Jan. 17, 2001 10 PM

A leading higher education official will visit Troy State University next week as the university prepares for the critical process of reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Dr. James Rogers, director of the SACS Commission on Colleges, will visit the campus Jan. 25 and 26 to help TSU kick off its Institutional Self-Study, a key component of the accreditation process. Rogers will be the featured speaker at the Institutional Self-Study general session at 3:15 p.m., Jan. 25 in the Adams Center Theatre. Administrators, faculty, staff and students are invited to attend.

Rogers will explain the nature of self-study and peer review and provide additional information on SACS and the process of accreditation.

TSU’s Institutional Self-Study is designed to lay the groundwork for the reaffirmation of accreditation, said Jack Hawkins Jr., chancellor.

"The Institutional Self-Study is one of the most important efforts that the university will undertake in this decade," Hawkins said. "The understanding and active participation of administrators, faculty and staff in the self-study process are essential.

"The general session with Dr. Rogers is a great way to begin this key period in the history of Troy State University."

The Institutional Self-Study is designed to examine every aspect of TSU’s educational environment, said Angela Roling, vice president for Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness. The last self-study was done in 1992, she said, noting that the accreditation process takes place every 10 years.

"The self-study will look at every nook and cranny of TSU’s operation," Roling said. "It will determine the effectiveness ­ and hence, the level of excellence ­ of all units of the university. It will also determine the university’s level of compliance with SACS criteria."

She said the key to a successful self-study is strong support from the entire TSU community.

"To have a really good self-study, we need the involvement of everyone associated with Troy State University and we need them to be involved from day one," Roling said. "That’s why the general session on Jan. 25 is so important."

In addition to addressing the general session, Rogers will meet with members of the Institutional Self-Study steering committee and with chairs of the six self-study committees to answer questions and provide organizational assistance.

The first round of the self-study should be completed by December, Roling said.

SACS peer review teams will begin visiting TSU System sites in fall 2002 before making a final visit to Troy in April 2003.

Roling expects the self-study and reaffirmation of accreditation processes to go well for TSU.

"We have made a lot of progress over the last 10 years," she said. "But, the importance of accreditation can’t be overstated.

"SACS accreditation is the stamp of quality control on every diploma we award. The value of every TSU diploma would be compromised if accreditation is nor reaffirmed."