SACS reaffirmation team to visit Texas State

Posted by University News Service

March 16, 2010

A reaffirmation committee from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) will visit Texas State University-San Marcos March 22-25 as part of the university’s regional reaccreditation process.

Reaffirmation by SACS, the agency responsible for accreditation of universities in 11 southern and southeastern states including Texas, takes place every 10 years.

Accreditation signifies that an institution has a mission appropriate to higher education; that it has resources, programs and services sufficient to accomplish the mission; and that it maintains clear objectives consistent with its mission.

In addition to being in compliance with core requirements, comprehensive standards and federal regulations, the university must also submit a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The QEP is a proposal designed to enhance educational quality beyond 2010 that supports student learning and helps accomplish the mission of the university.

The QEP to be submitted by the university to the SACS reaffirmation team is Personalized Academic and Career Exploration (PACE). A PACE Center will be created and housed on the first floor of the new Undergraduate Academic Center, scheduled for completion at Texas State in December 2012.

PACE is specifically designed to enable freshmen to focus their academic and career goals by gaining the knowledge and skills to assess their interests, abilities and goals, explore the future of the work world and choose appropriate pathways and opportunities.

The PACE center will serve as a one-stop location for personalized freshman advising, career planning and mentoring. The university will expand its advising and  counseling staff, adjust the University seminar curriculum, expand technology and create activities in each college in order to implement PACE.

For further information SACS reaffirmation, QEP and PACE, visit the following websites: http://www.sacs-qep.txstate.edu/

http://pace.txstate.edu/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWZST8nRJ3g