Monroe University
Self-Study
Middle States Self-Study
Institutional self-study is an opportunity for a university to reflect on its mission, policies, practices as part of its commitment to its students, to stakeholders, and to continuous improvement itself. Monroe University began its current Middle States Self-Study in September 2024 and will conclude following a site visit during the Fall 2027 Semester. Below you will find information relating to the current self-study, which will include Monroe's Institutional Priorities, Intended Outcomes of the Self-Study, Working Group and committee membership, and timelines for both engagement activities and self-study milestones.
Monroe University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), which is located at 1007 North Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, telephone (267) 284-5000. MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), msche.org.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166
Wilmington, DE 19801
Telephone: 267.284.5000
Our Institutional Priorities
Priority 1
Ensure that we continue to develop and offer academic programs and support services that best fi the evolving needs of our diverse student body, the workforce, and the communities we serve
Priority 2
Ensure that our teaching and learning environment:
- Remains cutting edge, with all courses taught by appropriately credentialed faculty,
- Is designed to optimize student learning outcomes via best practices,Incorporates current technology, and
- Is characterized by a culture of assessment and continuous improvement
Priority 3
Ensure institutional leadership, management, organizational structure, resources, and infrastructure are appropriate to support our mission and strategic goals
Intended Outcomes of the Self-Study
In addition to reaffirming our accreditation, we expect the self-study to be an inclusive, transparent, and self-reflective process that leads to the following tangible outcomes:
- Demonstrate how the institution currently meets the Commission’s Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation;
- Focus on continuous improvement in the attainment of the institution’s mission and its institutional priorities;
- Engage the institutional community in an inclusive and transparent self-appraisal process that actively and deliberately seeks to involve members from all areas of the institutional community; and
- Inform our next strategic plan with a focus on strengthening and optimizing our organizational structure, academic offerings, and resource allocation to achieve our mission.
Coordinating Committee, Senior Advisory Committee, Steering Committee, and Working Groups
Self-Study Coordinating Committee
| Name | Title/Office | Self-Study Role |
| Janice Girardi | Vice President, Academic Records, Assessment, and Planning | Co-Chair, MSCHE Self-Study |
| Christopher Barto | Vice President, Compliance and Governmental Relations | Co-Chair, MSCHE Self-Study |
| Karenann Carty | Senior Vice President, Academic and Student Affairs, Chief Academic Officer | Senior Advisor to the Self-Study |
| Chris Cascio | Dean, Academic Outcomes, Reporting, and Effectiveness | Scribe, Special Advisor for Standard IV |
Self-Study Steering Committee
| Name | Title/Office | Self-Study Role |
|---|---|---|
| Karenann Carty | Senior Vice President, Academic and Student Affairs, Chief Academic Officer | Co-Chair, Standard I |
| Chante Hope | Director, Library Services | Co-Chair, Standard I |
| Jerry Kostroff | Vice President, Academic Operations | Co-Chair, Standard II |
| Abigail Thorpe | Senior Registrar | Co-Chair, Standard II |
| Jacinth Coultman | Vice President, Academic Technology and General Education | Co-Chair, Standard III |
| Anthony Rodriguez | Director, Software Engineering | Co-Chair, Standard III |
| Kameil Douglas | Dean, School of Business and Accounting | Co-Chair, Standard IV |
| Sandra Polanco | Dean, First Year Experience | Co-Chair, Standard IV |
| Craig Woodward | Assistant Dean, Academic and Prior Learning Assessment | Co-Chair, Standard V |
| Kathryn MacDonald | Director, Honors Program | Co-Chair, Standard V |
| Dan Sharon | Vice President, Student Financial Services | Co-Chair, Standard VI |
| Olesia Tiagi | Controller | Co-Chair, Standard VI |
| Michael Altamirano | Faculty, Member of the Board of Trustees | Co-Chair, Standard VII |
| Guylaine Harrison | Dean, School of Criminal and Social Justice | Co-Chair, Standard VII |
Senior Advisory Group
