The External Evaluation Team visit will take place March 12-15, 2023.
Middle States Site Visit Preparation Guide
John Jay College and Middle States Accreditation
John Jay College of Criminal Justice is accredited through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), which oversees accreditation for institutions of higher education in five states (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania), Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other areas within and outside the country.
Any post-secondary educational institution participating in the federal student aid programs – which cost more than $150 billion annually – must be accredited. The goal of accreditation is to ensure that certain quality standards are met by these institutions that enroll students receiving taxpayer-funded federal student aid.
As part of the accreditation process, MSCHE sets comprehensive standards covering an institution’s student learning, financial condition, governance, planning, admissions, faculty, facilities, and other core dimensions of institutional performance. Like other accredited colleges and universities, every ten years John Jay undergoes an extensive self-study and peer review process to reaffirm our accreditation. This process includes a site visit by a team of peers from Middle States schools.
Reaccreditation is important, for without it the College would not be able to participate in the federal student aid programs. However, it is much more than that. A successful reaccreditation is more broadly a statement of quality about every aspect of our institution, and the self-study process gives our community, our students, the public, and external partners confidence in what we do. At John Jay, we embrace the reaccreditation review as one of the best opportunities we have to examine our performance, to reflect on our goals, values and vision, and to identify opportunities for improvement as we plan for the future.
What is Middle States Accreditation (PowerPoint Presentation)
Steering Committee & Working Group Members
John Jay’s self-study is being guided by a steering committee of twenty-one members, which will collectively lead the effort to engage the broader College community in the self-study process, complete the self-study report, and submit all supporting documentation. The steering committee is led by three co-chairs. To facilitate the coordination of the working groups, the chairs and co-chairs of ten working groups also are members of the steering committee.
Steering Committee
- Allison Pease, Co-chair Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Professor of English
- Ned Benton, Co-chair Professor of Public Management and President of the Faculty Senate
- James Cauthen, Co-chair Associate Professor of Political Science
- Tony Balkissoon, Vice President and Executive Counsel
- Dara Byrne, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Retention and Dean of
- Undergraduate Studies
- Kinya Chandler, Assistant Dean and Chief Operating Officer of Academic Affairs
- Shu-Yuan (Demi) Cheng, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Sciences
- Angela Crossman, Associate to the Provost for Faculty and Professor of Psychology
- Warren Eller, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Public Management
- Mark Flower, Interim Vice President for Finance and Administration
- Alexa Capeloto, Associate Professor of English
- Laura Ginns, Vice President of Public Affairs and Strategic Initiatives
- Brian Kerr, Vice President of Enrollment Management & Student Affairs
- Jennifer Lorenzo, Special Events Manager for Public Affairs
- Gerald Markowitz, Distinguished Professor of History
- Daniel Matos, Interim Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and Senior Registrar
- Elsa-Sofia Morote, Dean of Graduate Studies
- Alison Orlando, Institutional Effectiveness Specialist
- Dyanna Pooley, Director of Outcomes Assessment
- Jennifer Rutledge, Associate Professor of Political Science
- Andrew Sidman, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Political Science
Working Groups
Each working group will work to develop and provide evidence that will be weighed to determine whether the College demonstrates compliance with the MSCHE standards and criteria and requirements of affiliation that Working Group has been assigned.
