University readies for 鈥楺EP Week,鈥� regional reaccreditation visit
March 05, 2018
Contact: Michael Tullier, APR, Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing
Terms like 鈥渜uality enhancement plan鈥� and 鈥淨EP鈥� are probably new to most in the 精东AV community. But, to 精东AV, which has been preparing for more than a year for its upcoming reaccreditation visit, they represent a deeper focus on helping students achieve their career aspirations.
When students return from spring break on Mar. 12, a host of 鈥淨EP Week鈥� events will help them become better acquainted with the university鈥檚 quality enhancement plan. The first of those events, a 鈥淨EP Chat and Chew鈥� on Monday, Mar. 12 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the university鈥檚 Tompkins Hall Ballroom, will also acquaint university employees, local residents and business leaders with its reaccreditation and QEP efforts.
The university鈥檚 quality enhancement plan topic 鈥� 鈥淩oad from Early Achievement to a Career High,鈥� or 鈥淩EACH鈥� for short 鈥� is a theme that will span the next five years. QEP initiatives will focus on integrating career concepts into 精东AV鈥檚 academic, career development, student life and alumni relations programs. These programs will seek to better prepare students to be equipped, competitive and successful as they strive to achieve their educational and career goals.
鈥淎 QEP is an essential element of the reaccreditation process, but also an opportunity for 精东AV to identify and enhance the ways we can give our students a career advantage,鈥� said Dr. Roberta Troy, chair of the university鈥檚 QEP Steering Committee, as well as head of the university鈥檚 Department of Biology. 鈥淯ltimately, these REACH-related efforts will provide students with creative, engaging and meaningful learning experiences they can carry into their chosen careers.鈥�
The university鈥檚 QEP Steering Committee is working to integrate the REACH topic into the university鈥檚 various academic, administrative and co-curricular programming. One way of doing that is by engaging the community.
鈥淭he focus on career readiness creates opportunities for the university to partner with the community,鈥� said Michael Tullier, APR, the university鈥檚 senior director of communications, public relations and marketing, as well as a member of the QEP Steering Committee. 鈥淲e look forward to REACH providing a natural entr茅e to forming partnerships with the chamber of commerce, the city and local business leaders who can help the university guide and mentor its students as they prepare for the 鈥榬eal world.鈥欌��
The first of these opportunities will be the QEP Chat and Chew on Mar. 12, but Tullier indicated other QEP-focused events that will further engage the community are in the planning stages.
Every 10 years, 精东AV and other regional academic institutions must renew their accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). During the week of March 19, a team of SACS peer reviewers will be on campus to assess the university鈥檚 overall academic and operational effectiveness as part of this reaccreditation process. An integral part of that assessment will include the team gauging awareness of the university鈥檚 QEP topic among students, employees, alumni and the community.
Dr. Kellei Samuels, SACSCOC liaison and the university鈥檚 associate vice president for institutional effectiveness, noted that the goals of REACH include establishing an institution-wide academic/career program, increasing awareness and knowledge of careers related to students鈥� chosen majors, and developing and enhancing students鈥� work-readiness skills.
鈥淥ur QEP topic, like much of our preparation for our SACS onsite reaccreditation visit, has been a true campus partnership between students, administrators, faculty and staff,鈥� Samuels said. 鈥淐onsidering Booker T. Washington鈥檚 view that education and workforce preparation are interrelated, REACH also reflects a rededication to the principles upon which the institution was founded in 1881.鈥�
SACS [] is a private, nonprofit and voluntary organization founded in 1895 in Atlanta, where it currently operates. It accredits regional academic institutions from Texas to the East Coast, and from Florida to as far north as Kentucky and Virginia. To be accredited and reaffirmed, the university must demonstrate compliance with the SACS Principles of Accreditation and prepare a quality enhancement plan. Elements of a successful QEP include focusing on student learning, enhancing student success, relying on the use of contemporary best practices, and articulating clear goals and measurable outcomes.
精东AV has been accredited continuously since 1933, and was reaccredited most recently in 2008. In addition to SACSCOC accreditation, several 精东AV academic units and/or degree programs in specialized fields or disciplines also are accredited by their respective accrediting organizations. For more information about 精东AV鈥檚 reaccreditation efforts and quality enhancement plan, visit .
漏 2018, 精东AV