ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Section 308 Accreditation
Effective: 11/18/96
Last Revised: 11/16/2020
Responsible Office: Academic Affairs
Policy Statement:
Institutional and programmatic accreditation are necessary and valued means of quality assurance and self-improvement for the University of Maine System acting through its universities and law school. Institutional accreditation ensures continuous self-review of the System’s mission overall and the respective missions of its universities and law school, internal and shared governance, programs, resources, and support services, as well as providing UMS students eligibility for federal financial aid programs. Programmatic and professional accreditations ensure the quality and relevance of UMS degree programs, including by providing graduates with eligibility for professional licensure where necessary and the public with assurances of program quality.
The University of Maine System will maintain a unified institutional accreditation for its universities through the New England Commission of Higher Education according to the UMS Guiding Principles established for unified accreditation and the Board’s January 27, 2020 Resolution authorizing unified accreditation for the System. Ongoing governance, resource allocation, and maintenance of the System’s overall academic/programmatic portfolios should be strategically undertaken so as to fully realize the opportunities and benefits of a unified System accreditation.