Where should I direct comments or questions about Harvard’s CIHE accreditation?

You can submit questions or comments to oir@harvard.edu.

In addition, CIHE welcomes public comments, which can be emailed to cihe@neasc.org or mailed to the following address:

Public Comment on HarvardUniversity

Commission on Institutions of Higher Education

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 100

Burlington, Massachusetts 01803

When was Harvard last reviewed for accreditation?

Harvard’s last comprehensive review was in fall 2009 and the University submitted an interim report in fall 2013. Harvard’s next comprehensive evaluation will occur in fall 2017.

What are CIHE Standards for Accreditation?

CIHE Standards for Accreditation, most recently revised in 2016, examine “institutional quality” in 9 areas, which are:

Mission and Purposes
Planning and Evaluation
Organization and Governance
The Academic Program
Students
Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship
Institutional Resources
Educational Effectiveness
Integrity, Transparency, and Public Disclosure

More detailed information about the Standards for Accreditation can be found on the CIHE Read more about What are CIHE Standards for Accreditation?

How does reaccreditation work? What is the process?

According to CIHE, accredited institutions are typically reviewed for accreditation every ten years. That process, called the comprehensive evaluation, begins with the preparation of a self-study, which typically takes 12-18 months to prepare and addresses all of the Standards for Accreditation. After reading the self-study, a committee consisting of faculty and administrators from similar institutions visits campus to meet with the university president, faculty, students and staff. The committee provides recommendations to the Commission, which then makes its Read more about How does reaccreditation work? What is the process?

Who accredits the accreditors?

Accreditors, such as CIHE, are organizations federally recognized through the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), a bipartisan committee established under the Higher Education Act Amendments of 1992. NACIQI recognition indicates that an accreditor can adequately determine whether an institution is of sufficient quality to qualify for federal funds for financial aid and other programs.

In addition, CIHE is recognized through the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, which has five standards for accreditors: (1) They are required to Read more about Who accredits the accreditors?

Who accredits Harvard?

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges’ (NEASC) Commission on Institutions of Higher Education accredits HarvardUniversity. NEASC is one of six regional accrediting organizations in the United States. More information can be found at www.neasc.org.

What is accreditation? Why should a university be accredited?

Accreditation is a voluntary, peer review process. It serves 4 main purposes: (1) to assure quality to the public, (2) to ease student transfer between institutions by signaling quality, (3) provides institutions with access to federal financial aid, and (4) certifies a graduate’s credentials to employers.

An “accredited” university meets the Standards for Accreditation established by an accrediting agency. The Standards ensure that an institution has appropriate and clear goals, sufficient resources to achieve them, is fulfilling its objectives, and will continue to do so.

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