Large student body and accreditation news

Despite our best calculations and predictions, this summer we received a higher than expected number of students who wanted to come to Norwich. As a result, at the start of the fall semester Norwich welcomed one of the largest classes in University history with 792 new students.  

The Corps now stands at approximately 1,400 with 549 rooks who come from as near as central Vermont to as far as Alaska, Hawaii, and Bolivia. Norwich's civilian population is 900 students strong. As you know, this wonderful but unanticipated news has created some challenges on campus.

The most pressing issue with the larger student population concerns housing.

At the beginning of the semester we increased occupancy in certain rooms and made temporary housing arrangements in several locations around campus. As we have worked to resolve the overcrowded housing situation we have focused on three priorities.  

First priority was to get the beds out of Plumley 121, which has been accomplished.  

Our second priority was to reclaim the living area for all of our students by getting beds out of the lounges. We are in this process.  

Our last priority concerned bringing the dozen Corps students who were forced to move off campus due to incomplete registration steps, back onto campus. We are working to return as many of these students as possible to the barracks.

In other news, we have just completed our New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) site visit. The NEASC process is extremely important to Norwich. Accreditation provides assurance that we meet 11 clearly stated standards articulated by the higher education community of what a college or university must do in order to deserve the public trust.    

While re-accreditation is performed every 10 years, preparations for a site visit begin two years prior to the event. The process involves in-depth examination of compliance with the standards, and the creation of a 100-page document which gives the visiting team an overview of every aspect of our institution. During the four-day site visit, members of the NEASC team review first-hand our operations and interview faculty, staff and students about Norwich.

Early indications are that Norwich performed well with the assessment. The chair of the visiting team, Dr. David Potter, complimented the University for the level of commitment shown by Norwich employees and the dedication and credentials of our undergraduate and graduate faculty.  He observed that he has never seen a school with such clarity in mission, vision, and values.

The comprehensive review has confirmed that Norwich University does many things well. It also identified areas that we, as an institution, can improve upon. We will continually work to make advancements in these areas in the future.

I held a public forum with students recently, as well as with faculty and staff. These sessions give me an opportunity to hear about issues that are on your mind and also to get your opinions on various aspects of Norwich. I hope that you will take advantage of future forums to express your thoughts and ask questions.  

The University is a collective academic community through which we are all connected. Speaking openly and candidly about ways to keep Norwich vibrant and forward thinking is an essential part of our work together.