The Mesquite Online News - Texas A&M University-San Antonio

University hopes to prove measurable difference for SACS Accreditation

By Amanda Aguilar

The University is in the process of gathering data and material necessary for a strong application towards its own accreditation recognition through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Although the state of Texas now recognizes Texas A&M University-San Antonio as a stand-alone university, SACS accredits the campus under Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

In March, the SACS committee will make a visit to the Gillette Blvd. campus as well as St. Joseph’s, University Center and the Southwest Research Institute. SACS, a regional accreditation agency for an 11-state region, will act on its mission to “improve the effectiveness of institutions by ensuring that institutions meet standards established by the higher education community that address the needs of society and students.”

The purpose of the committee’s visit is to review the documentation and evidence for accreditation review, to visit the new campus’ multi-purpose building to assess its offerings, and to learn more about the students and instructors who will benefit from an independently accredited university, explained Mary Ann Grams, associate vice president for Academic Affairs.

Administrators are making the necessary preparations to prove to SACS that the University is making a measurable difference for its student body, and in turn ensuring that students are receiving a top-notch education. Grams said that the university is now implementing entrance and exit testing on core subjects to measure students’ measurable growth and improvement. In preparation, the university is compiling and assembling material that will allow the university to complete its application for accreditation.

“We’re collecting things like all of our recruiting materials to make sure that everything we use for recruiting is there. We’ve been looking at faculty credentials, administrator credentials, what we’re doing in our classes and what our student learning outcomes are,” Grams said.

The application process for accreditation is a lengthy one. It may take anywhere from a few months to a few years for the University to prepare and complete a successful application.

Administrators were responsible for reviewing questions such as whether or not TAMU-SA’s curriculum is directly related and appropriate to its purpose and goals. To determine this, the accreditation team spent the Fall 2010 semester looking at the mission statement and each one of the programs within the University. All of the University’s divisions and administrative units set student learning outcomes for their academic programs. In December 2010, each analyzed the goals set earlier that year.

The accreditation team then drafted a report outlining successes and obstacles that may have kept them from obtaining specific goals. They plan to do the same thing this spring semester and analyze the data in May, creating three semesters of material to report to SACS.

A&M-San Antonio is also helping Texas A&M University-Kingsville with its fifth-year report, which will be submitted to SACS next week. Dr. Grams said that in the past few days, the University has been working to gather numbers on the state licensing exams, job placement rates and the number of students earning academic honors in previous semesters.

“All of that becomes evidence in Kingsville’s fifth-year report and at the same time it also becomes evidence for our course standard or requirement,” Grams said.

Grams added she hopes to be ready to submit an application for SACS accreditation in February 2012. The committee’s report on TAMU-SA will then be reviewed by the SACS board of trustees, which meets in June and December. SACS accredits its member institutions for five-year terms.

Students who are interested in the accreditation process can provide input on this topic by filling out a National Survey of Student Engagement.

About the Author

Amanda Aguilar
My name is Amanda Aguilar, and I'm currently in my 2nd semester at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. I'm a Communications Major with an English Minor. I received my Associates of Arts in Communications from Palo Alto College in 2010. I enjoy writing for all to see, especially if I get to have an opinion. I love TAMU-SA, its family-like feel and all it has to offer. Besides writing, I love everything that has to do with sports, music, family and friends.

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