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MHC Health Center lab recognized for quality--The Pattie J. Groves Health Center laboratory has met all the criteria for accreditation by the Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation (COLA). Accreditation is given only to labs that apply rigid standards of quality in day-to-day operations, demonstrate continued accuracy in the performance of proficiency testing, and pass a rigorous on-site lab survey. The Groves lab has earned this accreditation as a result of its staff's long-term commitment to providing quality service to patients.

VIP visitors--Earlier this week the visiting committee on reaccreditation spent several days on campus to see how MHC rates on each of eleven accreditation standards. The team was led by Barnard president Judith Shapiro. In meetings with groups of faculty, students, and staff, the delegation looked at all aspects of College life, from the academic program to student services. The visit was part of the College's regular reaccreditation process, which happens every ten years. Just before the team's visit, President Creighton said, "We expect to be reaccredited. In fact, we expect to be celebrated!" The committee's report to the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges will be prepared in the next few months, according to Creighton.

Designing woman--Three years ago, New York-based interior designer Joan Spiro '54 and her husband established an endowed fund to support design at MHC and to bring prominent designers to campus. What is particularly inspiring is that, when she began considering her gift, she was not yet a graduate of Mount Holyoke. In 1953, Spiro was swept off her feet by her prospective husband, Arthur, and left before graduating to marry. Four decades later, she received her degree, and her husband made the gift to Mount Holyoke in celebration of her achievement. The Joan Spiro Design Lecture Series continues October 6 with featured speaker Murray Douglas, senior vice president of Brunschwig and Fils, one of the nation's most renowned textile and furnishings houses. Douglas, a frequent lecturer on textiles and design, is also a faculty member of the New York School of Interior Design.