SACS re-accredits WU
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 9:55PM By Jonathan McFadden
mcfaddenj@mytjnow.com
Months of reviewing academic departments, buffering programs and crafting a global initiative have paid off in spades.
Winthrop is once again fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) after a nine-member team of administrators visited the university for three days in April for a complete university audit.
Per SACS’ requirements, the university had to prepare a comprehensive report showcasing its compliance with meeting SACS’ standard. The university also had to focus on the developing and implementing a five-year quality enhancement plan, according to Karen Jones, associate vice president for academic affairs and university liaison to SACS.
That plan found form as the Global Learning Initiative.
Since 2009, the university began preparing for their quality enhancement plan by holding focus group sessions and surveying and polling students.
The GLI began to find life on campus in fall 2010 with the initiative’s official kickoff during the first GLI Games.
In the spring, professors ensured that their students knew what GLI was, while the initiative’s promotions committee advertised the program across campus.
New academic developments as a result of GLI include: changes to the Touchstone Core, more specifically ACAD 101 and HMXP 102; an intense focus on helping students study abroad; and offering ‘global’ events.
