Naugatuck Valley Community College President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D., Elected NECHE Commissioner

The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) is the regional accreditation agency for colleges and universities in the six New England states, three institutions in Greece, three in Switzerland, two in Lebanon, and one in Bulgaria, Bermuda, and Morocco, respectively. The Commission consists of faculty and administrators from affiliated institutions and public members.

Recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a reliable authority on the quality of education for the institutions it accredits, the Commission is also recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), which affirms that its Standards and processes are consistent with the quality, improvement, and accountability expectations that CHEA has established. The Commission accredits 220 degree-granting institutions in the six New England states and eleven American-style institutions in other countries.

The Commission comprises at least twenty-seven persons elected by the member colleges and universities for no more than two consecutive three-year terms. At least one in seven Commissioners is a representative of the public interest, with the remainder being faculty, senior administrators, and trustees from member institutions. Annually the work of accreditation is carried out by approximately 3,500 volunteers who serve on visiting teams and on the commissions. These volunteers include college and university presidents, academic officers, faculty, and campus experts in finance, student services and library/technology.

As a Commissioner, President De Filippis will be involved in the Accreditation process of the institutions reviewed by NECHE. Her tenure begins on July 1, 2019. Commenting on this professional accomplishment and the opportunity it represents, President De Filippis noted, “I am a firm believer in the value of peer-review.  I am honored and very appreciative of this opportunity to serve as a NECHE commissioner and to continue to learn about higher education.”

In the words of NECHE, Regional Accreditation is highly regarded and requires talent.  “Regional accreditation oversees the quality of research universities; community colleges; liberal arts colleges; state colleges; religiously affiliated institutions; special-purpose institutions in the arts, sciences, and professional fields; military academies; historically black and Hispanic-serving institutions; and tribal colleges. Regionally accredited institutions are public and private, for-profit and not-for-profit, secular and religious, urban and rural, large and small, old and new, traditional and non-traditional. Collectively, they enroll over 17 million students in programs ranging from associate through doctoral level degrees. The quality of these colleges and universities – and the talent they have contributed to develop regional accreditation over the decades – means that regional accreditation is highly regarded around the world. In the United States, each of the regional commissions is recognized by the United States Secretary of Education and by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.”

Bio for President De Filippis may be found on NVCC’s website.