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ATLANTA – The board of directors for the
Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools (SACS) convened today and lifted probationary status from
the University of Southern Mississippi.
Southern
Miss was challenged by SACS to improve documentation in its
assessment process for distance education. During the one-year
period, the university remained fully accredited. At no time did
SACS express concerns about overall academic quality or
institutional integrity.
“Documentation of our assessments and processes are in accordance
with SACS standards, and systems are in place to make certain that
we meet those standards going forward,” said Dr. Joan Exline,
assistant to the president for accreditation, planning and
articulation.
Exline
has worked with the university's deans, the graduate council,
council of chairs and various faculty and staff committees to
address assessment issues. Three teams, including a leadership team,
a compliance team and a quality enhancement plan team, were formed
to focus on accreditation.
“We are
very pleased with today’s action. We have worked diligently in
concert with the SACS organization,” said Southern Miss President
Dr. Shelby Thames. “I want to emphasize the contributions and hard
work of the Southern Miss faculty and staff during this process.
Their efforts have been outstanding.”
“This is
certainly good news for the university as we fulfill our mission of
preparing our students to achieve their life goals by providing
quality academic experiences.”
“It is
because of the tremendous efforts on the part of faculty and staff
over the past year that we have achieved such a positive result, and
we remain committed to maintaining the standards that protect the
value of a University of Southern Mississippi degree,” said Dr.
William Powell, president of the University of Southern Mississippi
Faculty Senate and a foreign language and literature professor at
the university.
During
the past year, Southern Miss has continued to work on its next
regularly scheduled 10-year accreditation assessment, having already
submitted reports in October in preparation for the April 2006 SACS
campus visit. “All systems are in place as we continue to prepare
ourselves as part of our normal cycle of accreditation assessment,”
Exline said.
For more
information, contact Southern Miss Marketing and Public Relations at
601.266.4491.
About
The University of Southern Mississippi
The
University of Southern Mississippi, founded in 1910, is a
comprehensive doctoral and research-extensive university fulfilling
its mission of being a leading university
in engaging and empowering individuals to transform lives and
communities. In a tradition of leadership for student
development, Southern Miss is educating a 21st century
work force providing intellectual capital, cultural enrichment and
innovation to Mississippi and the world. Southern Miss is located in
Hattiesburg, Miss, with an additional campus and teaching and
research sites on the Mississippi Gulf Coast; further information is
found at
www.usm.edu.
The
Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools (SACS) is the recognized regional
accrediting body in the 11 U.S. Southern states – Alabama, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia – and in Latin America for
those institutions of higher education that award associate,
baccalaureate, master's or doctoral degrees. Further information is
found at
www.sacscoc.org.
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Last updated:
01/06/06 |
