Union College News

Union College Reaffirmed for Accreditation
by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

The Union College community received word late from President Edward D. de Rosset and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Thomas McFarland, that the college has been reaffirmed for accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) for another ten years.

The pair traveled to Atlanta on Sunday, December 4, 2005, for the annual SACS meeting where over 3,200 presidents, academic deans, and other southern college and university officials were also in attendance.

This meeting is one of the largest gatherings of educators, and it is at this time when colleges and universities are told if their applications for re-accreditation have been affirmed. Colleges must apply for re-accreditation every ten years.

Word received from Atlanta that Union College has been reaffirmed by SACS for another ten years and the proposed Quality Enhancement Plan was fully accepted was very welcome news back on the campus, especially for those who spent months preparing the application.

Applying for re-accreditation traditionally has been a two-year process. However, the new process places great emphasis on continuous assessment to determine and assure how well students are learning, and on a specific Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) program.

Union has developed a Quality Enhancement Plan designed to provide focused support for students needing assistant transitioning from high school to college level work. This program will be in place for fall semester 2006.

In April of this year, SACS officials and evaluators from peer institutions conducted a site visit. Once the visit was complete and the reaffirmation process criteria was in place, college administrators, faculty and staff worked arduously throughout the spring and summer months to develop an Assessment Model, a Quality Enhancement Plan and prepare the Compliance Audit needed for re-accreditation.

As a part of the SACS accreditation process, President de Rosset formed an assessment council made up of faculty, staff and students to carry the college through the reaffirmation process. Lead by faculty leaders, Dr. Joni Caldwell and Vonda Moore with Dr. Thomas McFarland as the team's liaison, the team developed an Assessment Model as a means to gather data. The results of that data are used to measure institutional effectiveness.

"The effectiveness of Union as an institution should be measured by positive outcomes for student learners," President de Rosset said. "As an institution, we strive to meet and exceed the needs of our students. Through our Assessment Model and with our Quality Enhancement Plan, we are taking a research driven approach as we plan improvements."

One of the key points of interest to SACS is a college's financial condition. Union has shown a strong pattern of financial good health across the past three years. Having that area of the accreditation process in good standing allowed the assessment council to focus on developing the documents needed for reaffirmation.

Also, according to President de Rosset, "Preparing the Compliance Audit, developing the Assessment Model and creating a Quality Enhancement Plan was a challenging and a learning experience for our college community. Now that the work is complete and Union has officially received SACS accreditation, we will incorporate the new process and program to continue and refine our efforts in the important work producing academically prepared graduates."

Accreditation by a regional accrediting association, such as SACS, is vital to the success of a college and of its graduates. Accreditation adds a great deal to the prestige of a college or university, it enables its students to transfer credits, it enables its graduates to enter graduate schools and better succeed in reaching career goals. Accreditation also enables Union to secure critical financial aid funding for students.

Union officials worked closely with the SACS accreditation team and sister institutions as they completed the re-accreditation process. The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is the recognized regional accreditation body in 11 U.S. Southern states and in Latin America for those institutions of higher education that award associate, baccalaureate, master's or doctoral degrees.

Union College has been accredited since 1935 when President John Gross carried the college through the accreditation process. Upon his return from the SACS meeting in New Orleans, President Gross was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of Union supporters and was escorted around town square on the town's only fire engine.

December 20, 2005

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