Self-Study 2023-2024
NYU is a proud, accredited member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). NYU highly values this affiliation for many reasons, but the opportunity to conduct a detailed self-study of the entire University once every eight years is one of the most important ones.
NYU embraces the self-study process because we are committed to reflection and ongoing improvement. This process is a way to carve out time to ensure we ask ourselves the following meaningful questions: How are we doing as an institution relative to our goals and mission? Where can we improve? And what are the changes we should make that will provide the most positive transformative growth over the next eight years? Self-study is also an opportunity for the entire community to get involved. Together, we can chart a course to make us a stronger and more connected global university than we are today.
Self-study is a natural way to reflect, learn, and do something with what we’ve discovered to make NYU better in the future. And this process is comprehensive with a capital “C.” It explores the entirety of NYU, including NYU in New York City, all of our global locations and sites, and the full breadth of our wonderful and diverse academic disciplines, professorial offerings, student affairs, and operations.
The Heart of Our Self-Study
While broad and comprehensive, the heart of our self-study will center on four aspirational and future oriented priorities — impact, research, students, and global. Each closely aligns with NYU’s mission. We will use extensive evidence-based inquiry and reflection to focus on the following priority areas:
Impact
Addressing complex universal challenges and urgent social problems
Research
Transforming knowledge through innovative scholarship and creative investigation
Students
Excellence in education and the student experience in service of student success while at the University and once they leave
Global
Advancing NYU's unique strengths in global education
Self-Study Design
Are you interested in learning more about this self-study and how we are approaching it as a community? Check out our Self-Study Design.
Self-study, when done correctly, engages our entire community and provides everyone opportunities to share their thoughts and ideas. We are proud of the diverse group of faculty, administrators, and students, who represent a wide range of backgrounds, expertise, and experiences, leading our study. All members of the NYU community can share their thoughts on the study through multiple outlets announced throughout the self-study process. Staying up to speed on the study as it unfolds provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about how a massive institution works, and the role we can all play to make it even better for future generations.
The Steering Committee & Working Groups
Co-chaired by NYU’s Vice Provost Diana Arpino and the College of Arts and Science's Dean Wendy Suzuki, the Steering Committee is leading NYU through all phases of the self-study process. Accreditation Manager David Campbell is the chief of staff to the co-chairs, ensuring smooth communication and progress across all the study’s moving parts. A stellar group of faculty and administrators co-chair six working groups oriented toward each of NYU’s institutional priorities, collecting data and evidence and generating recommendations for the future. Community Engagement Officer Natalie Hidalgo is dedicated to implementing inclusive and interesting opportunities to engage the NYU community throughout the study.
Community Participation
Self-study is designed to engage the NYU community in an inclusive and transparent self-appraisal process that actively and deliberately seeks to involve members from all areas of the institutional community.
There are ample opportunities for wider participation. All members of the community are invited to attend information sessions as the study unfolds. Students, faculty, administrators, staff, alumni, and the broader community will have the opportunity to offer feedback on early Self-Study Draft Reports and participate in the site visit in the spring of 2024. Even today, you can reach out to nyu-self-study@nyu.edu with questions or comments on the self-study.
Self-study allows NYU to demonstrate our full compliance with MSCHE’s rigorous standards and requirements of affiliation and evaluate exactly how we are meeting our institutional priorities as we chart a shared vision of belonging, learning, and action for our whole community.
We began self-study in the fall of 2021, and it will culminate in the spring of 2024 with MSCHE meeting to decide on the reaffirmation of our accreditation. Our final report submitted to MSCHE will include a 100-page written narrative summary supplemented by a 100-plus-page evidence inventory. The detailed timeline will include all the activities associated with self-study through completion. Here’s an overview of the process:
Preparation
Fall 2021 - Summer 2022
- Preparation & planning
- Design the self-study
- Appoint committees
Launch
Fall 2022 - Spring 2023
- Launch self-study
- Conduct research
- Draft self-study report
Review
Summer 2023 - Fall 2023
- Share draft report
- Community feedback
- Revise draft report
Submit
Spring 2024
- Submit final report
- Evaluation team visit
- MSCHE meets to determine action
Thank you for your participation in the self-study!