UTSA Reaffirmation 2010

Dear UTSA students, faculty, staff, and friends,

I want to thank all of you for your support during our reaccreditation process with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS COC). The University as a whole worked together to make sure that our Compliance and Focused Reports, and the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) were completed in a timely manner and that they sufficiently demonstrated our compliance with each of the Core Requirements, Comprehensive Standards, and Federal Requirements. We also worked together to make the SACS COC On-Site team feel welcome and to ensure that they had everything they needed to accomplish their objectives while they were on campus.

A university’s accreditation is critical to its reputation and success, and SACS COC accredits UTSA to award bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees. Accreditation is not something a university can take for granted because it is not a one-time accomplishment. A university must seek the reaffirmation of its accredited status every ten years and meet demanding criteria established by SACS COC and the U.S. Department of Education. In early 2011 we received official notice of our reaffirmation of accreditation from the SACS COC President, Dr. Belle Wheelan.

Now that UTSA’s SACS COC reaccreditation process is complete, pilot testing of our QEP has begun. Our QEP, Quantitative Scholarship: From Literacy to Mastery, focuses on improving student learning and the environment that supports it. I encourage all of you to become involved with the QEP over the coming months, as it is one of the key factors in accomplishing the mission of UTSA.

Because we undergo an interim review by SACS COC in five years, I encourage you to keep up your good works to help us sustain the quality of our programs.

Thanks again for all of your hard work.

Sincerely,

Ricardo Romo
President
The University of Texas at San Antonio