The university has completed the first step in the three-part process of applying for re-accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Earlier this month, campus officials mailed compliance certification materials to SACS and to the off-site committee of reviewers.

“Teams of campus participants, including faculty, staff and students, worked for more than a year to gather information and prepare the reports that demonstrate TTU's compliance with each of the core requirements, comprehensive standards and federal regulations as required by SACS,” explains Leo McGee, associate vice president for Academic Affairs and our liaison with SACS.

Those reports were compiled on a compact disc with links to Internet web sites, along with a printed version of required materials.

“SACS and the SACS Off-Site Review Committee will provide its review to TTU later this fall,” says Glenn James, director of Institutional Research and SACS compliance chairperson. The university will respond to the comments made by the Off-Site Review Committee and provide that response to SACS in early 2006.

"A large number of people across our campus have worked to develop the compliance certification materials that were submitted to SACS last week," he adds. "I am impressed with the efforts of all of the committees and groups that have worked on this process, and I am grateful for their excellent contributions."

The next step in the process requires preparing our Quality Enhancement Plan for an on-site SACS review team's examination.

"The QEP describes a carefully designed and focused course of action that addresses a well-defined topic or issue(s) related to enhancing student learning," according to the SACS web site. SACS officials will be looking for the plan to engage the broad academic community and address issues that contribute to institutional improvement.

Barry Stein, director of Planning and our SACS QEP chairperson, will lead the campus groups in preparing the university's Quality Enhancement Plan for review.

Once the SACS on-site review team completes its visit in April 2006, the third part of the re-accreditation process begins. The SACS review team findings are then reviewed and discussed at several levels within SACS until a recommendation is made to the Commission on Colleges. The final decision about reaffirmation of accreditation will be announced to the College Delegate Assembly during its annual business meeting in Atlanta in December 2006.

"We are continuing to make good progress, and I am confident that we will learn much from the SACS reaffirmation process," says McGee.

TTU was last reaffirmed by SACS in 1995.