SACSCOC Annual Meeting

In a little less than a month, we will gather in Atlanta for the SACSCOC annual meeting. My first meeting was probably 2005 and that started me on this journey of becoming an accreditation nerd. I’m OK with that label.

Reflecting on my approach to the annual meetings tells an interesting story. Early on I spent most of my time in sessions presented by institutions similar to my own to learn what my peers were doing and to learn about different ways to approach the process of making a compelling case for compliance. Later, when I was serving a an Academic Dean then a Chief Academic Officer, I spent most of my time in sessions that were offered by SACSCOC VPs for focused information about specific standards. Which was right? Well, they both were for where I was in my career at the time.

As I look forward to next month’s meeting, I am looking forward to visiting with colleagues I have worked with and colleagues from client institutions, presenting with one of my clients (CS-17 From Probation to Compliance: One Community College’s Journey with 8.2.a) on Sunday at 1:30 pm, and having my own booth in the Expo Hall. Interested in bringing a consultant on board? Interested in what an accreditation consultant can offer? Have a question on a specific standard? Need a new institutional strategic plan? Unsure about the soundness of your institution’s approach to a standard? Stop in for a conversation, maybe that will turn into a collaboration to support your institution’s accreditation journey.

I hope to see you there!

Published by Douglas A. Wymer

Throughout an academic career spanning nearly 20 years, Dr. Wymer participated in many site visits (both substantive change and reaffirmation visits) for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and he has been a visiting team member for the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges with the Western Association of Colleges and Schools. In addition to serving as a team member, Dr. Wymer has served as a visiting committee chair for SACSCOC. After earning a B.S. in Biology (with a minor in Chemistry) from what was then Shorter College, an M.S. in Entomology from Clemson University, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Tennessee Technological University, Dr. Wymer started a rewarding career in academia. He earned tenure and achieved the rank of Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences at The University of West Alabama and served in a number of administrative roles at UWA including Department Chair and Assistant Dean. He served as a Department Head at Pensacola State College and, after a year in that position, was promoted to Dean of Baccalaureate Studies and Academic Support. In 2016 he became the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Lake-Sumter State College, where he served for four years before launching Southeastern Accreditation Consultants.

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