| Name | Title/Office | Self-Study Role |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Ephrem | Senior Vice President, King Graduate School | Senior Advisor, Standard I |
| Evan Jerome | Senior Vice President, International Programs | Senior Advisor, Standard IV |
| William Bernard | Chief Financial Officer | Senior Advisor, Standard VI |
| David Dimond | Senior Vice President, Operations | Senior Advisor, Standard VI |
| Michele Mumma | Vice President, Strategic Enrollment, Technology, and Reporting | Senior Advisor, Standard II, IV |
| Lauren Rosenthal | Vice President, Marketing | Senior Advisor, Standard IV |
| Jackie Ruegger | Vice President, Public Affairs | Senior Advisor, Standard VII |
| Janice Girardi | Vice President, Academic Records, Assessment, and Planning | Senior Advisor, Standards II and V |
| Christopher Barto | Vice President, Compliance and Governmental Relations | Senior Advisor, Standards II and VI |
| John McCormick | Chief Information Officer | Senior Advisor, Standard III |
Standard 1: Mission and Goals
| Name | Title/Office |
|---|---|
| Karenann Carty, Co-Chair | Senior Vice President, Academic and Student Affairs, Chief Academic Officer |
| Chante Hope, Co-Chair | Director, Library Services |
| Sandy Adler | Dean, School of Allied Health Professions |
| Roberta Harris | Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs |
| Alex Canals | Associate Vice President, Student Affairs, Dean of Students |
| Amanda Ramlochan | Lead Faculty, Graduate Research and Critical Analysis |
| Terry Deligny | Faculty, School of Business and Accounting |
| Temajio Boodle | Assistant Director, Residence Life, Alumnus |
| Lee Ann Roberts | Director, Math Department |
Standard II: Ethics and Integrity
| Name | Title/Office |
|---|---|
| Jerry Kostroff, Co-Chair | Vice President, Academic Operations |
| Abigail Thorpe, Co-Chair | Senior Registrar |
| Calette Murdock | Executive Director, Financial Aid |
| Kerry Wirsing | Executive Director, Human Resources |
| Ted Goldstein | Associate Vice President, Student Affairs |
| Militza Gonzalez | Associate Dean, Online Student Services |
| Paula Green | Director, Public Safety |
| Lisa Becker | Director, Online Admissions |
| Travis Rave | Dean, General Education |
| Bruce Wigutow | Faculty, English Department |
| Emerson Philips | Assistant Vice President, Adult Enrollment |
| Eileen Ivanovski | Director, Marketing and Communications |
| David Spiegel | Director, Athletics |
| Parcus Ewan | Chief Information Security Officer / Faculty, School of Information Technology |
Standard III: Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
| Name | Title/Office |
|---|---|
| Jacinth Coultman, Co-Chair | Vice President, Academic Technology and General Education |
| Anthony Rodriguez, Co-Chair | Director, Software Engineering |
| Elizabeth Rao | Director, Progressive Nursing Program |
| St. Clair Thompson | Assistant Dean, School of Hospitality Management and CINY |
| Jarvis Alexis | Director of the Learning Resource Center |
| Aritha Emmanuel | Director, Student Services |
| Ilana Bronheim | Faculty, School of Allied Health Professions |
| Danielle Thomas | Faculty, School of Criminal and Social Justice |
| Eugene Kaufman | Faculty, School of Business and Accounting |
| Saadia Del-Llano | Executive Director, Office of Disabilities Services |
| Erinne Perry | Faculty, School of Business and Accounting |
| Terry Gyles | Faculty, King Graduate School |
Standard IV: Support of the Student Experience
| Name | Title/Office |
|---|---|
| Kameil Douglas, Co-Chair | Dean, School of Business and Accounting, Alumnus |
| Sandra Polanco, Co-Chair | Dean, First Year Experience, Bronx Campus |
| Ana Dorogan | Executive Director, Admissions Operations and Welcome Center, Alumnus |
| Joeane Laurent | Dean, First Year Experience, New Rochelle Campus, Alumnus |
| Yvette Powell | Director, Academic Support and Remediation |
| Shenique Rojas-Hyman | Assistant Dean, Career Services, Alumnus |
| Allen Jenkins | Director, Academic Services for Student-Athletes |
| Denese Ramadar | Dean, King Graduate School |
| Dara Sheffield | Director, Online Student Services |
| Andrew Calo | Head Athletic Trainer, Athletics |
| Ben Young | Administrative Instructor and Faculty Athletic Representative |
| Wincess Gaspard | Director, Admissions |
| Sandra Senior | Director, Student Services, School of Nursing |
| Jessica Pollas | Director, Clinical Services |
| Matt Sanderson | Programming Analyst, Academic Computing |
