The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc., one of six regional accrediting bodies in the United States, is a voluntary, non-profit, self-governing organization having as its primary purpose the accreditation of educational institutions. Through its evaluation activities, carried out by five commissions, the Association provides public assurance about the educational quality of those schools and colleges that seek or wish to maintain membership, which is synonymous with accreditation.

Institutions of higher learning achieve accreditation from the New England Association through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education by demonstrating they meet the Commission's Standards for Accreditation and comply with its policies. The Standards for Accreditation establish minimum criteria for institutional quality. In addition, the Commission adopts policies which elucidate the Standards and relate to their application. Moreover, the Commission expects affiliated institutions to work toward improving their quality; increasing their effectiveness, and continually striving toward excellence. Its evaluative processes are designed to encourage such improvement.

Each of the eleven Standards encompasses a principal area of institutional activity. In applying the Standards, the Commission assesses and makes a determination about the effectiveness of the institution as a whole. The institution which meets the Standards:

• has clearly defined purposes appropriate to an institution of higher learning;

• has assembled and organized those resources necessary to achieve its purposes;

• is achieving its purposes; has the ability to continue to achieve its purposes.

The Commission recognizes that some aspects of an institution are always stronger than others. Meeting the Standards does not guarantee the quality of individual programs, courses, or graduates, but serious weaknesses in a particular area may threaten the institution's accreditation.

The Commission deals with institutional differences in ways designed to protect both educational quality and individual philosophy and practice. The Standards are essentially qualitative criteria that measure the institution's current state of educational effectiveness. They allow the Commission to appraise a wide variety of collegiate institutions, differing in purpose, size, organization, scope of program, clientel served, support, and control. By design, the Standards do not preclude perceptive and imaginative experimentation aimed at increasing the effectiveness of higher education.

Institutions whose policies, practices, or resources differ significantly from those described in the Standards for Accreditation must present evidence that these are appropriate to higher education, consistent with institutional mission and purposes, and effective in meeting the intent of the Commission's Standards. The existence of collective bargaining agreements, in and of themselves, does not abrogate institutional or faculty obligations to comply with the standards for accreditation.

Institutions of higher learning desiring recognition by the New England Association are expected to abide by the Standards. Afflilated colleges and universities manifest their integrity through continued voluntary adherence to these criteria. Compliance is periodically reviewed through peer evaluations. These are preceded by self-studies directed toward demonstrating both adherence to the Standards and institutional improvement. The self-regulatory nature of accreditation assumes that institutions agree to participate in and to accept and profit by an honest and forthright assessment of institutional strengths and weaknesses.

The Standards for Accreditation were developed through a lengthy participatory process which involved each member institution as well as the public. Therefore, they represent the accrued wisdom of some 200 colleges and universities about the essential elements of institutional quality, and they offer a perspective which stresses the public purpose of higher education. The Commission continually evaluates the effectiveness of its Standards and its processes for applying them, and makes such changes as conditions warrant.

3.1 The institution has a system of governance that facilitates the successful accomplishment of its mission and purposes. Through its organizational design and governance structure, the institution creates and sustains an environment that encourages teaching, learning, scholarship, and where appropriate research, and it assures provision of support adequate for the appropriate functioning of each organizational component.

3.2 The authority, responsibilities, and relationships among the governing board, administration, staff, and faculty are clearly described in a constitution, by-laws, or equivalent document, and in as a table of organization that displays the actual working order of the institution. The board, administration, staff, and faculty understand and fulfill their respective roles as set forth in the institution's official documents. The institution's system of governance involves the participation of all appropriate constituencies and includes regular communication among them.

3.3 The governing board is ultimately responsible for the institution's quality and integrity. It is the legally constituted body that holds the property and assets of the institution in trust. The board has the authority to achieve institutional purposes. Its membership includes representation reflecting the public interest. The board has a clear understanding of the distinctive mission and purposes of the institution and ensures that they are realized. The board sets and reviews institutional policies and assures the institution's fiscal solvency. It appoints and delegates to the chief executive officer responsibility for the implementation and management of these policies. Utilizing the institutional governance structure, the board establishes and maintains productive channels of communication among its members and with the institutional community. Its role and functions are effectively carried out through appropriate committees and meetings.

3.4 The institution has a chief executive officer whose full-time or major responsibility is to the institution. The board delegates to the chief executive officer and, as appropriate, other constituencies the requisite authority and autonomy to manage the institution effectively and to formulate and implement policies compatible with the board's intentions. These policies are developed in consultation with appropriate constituencies. The chief executive officer manages and allocates resources in keeping with institutional purposes and objectives and assesses the effectiveness of the institution. In accordance with established institutional mechanisms and procedures, the chief executive officer and the administration are appropriately responsive to the concerns, needs, and initiatives of faculty, students, other administrators, and staff.

3.5 In multi-campus systems, the division of responsibility and authority between the system office and the institution is clear; system policies and procedures are clearly defined and equitably administered.

3.6 Off-campus, continuing education, evening and week-end programs are clearly integrated and incorporated into the governance system of the institution.

3.7 The faculty assures the academic integrity of the institution's educational programs. Within the context of the institution's system of governance, the faculty is accorded the right and exercises its responsibility to provide a substantive voice in matters of educational programs, faculty personnel, and other aspects of institutional policy that relate to its areas of responsibility and expertise.

3.8 The system of governance makes provisions for consideration of student views and judgments in those matters in which students have a direct and reasonable interest.

3.9 The institution periodically evaluates the effectiveness of its system of governance using the results or its improvement.