UTS Requests Your Prayers

Dr. Hugh Spurgin, President of Unification Theological Seminary, recently shared details about the status of UTS.

For the past two years, UTS has been in the arduous process of reaccreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), which occurs every ten years for accredited institutions and can last an average of 18-24 months. Retaining the status of an accredited institution, which UTS has had since 1996, not only affects the school’s status, but the availability of resources and funding that determine its ultimate long term success.

Since March 2013, UTS has undergone several reviews by the MSCHE including self evaluations, site visits, monitoring reports, and appeals. The recent MSCHE review in June 2015, found UTS lacking in two standards required for accreditation. The school had previously been on probation for lack of evidence that the school was in compliance with four of the fourteen standards including Mission and Goals, Institutional Resources, Student Admissions and Retention, and Assessment of Student Learning.  After a two year period, UTS submitted a monitoring report in March 2015 to document compliance.  Though the commission found UTS now compliant in Mission and Goals, and Student Admissions and Retention, it did not find sufficient evidence that the school had fulfilled the other two standards. Thus, UTS currently is on probation, but still accredited.

The school submitted another report on December 1, 2015 and on January 4, 5, and 6, a second MSCHE team will visit UTS to assess the compliance of UTS with the two remaining institutional standards. Based on this report, and on the response from UTS, the Commission will determine whether or not UTS will remain on probation at their meeting in March 2016.

As UTS continues to improve its standards and work towards a truly thriving institution, the president and faculty ask for support and prayers for the seminary during this very important step.

For more details, read the President’s letter below:

President Spurgin requests prayerful support for UTS

Dear alumnae, alumni and friends of UTS,

In 1996, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) accredited Unification Theological Seminary.  Every ten years accredited institutions of higher education engage in an 18-24 month period of self-study and peer review, in order to demonstrate institutional compliance with various standards of accreditation. 

In March 2013, UTS completed the self study and hosted a MSCHE team visit.  Following the on-site visit, the MSCHE evaluation team submitted its report to UTS, which prepared an institutional response.  The institutional response is the opportunity to provide a thoughtful written response to the report of the team, including disagreements with the findings of the team.   Then the team report and the response of UTS was submitted to the Commission at its June 2014 meeting. 

The Commission decided to place UTS on probation because of a lack of evidence that our seminary was in compliance with four of the fourteen standards:

Standard 1 (Mission and Goals),

Standard 3 (Institutional Resources),

Standard 8 (Student Admissions and Retention)

Standard 14 (Assessment of Student Learning).

Those MSCHE standards are explained in the following document: http://www.msche.org/documents/RevisedStandardsFINAL.pdf

While on probation, UTS has remained accredited by the Middle States Commission and was given two years in which to demonstrate compliance with the remaining four standards.

The Commission requested that UTS submit a monitoring report by March 1, 2015 to document that it had achieved compliance with Standards 1, 3, 8 and 14:  

(1) Standard 1:  After consultation with all stakeholders, including the leaders of our sponsoring church (HSA-UWC), a new mission statement was drafted and approved by the UTS Board of Trustees;   

(2) Standard 3:  Efforts have been made to demonstrate the financial viability and sustainability of UTS as an institution of higher education;        

(3) Standard 8:   Development and publication of consistent admission criteria, with tools to aid in the identification and remediation of academically at-risk students;

(4) Standard 14:  Establishment of a clear assessment processes which demonstrates that after having graduated students have obtained the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies.    

In June 2015, the Middle States Commission decided that UTS demonstrated that it was in compliance with Standard 1 (Mission and Goals) and with Standard 8 (Student Admissions and Retention).   However, the Commission indicated that UTS would remain on probation because of insufficient evidence that it was in compliance with Standard 3 (Institutional Resources) and Standard 14 (Assessment of Student Learning).

On December 1, UTS submitted another monitoring report.   On January 4, 5 and 6, a second MSCHE team will visit UTS to assess the compliance of UTS with the two remaining standards.

Based on the monitoring report, on the report of the MSCHE team coming in January, and on the response of UTS to that team report, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education will determine at its meeting in March 2016 whether or not UTS will remain on probation.   

Please send your prayerful support for UTS to be successful in having its accreditation affirmed.  Thank you. 

Hugh Spurgin, Ph.D. (Class of 1977)

President, Unification Theological Seminary