The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE, formerly NEASC) visit team met with members of the Bryant University community September 13-16 for an accreditation site visit postponed from this spring due to the pandemic. During the visit, NECHE’s eight-member team discussed the University’s comprehensive Institutional Self Study and discovered more about what makes Bryant distinctive.
The chair of NECHE’s visit team, Dr. Kirk Kolenbrander, Executive Vice President of the College of Engineering, Technology, and Aeronautics at Southern New Hampshire University, delivered an oral summary report summarizing the site visit. He noted that while some of the University’s accreditations are for only a portion of Bryant, NECHE’s accreditation is for the totality of Bryant.
“Looking from the very highest level, it is clear that Bryant is extremely strong,” Kolenbrander said. He also cited Bryant’s “palpable sense of community and passion for the students it serves” and “the unwavering commitment of Bryant’s student body.”
“Looking from the very highest level, it is clear that Bryant is extremely strong,” Kolenbrander said. He also cited Bryant’s “palpable sense of community and passion for the students it serves” and “the unwavering commitment of Bryant’s student body.”
Although Dr. Kolenbrander’s comments on behalf of the eight-member team are preliminary to the full report that will be drafted and critiqued by the Commission in November, he and the entire team shared many positive findings. The NECHE visit team’s strong positive comments and overall assessment reflect the Bryant University community’s commitment and contributions over the last decade. The NECHE visit team’s view of Bryant’s future prospects speaks to Bryant’s strategic focus on continued academic excellence and student success.
“Bryant’s mission is as bold as it is profoundly important.”
Dr. Kolenbrander said, “Bryant’s mission is as bold as it is profoundly important” and, in regard to developing leaders with character, Bryant is “perfectly positioned to lead in this space.”
The NECHE visit team also had high praise for Bryant’s fall reopening, acknowledging the University’s agility and that team members were profoundly impressed by the excellence of Bryant’s pandemic response, integrating scientific rigor and human empathy.
The visit team report is expected November 19, when President Ross Gittell and Provost Glenn Sulmasy will appear before the full Commission on accreditation. They will hear more details on areas noted as points of strength, including the PMBA online, Bryant’s strong undergraduate enrollment, international programming, outward-facing web site and renewed commitment to communications, and recent initiatives to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion. The full report will also include areas for enhancement and will provide insights for Bryant’s Vision 2030 strategic plan.
The New England Commission of Higher Education is one of seven regional higher education accrediting bodies in the United States. NECHE is a voluntary, non-profit, self-governing organization having as its primary purpose the accreditation of educational institutions. Through its evaluation activities the Commission provides public assurance about the educational quality of degree-granting institutions that seek or wish to maintain accreditation. Institutions of higher learning achieve accreditation from NECHE by demonstrating they meet the Commission’s Standards for Accreditation and comply with its policies.
