Nyack School of Education dean, Dr. JoAnn Looney announced that the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) completed its on-site visit at Nyack College and and will be recommended by the onsite team for extension of accreditation for the next seven years.  The official decision will come from NCATE's Unit Accreditation Board in Spring 2012.

The site visit team determined that the college meets all six standards, which include candidate knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions; assessment system and unit evaluation; field experiences and clinical practice; diversity; faculty qualifications, performance, and development; and unit governance and resources.

Dr. Looney shared that "preparation for the visit started in the spring of 2008, building on the assessment framework developed by Dr. Ben Schepens, former Nyack School of Education dean and current assistant provost and director of institutional assessment.  Since then, faculty, staff, and Assessment /NCATE Coordinator, Kristen Luba, have diligently worked revising curricula, developing or revising new key and common assessments and forging P-12 partnerships." 

“We worked closely with the School of Music and with the English, history, and math departments, as well, and we are grateful for their support of our programs. In addition, we have collected data, which were analyzed and used for course or program redesign, moving toward academic excellence. It is a pleasure to work with such a committed group of professionals,” said Dean Looney.

“This three and a half year collaborative effort culminated with a three day-site visit coordinated by Kristen Luba. Her contribution to our success cannot be overstated and we're very grateful for her diligence, her expertise, and her commitment to excellence,” she added.

Dr. Michael G. Scales responded to the news with similar enthusiasm. “This recent accomplishment by our School of Education team and administrators is another important milestone for our campus community to celebrate and a reminder of what a privilege it is to serve with such extraordinary men and women.”