We have spoken with current clients, past clients, prospective clients, and fellow consultants over the past few months about the disturbance in the accrediverse. SACSCOC is re-writing their standards and the secondhand word from the SACSCOC Principles Review Committee is “radicle”. Last I heard the plan was to vote in December and there are supposed to be two member comment periods before then. Of course we also have the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) Negotiated Rulemaking process which recently ended. If you have not looked at any of that, I encourage you to do so here.
So what is an institution to do in the midst of all of this? Well, remember those students? Keep serving them. Keep providing quality instruction, clear and documented complaint processes, appropriate student support programs, well-constructed and pertinent academic programs, and stay focused on your mission. In other words, everything you did before all this started. There are changes coming, but there always are.
Whatever happens, demonstrating that you offer quality programs and quality services won’t be going away. How do you demonstrate that? Maintain, or better yet, improve your planning and assessment processes. These have always been the means by which you can quantitatively answer questions about what you provide to students. Plan in a meaningful way and explore new ideas consistent with your mission.
Southeastern Accreditation Consultants is always interested in supporting institutions in their accreditation journey. We bring best practices, proven strategies, experienced process review, and a new online assessment management platform to the table. We offer individualized services to best meet your needs during the adventure to come. Contact us to get started.