2010 SACS/COC Reaffirmation of Accreditation
QEP COMMITTEE
South Carolina State University is accredited by SACS and is seeking reaffirmation of accreditation. This process allows SC State’s administrators, faculty, staff and students to conduct an internal institutional analysis of compliance to both Core and Comprehensive Standards established by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). There are nine steps in the reaffirmation process. Each step includes several components. Furthermore, the various steps buttress four phases of the reaffirmation process: (1) preparation; (2) the off-site review; (3) the on-site review; and (4) action by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Board of Trustees.
One of the most important components of the reaffirmation process is the institutional development of the Quality Enhancement Plan, or QEP (Core requirement 2.12). The QEP: “(1) includes a broad-based institutional process identifying key issues emerging from institutional assessment; (2) focuses o learning outcomes and/or the environment supporting student learning and accomplishing the mission of South Carolina State University; (3) demonstrates institutional capability for the institution, implementation and completion of the QEP; (4) includes broad-based involvement of institutional constituencies in the development and proposed implementation of the QEP; and (5) identifies goals and a plan to assess their achievement” (Resource Manual for the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement).
South Carolina State University’s QEP is “PUSH Writing” or “Preparing Undergraduates for Scholarly Holistic Writing.” The primary goal of SC State’s QEP is to improve freshman level student learning in the area of writing. The four student learning outcomes of the SC State QEP have a specific focus on English 150 and English 151 courses, which are general education courses that SC State students must take during their freshman year. Moreover, the PUSH Writing QEP is well aligned with the academic goals of the SC State Strategic Plan, especially with Strategic Action Plan goals 6, 7, 8 and 9.
SC State submitted its QEP to SACS-COC in February 2010. A team of evaluators will review the QEP during its SACS-COC on-site visit, scheduled for March 29-31, 2010. Once approved in December 2010, the QEP will be implemented in January 2011.
We appreciate the contributions of everyone who was involved in SC State University’s reaffirmation of accreditation process. I especially thank the QEP Committee and the QEP Editorial Committee who tirelessly worked to develop a QEP for SC State University—an action plan that reflects and affirms the institution’s commitment to enhancing student learning.
Joyce Blackwell, Ph.D.
Vice President for Academic Affairs