Fort Worth, TX January 6, 2014
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC), a regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions, has reaffirmed the University’s accreditation for 10 years – the longest period possible.
Many institutions receive reaffirmation of accreditation with the stipulation that they must submit annual or biannual reports to be deemed fully compliant. However, no follow-up monitoring will be required during TCU’s decade-long accreditation term, since the University demonstrated complete compliance.
"This is a wonderful accomplishment for TCU – and it’s an even nicer recognition of the great work our faculty and staff do with students each and every day," said Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr.
He gave special praise to the leaders of the campus-wide effort: Catherine Wehlburg, assistant provost for institutional effectiveness, and Ed McNertney, faculty co-chair of the 2013 reaffirmation process and director of the TCU CORE Curriculum.
Many TCU faculty and staff served on SACS-COC-related committees, including the Compliance Certification Writing Team, the Quality Enhancement Plan “Big Idea” Committee, the Quality Enhancement Council and the SACS Compliance Review Committee.
Accreditation by the SACS-COC is an important component of the University’s academic stature because it means TCU has:
The SACS-COC requires all accredited universities to develop a quality enhancement plan (QEP) that outlines a course of action for ongoing institutional improvement. Drs. Wehlburg and McNertney will hold a TCU Town Hall meeting Jan. 24 to discuss the University’s QEP, which will be focused on “global citizenship.” All campus faculty, staff and students are invited to attend.
"TCU is passionate about consistently improving the university experience,” said Dr. Wehlburg. “It’s a goal the entire campus community shares, and accreditation shows that we’re achieving it – together.”
About Texas Christian University
Founded in 1873, TCU is a world-class, values-centered private university based in Fort Worth, Texas. The University is composed of eight schools and colleges offering 130 areas of undergraduate study and 61 graduate-level programs. Total enrollment stands at 9,925, including 8,640 undergraduates and 1,285 graduate students. The student/faculty ratio is about 13:1, and 83 percent of TCU’s 572 full-time faculty members hold the highest degree in their discipline. TCU consistently ranks among the top universities and colleges in the nation, and the Horned Frog family consists of some 83,000 living alumni. For more information, please visit www.tcu.edu.
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