SACSCOC Compliance Self-Study Completed

Last week, Georgia Tech submitted its self-study of compliance certification as part of the process for reaffirmation of accreditation. The self-study, which examines about 90 core requirements and principles over the entire spectrum of activities on campus, is required by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the nation’s southern states. 

The self-study, led by a Compliance Steering Committee comprised primarily of campus administrators and managers, is the process through which the Institute reviews its policies, procedures, and programs. The compliance certification is an opportunity for Tech to identify institutional weaknesses or problems and correct them, according to Catherine Murray-Rust, vice provost for Learning Excellence, dean of Libraries, and Tech’s SACSCOC accreditation liaison responsible for overseeing the reaffirmation process. 

“The SACSCOC Reaffirmation is very important for Georgia Tech,” said Rafael L. Bras, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “It offers us the opportunity for introspection, to identify areas we can improve, and to showcase to peers all the wonderful things we do. I want to take the opportunity to thank the individuals in every corner of the Institute for their great work in producing the self-study. I have no doubt that the quality of Georgia Tech will again be evident to all.”

The self-study will be evaluated by a team of reviewers from other institutions and SACSCOC. There will be an opportunity to respond to any comments. The report evaluation will be followed by an on-site visit by a team of individuals from peer institutions. 

The kickoff for the 10-year reaffirmation of Tech’s accreditation began in June 2013. The process will continue through the end of 2015, with the on-site visit scheduled for March 2015. 

Georgia Tech’s self-study report to SACSCOC was 16 months in the making, and required the efforts of hundreds of individuals from all over campus. The 462-page report contains more than 2,500 Web links and references, and more than 1,200 PDFs and Excel documents. 

The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) for student learning is also part of the reaffirmation process. In March, Georgia Tech selected a QEP that will focus on learning anchored in real-world sustainability problems. 

The purpose of the QEP is to enhance the quality of student learning outcomes and the environment of learning. The QEP is directly related to the Institute’s Strategic Plan. It will have a detailed implementation plan and a budget for five to 10 years of support. 

According to co-authors of the QEP, students are increasingly aware of the challenges of sustainability and are acting on their desires to positively impact the world around them through available curricular and co-curricular activities. However, to date, there is no coordinated curricular effort in this area.

This QEP will not only fill this void, it will also immerse students in learning opportunities where they work on sustainability-focused problems drawn from the community, businesses, and government. The plan will also help Tech operationalize its Strategic Plan vision and its mission.