FALL, 2003 1 A Communiqué of the Commission on Colleges VOL.56, No. 6 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools FALL - 2004 James T. Rogers to Outstanding Speakers to Address Retire from Commission on Colleges Annual Meeting Delegates After 19 years of leadership with the An outstanding group of speakers will Delegate Assembly Business Meeting. Commission on Colleges of the address the expected 3,000 delegates at The Williams Winter Institute on Racial Southern Association of Colleges and the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Reconciliation at the University of Schools, James T. Rogers announced his Commission on Colleges to be co- Mississippi is named retirement plans to the Commission at headquartered at the Marriott Marquis in his honor. its annual summer meeting held this and the Hilton hotels in downtown The Presidents’ Day past June. Rogers will retire in June Atlanta, December 4-7. On Sunday, Breakfast and 2005. During his tenure as executive December 5, at 5:00 Luncheon speakers director of the Commission on Colleges, p.m., the Opening will be Gwen Ifill Rogers engineered the implementation Plenary speaker will and Chairman of standards on be the former Donald Powell, institutional Ambassador to the respectively. Gwen effectiveness Court of St. James, Ifill is Senior Correspondent of The adopted in the late Philip Lader. NewsHour with Jim Lehrerand Moderator 1980s for higher Ambassador Lader and Managing Editor of Washington education was administrator of Week. Chairman institutions in the 11 the U.S. Small Business Administration, Powell of the Federal states of the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, and Deposit Insurance southeastern region Deputy Director for Management in the Corporation is former and recently worked with the Office of Management and Budget. In Chairman of the membership and the Commission’s addition, he was president of both Board of Regents of leadership and staff to institute compre- Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., the Texas A&M hensive changes in accreditation and Australia’s first private university, University System. standards placing a renewed and in- Bond University, in Queensland, depth emphasis on student learning. Australia. Rogers began his distinguished career On Monday, with the Commission in 1985 and December 6, at 9:00 immediately began working with the a.m., the Second 2 John Dwyer to Retire leadership on the implementation of the Plenary speaker Criteria for Accreditation. The will be David 4 Commission Actions in June 2004 Commission’s most recent efforts led to Gergen, 5 Call for Comment the adoption in 2001 of the accreditation commentator, standards called the Principles of editor, teacher, 6 Educational Excellence Accreditation: Foundations for Quality public servant, best-selling author Exposition Enhancement. and adviser to Presidents Nixon, 7 Travel, Hotel and Registration “Dr. Rogers’ retirement will bring to Ford, Reagan, and Clinton. David Information an end one of the most significant currently serves as editor-at-large at careers of our era in higher education,” U.S. News & World Reportand as a 8 Professional Development says John T. Casteen, III, president of the regular television commentator. Sessions by Staff University of Virginia. “He has brought Former Governor 9 Pre-Conference Workshops integrity, fairness, and a profound of Mississippi dedication to quality to the process of William Winter 10 Travel Grant improving our colleges and will speak on 11 Preliminary 2004 Program universities.Every college president in Tuesday, December 27 Presidents’ Day Activities the nation and many persons who work 7, at 9:00 a.m. in colleges across the country will know during the COC 28 Reserve These Dates! just how important Dr. Rogers’ General Session continued on page 3 and College 2 PROCEEDINGS Staff Member John Rogers--continued from page 1 Dwyer to Retire leadership has been.He has spelled out “Jim led a very important revolution in processes for assuring excellence that are the South in higher education,” said After serving as staff representative used in every part of the country. It is very Thomas E. Corts, president of Samford to one-hundred colleges and univer- hard to imagine a replacement for him, but University. “He is an ardent advocate of sities in the Southern region since in truth he leaves in place foundations that learning and is aggressive about addressing 1994, Dr. John Orr Dwyer announced will matter to all of us in the future.” issues nationally. In the Rogers’ years, his retirement as associate executive “During my term on the executive SACS has become a leader nationwide.” director of the Commission on council and as chairman of the Rogers has been a key player in the Colleges effective Commission, I came to understand the high reauthorization of the Higher Education December 31, 2004. regard that people across the nation have Amendments, working with his colleagues John will work with for Jim Rogers. It is clear that he is viewed in the other regional commissions to stem his assigned as a leader among accrediting agency intrusion of federal oversight while at the institutions through directors,” said Robert Khayat, chancellor same time balancing the need for the annual meeting of the University of Mississippi. “Among institutions receiving federal and state this December. the reasons for the respect he enjoys is his funds to be accountable. During his tenure, work on clarifying and simplifying the “Dr. Jim Rogers has led the Commission John provided bylaws of SACS and streamlining the on Colleges with energy and vision for 19 support for a number of Commission reaffirmation process. The members of our years,” said James F. Barker, president of projects, including most recently a association know that we have dedicated, Clemson University and the Commission’s resource manual for the Principles of visionary, and tireless leadership from Jim current chair. “He has established us as the Accreditation. He has been a strong Rogers and his staff. His strong personal leading regional accrediting body in advocate for liberal arts education. values are reflected in the work he has done America. His service to the colleges and Prior to his appointment with the for the association. We are a much better universities in the South has been Commission, John held faculty and organization as a result.” remarkable.” administrative positions at Pomona One of Rogers’ immediate challenges “This has been the greatest challenge and College in California, Centre College when accepting the executive director’s greatest reward of my professional life,” in Kentucky, the University of Detroit position was to downsize the association’s says Rogers. “I look forward to dedicating Mercy, and Thiel College in bureaucracy and decentralize authority this last year to further improvements and Pennsylvania. He has held from the Association’s Board of Trustees to to helping pave the way for my successor. I fellowships at the Association of the individual commissions. By modifying have been extremely fortunate to have American Colleges and Universities the role of the Board, Rogers and the worked with some of the finest academic and at the Council of Independent Commission’s leadership were able to leaders in the South.” Colleges, both in Washington, D.C. maintain a more efficient overall organi- Barker appointed John Casteen, president His publications and presentations zation and create increased independence of the University of Virginia, to serve as have been in the fields of African of the individual Commissions, allowing chair of the search committee for Rogers’ history, the history of higher for better management of their own successor. The work of the committee will education, and freshman studies. In operations. begin this month. addition to having time to travel (no pun intended), John plans to continue Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation to enjoy golf, opera, and reading for Filing Date: 10/01/2004 the blind. Required by the U.S. Postal Service: 39 U.S.C. 3685 The Commission extends its Proceedings (Publication No. 0038-3813) is published eight times per year, $10 per year subscription. The appreciation to John for his many complete mailing address of the office of publication: 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097. Owner years of dedicated service and best and publication: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Editors: Carol Hollins, Carol Luthman, and Lucy Welzant-Hayden. There are no known bondholders, mortgagees or other security holders. Circulation wishes in the future. data below is for issue date September 2004: Avg. copies per issue Actual copies of single issue nearest file date POSITION VACANCY Total copies: (net press run) 18,600 16,800 The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Paid/requested: Association of Colleges and Schools invites applica- 1. dealers/carriers: 0 0 tions and nominations for the position of Associate 2. mailed subs. 18,500 16150 Executive Director. Reporting to the Executive Director, the associate staff member is responsible for Total paid/requested 18,500 16,150 coordinating the development and implementation of Free distribution: programs, policies, and procedures in assisting insti- 1. mailed: 55 200 tutions in meeting accreditation standards and 2. not mailed: 0 0 improving educational programs, and for serving as Total free distribution: 55 200 the staff liaison representative for approximately 100 member and candidate institutions. Please refer to the Copies not distributed: 45 450 Commission’s Web