Friday, July 11, 2003

WRITER: Larry B. Dendy, 706/542-8078, ldendy@uga.edu
CONTACT: Robert Boehmer, 706/542-2558, bboehmer@uga.edu

UGA SELF STUDY CONCLUDES WITH PRAISE FROM ACCREDITING AGENCY

ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Georgia’s 2001 self study has officially come to a close with the university’s chief accrediting agency issuing its stamp of approval and a note of praise for the quality of UGA’s work.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) this week notified UGA President Michael F. Adams that the university doesn’t need to submit any more reports to fulfill requirements of the self study.

The letter from James T. Rogers, executive director of the SACS Commission on Colleges, closes the book on a process that began in late 1998 when the university began its self study, an in-depth look at virtually every aspect of the university’s operations.

UGA is required to conduct a self study every 10 years to retain accreditation from SACS. The self study demonstrates that the university complies with specific SACS standards for academic and administrative functions.

In a statement, Rogers said the Commission on Colleges was "impressed with the quality, frankness and organization" of UGA’s self-study. Rogers reiterated that the commission believes "the administration of the University can be very proud of the team that was responsible for developing the self study."

Prior to beginning the self study process, Adams requested and received permission from SACS to use an "alternative model" that focused the self study on one of the university’s central goals – improving the educational experience of undergraduate students. Adams then appointed Robert Boehmer, a legal studies professor in the Terry College of Business, to direct the process.

The alternative plan centered on four areas that strongly impact undergraduate education: physical facilities, undergraduate research, information technology and general factors that affect the quality of the undergraduate experience.

In early 2001, a SACS review team composed of officials from several leading institutions came to UGA to talk with faculty, students and staff and to review a three-volume report containing findings of the self study. Later that year, SACS formally reaffirmed UGA’s accreditation.

But that wasn’t the end of the process.

The review team issued its own report that included five "commendations" to UGA for outstanding performance in several areas, which Rogers said is an "unusual number" for a SACS report. The report also contained 14 specific recommendations and numerous suggestions for strengthening academic and administrative functions. UGA had to submit two follow-up reports showing how it would enact the recommendations and respond to the suggestions.

Rogers’s letter this week means that SACS is satisfied with the university’s plans to implement changes based on the recommendations and suggestions, and will not require further documentation.

"Going through a self study is a very intense and demanding exercise, and I’m of course pleased that we have successfully concluded it," said Adams. "We are delighted with the favorable report from SACS, and appreciative of the endorsement of our academic programs and administrative practices.

"I want to especially commend Bob Boehmer for his leadership, and to thank the more than 200 faculty, staff, students and administrators who spent countless hours over more than 18 months working on the self study," Adams added.

While the official purpose of the self study was to ensure UGA’s reaccreditation by SACS, Boehmer said there are other important long-range benefits.

"The massive amount of thought, time and energy that the university community invested in this exercise created a strong sense of collective ownership of the university’s future," said Boehmer, who is now associate provost for institutional effectiveness. "The faculty and administration have come out of this not only with a clear vision of where the university needs to go, especially in the area of undergraduate education, but also with a vigorous determination to work together to accomplish those goals."

As part of the self study, UGA also underwent a peer review of its athletic program by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. An NCAA review team visited campus with the SACS review team to look at athletic operations and interview athletic officials.

Rogers noted that the NCAA review team concluded "that the university administration appropriately controlled the athletics program – with input by the faculty and athletic director – and that the university was ensuring that academic policies were being maintained."

The SACS review team included three commendations for the university’s efforts to enhance undergraduate education.

One applauds the decision to focus the self study on the undergraduate experience, and cites the Office of Instructional Support and Development and UGA’s Teaching Academy for contributing to better undergraduate learning.

Another cites the university’s residential initiative, which brings instruction, research, advising and other education activities into residence halls, and a third praises UGA for creating a "holistic learning environment" through such programs as the Honors Program and the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities.

The other commendations cite the Physical Plant Division for maintenance of "beautiful campus grounds," and applauded the excellence of UGA’s continuing education and public service and outreach programs.

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