DECEMBER 7, 2021 — The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) announced that it has granted UTSA a reaffirmation of accreditation until 2030. The notice is the culmination of the Racing to Reaccreditation initiative led by Continuous Improvement and Accreditation, a team within the UTSA Division of Academic Affairs.
“UTSA’s reaffirmation of accreditation is a direct result of the Continuous Improvement and Accreditation and Racing to Reaccreditation teams’ commitment to promoting the value of higher education and student success. I am grateful to all our colleagues who made this happen,” UTSA President Taylor Eighmy said. “This is such good news for UTSA. Our reaccreditation affirms an ongoing system of improvement that will advance our trajectory to build bold futures for present and future Roadrunners.”
UTSA formed a team in July 2017, far in advance of the start of the reaffirmation process. The Racing to Reaccreditation team focused on driving excellence in all areas, knowing that compliance with accreditation standards would follow. This month’s successful reaffirmation of accreditation is evidence of that focus.
“I’m grateful to the nearly 80 individuals on the Racing to Reaccreditation team who devoted their time and expertise to this initiative,” said Kasey Neece-Fielder, associate vice provost for strategic planning and assessment and SACSCOC liaison. “This institution-wide effort sets the stage to continue to build a bold course forward between now and the next review in 2030 by continually improving our programs and services.”
Institutional accreditation ensures UTSA complies with accepted standards and enables the university to continue to be eligible to receive federal financial aid funding.
“Reaffirmation of accreditation is a rigorous review process to ensure institutional quality,” said Kimberly Andrews Espy, UTSA provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “Thanks to Kasey and her incredible team for their thorough work to substantiate how UTSA is meeting that commitment to quality.”
UTSA submitted its Compliance Certification Report in September 2019. National health concerns surrounding COVID-19 postponed the anticipated on-site visit in March 2020. A virtual, comprehensive review was conducted in August 2020. Because of the delays that impacted the entire SACSCOC region, the vote on UTSA’s status was postponed to December 2021.
Neece-Fielder said that UTSA’s long-term commitment to the process enabled the institution to proceed through reaffirmation smoothly without any additional reporting requirements.
“The goal of the process is to improve systems in order to promote student success,” Neece-Fielder said. “We’re celebrating this moment but are already thinking about how we can continue to strategically expand our activities as a national model for student success as we move toward another reaffirmation in 2030.”
