Message from the Chancellor
East Carolina University is charging into the new millennium. Our students are enthusiastic about learning. Our accomplished and dedicated faculty shares my commitment to excellence in education. While regional accreditation is essential to the maintenance of our reputation and access to federal grants, the process associated with it offers us the opportunity to improve as an institution. The current Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) reaccreditation process is a collaborative, campus-wide effort to showcase our assets and our strides toward excellence. Part of this process involves evaluation of the university's progress to build an even stronger and more competitive institution. SACS accreditation is comprehensive and covers both academic (curricular and co-curricular) as well as financial and physical plant issues. It is one of the few exercises that engage us to look at ourselves throughout the entirety of the university.
The process of accreditation is complex and involves the effort of all of us. The lodestone of the accreditation process is the Principles of Accreditation of the SACS Commission on Colleges, and these should be read carefully. To achieve a successful outcome, we need to meet or exceed the criteria and be responsive to our mission. As an outgrowth of the university's strategic planning, our faculty will lead the way in developing a unique Quality Enhancement Plan that will propel the university into the future.
While there are many issues that can arise in any regional or professional accreditation, I am confident that the outcome of our reaffirmation will be positive. We have made significant institutional progress since our last reaffirmation in 2002. We are moving forward in developing systems of assessment which look at our students’ progress and success. We are asking each unit to review itself and its processes against the Principles of Accreditation. The process is an opportunity to revitalize our efforts at innovating and assessing our approaches to teaching, research, scholarship, and service--enriching our students and intellectual community even further.
Fortunately, we have a talented and hard-working team in place to help all of us understand the issues and prepare for the visit. More importantly, I also believe we have positioned ourselves so that our reaffirmation can be used as a value-added exercise to help us become a better university. I appreciate all of the extensive work that has already been accomplished; I thank those involved, and I look forward to working with each of you on this important endeavor. Tomorrow starts here!
Sincerely,
Steve Ballard
Chancellor
| |