| Peter Ulrich | Director, English and Social Sciences Department |
Standard V: Educational Effectiveness Assessment
| Name | Title/Office |
|---|---|
| Craig Woodward, Co-Chair | Assistant Dean, Academic and Prior Learning |
| Kat MacDonald, Co-Chair | Director, Honors Program |
| Aditi Puri | Dean, Assessment, Accreditation, and Research |
| Sarah Nasson | Director, Diagnostic Medical Sonography |
| Paul Lichtbraun | Associate Dean, School of Criminal and Social Justice |
| Larry Belton | Director, Accounting Programs |
| Veralyn Gabriel | Director, Career Services |
| Will Carpenter | Faculty, General Education |
| Linda Charles-Ambrose | Faculty, English and Social Sciences Department |
| Susie Metscher | Clinical Field Supervisor, School of Education |
| Patrine Douglas | Assistant Dean, School of Nursing |
| Haxhi Berisha | Faculty, School of Information Technology |
| Sam Parsons | Director of Data Strategy, Analytics, and AI |
| Chigozie Ekpe | Faculty, School of Allied Health Professions |
Standard VI: Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvements
| Name | Title/Office |
|---|---|
| Daniel Sharon, Co-Chair | Vice President, Student Financial Services |
| Olesia Tiagi, Co-Chair | Controller |
| Denzel Daniel | Director, Residence Life, Alumnus |
| Alex Romano | Dean, Student Services |
| Alan Mechanic | Director of Facilities |
| Luis Melendez | Assistant Vice President, Athletics |
| Rena Prashad | Vice President, People and Culture |
| Cirino DiBartolo | Director, Budget |
| Dev Rawana | Faculty, School of Business and Accounting |
Standard VII: Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvements
| Name | Title/Office |
|---|---|
| Michael Altamirano, Co-Chair | Faculty, Member of the Board of Trustees |
| Guylaine Harrison, Co-Chair | Dean, School of Criminal and Social Justice |
| Robert Rivera | Advisor, First-Year Experience |
| Gajanan Nataraj | Assistant Dean, Graduate Student Services, Alumnus |
| Zach Young | Manager, Corporate Partners |
| Richard Maxwell | Faculty, General Education |
| Kathy Murphy | Member of the Board of Trustees |
| Pamela Lieberman | Senior Vice President |
| Joan Ustin | Member of the Board of Trustees |
| Ed Schneiderman | Assistant Vice President, Institutional Research and Reporting |
| Anne Marie Ferguson | Executive Director, The Monroe Foundation |
| Andrew Costello | Faculty, School of Criminal and Social Justice |
| Rosalie Miranda | Assistant Controller |
Self-Study Timetable
Monroe University / Fall 2024-Fall 2027
Fall Semester 2024
| Date | Activity/Deadline/Milestone |
|---|---|
| September-November | Coordinating Committee attended MSCHE Self-Study Institute |
| September-ongoing | Commenced weekly Coordinating Committee meetings for debrief and planning |
| October | Presentation to President’s Executive Committee – proposed self-study process, expectations, timeline, and draft priorities; approval to move forward as planned. |
| October | Informational presentation to academic deans and directors at Annual Outcomes and Assessment Day |
| October – November | Established Self-Study Steering Committee and conducted kick-off meeting |
| November | Presentation to the Board of Trustees reviewing the self-study process and proposed priorities |
| December | Began composing rosters for Working Groups |
| December | Coordinating Committee reviewed requirements of the Self-Study Design Document and started draft |
Winter Semester 2025
| Date | Activity/Deadline/Milestone |
|---|---|
| January | Informed University of the MSCHE self-study process at Opening Day meetings – overview, priorities, process, and timeline |
| February | President Executive Committee retreat – gave update and next steps |
| February | Steering Committee met to review charges to Working Groups, finalize Working Group rosters, and discuss lines of inquiry |
| February | President Jerome sent letters of invitation to Working Group members |
| March | Steering Committee met to establish meeting calendar, next steps for Working Group meetings, and deadlines |
| March |
Working Groups kick-off meeting – brought Steering Committee and all Working Group members together; reviewed overview, priorities, process, and timeline |
| March – April | All Working Groups met for the fi time – reviewed standards, process, timelines, and deadlines; established meeting dates and timelines. |
| April | Steering Committee met – discussed fi Working Group meetings and lines of inquiry; set deadline for lines of inquiry for June. |
