In February 2018 we received an official letter from the Commission on Institutions for Higher Education of the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE), that Lasell University's accreditation had been continued. Ahead of that evaluation, we will also submit a supplementary report in the fall of 2019 in which we will provide updates on our success in implementing objectives identified in our Vision 2022 strategic plan and progress in achieving our undergraduate and graduate enrollment goals. 

As was the case with the NECHE visiting team report, the Commission's letter was overwhelmingly positive and complimentary about the progress  at Lasell over the last ten years, including the deepening development of our Connected Learning educational philosophy,  our revision of our core curriculum, our increased retention rate, our revamped academic support services, our dedication to a culture of assessment, our growth at the undergraduate and graduate levels, our shared mission and openly espoused values, our flexibility and willingness to adapt, our strong and committed faculty, staff and Board of Trustees, our focus on the quality of the student experience, and our overall progress while enhancing the financial viability of the institution.

The Commission identified two areas which they would like us to address in our next interim report. They included a description of our success in:  planning and evaluating our strategic goals, and providing updates of our standard on students and institutional resources.

As the decennial accreditation process has now come to a close,  I want to thank once again the scores of people who participated in the process, including faculty, staff, Trustees, and students. I particularly would like to thank Jim Ostrow who so ably and professionally led the process from start to finish.

I think we should all be proud of how we managed the accreditation process at Lasell, and of the positive reports and outcomes the process produced.  Lasell University has never been stronger, thanks to all of the members of our Community whose daily contributions  help to make Lasell the special place it is today.

In the interests of transparency and public disclosure, the Commission's letter and the text of the University's Self-Study Report are available below.

View the Commission's Letter (pdf)
View the Self-Study Report (pdf)

Sincerely,
Michael B. Alexander