Working Group 1: Mission and Goals
Co-Chair: Sofia Morote, Dean of Graduate Studies
Co-Chair: Jerry Markowitz, Distinguished Professor of History and Interdisciplinary Studies
Members:
- Daniel Stageman, Director of Research Operations
- Richard Pusateri, Military and Veteran’s Services Manager
- Rona Lane, Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations
- Peter Romaniuk, Associate Professor Political Science
- Erica King-Toler, Assistant Professor of SEEK
- Lisandro Perez, Professor of Latin American and Latinx Studies
- Joseph Varallo, Jr., student
Working Group 2: Ethics and Integrity
Co-Chair: Tony Balkissoon, Legal Counsel
Co-Chair: Angela Crossman, Associate to the Provost for Faculty & Professor of Psychology
Members:
- Gabriela Leal, Interim Director of Compliance and Diversity
- Jessica Greenfield, Women’s Center Counselor and Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response Advocate
- Charles Davidson, Director of Pre-Law Institute
- Ellen Belcher, Associate Professor in the Library
- Charlotte Walker-Said, Associate Professor of Africana Studies and Director of the M.A. in Human Rights
- Geert Dhondt, Associate Professor and Chair of Economics
- Lia Guzman Genao, Student
Working Group 3: Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
Co-Chair: Dara Byrne, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Retention and Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Co-Chair: Demi Cheng, Associate Professor of Toxicology and Chair of Sciences
Members:
- Holly Davenport, Director of Instructional Design
- Makeda Jordan, Associate Director of the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership
- Wynne Ferdinand, Director of General Education and Educational Partnerships
- Nathan Lents, Professor of Biology
- Maria D’Agostino, Professor of Public Management
- Jill Grose-Fifer, Associate Professor of Psychology
- Aiisha Qudusi, student
Working Group 4: Support of the Student Experience
Co-Chair: Brian Kerr, Vice President Enrollment Management and Student Affairs
Co-Chair : Alexa Capeloto, Associate Professor of English
Members:
- Danielle Officer, Director of the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership
- Michael Scaduto, Associate Director of Financial Aid
- Kate Szur, Senior Director of Student Academic Success Programs
- Elena Beharry, Counselor in the Wellness Center
- Glen Corbett, Associate Professor of Fire Science and Emergency Management
- Maria Kiriakova, Associate Professor in the Library
- Jennifer Holst, Lecturer in Mathematics
- Tzvia Waronker, student
Working Group 5: Educational Effectiveness Assessment
Co-Chair: Dyanna Pooley, Director of Assessment
Co-Chair: Jennifer Rutledge, Associate Professor of Political Science
Members:
- Demy Spadideas, Administrator and Compliance Officer, DOES
- Himani Gupta, Assessment and Evaluation Specialist, SASP
- Kathy Killoran, Executive Director of Undergraduate Studies
- Erica Burleigh, Associate Professor of English
- Muath Obaidat, Associate Professor of Mathematics
- David Shapiro, Distinguished Lecturer Public Management
- Ed Snajdr, Professor of Anthropology
- Naomi Nwuso-Stewart, Director of Enrollment Management Services
- Poonam Latchman, student
Working Group 6: Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement
Co-Chair: Mark Flower, Interim VP for Finance and Administration
Co-Chair: Warren Eller, Chair and Associate Professor Public Management
Members:
- Michael Rohdin, Director of Operations, UGS
- Ingrid Cabanilla, Organizational and Business Effectiveness Director
- Erez Lenchner, Associate to the Provost for Data Analysis
- Jayne Mooney, Professor of Sociology and Deputy Chair of Sociology
- Katie Gentile, Professor and Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies
- Paul Narkunas, Associate Professor of English
- Ciomara Dominguez, student
Working Group 7: Governance, Leadership, and Administration
Co-Chair: Kim Chandler, Chief Operating Officer of Academic Affairs
Co-Chair: Andrew Sidman, Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science
Members:
- Shavonne McKiever, Associate Registrar
- Sumaya Villanueva, Assistant Provost for Academic Engagement
- Jill Maxwell, Deputy Counsel
- Charles Stone, Associate Professor of Psychology
- Shweta Jain, Associate Professor of Computer Science
- Daniel Feldman, Professor of Public Management, Program Director of MPA in Inspection and Oversight
- Karen Kaplowitz, Associate Professor of English
- Elizebeth Loorkhoor, student
Working Group 8: Verification of Compliance
Chair: Daniel Matos, Interim Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and Senior Registrar
Members:
- Judy Cahn, Director of Department of Online Education and Support
- Michael Sachs, Dean of Students
- Vincent Pizzutti, Director of Financial Aid
- Sulema Ebrahim, Director of Special Projects, EMSA
Working Group 9: Evidence Inventory
Chair: Alison Orlando, Institutional Effectiveness Specialist
Consulting Member: Kathleen Collins, Professor, Library
Working Group 10: Communication and Events
Chair: Laura Ginns, Vice President for Public Affairs and Strategic Initiatives
Members:
- Mindy Bockstein, Executive Director of External Affairs
- Jennifer Lorenzo, Special Events Manager
- Allison Pease, Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness
- Alison Orlando, Institutional Effectiveness Specialist
Timeline of Self Study
The self-study process launched in Spring 2021 and will culminate in a site visit by the MSCHE to the campus in Spring 2023. An overview of the self-study timeline appears below and a detailed timeline is available here.
Self Study Design
A self-study requires an institution to engage in an in-depth, comprehensive, and reflective assessment process to identify institutional priorities as well as opportunities for improvement and innovation. The self-study design was approved by the MSCHE in Spring 2021.
Evidence Inventory (Organized by Standard)