By Sophia Harris
Editor-in-Chief
President Nancy Niemi said Framingham State’s accreditation for the next 10 years was approved through the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).
NECHE decides the effectiveness of an institution as a whole using nine standards for accreditation, according to the NECHE accreditation handbook.
The standards are “aspirational expectations” that must be at least “minimally” met, according to the accreditation handbook.
These standards include missions and purposes; planning and evaluation; organization and governance; academic programs; students; teaching, learning, and scholarship; institutional resources; educational effectiveness; and integrity, transparency, and public disclosure, according to the NECHE website.
These standards outline that a university has a “clearly defined purpose that is appropriate to a higher-learning institution, has assembled and organized those resources to achieve its purpose, is achieving its purpose, and has the ability to achieve its purpose,” according to the handbook.
The accreditation initiative for Framingham State was led by Mark Nicholas, former assistant vice president for assessment, accreditation, and strategic planning, and co-chaired by Alexander Hartwiger, professor of English.
Niemi said at an All-University Meeting on Nov. 19 that one of the steps NECHE asked FSU to undertake is to submit a two-year and five-year update.
These updates will evaluate the effectiveness of FSU’s strategic plans, enrollment, and finances; evaluate academic programs, including international and distance education; improve the data management system; demonstrate that FSU is providing appropriate support services to ensure the success of its increasingly diverse student population; and submit an interim (fifth-year) report in 2029.
At the meeting, Niemi said, “The next time we will have this meeting will be in 2034, which feels like it's light years away, but they want to hear from us between now and then.”
She added the Board of Higher Education approved the strategic plan for the next five years “unanimously, which was wonderful,” on Oct. 22.
The immediate strategic priorities for AY 2024-25 are to adapt and adopt programs to meet the evolving needs of students; create a strategic framework to coordinate, track, and assess DEl initiatives across campus; implement services and pedagogical practices to improve student enrollment, retention, and persistence; diversify, fortify, and invest in strategic priorities for the future; and intentionally grow university-community relationships.
She said the University will be looking at a holistic approach to both the strategic plan and NECHE priorities because most of the goals overlap.
In an interview with The Gatepost, Niemi said it feels “wonderful” to have completed the accreditation process, but “the work never stops” and she intends to continue the meaningful work of the University.
She said the committee highlighted exactly what she expected. The standards “are part of our strategic plan, and they're not surprising. It's exactly what I would hope they would have asked us to pay attention to.”
According to the letter that NECHE sent to Framingham State, the University must submit a progress report by August 15, 2026, for consideration in Fall 2026, that gives emphasis on the institution’s success in the following areas:
1. Systematizing multi-year planning with evidence of achieving the enrollment and financial goals of its 2023-2027 Strategic Enrollment Plan and of implementing its 2024-2029 Strategic Plan.
2. Evaluating the University’s academic program portfolio, including its international and distance education offerings, to ensure it serves the institution’s mission and student demand.
3. Improving its data management system to support institutional research and inform decision-making.
4. Ensuring the institution’s assessment and review processes encompass all of the institution’s programs with evidence that the results are used for improvement.
5. Providing appropriate support services to ensure the success of the institution’s increasingly diverse student population.
The letter also stated the University must submit an interim (fifth-year) report by January 15, 2029, for consideration in Spring 2029. The letter also commended Niemi, “who has ‘implemented numerous initiatives and organizational changes’ that align with the University’s mission and meet its ‘promise to support student success, elevate local community engagement, and support academic excellence.’ This is noteworthy, as is the good news that FSU realized an 11% enrollment increase in Fall 2024.” To achieve these goals, NECHE highlighted some solutions FSU plans to implement that were put forward by the accreditation committee. According to the letter, FSU plans to implement initiatives that include “reallocating faculty lines and hiring additional full-time faculty to support high-demand programs, enhancing student recruitment and branding efforts, and increasing retention and persistence rates.” The letter also states that NECHE supports the initiatives underway that include “restructuring the Office of Assessment.” The letter stated that FSU “would benefit from conducting an assessment of its international graduate programs and from tracking student success data for courses and programs offered through distance education and in other instructional locations.” NECHE said it anticipates receiving an update on the University’s progress in providing “appropriate support services to ensure the success of its increasingly diverse student population as evidence that it ‘addresses its own goals for the achievement of diversity, equity, and inclusion among its students and provides a safe environment that fosters the intellectual and personal development of its students.’” The letter stated the NECHE team would like to see FSU’s continued progress in ensuring that “‘[i]nstitutional research is sufficient to support planning and evaluation’ and that FSU ‘systematically collects and uses data necessary to support its planning efforts and to enhance institutional effectiveness.’” Niemi said accreditation is now being paid attention to at the federal level in a way that it hasn't before. She added, “It could be used as a weapon, and we are aware of that.” She said it is worrisome to think of accrediting bodies being threatened because accreditation is the underlying operating foundation of universities. Niemi said going forward, this is something that “we need to watch carefully.” Hartwiger, who co-chaired the accreditation initiative, said he is proud of the report that the University produced. “There were so many people involved in the process and it was amazing to see all facets of the University come together to perform this essential review,” he said. Hartwiger said he is “pleased to see that the report is being used as a reference for ongoing and future decisions about the institution.” He said the report speaks to FSU’s “commitment to make data-driven decisions. Ultimately, I think this process has helped propel us into a new 10-year cycle.” When an institution is non-accredited, there is no way to verify the quality of a student’s education or the validity of their degree. Freshman Amanda Roach said she plans to use her degree to help children and “teach future generations.” Freshman Kate Bradzinski said her degree means that she is “educated and I can get a good qualifying job in the sports industry.” Sophomore Charles Karp said his degree “ensures employment” and being able to “do what I want to do.” Freshman Matthew Pailing said his degree gives him a “gateway to higher learning.” He said it would help him get a job in the career he wants, which is physical therapy. Junior Abrianna Ouellette said her degree means “having a successful future, getting a good job and reaching my goals.” Student Trustee Jeremy McDonald said, “Framingham State’s faculty and staff are dedicated to the success of each and every student. Under the leadership of President Niemi, Framingham State has continued to be a leader in the MetroWest Community and beyond.” McDonald added that FSU “provides exceptional value and educational excellence, and I’m proud that NECHE recognized our program for its excellence! I’m incredibly proud to be a member of Framingham State’s Board of Trustees.” [ Editor’s Note: News Editor Dylan Pichnarcik and Interim Asst. News Editor Bella Grimaldi contributed to this article. ]