Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud has been elected as a commissioner for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an organization that accredits SU among other universities.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to partner with colleagues across the higher education landscape in this new role,” Syverud said in an SU news release. “The Middle States Commission on Higher Education does important work to ensure institutions of higher education are delivering a high quality academic experience.”

Syverud’s three-year term will begin Jan. 1, according to the news release.

MSCHE is one of 15 regional and national agencies that are recognized by the federal government to determine whether colleges and universities are eligible to receive Title IV federal funding, including Pell Grants and federal work-study dollars. The commission accredits higher education institutions in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and in locations abroad.

The commission is made up of 26 volunteer commissioners. MSCHE commissioners set standards on how institutions are judged and voted by commissioners on whether institutions receive accreditation, said Preston Cooper, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.