AUC’s Accreditation Reaffirmed
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) has reaffirmed its accreditation of AUC through the 2026-2027 academic year. The University received the top level of MSCHE's reaffirmation of accreditation, without any requirements.
Out of 523 institutions worldwide that are accredited by MSCHE, only 17 — including AUC — are outside the United States, including four in the Middle East.
Highlighting the importance of this achievement and thanking all those involved, President Francis Ricciradone noted in a message to the AUC community, "Congratulations and thank you to all whose daily work to make AUC an amazing institution has won us this vitally important, highest official recognition of our performance at, or exceeding, the highest American standards."
After a rigorous self-assessment process and the production of a 100-page self-study report, AUC welcomed a team from MSCHE in March 2018 to observe the University’s congruence with its self-study, determine AUC’s compliance with the MSCHE standards and provide recommendations for areas of the University that can be further enhanced. During the visit, the eight-member MSCHE team met with all AUC constituencies to get a sense of University processes. AUC’s Accreditation Steering Committee had been compiling data, considering the needs of the University and seeking input from community members, to finalize the self-evaluation presented to the MSCHE team.
With AUC’s recent reaffirmation of accreditation, MSCHE provided suggestions and recommendations and noted a number of significant accomplishments, including the establishment of Employability and Career Development Centers at a number of Egyptian public universities; improving the enrollment process; implementation of a cocurricular transcript; integrating planning, resource allocation and assessment in all areas of the University; as well as documenting and using data for planning and assessment.
“In higher education, institutional accreditation by a reputable agency, such as the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, is an unparalleled hallmark of quality,” attested Iman Megahed ’90, ’92, AUC's chief strategy and institutional effectiveness officer. “At a time when accreditation is becoming considerably more rigorous, with accreditation probation and warning issued to some institutions worldwide, AUC’s accreditation was reaffirmed and praised on multiple fronts by the visiting team. The reaffirmation process has laid out our path as we move into the future to ensure that we continue to uphold the standards of excellence and continuously improve and become an even greater institution. Every member of the AUC community can feel a genuine sense of pride that they belong and contribute to the well-being and advancement of this University."
MSCHE is one of seven U.S.-based regional accreditors that accredit entire institutions, not individual programs, units or locations. It is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. “As completing a degree is a time-consuming, expensive and challenging process,” noted Megahed, “prospective students and parents need to be make sure that they are effectively allocating their time, energy and efforts by selecting an accredited institution by a recognized agency. Certificates from accredited universities can increase chances of admission to reputable institutions for further studies and significantly enhance employment prospects.”
In addition to obtaining globally recognized degrees, accreditation develops public accountability and keeps the institution engaged in continuous peer reviews and enhancement. “The MSCHE accreditation is an expression of confidence in an institution’s mission, performance, and commitment to excellence,” explained Heba Fathelbab (MA ‘10), director of assessment and accreditation at the Office of Strategy Management and Institutional Effectiveness. “The process of reaffirming our accreditation has been an invigorating one, as we have spent the last three years taking an in-depth look at what we do, how we do it and how we might do it better. The success of this self-assessment process was due to the collaborative and enthusiastic contributions of many members of the AUC community, which clearly shows their dedication to excellence and student success. I am very proud to be a part of such an exceptional institution and community.”
