest portrayal of the University that the entire community can take pride in. It allows us to see where we put our resources and how this comes to fruition for the entire St. John’s family, as well as how we can improve.”

Dr. Hilas noted how St. John’s already has implemented some Middle States standards, particularly in inclusion and sustainability initiatives. For example, the new St. Vincent Health Sciences Center is the first building on the Queens campus to fully operate on renewable energy.

“Over the past eight years, we have noticed much receptiveness from students with the launch of the LGBTQ+ Center and numerous resources for the expansion of mental health services,” Dr. Hilas said. “We have also enhanced our core curriculum to achieve academic goals, including implementing social justice course requirements.”

“St. John’s is a leader in environmental sustainability efforts in developing the new St. Vincent Health Sciences Center, which operates on green energy,” Dr. Hilas added.