Saturday, May 4, 2024

UTSA receives decennial reaffirmation of accreditation

UTSA receives decennial reaffirmation of accreditation

DECEMBER 7, 2021 — The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) announced that it has granted UTSA a reaffirmation of accreditation until 2030. The notice is the culmination of the Racing to Reaccreditation initiative led by Continuous Improvement and Accreditation, a team within the UTSA Division of Academic Affairs.

“UTSA’s reaffirmation of accreditation is a direct result of the Continuous Improvement and Accreditation and Racing to Reaccreditation teams’ commitment to promoting the value of higher education and student success. I am grateful to all our colleagues who made this happen,” UTSA President Taylor Eighmy said. “This is such good news for UTSA. Our reaccreditation affirms an ongoing system of improvement that will advance our trajectory to build bold futures for present and future Roadrunners.” 

UTSA formed a team in July 2017, far in advance of the start of the reaffirmation process. The Racing to Reaccreditation team focused on driving excellence in all areas, knowing that compliance with accreditation standards would follow. This month’s successful reaffirmation of accreditation is evidence of that focus.

"I'm grateful to the nearly 80 individuals on the Racing to Reaccreditation team who devoted their time and expertise to this initiative," said Kasey Neece-Fielder, associate vice provost for strategic planning and assessment and SACSCOC liaison. "This institution-wide effort sets the stage to continue to build a bold course forward between now and the next review in 2030 by continually improving our programs and services."

Institutional accreditation ensures UTSA complies with accepted standards and enables the university to continue to be eligible to receive federal financial aid funding.

"Reaffirmation of accreditation is a rigorous review process to ensure institutional quality," said Kimberly Andrews Espy, UTSA provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "Thanks to Kasey and her incredible team for their thorough work to substantiate how UTSA is meeting that commitment to quality."

UTSA submitted its Compliance Certification Report in September 2019. National health concerns surrounding COVID-19 postponed the anticipated on-site visit in March 2020. A virtual, comprehensive review was conducted in August 2020. Because of the delays that impacted the entire SACSCOC region, the vote on UTSA's status was postponed to December 2021.

Neece-Fielder said that UTSA’s long-term commitment to the process enabled the institution to proceed through reaffirmation smoothly without any additional reporting requirements.

“The goal of the process is to improve systems in order to promote student success,” Neece-Fielder said. “We’re celebrating this moment but are already thinking about how we can continue to strategically expand our activities as a national model for student success as we move toward another reaffirmation in 2030.”



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of The University of Texas at San Antonio.

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UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.


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UTSA’s Mission

The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.

UTSA’s Vision

To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA’s Core Values

We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.

UTSA’S Destinations

UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .

Our Commitment to Inclusivity

The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.