Less than three weeks until SACSCOC visits Auburn: Three ways accreditation centers students

There’s less than three weeks remaining until Auburn University’s accrediting body, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACSCOC, arrives for its on-site visit. As the Accreditation team prepares for the on-site phase of the reaffirmation process, we want to share the ways that the accreditation process is really all about students.

Although accreditation seems very abstract and about the university as a whole, it’s really about making sure Auburn is providing the best possible educational experience for students. The SACSCOC mission makes this explicit: “The mission of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is to assure the educational quality and improve the effectiveness of its member institutions.”

In addition to how almost all the SACSCOC reaffirmation standards are focused on serving students, here are the top three ways that students are centered and involved in the accreditation process at Auburn:

1. Students have been actively working on the reaffirmation process
The Accreditation team at Auburn University has included student voices throughout the reaffirmation process. Our office has employed half a dozen student workers, both graduate and undergraduate from across campus, majoring in subjects including history, public relations, finance, and business analytics. These student team members have helped in almost every stage of the process, from collecting evidence, to analyzing data, to helping draft and revise narratives, to preparing the Compliance Certification Report, or CCR, for final submission to SACSCOC. Our student workers have been an invaluable part of the accreditation team and contributed meaningfully to every step of the process. Having students be part of the reaffirmation process helps us make sure we keep the focus on students. They bring an important perspective to how we look at and understand the Auburn experience as it relates to the students Auburn (and its accreditation) are meant to serve.

2. Students will participate in the on-site review
In addition to being part of the accreditation process leading up to the on-site visit, students will be centered and participate in the visit itself. The SACSCOC on-site review committee will not only meet with faculty, staff and administrators, but will also meet with students. Remember, the main focus and goal of the accreditation process and review is to ensure Auburn is fulfilling its mission to serve and educate students. As such, students will be invited to participate in several of the meetings with the on-site reviewers, especially in areas related to student success and learning. Reviewers want to hear from students from all over campus, graduate and undergraduate, about their experiences here at Auburn. The committee may also speak with recent alumni to get their perspective on how Auburn served them in their education and beyond.

3. The QEP is all about students
Possibly the most significant thing the on-site reaffirmation committee will be reviewing is Auburn’s new Quality Enhancement Plan, or QEP. The goal of the QEP is for the institution to commit the resources necessary to initiate, implement and complete a 5-year project targeted at improving student learning outcomes and/or student success. So, by design, the QEP is all about serving students! This cycle our QEP is championed by the Office of Academic Insight and is focused on using data to improve students’ post-graduation outcomes through the Insight Lab and the Auburn Achieve Bright Idea seed grants. The Bright Idea project is designed to provide units, from any level of the institution, with analytical support and initial funding to implement an initiative aimed at elevating the Auburn student experience and better prepare students for post-Auburn careers.

From top to bottom, accreditation and reaffirmation is all about students and the Accreditation team strives to keep students front and center in the process.

Learn more about Auburn’s accreditation efforts.