Southeastern accreditation reaffirmed, Wainwright elected to board of trustees

Southeastern Louisiana University has officially received reaffirmation of accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The announcement was made recently at SACSCOC’s annual meeting in Nashville, where Southeastern President William S. Wainwright was elected to the SACSCOC Board of Trustees.

SACSCOC elects 77 board members to guide the organization’s work and to implement the accreditation process. Members of the board serve a term of three years.

The SACSCOC Board of Trustees governs the accreditation process for colleges in the South, making final decisions on granting, denying, or removing accreditation based on compliance with quality standards, reviewing institutions seeking membership or reaffirmation, approving SACSCOC policies, and electing leaders for the organization, acting as the representative body for all member institutions.

“As board members, we ensure standards are relevant and oversee the review of institutional compliance and quality enhancement plans to guarantee consistent, high-quality higher education,” Wainwright said. “I am humbled and honored to serve in this capacity for the next three years.”

Southeastern’s accreditation now extends through 2035. The reaffirmation of institutional accreditation is a multi-year process, including a comprehensive self-study and an on-site review that is required every 10 years and touches on all aspects of Southeastern’s academic programs, services, and facilities.

Accreditation by SACSCOC signifies that the institution (1) has a mission appropriate to higher education, (2) has resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish and sustain that mission, and (3) maintains clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers and that indicate whether it is successful in achieving its stated objectives.

“The decision by SACSCOC’s Board of Trustees to reaffirm our accreditation was also accompanied by a final report that contained no findings or recommendations,” said Wainwright. “To have our accreditation reaffirmed with no areas of concern is a reflection of the quality of a Southeastern degree, our exceptional faculty and staff, and our commitment to student success.”

SACSCOC is an institutional accreditor for quality assurance in higher education. SACSCOC accredits institutions that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees, including those offered via distance and correspondence education, and direct assessment within these institutions. It serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices among its members in the United States and international institutions of higher education approved by the SACSCOC Executive Council, Board of Trustees, and the Appeals Committee of the College Delegate Assembly.