Salve invited to read and participate in Mercy, Catholic mission self-study and peer review
In addition to undergoing the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) re-accreditation process during the 2020-21 academic year, Salve Regina is also undergoing a parallel mission accountability self-study and peer review process with the Conference for Mercy Higher Education (CMHE).
What is the CMHE?
The Conference of Mercy Higher Education (CMHE) is comprised of 17 colleges and universities sponsored by the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. CMHE identifies its purpose as: “The preservation and development of the core Catholic identity and mission of Mercy higher education in accord with the spirit, mission, and heritage of the Sisters of Mercy.”
As stewards of the Catholic identity and Mercy mission of its member schools, CMHE has developed a mission review process implemented on a decennial basis and CMHE schedules these mission reviews to correspond with the timing of each institution’s regional accreditation.
This timing is both strategic and practical. Strategic, because it invites each institution to look at this mission review in a comprehensive way across university divisions, leveraging the extensive work done for the regional self-study and accreditation but examining this work through the lens of mission. Practical, because linking this review with the regional accreditation process allows for an economy of resource — both human resource and material resource dedicated to this end.
The CMHE mission review process is structured around five queries and eight mission integration core areas. The five queries CMHE asks each institution to respond to the self-study as follows:
- What does the Catholic, Mercy Mission mean for the University?
- How does the University apply its meaning of mission through programs, policies, & practices?
- What evidence is provided to judge the effectiveness of mission efforts?
- What might this evidence tell about mission integration effectiveness at Salve Regina?
- What will be done with the information collected about effectiveness at Save Regina?
These queries are examined through eight core areas of mission integration at the institution represented in the graphic below.
The Mercy, Catholic mission of Salve Regina animates and underwrites the work of our institution in significant ways. This CMHE mission self-study and peer view process invites the community to consider how Salve Regina’s commitments and priorities will advance this living mission into the 21st century.
An ad hoc committee developed and submitted the CMHE mission review self-study for Salve Regina on January 22, 2021, and it is available for community review here.
Join the CMHE peer visiting team in February
The CMHE peer visiting team will be conducting a virtual visit to Salve Regina on Feb. 22-24, 2021. The three-day visit will include meetings and sessions with faculty, staff, students, alumni, administrators and trustees and will conclude with an open session on Wednesday, Feb. 24, at noon in which the visiting team will share their mission commendations and recommendations with the entire university community.
The CMHE peer visit team will be chaired by Deanne D’Emilio, president of Gwynedd Mercy University. It will also include Dr. Greg Baker, vice president for mission at Mercyhurst University; Dr. Mary-Paula Cancienne, RSM, associate director for mission integration and support at the Conference for Mercy Higher Education; Dr. Moya Dittmeier, executive director of the Conference for Mercy Higher Education; and Catherine McMahon, RSM, member of the board of trustees at Gwynedd Mercy University.
Salve’s CMHE Mission Review Committee
As Salve Regina embarked on a yearlong process to prepare both for the NECHE self-study and reaccreditation visit and the CMHE mission accountability self-study and peer review, a committee was first convened to focus on standard one of the NECHE self-study and then expanded to prepare for the comprehensive CMHE mission review self-study. This ad hocmission review committee was appointed by President Dr. Kelli J. Armstrong and was chaired by Dr. Theresa Ladrigan-Whelpley, vice president for mission integration.
It included the following members: Annemarie Bartlett, director of institutional research and effectiveness; Amy Cady, assistant director of the Mercy Center for Spiritual Life; Dr. Daniel Cowdin, professor of religious and theological studies; Stephanie Dupuis, associate dean of admission; Dr. Myra Edelstein; associate professor of business and economics; Mary Edwards, director of constituent communications and design; Christine Kavanagh, RSM, chair, mission committee, board of trustees and executive director of ReFocus, Inc.; Kelly Powers, director of the Center for Community Engagement and Service; Dr. Steven Rodenborn, dean of undergraduate studies; and Dr. Miguel Romero, assistant professor of religious and theological studies.
