Your turn to assess Pitt

Since fall 2020, more than 70 people have contributed to a draft document that will show the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that we’re not just meeting required standards — we’re surpassing them.

Now it’s time for the broader campus community to weigh in on the draft.

“We want to hear from as many members of the Pitt community as possible,” said steering committee member and Director of Academic Affairs in the Office of the Provost Stephanie Hoogendoorn. “We want to make sure we haven’t missed something.”

The purpose of this process is to advance institutional self-understanding and self-improvement and to demonstrate to external audiences — including Middle States, government regulatory agencies and the public — that Pitt meets the commission’s standards for accreditation.

Through Oct. 15, members of the Pitt community are invited to contribute to the self-study draft (PDF), a document assembled by the steering committee and six working groups that will ultimately be reviewed by a team of peer evaluators from Middle States universities. Anyone interested can submit feedback using a form.

While the report clocks in at 100 pages, Hoogendoorn stressed that people are encouraged to take a look at the sections that interest them most. To make the report easier to navigate, the first page is dedicated to a “roadmap” with brief information on each section.

“Through the self-assessment process we’re also hoping that ideas for improvement and innovation will be generated,” said Hoogendoorn, who, along with Vice Provost for Student Affairs Kenyon Bonner and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies Joseph McCarthy, leads the steering committee in charge of navigating the accreditation process.

“The self-study process is an incredibly valuable one where we examine the tremendous strengths of Pitt, but also collectively identify areas for future focus,” said McCarthy. “I want to thank everyone who has participated so far and encourage others to weigh in with their perspectives and insights. Working together, we can continue to fulfill the critically important mission of our University.”

— Patrick Monahan