Leadership Team

The role of the leadership team is central to the success of the institutional review.  The commission encourages institutions to create leadership teams consisting of the chief executive officer, the chief academic officer, faculty member, the designated accreditation liaison, and other personnel as is appropriate.

The main responsibilities of the Leadership Team include:

• Coordinating and managing the internal review process

• Overseeing the development of the Quality Enhancement Plan

• Overseeing the institutional review of compliance with the Principles of Accreditation and the documentation supporting    compliance

• Ensuring that the institutional community is engaged in the review process and is informed of the progress of the review

• Developing the structure for the internal review process and overseeing time lines for ensuring the timely completion of the Compliance Certification and the Quality Enhancement Plan

• Overseeing arrangements for the on-site visit

• Ensuring that appropriate follow-up activities are in place to address compliance issues and to monitor the successful implementation of the Quality Enhancement Plan

The chief executive officer and the accreditation liaison play major roles in the process

Compliance Certification Team

The Compliance Certification Team conducts an institutional analysis to check for compliance with the Core Requirements and the Comprehensive Standards. 

The team has the following responsibilities:

• Demonstrate its accountability to all constituents. (SACS Handbook, 2004)

• Interpret Core Requirements and Comprehensive Standards

• Identify evidence to support each Core Requirement and Comprehensive Standard

• Assign specific assignments to staff and faculty who have been identified as having responsibility for a particular area addressed in a specific Core Requirement or Comprehensive Standard

• Certify quality and integrity of the data and information

• Conduct the analysis of compliance to ascertain extent of compliance (compliance, partial compliance, or non-compliance)

•  Prepare narrative