SACSCOC Accreditation

SACSCOC

Texas State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees. Questions about the accreditation of Texas State University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC's webiste (www.sacscoc.org).

SACSCOC accreditation is institutional in nature. Although many programs are accredited by other agencies, SACSCOC accredits the university as a whole, not specific degrees or programs.

Reaffirmation of Accreditation

Reaffirmation of Accreditation is a process that involves a collective analysis and judgment by the institution’s internal constituencies, an informed review by peers external to the institution, and a reasoned decision by the elected members of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Board of Trustees, reaffirmation of accreditation is the process for ensuring that member institutions maintain continuing compliance with Commission policies and with the Principles of Accreditation. An institution must be reaffirmed every ten years.

Filing a Complaint with SACSCOC

To file a formal complaint pertaining to significant, documented, alleged non-compliance with the SACSCOC accreditation standards, policies or procedures, complete the Commission’s Complaint Form and send two print copies to the President, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097. (To access the Commission’s complaint policy, procedures, and the Complaint Form, please see Complaint Procedures Against the Commission or Its Accredited Institutions (.pdf).

Please read the document carefully before submitting a complaint. Note that the complaint policy only addresses significant, documented, alleged non-compliance with the SACSCOC accreditation standards, policies or procedures. Complainants are expected to have attempted to resolve the issue through the institution’s complaint processes before filing a complaint with SACSCOC. The SACSCOC complaint process is not intended to be used to involve the Commission in disputes between individuals and member institutions or to cause the Commission to interpose itself as a reviewing authority in individual matters; nor does the policy allow the Commission to seek redress on an individual’s behalf. The primary purpose of the SACSCOC complaint procedure is to acquire valuable information regarding an accredited institution’s possible non-compliance with accreditation standards, policies and procedures rather than to resolve individual disputes. Complaints must be tied to specific standard numbers from The Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement.

SACSCOC Liaison

The Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness, Beth Wuest, serves as the SACSCOC Accreditation Liaison.

The Accreditation Liaison is responsible for the following:

• Ensuring that compliance with accreditation requirements is incorporated into the planning and evaluation process of the institution.
• Notifying the Commission in advance of substantive changes and program developments in accord with the substantive change policies of the Commission.
• Familiarizing faculty, staff, and students with the Commission's accrediting policies and procedures, and with particular sections of the accrediting standards and Commission policies that have an application to certain aspects of the campus (e.g., library, continuing education) especially when such documents are adopted or revised.
• Serving as a contact person for Commission staff. This includes encouraging institutional staff to route routine inquiries about the Principles of Accreditation and accreditation policies and processes through the Accreditation Liaison, who will contact Commission staff, if necessary , and ensuring that email from the Commission office does not get trapped in the institution’s spam filter.
• Coordinating the preparation of the annual profiles and any other reports requested by the Commission.
• Serving as a resource person during the decennial review process and helping prepare for and coordinating reaffirmation and other accrediting visits.
• Ensuring that electronic institutional data collected by the Commission is accurate and timely.
• Maintaining a file of all accreditation materials, such as, reports related to the decennial review; accreditation committee reports; accreditation manuals, standards, and policies; schedules of all visits; and correspondence from accrediting offices