In addition to the recent reaccreditation of Stritch’s Ruth S. Coleman College of Nursing, the College of
Education and Leadership and College of Business and Management have both been
reaccredited by their respective councils.
College of Education and Leadership
The College of
Education and Leadership, which prepares more new teachers and administrators
than any other private college in Wisconsin, has received reaccreditation by
the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
NCATE and Department of Public
Instruction (DPI) accreditation provides an assurance that the school’s teacher
and administrator preparation program has met national and state standards set
for the teaching field and has undergone rigorous external and impartial review
by professionals, policymakers and representatives of the public.
The college has a reputation for
innovative, cutting-edge programs that transform lives and communities. Stritch
was the first institution in southeastern Wisconsin to introduce a Master of
Arts degree program in reading and special education, an undergraduate
certificate in leadership and an undergraduate dual certification program in
regular education and special education. Its educational leadership program has
won awards for excellence and its initial certification programs at the
undergraduate and graduate levels prepare highly effective teachers.
In addition to degree programs,
the college’s Literacy Centers provide access to functional, lifetime literacy
for students in Milwaukee at five urban locations, while the Leadership Center
nurtures and enhances leadership in the educational, political, charitable and
corporate sectors, especially for those underrepresented in roles of influence
and decision making.
The NCATE
accreditation covers all educator preparation programs for the purpose of preparing and
developing professional educators for work in P-12 school settings, including
off-campus programs, distance learning programs, and alternate route programs. The
DPI review covers all licensure programs.
College of Business and
Management
The College of Business and Management recently had its accreditation
reaffirmed by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and
Programs (ACBSP), the leading specialized accreditation association for
business education that supports, celebrates, and rewards teaching excellence.
The effort reinforces
a commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, and scholarship. It meshes
with the college’s new mission to help students gain critical skills and training to
balance people, planet, and profit in service to a greater good.
The
college’s recent realignment supports this goal.
Holbrook said that a new way of thinking and operating was required to ensure
that the college continues to produce well-informed, marketable graduates who
are attractive to employers.
To this end, the college was segmented
into undergraduate and graduate schools, each led by an associate
dean. Each school now has faculty chairs in programmatic areas, providing
oversight on curriculum, as well as faculty management and development.
This structure renews the role of the
faculty and strengthens the college’s system of shared governance. The move was
also geared to enhance the marketplace perception that the College of Business
and Management has a demonstrated expertise in business education, allowing for
better long-term growth for both traditional and non-traditional business
programs.
The ACBSP embraces
the virtues of teaching excellence and acknowledges the importance of scholarly
research and inquiry. Institutions are strongly encouraged to pursue a reasonable balance between teaching and research. Further, the ACBSP encourages
faculty involvement within the contemporary business world to enhance the quality
of classroom instruction and to contribute to student learning.
The University as a whole will be visited by its
primary accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission, in April 2014.