UMB was first accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in 1921. The most recent on-site evaluation was in April 2016. At its session on June 23, 2016, the commission acted to reaffirm accreditation and to commend UMB for the quality of the self-study process and report. Beyond institutional accreditation, all professional programs at UMB are accredited by specialized accrediting agencies, and the overlapping schedules of these accreditation cycles ensure that UMB is continuously engaged in evaluating its programs to meet these rigorous accreditation standards.

As vigorous as the assessment activity is within the professional schools, UMB has nonetheless made advances in ensuring that a high level of coordination and communication occurs across the professional schools. To this end, the cross-functional Accreditation and Assessment Unit within the Office of the Provost meets monthly to serve as a resource for accreditation activities across all schools and programs, perform ongoing Middle States Annual Institutional Update and verification reporting obligations, and catalog and monitor assessment methods utilized across schools and programs to promote the use of best practices. The unit was formed in response to 2016 Middle States site visit team suggestions relating to Standard 7: Institutional Assessment. The team suggested that UMB periodically evaluate the effectiveness and comprehensiveness of its institutional assessment processes.

• Monitor accreditation status and activities across all schools and programs by creating and maintaining a webpage, which includes a schedule, of accreditation activity for each school and program.
• Create and maintain a shared directory with accreditation documentation for each school and program. The unit serves as the University’s central resource and repository for all accreditation documents and correspondence, keeping the president and executive leadership informed of the status of accreditation activities and specific issues encountered.
• Serve as a resource for accreditation activities across all schools and programs and provide a preliminary review of materials prior to submission. The unit reviews draft self-studies and periodic reports produced by each of the schools and programs, corroborating and providing data relating to overall University activities.
• Engage as a point of contact for resolution of corrective actions. Representing the Office of the President, the unit is actively engaged with schools and programs concerning the resolution of findings, suggestions, recommendations, and especially the development and implementation of action or monitoring plans.
• Complete the Middle States Annual Institutional Update. The unit oversees the timely completion and submission of the Annual Institutional Update.

UMB’s culture of assessment is reinforced by the Best Practices in Assessment Group (BPAG) coordinated by the Accreditation and Assessment Unit. The BPAG is a committee composed of associate and assistant deans of academic and student affairs from each of the schools along with school-based program directors that regularly convenes to examine and share best practices in assessment. The group met informally in 2016 and was formalized subsequent to the Middle States site visit team suggestion received in regard to Standard 7: Institutional Assessment. The team suggested that UMB have the Associate Deans for Academic Affairs regularly address assessment during their monthly meetings or through the development of an assessment subcommittee to address and share assessment best practices and tools.

The BPAG has also taken the lead in the development and implementation of institution-level learning outcomes applicable to all students, regardless of program or degree level. The attainment of institutional learning outcomes, as well as program level goals and desired outcomes, is also monitored by the BPAG through the implementation of a standardized assessment reporting system known as the academic program assessment and improvement report.