Preparations Underway for SACS Accreditation Review of UVA

Preparations continue across the University for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accreditation review, scheduled to begin this fall and to end in the fall of 2017.  In Arts & Sciences, the preparations are focused on a careful review of the individual assessment reports submitted by programs covering a 10-year period (2006-2016). One-third of the A&S degree-granting programs are part of a “pre-review sample group,” that submitted documents for a  January 15, 2016 deadline. The remaining 65 percent of A&S programs must complete their portfolios of submitted assessments no later than Sept. 15, 2016.

A&S Director of Assessment Juliet Trail and University Assessment Coordinator Lois Myers will be working with the remaining programs to review and assist in developing strategies to reach completion of the ten-year assessment portfolios for each degree granted by A&S. The chairs and directors of these programs have been encouraged to seek whatever assistance they may need to develop plans to complete all remaining assessment reports due by September. 

These are critical steps in the process to prepare for the reaffirmation of UVA’s accreditation with SACS. The University must be reaccredited through this rigorous self-evaluation and independent appraisal process in order not only for its students to continue qualifying for federal assistance in the form of grants or loans, but also to have the quality of our degrees affirmed through our continued accreditation.

Thanks go out from the Dean’s Office to all the departments and programs for all of the hard work now taking place in preparation for this important project. Department Chairs, Program Directors, Directors of Undergraduate Programs, Directors of Graduate Studies, and Departmental Assessment Coordinators are all key contributors to the ongoing assessment. If you are among the faculty and staff who receive requests for assistance in completing these assessments, please treat these as top-priority requests.