MCC Daily Tribune

Middle States Self-Study Co-chairs Selected

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Candice Baldwin, Chief of Staff, and Dr. Natasha Chen, Associate Professor of Sociology, as co-chairs for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Self-Study process in support of MCC’s re-affirmation of accreditation. Both Drs. Baldwin and Chen bring a wealth of experience in various aspects of higher education leadership for this important effort. Dr. Baldwin received her Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership from William & Mary, and Dr. Chen received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Baldwin and Dr. Chen have each demonstrated their commitment to diversity, equity, and belonging throughout their careers, and their respective DEIB and leadership skills will ensure MCC’s success in this undertaking. Among her accomplishments, Dr. Baldwin served as Associate Vice President for Student Success at Frederick Community College in Maryland, where she focused on closing the achievement gap for first-generation, low-income, and traditionally underserved populations. Dr. Chen serves as Faculty Senate Vice President representing teaching faculty at MCC, and she is the Chair of the DEI in Teaching and Learning Workgroup.

Re-affirmation of accreditation occurs on an eight-year cycle, and it is a multi-year process, beginning with a Self-Study Institute this fall and concluding with an on-site evaluation by a MSCHE peer review team in AY 2025-2026. The self-study report will detail the ways in which we commit to continuous improvement, and it will demonstrate our compliance with MSCHE’s Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation. MSCHE has recently implemented the 14th edition of the Standards, which infuse DEI throughout the Standards, and MCC will be among the first institutions to participate in the self-study process using this edition. As this process moves forward, the self-study co-chairs will be reaching out to the campus community for support of this process, and there will be many opportunities for each of you to be involved in our re-affirmation of accreditation.

Margaret Semmer
Academic and Student Affairs
09/19/2023