Spring Semester 2025
| Date | Activity/Deadline/Milestone |
|---|---|
| May | Updated university on the MSCHE self-study progress at Opening Day meetings |
| May – July | Working Groups meet monthly |
| May – July | Coordinating Committee is working to finalize the draft of the Self-Study Design Document |
| June | Steering Committee met – discussed lines of inquiry progress, meeting cadence, next steps, and advice from the MSCHE vice president liaison |
| June – July | Coordinating Committee reviewed lines of inquiry and provided feedback to Working Groups |
| July | Working Groups finalized and submitted lines of inquiry. |
| July | Working Groups began collecting evidence |
| July | Coordinating Committee finalized the Self-Study Design Document |
| July | Held first town hall meeting to review the mission and self-study progress |
| August | Submitted draft of the Self-Study Design Document |
| August | Finalized date for liaison self-study preparation visit |
Fall Semester 2025
| Date | Activity/Deadline/Milestone |
|---|---|
| September | Prepare for MSCHE Liaison Self-Study Preparation Visit |
| September – October | Steering Committee and Working Groups participate in Weave Training |
| October | Self-Study Preparation Visit |
| October – December | Working Groups continue to meet and collect evidence |
| October – November | Community Meetings and town hall events |
| December | Submit revised Self-Study Design document to Commission Liaison |
Winter Semester 2026 – Fall Semester 2026
| Date | Activity/Deadline/Milestone |
|---|---|
| January – December | Working Groups meet, review evidence, and produce Draft Reports by December 31 |
| January – December | University wide events to engage and update whole community in the process |
| November | Commission Liaison sends Monroe nominations of potential team chairs |
Winter Semester 2027 – Fall Semester 2027
| Date | Activity/Deadline/Milestone |
|---|---|
| January – May | Coordinating Committee and Steering Committee work collaboratively to finalize the Self-Study Draft Report |
| February | The Commission contacts Monroe to confirm team chair appointment. |
| February | Final reports due from Working Groups on February 28 |
| March – May | Conduct additional community review and feedback meetings |
| April | Host Team Chair Preliminary Visit |
| July | Submit final Self-Study Report |
| August-October | Prepare the university community for the self-study visit |
| October- November | Host site visit by evaluation team |
Communication Plan
| Audience | Method/Mode | Timing |
| Students | Presentations, town halls, and surveys – Student Services, Student Activities, and student leader organizations | Fall 2025 – Fall 2026 |
| Include student leaders in select Steering Committee meetings | Fall 2025 – Fall 2026 | |
| Develop and update self-study page on Monroe’s website | Fall 2025 | |
| University publications, social media, campus events, and President’s messages | Ongoing | |
| University publications, social media, campus events, and President’s messages | Fall 2025 | |
| Monroe Staff, Faculty, and Administration | Presentation to Student Services and Academic Councils | Fall 2025 – Spring 2026 |
| ARAP to set up a mechanism to collect staff and faculty feedback | Fall 2025 | |
| ARAP is developing an intranet site for staff and faculty for progress and updates | Fall 2025 launch | |
| President’s presentation/welcome at the opening of each academic semester | Winter 2025-Fall 2027 | |
| University community events to discuss progress to date, provide updates, and facilitate discussion | Spring 2025-Spring 2027 | |
| International and Monroe Online Students, Faculty, and Staff | A variety of virtual events, meetings, and presentations | TBD |
| Launch of self-study page on Monroe’s website | Fall 2025 | |
| ARAP to set up a mechanism to collect student and staff feedback | Ongoing | |
| Presentation of initial overview and gather feedback on Self-Study design | Fall 2024 – Fall 2026 | |
| Update at scheduled meetings | Winter 2025 – ongoing | |
| Alumni | Alumni Assoc meetings | Fall 2025 – Fall 2026 |
| Steering Committee (establish regular communication and information sharing) | Steering Committee meetings | Monthly |
| ARAP intranet site and Teams portal | Fall 2024 – ongoing | |
| Working Groups (establish regular communication and information sharing; provide support) | Working Group meetings | Monthly |
| ARAP intranet site and Teams portal | Winter 2025 – ongoing | |
|
Ongoing |