Campus News
July 1st, 2025
GC administrators present at Watermark conference
Sisler, Bowser discuss Garrett College's deployment of PSS platform
Two Garrett College administrators presented at the Watermark Engage 2025 conference about the impact of employing Watermark's Planning & Self-Study (PSS) platform for accreditation documentation.
Director of Institutional Effectiveness Dr. Kelli Sisler and Chief Academic Officer Christa Bowser's presentation was entitled "Winning the Accreditation Game with Planning & Self-Study". They discussed GC's decision to acquire the PSS platform to enhance the College's ability to effectively document its efforts to meet the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) standards of accreditation and requirements of affiliation.
Middle States is one of six regional accrediting bodies for U.S. colleges and universities, and has served as GC's accreditor since the College was created.
"The College has been extremely diligent in meeting – and exceeding – Middle States' standards and requirements," said Sisler, GC's Middle States accreditation liaison officer (ALO). "Our goal in implementing PSS was to make sure all of our accreditation efforts were being appropriately documented as we approach our 2027 reaccreditation."
Sisler said Garrett has successfully integrated PSS "into every phase of the College's accreditation cycle."
"The College uses PSS for everything from General Education assessment and annual program reviews to strategic planning and evidence management," noted Bowser, who said the platform's built-in collaboration tools simplify cooperative assessment analysis.
Bowser said PSS has also made it easier to "align internal processes with Middle States standards while strengthening our ability to manage accreditation efficiently and proactively."
Sisler noted the College comprehensively documented how it met Middles States' accreditation standards leading up to a successful 2020 reaccreditation, but the effort was labor-intensive.
"We came out of that 2020 reaccreditation knowing we needed a better platform for documenting our accreditation efforts," said Sisler.
Sisler and Bowser's presentation also highlighted key outcomes from the PSS implementation, including increased staff engagement, improved data accessibility, and significant time savings.
Watermark serves more than 1,700 institutions with assessment and accreditation planning solutions.
