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Accreditation

MSCHE Accreditation

The University of Pennsylvania is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), 267-284-5000.  www.msche.org.

The MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Information about Penn’s accreditation with MSCHE is available here.

To make a complaint to MSCHE, visit this website.

Statement of Accreditation Status

2024 Reaccreditation

Penn has completed a Self-Study Report as part of its 2024 Reaccreditation by MSCHE. The theme of this priorities-based Self-Study Report is “Inclusively and Effectively Educating the Whole Person for the 21st Century.” An external evaluation team, appointed by MSCHE, will review the Self-Study Report and visit the campus in March 2024 to assess Penn’s compliance with all MSCHE Standards and Requirements of Affiliation.

For more information, contact pennmsche2024@pobox.upenn.edu​.

2024 Self-Study Steering Committee Membership

Karen Detlefsen (Chair)  

Vice Provost for Education, Office of the Provost; Professor of Philosophy and Education, School of Arts and Sciences  

Beth Winkelstein  

Deputy Provost, Office of the Provost; Eduardo D. Glandt President’s Distinguished Professor, Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science  

Paulo Arratia (Chair of Working Group 7)  

Professor and Associate Chair of Undergraduate Affairs, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science  

José Bauermeister (Chair of Working Group 4)  

Albert M. Greenfield Professor of Human Relations and Chair Department of Family & Community Health, School of Nursing; Professor of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine  

Jennifer Canose (Staff Co-Director)  

Associate Director for Education, Office of the Provost  

Russell Composto (Chair of Working Group 2)  

Professor, Howell Family Faculty Fellow, Professor of Material Science and Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science ; Faculty Co-Director, Penn First Plus

Sarah Kagan (Chair of Working Group 3)  

Lucy Walker Honorary Term Professor of Gerontological Nursing, School of Nursing and Chair, Faculty Grievance Commission, Office of the Faculty Senate  

Trevor Lewis  

Vice President for Budget Planning and Analysis, Office of the Senior Executive Vice President  

Stacey Lopez  

Vice President for Institutional Research and Analysis, President’s Center  

Billie McGrane  

MSCHE Self-Study Project Manager, Office of the Provost  

Joann Mitchell  

Senior Vice President for Institutional Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer and Accreditation Liaison Officer, President’s Center  

Gary Purpura (Staff Co-Director)  

Associate Vice Provost for Education, Office of the Provost  

Diana Robertson (Chair of Working Group 6)  

Vice Dean and Director of the Wharton Undergraduate Division and Samuel A. Blank Professor of Legal Studies & Business Ethics, Wharton School  

Paul Sniegowski (Chair of Working Group 1)  

Stephen A. Levin Family Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences  

Julie Sochalski (Chair of working group 5)  

Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Associate Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing  

2024 Self-Study Organization

Penn’s self-study process is being guided by a Steering Committee and is organized into seven working groups and an operations group. The Steering Committee, in consultation and coordination with the President and Provost, provides overall vision and guidance for the Self-Study Report – recommending faculty to serve on the working groups, developing a charge for each working group, and advising on its organization. In addition, the Steering Committee will assist the Steering Committee Chair in writing the Self-Study Report and will meet with the external review team during the site visit in Spring 2024. The Steering Committee includes working group Chairs, who were selected for their expertise and demonstrated interest in and commitment to their working group topics, and how these topics relate to our self-study theme.  

Working Groups

Working Group 1: Course-based Inclusive Teaching 

Chair: Paul Sniegowski, Stephen A. Levin Family Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences  

Vice Chair: Bruce Lenthall, Executive Director, Center for Teaching and Learning 

Working Group 2: Research 

Chair: Russell Composto, Professor, Howell Family Faculty Fellow, Professor of Material Science and Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science ; Faculty Co-Director, Penn First Plus

Vice Chair: Jane Morris, Executive Director, Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships 

Working Group 3: Supporting Academic Development 

Chair: Sarah Kagan, Lucy Walker Honorary Term Professor of Gerontological Nursing, School of Nursing, and Chair, Faculty Grievance Commission, Office of the Faculty Senate   

Vice Chair: Julie Nettleton, Executive Director, Center for Community Standards and Accountability 

Working Group 4: Supporting Personal Development 

Chair: José Bauermeister, Albert M. Greenfield Professor of Human Relations and Chair Department of Family & Community Health, School of Nursing; Professor of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine  

Vice Chair: Marc Lo, Executive Director, Penn First Plus 

Working Group 5: Community Engagement/Connecting with Impact 

Chair: Julie Sochalski, Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Associate Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing  

Vice Chair: Amy Gadsden, Associate Vice Provost for Global Initiatives, Penn Global 

Working Group 6: Leadership/Working with Others Effectively 

Chair: Diana Robertson, Vice Dean and Director of the Wharton Undergraduate Division and Samuel A. Blank Professor of Legal Studies & Business Ethics, Wharton School  

Vice Chair: Leah Anderson, Executive Director, SNF Paideia Program 

Working Group 7: Acting Responsibly and Learning to Care for Oneself and Others 

Chair: Paulo Arratia, Professor and Associate Chair of Undergraduate Affairs, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science  

Vice Chair: Sharon Smith, Associate Vice Provost for University Life, Division of University Life 

Working Group 8: Operations 

Chair: Beth A. Winkelstein, Deputy Provost; Eduardo D. Glandt President’s Distinguished Professor, Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science   

Prior Self-Study Reports
Pennsylvania Department of Education

The University of Pennsylvania is authorized to operate by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. To make a complaint to the Department, visit this website

NC-SARA

The University of Pennsylvania is an approved institutional participant in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. For more information, visit this website.