SACSCOC Officially Reaffirms Accreditation

December 11, 2018

Dear Faculty and Staff:

I am pleased to share with you the good news that Baylor University has received official reaffirmation of its 10-year institutional accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the recognized regional accrediting body in 11 southern states and Latin America for higher education institutions that award associate, baccalaureate, master's or doctoral degrees. Baylor has been accredited by SACSCOC since 1913, and we are now accredited through 2027.

I especially want to thank Dr. Wes Null, vice provost for undergraduate education and institutional effectiveness, for adeptly leading our reaccreditation effort, which is a rigorous, multi-stage process that occurs every 10 years. Since program accreditation within our various Schools and Colleges is tied to regional accreditation through SACSCOC, this process has touched upon all programs, facilities and services throughout the University. Dr. Null shares my great appreciation for the success of this effort, which is the culmination of a tremendous amount of work over a four-year period and required contributions from hundreds of people from every corner of our campus.

As part of the reaccreditation process, Baylor submitted a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), an initiative led by Dr. Jeff Hamilton, vice provost for global engagement. The QEP, "Global Baylor: Addressing Challenges to Human Flourishing," now is fully approved. All phases of implementation of this plan to foster student learning by deepening global engagement will continue accordingly.

The next required step with SACSCOC will be for the University to submit a fifth-year follow-up report in 2023. Work on that report will begin in January 2022. Baylor's next scheduled on-site SACSCOC visit will occur in approximately April 2027.

Dr. Null said it best: "To each of you who contributed along the way, thank you for your hard work, patience and dedication to Baylor."

Sincerely,

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President