Introduction to the Saginaw Valley University
2004 Self-Study Report

Introduction

Saginaw Valley State University is pleased to submit this self-study report and request for re-accreditation to the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.

The Higher Learning Commission Handbook clearly states that the process by which an accreditation self-study is carried out is a significant component of the institutional evaluation. Those who developed, organized, and carried out this process at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) understand that the process must be inclusive of all institutional constituencies, evaluative of all units and the university as a whole, and grounded in patterns of evidence produced through assessment processes.

In presentations at the 2003 Higher Learning Commission annual meeting, the “Restructured Expectations” effectively reiterated those expectations in the context of revised criteria. Although this institution will be evaluated under the former standards, this self-study has also anticipated those restructured expectations.

This Introduction provides an overview of SVSU’s self-study process, measures the university’s process against the “Hallmarks of an Effective Self-Study,” and provides a brief overview of the Self-Study Report.