SACS reaffirms accreditation for Texas State
Posted by University News Service
Jan. 21, 2011
The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) has reaffirmed its accreditation of Texas State University-San Marcos.
SACS is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in 11 Southern states and Latin America.
Accreditation by the SACS Commission on Colleges signifies that an institution has a mission appropriate to higher education; has resources, programs and services sufficient to accomplish that mission; maintains clearly specified educational objectives consistent with its mission and appropriate to its degree offerings, and that indicate whether it is successful in achieving its objectives.
During the 2009-2010 academic year, Texas State prepared a compliance certification report and was visited by an on-site review committee from SACS.
Texas State President Denise Trauth said, “Many of the initiatives we highlighted in our SACS reaffirmation documentation have been years in the making. We are indebted to many members of our university community for their contributions to our continuing improvement efforts.”
Trauth said accreditation is essential because it determines the university’s eligibility for student financial aid funding.
In addition to the compliance certification report, which demonstrated how Texas State met the core requirements and comprehensive standards of SACS, the university was also required to submit a Quality Enhancement Plan. That plan outlines a long-term course of action for institutional improvement with special attention to student learning.
Texas State’s Quality Enhancement Plan calls for the development of the Personalized Academic and Career Exploration (PACE) Center. The PACE Center will be a one-stop advising, mentoring and counseling center for Texas State freshmen. Undeclared students will receive assistance in selecting an academic path, and students with declared majors will receive help in navigating their chosen fields of study.
The PACE Center will be located on the first floor of the new Undergraduate Academic Center currently under construction at Texas State. Construction is expected to be complete in the late fall of 2012, allowing PACE academic advising, career counseling and mentoring programs to begin in the spring of 2013.