Kean U., in New Jersey, has had problems with accreditation before.Wikimedia Commons
On July 30, Kean University received a letter bearing bad news: The institution’s master’s program in public administration would lose its accreditation at the start of September.
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Kean U., in New Jersey, has had problems with accreditation before.Wikimedia Commons
On July 30, Kean University received a letter bearing bad news: The institution’s master’s program in public administration would lose its accreditation at the start of September.
The program “continues to experience overall program instability as a result of insufficient administrative capacity and faculty governance,” read the letter, from the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration, which has more than 300 member institutions and accredits graduate programs through its affiliated Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation.
“In the Commission’s judgment, the program cannot be accredited at this time,” concluded the letter, a copy of which was shared with The Chronicle.
University administrators had been warned of the program’s problems a year earlier, when the accreditor gave the institution 12 months to fix its shortcomings. But the loss of accreditation will be surprising news to some new faculty and the program’s nearly 140 graduate students, who were not informed of the commission’s decision.
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Before an August orientation for new graduate students, faculty members were instructed not to disclose the program’s troubles.
“For tonight’s program, if asked about the M.P.A. accreditation, your response would be that the program is accredited,” wrote James J. Drylie, executive director of the School of Criminal Justice & Public Administration at Kean, in an email sent to faculty members. “I have not been made aware of the status of the University’s response.”
Mr. Drylie did not respond to a request for comment.
Not even all faculty who will teach in the program knew of the troubles. Deborah Mohammed-Spigner, who was recently hired as an assistant professor of public administration, told The Chronicle that she was not told of the program’s accreditation problems during the hiring process. “If I did know, I would still take the position so that I can contribute to doing what’s needed for the department to regain its accreditation,” she said in an email.
A History of Trouble
The problems that the accreditor identified, however, go well beyond what Mohammed-Spigner can fix. The program’s inadequacies “consistently impact the faculty’s ability to ensure integrity across the program with respect to transparent and effective governance, faculty qualifications, student support, and resource adequacy,” the accreditor wrote in the July letter.
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In essence, faculty in the program are teaching too many courses to assist their graduate students by helping arrange internships and employment opportunities, the accreditor concluded. Other issues include a lack of qualified staff and faculty to support the program, inadequate classroom space and technology, and unclear guidance on promotion and tenure policies, the commission concluded.
Kean has a history of struggles with accreditation. The university was placed on probation in July 2012 by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education for failing several standards. The regional accreditor renewed the university’s status later that year. The Middle States Commission is the gatekeeper for the university’s access to federal student aid.
Unlike Middle States, the organization that grants accreditation to the public-administration program does not issue intermediary sanctions, like a warning or probation, nor does it require colleges to post a notice of the accreditor’s findings.
The commission, in this case, has done nothing to clarify the situation. Despite its letter to the university announcing the loss of accreditation, officials there said in a written statement only that the program “is currently under review.”
“Once all accreditation review processes are completed,” the commission “will announce the decision publicly.” said the statement from Jeffery L. Osgood Jr., chairman of the commission.
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If the university appeals the decision, which is almost certain, it will retain its accreditation until that process is complete, which should be no later than mid-May, according to information from a commission spokeswoman. A decision to reject the appeal could come much sooner, however, according to the commission.
The appeal panel cannot reverse an earlier decision, but it could require the commission to reconsider its decision at its next annual meeting in June.
“We are confident that the M.P.A. program will maintain its strong, competitive position once the review and appeal process with the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration is complete,” read a prepared statement from the university.
The program’s loss of accreditation does not mean that its students will lose their eligibility for federal student aid. But it could be a big problem for students if the university’s appeal fails. Employers may pass over job candidates who have graduated from an unaccredited program; other universities may refuse to accept credits from Kean for the same program or a doctoral program.
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“The impact this will have on me is tremendous,” said a graduate student in the public-administration program who asked not to be identified. “I’m over halfway through the program, and without the accreditation, I’m afraid I wasted my time and finances.”
Eric Kelderman writes about money and accountability in higher education, including such areas as state policy, accreditation, and legal affairs. You can find him on Twitter @etkeld, or email him at eric.kelderman@chronicle.com.
Eric Kelderman covers issues of power, politics, and purse strings in higher education. You can email him at eric.kelderman@chronicle.com, or find him on Twitter @etkeld.