In April 2023, The Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) was granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the New England Commission of Higher Education (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.).

USEK has gone through a long journey with the U.S. regional accreditation and has implemented a series of improvements on different levels to align with the NECHE Standards for Accreditation. As part of this process, the NECHE Vice-President visited USEK in February 2019 to check the campus premises and meet with the University administration, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and partners. Later in April 2021, the NECHE determined that USEK is eligible to proceed with an application for candidacy for accreditation based on the eligibility report and a virtual visit conducted by a team of experts in March 2021.

The recent decision on the candidacy status is based on a comprehensive self-study submitted to the commission and an on-site candidacy visit conducted in November 2022. The review is focused on the nine standards for accreditation listed as follows and detailed on the NECHE website:

• Standard One: Mission and Purposes
• Standard Two: Planning and Evaluation
• Standard Three: Organization and Governance
• Standard Four: The Academic Program
• Standard Five: Students
• Standard Six: Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship
• Standard Seven: Institutional Resources
• Standard Eight: Educational Effectiveness
• Standard Nine: Integrity, Transparency, and Public Disclosure

Candidacy for Accreditation is a status of affiliation with the Commission which indicates that the institution has achieved initial recognition and is progressing toward accreditation. Candidacy is not accreditation nor does it assure eventual accreditation.

The USEK administration considers this recognition a huge step forward towards achieving the NECHE accreditation and as evidence of the continued commitment of the USEK community to foster the University’s mission by “providing a high quality American-style education to its students”. The University will spare no effort to advance in this process and achieve accreditation during the next review cycle.

Inquiries regarding the status of an institution affiliated with the Commission should be directed to the administrative staff of USEK. Individuals may also contact:
New England Commission of Higher Education
3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 100, Burlington, MA 01803-4514
(781) 425 7785
E-Mail: info@neche.org