2027 Accreditation | MHC Connect

In the academic year 2026-2027 Mount Holyoke is actively undergoing a self-study in preparation for our comprehensive accreditation review October 31-November 3 2027 by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). As an institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) NECHE serves as a reliable authority and independent voice on the quality of colleges such as Mount Holyoke. Additionally, NECHE accreditation provides the general public with evidence of our excellence and affords the Mount Holyoke community an opportunity to engage in a comprehensive self study.

The Standards which form the criteria for accreditation were revised and went into effect on July 1, 2026.

Standard One: Mission, Organization, Governance, and Planning

Standard Two: The Academic Program, Faculty, and Students

Standard Three: Institutional Resources

Standard Four: Educational Effectiveness and the Success of All Students

Standard Five: Integrity, Transparency, and Public Disclosure

The 2027 accreditation process is led by the NECHE Steering Committee chaired by Lisa Sullivan, Provost and Jane Couperus, Director of Assessment and Academic Analytics. Each of the above standards is led by one or more of the steering committee members with input from key stakeholders across the college. Additional support is provided by the Office of Institutional Planning Research, Office of the President, and the Office of the Provost and Dean of Faculty.

2027 NECHE Self Study Report

Mount Holyoke’s preparation for this Self Study Report began well before the official kick off meeting in the Fall of 2025 with what would functionally become the NECHE self study steering committee. Preparation began through a number of initiatives, most notably through our recent strategic planning process that was developed and launched in 2024 as MHC Forward. The four strategic priorities in this initiative; Academic Excellence, Resource Stewardship, Student Experience, and Operational Leadership address key aspects of the five NECHE standards and thus heavily inform our self study.

The self study looks back across the last five years to assess the progress we have made in areas noted by NECHE since our interim report as well as evaluating our current strengths and challenges. To this end, we examine the progress made towards the strategic priorities of the college as well as a number of other initiatives as they relate to the NECHE Standards. Moreover, we examine how we have and will leverage our ongoing assessments across the college in relation to the new NECHE Standards both now and in the coming years.

Timeline

The current timeline and key points in the accreditation process are outlined below.

Fall 2025

NECHE Steering Committee Identified and Finalized
First official Steering Committee meeting

Spring 2026

Standard Leads Identified and Finalized
Steering Committee check- in meetings
First Outline/Draft – June
Share process with MHC Leadership Council

Fall 2026

Monthly Steering Committee check-in meetings
Share process and expectations for involvement with Department Chairs and Faculty
First Full Draft – September
Standard leads share draft/bullet points with key faculty and staff stakeholders
Steering Committee Chairs check in with NECHE

Spring 2027

Monthly Steering Committee check-in meetings
Second Full Draft – January/February
Third Full Draft – April
Digital Workroom with Supporting Evidence Functional
NECHE External Review Chair Visit/Meeting
Self Study Draft available for public comment – May

Fall 2027

Final Draft Submitted to NECHE – September
NECHE Site visit October 31-November 3

NECHE Steering Committee

Danielle Holley

President of Mount Holyoke College

Lisa Sullivan

Provost and Dean of Faculty, Professor of Economics, Co-Chair

Jane Couperus

Director of Assessment and Academic Analytics, Co-Chair

Polly Prewitt-Freilino

Associate Vice President of Institutional Research & Evaluation

Bett Schumacher

Vice President and Secretary of the College

Elizabeth Markovits

Associate Provost and Associate Dean of Faculty, Professor of Politics on the Ford Foundation

Suparna Roychoudhury

Associate Provost and Associate Dean of Faculty, Professor of English

Tara MacKay

Acting Registrar

Carl Ries

Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer

Sarah Adelman

Dean of Studies, Professor of Economics

Jamie Grillo

Associate Vice President for Career Readiness

Invitation for Public Comment

Mount Holyoke College will undergo a comprehensive evaluation visit October 31-November 3, 2027, by a team representing the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)..

As an institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) NECHE serves as a reliable authority and independent voice on the quality of colleges such as Mount Holyoke. Accreditation is voluntary, peer-based, non-governmental and applies to the institution as a whole. The commission promotes educational excellence and quality assurance to its over 200 member institutions both inside and outside the United States, all of which are degree granting post-secondary educational institutions offering higher education.

Mount Holyoke College has been accredited by the commission since 1929 and was last reviewed in 2017.

Since the Spring of 2026, Mount Holyoke College has been engaged in a process of self- study, addressing the commission’s Standards for Accreditation. An evaluation team will visit the institution to gather evidence that the self-study is thorough and accurate. The team will recommend to the commission a continuing status for the institution. Following a review process, the commission itself will take the final action.

The public is invited to submit comments regarding the institution to:

Public Comment on Mount Holyoke College
New England Commission of Higher Education
301 Edgewater Place, Suite 210
Wakefield, MA 01880

Public comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution. The commission cannot settle disputes between individuals and institutions, whether those involve faculty, students, administrators or members of other groups. Comments will not be treated as confidential and must include the name, address and telephone number of the person providing the comments.