NEW ENGLAND ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS & COLLEGES, INC,
COMMISSION ON INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

August 29, 2006

Dr. Douglas J. Bennet, Jr.
President
Wesleyan University
229 High Street, South College Building
Middletown, CT 06459

Dear President Bennet:

In its action of April 25, 2003 regarding Wesleyan University, the Commission indicated that a fifth-year interim report should be submitted by the University in the Fall of 2007. I write now to remind you of that obligation.

Fifth-year interim reports are required of all institutions on a ten-year evaluation cycle. Their purpose is to provide the Commission an opportunity to review the current status of the institution. A copy of the Commission's procedures for the fifth-year interim report is enclosed to provide further information about this requirement and to assist you in preparing the report. You will note that institutions preparing interim reports are asked to address the Commission's Standards for Accreditation. For fifth-year reports that will be reviewed by the Commission after January 1, 2006, the new Standards will take effect.

These new Standards for Accreditation seek to assure that institutions assess their effectiveness to verify and enhance the fulfillment of their mission and purposes, giving primary focus to the attainment of educational objectives. The institution should describe its efforts to enhance the fulfillment of all of the Standards in this regard.

While the report is to provide an overview of the institution in its current state of development, I note that the Commission requested that you give particular emphasis to the following concerns:

1. evaluating the effectiveness of the newly revised governance structure and using the results for further improvement;
2. further strengthening the coherence of the undergraduate curriculum;
3. continuing to maintain and monitor the University's long-term financial health;

We would like to receive your report by August 15, 2007. It will be scheduled for review at one of our Fall, 2007 meetings.

At the institution's request, a member of the Commission's staff will visit the institution, to discuss its preparation in light of Commission expectations.

During this period of transition to the new Standards, the Commission encourages scheduling a staff visit to discuss ways of implementing the new Standards. We will also sponsor an orientation session on Wednesday, October 11, 2006 for institutions completing fifth-year reports due August 15, 2007. We will contact your accreditation liaison officer to determine if one or two people from your institution will be able to attend this session.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions about this matter.

Sincerely,

Robert C. Froh

RCF/bec

Enclosures

cc: Dr. Peter C. Patton