Monday, September 11, 2000

WILMINGTON, NC -- The University of North Carolina at Wilmington has entered a new phase in the process to renew accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

This fall, every academic and administrative unit at the university will review its operating procedures and policies. All areas will prepare reports which identify their strengths and weaknesses and include recommendations for improvement in accordance with the SACS standards of accreditation, according to Dr. Kenneth Spackman, associate professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, director of the self-study and chair of the committee in charge of the reaffirmation process.

UNCW, as well as other accredited colleges, must conduct a self-study every 10 years to renew accreditation. This process was last conducted in the early 1990s.

"The emphasis of this SACS review is to ensure that UNCW has the planning and assessment in place for continual improvement," said Spackman. "We want to show everyone - students, faculty, staff, alumni and the public - that the university has the policies and procedures in place to do the job with which we have been entrusted -- to educate."

As part of the process, the university has updated its mission statement, said Spackman. The next step will involve the university's goals for the next decade.

"Students can have input in UNCW's long-range planning for the next decade. We want to know students' views on curriculum and classroom teaching," said Spackman. "In addition, student input will be solicited on technology, instruction, parking, adequacy of library and research space and athletic and recreational facilities."

Once this data collection phase concludes this fall, 30 committees composed of approximately 200 faculty and staff members will review the reports next spring. The group will compile a final report that addresses more than 450 SACS criteria that the university must meet. During the fall 2001 semester, the report will be available for campus review. In spring 2002, a SACS committee will visit the university, evaluate the self-study and make recommendations. The decision to renew UNCW's accreditation will be made by SACS in fall 2002.

This three-year process to renew accreditation is important to the university, said Spackman. "Accreditation validates students' degrees, assures employers that UNCW graduates' education meets high standards and contributes to the institution's academic reputation. Without accreditation, the university could not receive federal student financial aid or research grant funds."

For more information, contact Dr. Spackman at 910/962-3303 or choose the SACS link from UNCW's World Wide Web homepage at http://www.uncwil.edu.