Columbus State University

SACS Accreditation

SACS Accreditation

About the Project

Columbus State University is under the new SACS reaccrediting guidelines. The old Self-Study criteria, used for CSU's 1995 report, included approximately 500 Must and Should statements. These criteria were highly prescriptive and the procedure was regarded by many as an episodic event occurring every ten years. In contrast, the new principles have been streamlined for a total of 73 standards and represent a “snapshot in time” and a continuous, rather than static, process. Each institution conducts its own “audit” and the need for institutional integrity is explicitly emphasized. All judgments of compliance are now based on the institution's mission statement and its strategic planning process. Increased attention is being given to student learning outcomes and institutional improvement. Added features of the new SACS review include standards on student support programs, services and activities, a substantively revised standard on the institution's financial base, guidelines for faculty credentials, and a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) designed to enhance student learning.

In the new SACS review, of utmost importance is the process of assessment, planning and the use of data for increased institutional effectiveness. In this respect, the following kinds of data are particularly useful: trend data, survey data, benchmarking, student satisfaction indices, national norms of student learning outcomes results, major field test scores, licensure/certification rates, program accreditation results, program peer review results, and focus group findings. These data can be useful in improving programs and services. Institutional effectiveness is further indicated through:

  • Strategic planning,
  • Resource allocation, based on planning and setting priorities,
  • Public accountability reports, and
  • Systematic, mission-driven, institution-wide evaluation and the use of the results for continuous improvement

The institutional community will be engaged in the review process. The QEP will reflect a topic selected by the wider academic community and developed by appropriate academic constituencies. The topic will be one designed to enhance student learning, and will represent new challenges and a new course of action rather than existing processes already underway.

The new SACS review will provide an opportunity for university dialogue about critical issues. A successful SACS review will enhance the external status of the university as well as underscore the university's institutional effectiveness. It is anticipated that the SACS reaffirmation of accreditation process will result in enhanced educational quality and increased institutional effectiveness.