2007-2008 Annual Report and Proceedings Commission On
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COMMISSION ON COLLEGES 2007-2008 ANNUAL REPORT AND PROCEEDINGS TABLE OF CONTENTS Annual Report 1-17 Organization of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and of the Commission on Colleges 18-27 Sessions of the Commission and the College Delegate Assembly 28-55 2007 and 2008 Role of Accredited and Candidate Institutions 56-65 Financial Statements and Independent Auditor’s Report: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Inc. 66-90 Comments from the Chair of the Commission Earlier this year, and the 77 member body as the our Commission Commission, the new Bylaws recognize President notifi ed the 77 representatives as the Board the membership of a of Trustees, which is the governing change that took place board for SACS COC This change in July 1, 2008, whereby nomenclature will be confi rmed this the Commission on July. Colleges became a The newly adopted Bylaws of Dr. Phillip C. Stone separately incorporated SACS COC broadens the authority and entity under the umbrella of our parent responsibilities of its Board of Trustees organization, the Southern Association in that the control and disposition of of Colleges and Schools. This action its properties and funds are vested was in line with our K-12 counterparts, in the Board. Previously, SACS—the the Council for the Advancement of Corporation—and the SACS’ Board of School Improvement (SACS CASI), Trustees controlled matters related to whose board took a similar action the corporate assets. previous year. This complete change of an As explained in Dr. Wheelan’s organizational structure has evolved correspondence, this organizational from a centralized Association change means that the nearly founded in 1895 by six Southern 800 institutions accredited by the colleges and universities for purposes Commission on Colleges are now of organizing Southern schools and members of the Southern Association colleges, elevating the standard of Colleges and Schools Commission of scholarship in the region, and on Colleges, Inc. (SACS COC) rather developing preparatory schools than of SACS. It has little impact on to enhance college preparedness. the way we conduct our business, but SACS eventually established three it does affect the nomenclature and commissions: the Commission on responsibilities of our 77-member Elementary Schools (founded in 1965), elected body, currently referred to as the Commission on Secondary Schools the “Commission on Colleges,” who (founded in 1912), and the Commission represent the membership in all aspects on Colleges (founded in 1919), with of the self-regulatory process, including each Commission gradually assuming making decisions on the accreditation authority for accreditation decisions, status of our applicant, candidate, policy development, and selection of and member institutions. Because of personnel. confusion in the past in referring to SACS’ bylaws adopted in 1992 the organization as the Commission completely changed the face of SACS, SACS Commission on Colleges Annual Report • Page 1 signifi cantly decreasing the number established standards of quality and of SACS Board members and their that strive to improve the learning powers, eliminating centralized experiences and achievements of their administration, and vesting more students. It promotes a review process authority in the Commissions, that depends on the involvement of including the hiring of each volunteers in all aspects of its activities. Commission’s chief executive offi cer. SACS, as a regional association, With the separate incorporation of requires institutional commitment and SACS CASI and of SACS COC, all engagement and continues to support historic functions of SACS have been the primary purpose for which it was assumed individually by its two founded; that is, elevating the standard corporate members. of scholarship in the South. This fi nal decentralization, however, does not diminish the signifi cance of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and its importance for education in the Southern region. Its brand name continues to represent a highly rigorous self-regulatory process for defi ning institutions that meet SACS Commission on Colleges Annual Report • Page 2 Message from the President Greetings! at the annual meeting in San Antonio. We again had a record number It is my pleasure to of attendees in both New Orleans provide you with and San Antonio. For the fi rst time in an overview of the Commission history, we were unable Commission’s activities to hold on-site registration because we for the years 2007 and had registered the maximum number 2008. I was honored of people the fi re marshall would allow. to visit approximately Since contracts are signed at least two 50 of our member years in advance of the meetings, it Dr. Belle S. Wheelan institutions throughout is diffi cult to anticipate how many the region and observed a great deal of attendees we will actually have. I quality