Getting and keeping accreditation is critical for almost all colleges in the United States. Accreditation is third-party validation that a college meets minimum standards. Not only is institutional accreditation required for participation in federal student loan programs, but without accreditation, it is hard (if not impossible) to be authorized…

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is a unifying framework for essential life skills, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships, and responsible decision-making. In this article, we examine the intersection of SEL competencies with national accreditation policy, state standards, and course descriptions using…

This case study delineates the process that a small, private liberal arts university employed to amplify its high-impact practices in an already award-winning undergraduate research (UR) program. The process was catalyzed by combined institutional factors: the start of a new accreditation cycle and the launch of our university's strategic vision,…

With economic pressures restricting campus budgets and healthcare policy issues capturing national attention, facilities managers at university-affiliated hospitals and other healthcare entities say they feel more urgency than ever to provide cost-effective services to patients, providers, medical researchers, and students. Managing facilities at…

In 1992 the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) coined the term "Dispositions"; the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE, 2002) defined dispositions making dispositions a part of every teacher accreditation process. Since that time educators have struggled over the inevitable…

Areas of our country are headed toward significant social and political unrest if education ignores the demographic trends reshaping our schools. This article describes how one teacher training program in South Carolina examined its cultural context, accreditation standards, and course offerings to restructure its curriculum to address cultural…

This study included an analysis of the trend of performance indicators for the technical college sector of higher education in South Carolina. In response to demands for accountability and transparency in higher education, the state of South Carolina developed sector specific performance indicators to measure various educational outcomes for each…

New program approval is one of the functions performed by a coordinating Agency, and was recognized in the 1967 legislation creating the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, which requires approval by the Commission or the General Assembly before any new program is implemented by a public institution of higher learning. This document…

Assessment is a worthwhile undertaking when meaningful data are generated, evidence-based improvement initiatives are thoroughly considered and discussed, and results are ultimately used to improve educational effectiveness. National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) results are oriented toward such practical use. Each year, more campuses use…

This document provides information on the status of 28 teacher education institutions in South Carolina. For each institution the information includes accreditation status, approved programs, school level, dates of approval and expiration, and level of degree offered. Information is also given on teacher certification requirements for the state,…

Small universities do not have all of the resources that larger ones do. There are fewer computers, fewer teachers, fewer technicians and of course less money. Charleston Southern University (CSU) seeks to be one of the smallest universities to meet national accreditation standards in computer science (ABET-CAC). This presentation will provide a…

Thinking of learning a new job skill or enrolling in a non-traditional degree program? Beware of misleading advertising about educational opportunities that sound too good to be true. This brochure offers information on steps one can take and questions one can ask to effectively evaluate the quality of postsecondary educational programs and…

This booklet provides comprehensive information on schools of education in South Carolina. Background information is given on State policies about interstate reciprocity, the Master of Arts in Teaching program, and required examinations for certification. The 28 colleges are listed alphabetically with complete listings of programs and the…

This handbook sets forth the specific state policies, evaluation procedures, and standards governing the approval of teacher education programs in South Carolina. An outline is provided of the self-evaluation process undertaken by colleges prior to on-site evaluation by the team of educators representing the state. The on-site evaluation of an…

A consortium of South Carolina colleges and universities developed assessment programs which would fully satisfy state and accreditation assessment mandates and increase program quality and institutional effectiveness. A South Carolina Higher Education Assessment Network was established with a Coordinating Center at Winthrop College to provide…