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NEW LONDON, N.H., Dec. 13, 2005 — Colby-Sawyer College has been reaccredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), the regional organization that reviews the quality of educational institutions and programs. The college was granted ten-year accreditation—the maximum period permitted between reviews—with its next comprehensive review slated for 2015.

Colby-Sawyer's reaccreditation follows a more than two-year process of self-study by the college, which culminated in a site visit in March 2005 by a team of eight evaluators from the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. The federal government requires that colleges and universities earn accreditation to receive certain federal and state grants and loans. In its recent report, the commission found Colby-Sawyer substantially in compliance with NEASC's 11 standards for accreditation and commended the college for a “thoughtful and candid self-study that describes its significant progress in the last decade.”

The commission outlined the college's strengths, including a “strong sense of mission that is well understood by the college community” and a “dedicated and qualified faculty and staff who are committed to students' success.” Additionally, the commission cited the college's knowledgeable and involved board of trustees and collaborative approach to governance; its new Liberal Education Program that reflects a commitment to excellence, responsibility, community and connectedness; and campus facilities that serve specific enrollment and programmatic goals.

The commission also noted the college's improved financial status over the last decade and the successful completion of its $40 million capital campaign in 2004. Colby-Sawyer has benefited from the leadership of a strong and well-respected president who has left the college well-positioned for future growth, according to the commission. President Anne Ponder, who led Colby-Sawyer from 1996 to 2005, left the college to serve as chancellor for the University of North Carolina at Asheville in September.

Colby-Sawyer will update the commission on its progress in areas the college identified for continued improvement in its self-study. The college will cite its progress in assuring an appropriate balance between full-time and part-time faculty across the academic departments, and in clarifying faculty contract options, the availability of tenure track positions, and its expectations for the faculty's scholarly activity.

The college has already made progress in these areas, according to Academic Vice President Deb Taylor. “We have recently approved several more full-time faculty positions for next year and continue to work toward achieving the right balance between full-time and part-time faculty,” Taylor explains. “Additionally, the trustees and faculty have been at work for more than a year on faculty contracts and tenure-related issues, so we're making significant progress in that area as well.”

Colby-Sawyer will also report its progress to the commission in other areas that the college identified as in need of further development. These areas include governance and planning processes under a new president and assessment of the college's new Liberal Education Program. The college will also report on its efforts to achieve greater transparency in the budget process, to continue to assure financial stability, and to develop and implement assessment tools for the library/information resources and facilities/maintenance areas.

In describing the results of its visit to campus, the commission stated that “the college operates with remarkable openness in a shared determination to make things better for its students.” The team also noted that the Liberal Education Program “strives to integrate students' entire educational experience, from their first-year seminar to the major Capstone, in a comfortable, interactive learning environment with excellent support from hard-working and dedicated faculty and staff and a well-organized team concept for delivering student services.”

Interim President Philip H. Jordan Jr. describes the report as a validation of the college's direction over the last decade. “The college has made astounding progress since its last accreditation, and we can all take great pride in our collective achievement,” he said. He expressed appreciation to the faculty, staff and students for their contributions to the process and their determination to “accurately assess our many strengths and identify the challenges that lie ahead.” President Jordan, who served as a trustee of the college for nine years, added that the report “affirms for me once again the remarkable cohesiveness and shared sense of purpose that distinguishes this community.”

Vice President Taylor, who played a central role in the self-study process, described the commission's assessment as a “wonderful, helpful report…affirming both the strengths and the areas for further development that we as a community identified for ourselves.”

NEASC
Founded in 1885, the New England Association of Schools & Colleges, Inc., is the nation's oldest regional accrediting association. Its mission is the establishment and maintenance of high standards for all levels of education, from pre-kindergarten to the doctoral level. NEASC serves more than 2,000 public and independent schools, colleges and universities in the six New England states and American/international schools in more than 60 nations. For more information, visit the Web site at www.neasc.org.

COLBY-SAWYER COLLEGE
Colby-Sawyer, founded in 1837, is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire. Students from 25 states and seven foreign countries learn in small classes through a select array of programs that integrate the liberal arts and sciences with pre-professional experience.

Colby-Sawyer College, 541 Main Street, New London, N.H. 03257
(603) 526-3000 (telephone)

Colby-Sawyer College
541 Main Street
New London, NH 03257
Tel: 603-526-3000