instruction. From Virginia to would like to thank everyone who Texas, institutions have identifi ed and attended and patiently worked their assessed student learning outcomes way through crowded sessions and and, as a result, revised curricula hallways. The very positive feedback and modifi ed program support. In we received related to the program and addition, the call for transparency is the logistics was greatly appreciated. evident by visiting institutional Web At the New Orleans meeting, sites and reading the available reports. the membership approved additional The Commission on Colleges changes to the Principles, creating a (COC) continues to use data from Off- need for us to reprint. Once that was and On-Site Committee reports in order done, several printed copies were sent to identify topics that can be used as a to each member institution. Additional basis for workshops designed for the copies are available for purchase or membership who are having diffi culty download from our Web site. with our Principles of Accreditation. Although the Commission has As a result, in the spring of 2007, we had a policy related to substantive held two sessions on developing and changes for quite sometime, a new assessing student learning outcomes Comprehensive Standard (3.12) was with Dr. Dorothy Yancy, President of added to the Principles in December Johnson C. Smith University leading 2007. In order to provide member the sessions. The workshop was institutions with a better understanding repeated at the annual meeting in of what the new Standard entails, we New Orleans. In the spring of 2008, developed a workshop detailing the a session on governance was held in specifi cs of the changes and presented which COC Chair Dr. Phil Stone and it at several sessions held across the staff participated. It also was repeated region. Feedback has been very SACS Commission on Colleges Annual Report • Page 3 positive on those sessions. the delayed passage of the recent The Summer Institute was held version of the Higher Education Act in Louisville in 2007 and in Orlando in 2008, the negotiated rulemaking in 2008 and both produced record necessary for the implementation of attendance. A waiting list of almost the law only began in early 2009. as many people as registered made it Finally, in 2007 we welcomed necessary for us to re-think how best two new staff members in our budget to meet the needs of our members. offi ce: Ms. Lisa Moreaux as the In order to keep the institute at a Director of Finances and Ms. Sharon manageable number, we ask that no Wilks as the Staff Accountant. In institution register more than three 2008, as a result of Dr. Ann Chard’s people but if after we close registration retirement and a growth in the number there are still spaces available, we will and complexity of member institutions, open it up to others. That way, more we welcomed Dr. Marsal Stoll and Dr. institutions will have an opportunity Steven Sheeley as Vice Presidents. to send colleagues. We will also give I feel very positive about the work priority to those who have never of our member institutions and look attended one of the institutes. forward to working with each of you We are always looking for ways to as we continue to meet the needs of improve evaluator training. Dr. David the students we serve. Remember, Carter revised the training for our Students Are Central to Success. committee chairs and received very positive feedback on the very practical and case study focused methods he included in the training. Since ours is a peer review process, we are constantly seeking new evaluators. If you are interested in participating in this rewarding professional development activity, please let Dr. Carter know of your interest. In addition to visiting member institutions and participating in several regional and national meetings, I have been working diligently along side my colleagues in the other regions to ensure that the process of accreditation remains an independent process. With SACS Commission on Colleges Annual Report • Page 4 Drs. Richard L. Morrill and Patricia A. Hayes Named Recipients of The James T. Rogers Distinguished Leadership Award The Commission Active in Commission affairs for more than 15 on Colleges continued years before her transition to the health care its annual tradition of fi eld, she distinguished herself in a number of honoring individuals whose ways in her service to this region’s accrediting extraordinary commitment commission, most specifi cally when serving as to the peer review process chair of the Alternative Self-Study Committee exemplifi es the true spirit that engineered the improvement aspect of of volunteerism that the Commission’s reaffi rmation process. This characterizes accreditation. process, used by more than 100 institutions The 2008 recipient of the James T. Rogers while the Criteria for Accreditation was in Distinguished Leadership Award, the highest effect, served as the precursor for today’s public recognition given by the Commission Quality Enhancement Plan.