Pitt Hosts Virtual Open Forum with Middle States Liaison

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, from noon to 1 p.m., the University will host an open forum session with Robert Bonfiglio, vice president of institutional field relations at the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Members of the University are encouraged to join the session and should register in advance.

The forum will give attendees insight into the procedure and timeline of the Middle States Accreditation process, which will continue through spring 2022. Participants are welcome to ask questions about the accreditation process.

The University undertakes the accreditation process to demonstrate how Pitt meets the standards, requirements of affiliation and verification of compliance with accreditation-relevant federal regulations. Pitt was last reaccredited for a ten-year period in 2012. The accreditation process is designed to ensure that degree-granting institutions are well managed, true to their missions, and deliver quality educational programs that meet the needs of the students enrolled in the institution.   

Hosted by Joseph McCarthy, vice provost for Undergraduate Studies and the W.K. Whiteford Professor in the Swanson School of Engineering, the open forum is intended for faculty, staff and students from all Pitt campuses. It will be held as a virtual Zoom webinar and recorded for future reference.

Bonfiglio is the University’s Middle States Liaison, while McCarthy serves as the University’s Middle States Accreditation Liaison Officer.

By enlisting a wide range of University stakeholders, both directly through a Steering Committee and six additional working groups and through virtual opportunities like this open forum, Pitt encourages broad participation to instill collective ownership of the process across the University. Additionally, there will be further opportunities for input and feedback in the future. Participants are encouraged to share their views about Pitt, as this feedback will help inform the review process.