Office of the President
 Carnegie Building
 233 North Avenue
 Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0740
 404.894.5051

While regional accreditation is essential to the maintenance of our reputation and access to federal grants, the process associated with it offers us the opportunity to improve as an institution.  SACS accreditation is comprehensive and covers both academic as well as financial and physical plant issues.  It is one of the few exercises that forces us to look at ourselves throughout the entirety of the university.

I have had the privilege of serving as a SACS councilor and reviewing dozens of accreditation cases for small and large institutions.  The process of accreditation is complex and involves the effort of many people.  The lodestone of the accreditation process is the Principles of Accreditation of the SACS Commission on Colleges, and these should be read carefully.  To achieve a successful outcome, we need to meet or exceed the criteria and be responsive to our visitors.

While there are many issues that can arise in a SACS accreditation, I am confident that the outcome of the visit will be positive if we prepare appropriately.  We have made significant institutional progress since the last visit, both in terms of quality of our programs and in the systems we have put into place to follow through on matters such as assessment.  However, it is essential that each and every unit review itself and its processes against the criteria.   Even if we have 98 of 100 units meeting the criteria, the remaining two can produce a problematic outcome.  No unit should place itself in a position to jeopardize the accreditation of the larger university, and diminish the efforts of those who have taken the process seriously and done their jobs.

Fortunately, we have a talented and hard-working team in place to help all of us understand the issues and prepare for the visit.  More importantly, I also believe we have positioned ourselves so that the visit can be used as a value-added exercise to help us become a better university.  I appreciate all of the extensive work that has already been accomplished; I thank those involved, and I look forward to working with everyone as we complete our preparations.