The Art Institute of Philadelphia Achieves Candidate for Accreditation Status from Middle States Commission

William V. Larkin, Ed. D., President of The Art Institute of Philadelphia, announced today that the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) approved The Art Institute of Philadelphia as a candidate for Middle States accreditation at its November 15, 2007 meeting.

“This is an expression of the confidence that the Middle States Commission on Higher Education has in our mission, our outstanding faculty, and our resources,” said Dr. Larkin. “We will be working hard on our next steps in the candidacy process so we can move to the level of regional accreditation as soon as possible.”

The Art Institute of Philadelphia, located in Center City Philadelphia, is the largest of The Art Institutes’ (www.artinstitutes.edu) schools, a system of over 35 education institutions located throughout North America. The Art Institute of Philadelphia’s student enrollment reached 3767 in the fall of 2007. It is an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals in the Philadelphia region.

MSCHE is a voluntary, non-governmental, membership association that defines, maintains, and promotes educational excellence across institutions with diverse missions, student populations, and resources. The Commission is dedicated to quality assurance and improvement through accreditation via peer evaluation. Candidate for accreditation is a status of affiliation with a regional accrediting commission that indicates that an institution has achieved recognition and is progressing toward, but is not assured of, accreditation. It has provided evidence of sound planning, seems to have the resources to implement the plans, and appears to have the potential for obtaining its goals within a reasonable time.

The Commission examines an institution as a whole, rather than looking at specific programs within the institution. More than five hundred colleges and universities are accredited by the Commission.

“Middle States candidacy is a wonderful testament to the strides we have taken at our college and especially to our remarkable faculty and support staff and our focus on student learning and outcomes,” said Dr. Raymond Becker, Dean of Academic Affairs at The Art Institute of Philadelphia.

About The Art Institute of Philadelphia
The Art Institute of Philadelphia (www.artinstitutes.edu/philadelphia) is a private, four-year college with student enrollment reaching 3,700 in the fall of 2007. The college offers Bachelor of Science degree programs in Culinary Management, Digital Filmmaking & Video Production, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing, Graphic Design, Industrial Design Technology, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, Photography, Visual Effects & Motion Graphics, and Web Design & Interactive Media. Students may also earn Associate of Science degrees in Culinary Arts, Digital Filmmaking & Video Production, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Photography, and Visual Merchandising, and Web Design & Interactive Media. Diploma programs are offered in Baking & Pastry, Culinary Arts, and Digital Print Production.

About the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is a voluntary, non-governmental, membership association that defines, maintains, and promotes educational excellence across institutions with diverse missions, student populations, and resources. The Commission is dedicated to quality assurance and improvement through accreditation via peer evaluation. Middle States accreditation instills public confidence in institutional mission, goals, performance, and resources through its rigorous accreditation standards and their enforcement.