Preparation for the 2015 Self-Study

In 2012, President Alan Kadish selected Vice President Robert Goldschmidt, Touro's Accreditation Liaison Officer, to serve as the Chair of the Self-Study Steering Committee.

Based on consultation between the President and the Chair, two Co-Chairs were appointed, and the President invited 24 members of the Touro College community to serve on the Middle States Self-Study Steering Committee. The membership of the committee is broadly representative of the various constituencies of the College, including administrators, faculty, staff, program directors, and a student.

The chair attended the Middle States Self-Study Institute in Wilmington, Delaware, in November 2012 and also participated in a Middle States workshop on integrating strategic planning and self-study on April 19, 2013.

A series of presentations on the self-study and accreditation process were scheduled for December 2012—March 2013 for the Faculty Assembly, the Graduate Deans Council, the Executive Management Committee and the Faculty Senate. Additional presentations were incorporated into Faculty Development Day, April 18, 2013, and in the Faculty Senate meeting of April 25, 2013. The draft design document was reviewed at the Faculty Assembly meeting of May 20, 2013.

At the first meeting of the Steering Committee, on January 3, 2013, all members were provided with copies of Characteristics of Excellence. During the next three meetings, accreditation standards were reviewed in depth. The comprehensive model was selected as the format for the self-study, a timeline was discussed, and the outcomes of the internal review were identified.  At its fourth meeting, the committee discussed the membership of the eight Task Forces and approved co-chairs for each.

In the next phase, starting April 1, 2013, the chair and co-chairs of the Steering Committee met with the heads of the Task Forces and discussed a list of potential questions that would frame the charges for the self-study. The final list of revised research questions was reviewed and approved by the Steering Committee at its meetings of April 22, April 30, May 10, and May 13, 2013.

Dr. Tito Guerrero, Vice President of MSCHE, conducted a one day visit to Touro College, Wednesday, May 22 and met with the Steering Committee and various constituency groups. Based on suggestions he shared, the Chair and Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee made some minor revisions in the document and added a detailed section relating to the format and style of Touro College Self-Study.