President Gary Ransdell announced via email this morning that, after thorough review and interviews with faculty, staff and students, the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) on site visit was completed successfully.
“The Committee was highly complimentary of all aspects of their visit, from the efficiency of the arrangements to the quality of the campuses and, most of all, the hospitality of everyone they met,” Ransdell said via email.
WKU has been working towards accreditation for two years. The reaccreditation process happens every 10 years.
Ransdell said SACSCOC Committee Chair Susan Bosworth reported that WKU met all core requirements and federal standards needed for reaffirmation of SACSCOC accreditation. Two recommendations were made for follow up. One asked to present “clearer examples of assessment-driven improvement of academic programs,” according to the email.
The other requested minor changes to the assessment plan for the Evidence and Argument Quality Enhancement Plan.
Responses to these recommendations are due Sept. 9, 2015. A formal decision on the reaffirmation of SACSCOC accreditation will be made in December.
The Herald will update this story as more information is made available.
The full email is below.
“Fellow Faculty and Staff:
Earlier this week, an onsite Reaffirmation Committee appointed by the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) completed its visit to WKU. This was the culminating step in a long two-year process to reaffirm our accreditation. This happens every 10 years, so it is a big deal.
After a very thorough review of WKU’s compliance documents, and interviews with dozens of faculty, staff, and constituents from all four of our campuses, the SACSCOC team presented their report yesterday. The Committee was highly complimentary of all aspects of their visit, from the efficiency of the arrangements to the quality of the campuses and, most of all, the hospitality of everyone they met. Committee members commented several times throughout their visit that it was apparent that the university had approached the reaffirmation process very conscientiously and thoroughly.
At the exit meeting, Committee Chair Susan Bosworth informed us that WKU had successfully met all the Core Requirements and Federal Standards that are necessary for reaffirmation of SACSCOC accreditation. They made only two recommendations for follow-up, both involving Comprehensive Standards related to assessment of programs. One recommendation asked us to present clearer examples of assessment-driven improvement of academic programs, including independently-assessed certificate programs. In the other recommendation, the Committee requested minor modifications to the assessment plan for the “Evidence & Argument” Quality Enhancement Plan.
Our responses to these recommendations are due on September 9. These will then be transmitted, along with the Committee’s report, to the SACSCOC Executive Council, leading to a formal decision on our reaffirmation at the SACSCOC General Meeting in December. Both the recommendations are relatively straightforward to address, and we expect to submit our responses well in advance of the September date. In her closing remarks, SACSCOC Vice President Robin Hoffman advised the campus to “take a deep breath and reflect on a job well done.”
So, please join me in thanking the multitude of faculty and staff who devoted countless hours to this process. Over 100 of us helped research and compile data, write reports, manage logistics, and otherwise contribute to the highly successful outcome. Thank you to all involved, and congratulations to the entire campus. Everyone performed well! More importantly, our current and future students can trust that a WKU education has great value, and our faculty and staff can be confident that our formal accreditation is secure. Well done, everyone!
Gary A. Ransdell”
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