Purdue receives maximum 10-year
accreditation term
By Laura Pelner
Summer
Reporter
The University has received some of the highest praise
possible for an academic institution. In late June it was awarded full
reaccreditation without stipulation for the next 10 years.
Carolyn Jones, the associate executive vice president
for academic affairs, said receiving accreditation is important and it
offers a lot to the University.
Jones explained that if a university did not receive
accreditation the Federal Government would not give it money for research
or financial aid. "Just for that reason alone it’s important,"
said Jones.
Also, students from certain academic programs that
require a license or certificate to practice need to be from an accredited
university in order to continue in the field after graduation.
A university can receive accreditation for a maximum
term of 10 years. To do so without any stipulations is an honor. Joseph
Bennett, the vice president for university relations, said, "We never
doubted we would be reaccredited, but to go through the process without
any stipulations and to receive the full 10 year accreditation is the
highest mark you can get. We’re very pleased about that."
Robert Ringel, the executive vice president for academic
affairs, said, "I’m as pleased as anyone can be. It’s the
highest form of praise; you could not get a better review. I feel very
satisfied and very proud; proud of the students, faculty, staff and physical
facilities."
Bennett and Ringel both agreed that the full reaccreditation
without stipulations is a testimony to the quality of the University,
as well as the students, faculty and management.
Purdue also received full accreditation 10 years
ago. Jones said that receiving the full term for two consecutive terms
is one way of saying that Purdue is doing a good job.
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
conducts the accreditation process. The Association has set requirements
and criteria for schools who wish to be accredited. These requirements
and criteria include the institution’s mission statement, its educational
purposes, its integrity, its degree programs and its faculty.
Jones said the review team that analyzes the University
did not really single out any one program, but rather that it examined
all of them. One aspect Jones said the team noted was "the continued
strength, quality and national standing of a substantial number of academic
and research programs."
She also said the team recognized the academically
engaged and committed student body. "I don’t know that a student
body can get a much higher compliment than that," said Jones.
Ringel said, "The general feeling was that we
had provided a strong infrastructure for students, faculty and staff."
He added that the team thought Purdue’s standards
for students were quite good in terms of the continual increase in the
standardized scores and class rank of those admitted.
The faculty and staff also received praise. Bennett
said, "The one thing that stuck out in my mind was that they commented
that they had not seen an institution where the level of cooperation among
the faculty and staff, and administration and trustees was so high. They
were very impressed with the way everyone here seemed to be focussed on
the improvement of the institution."
This accreditation term runs from June 2000 through
June 2010. The next review process will begin in 2009.
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