The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has reaffirmed Sherman College’s accreditation and removed the institution from probation. The Commission notified the college of its action – taken at the Commission’s June 2009 meeting – via a letter dated July 13 and received today.
The letter upholds the April 2009 SACS special committee sentiments regarding the college’s “true commitment to the spirit of peer review” and officially reaffirms the institution’s accreditation. During the April visit, the site team found no areas of recommendation for the college and noted the progress made during the previous year, as well as the institution’s potential for growth in the future.
“The Commission’s action at its June 2009 meeting shows that we’ve done everything in our power to improve the college environment, strengthen our program and rise above the standard,” says Sherman President Jon Schwartzbauer, D.C. “These improvements, and ultimately our reaffirmation, are the result of the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, administration and students, and would not have been possible without each group’s unique contribution.
“The accreditation process itself has made Sherman College a stronger institution; we have improved student learning and enhanced our ability to graduate successful, focused and compassionate doctors of chiropractic to serve the public,” Schwartzbauer says.
The SACS Commission on Colleges placed the college on warning, but continued accreditation, in December 2007. SACS then placed the college on probation in June 2008 in order to provide more time to demonstrate continuous cultural change. This allowed administrators and faculty time to fully implement the plan of action and further enhance the improvements already underway.
A site team visited the school in April 2009 to follow up on the 2008 recommendations. That team departed the college with positive feedback and no recommendations, but the final decision to reaffirm Sherman College’s accreditation rested with the recommendations of several committees, Executive Council review and the Commission.
With accreditation now reaffirmed, Sherman College will focus on its continuous commitment to program improvement, student learning and serving the community with quality chiropractic care.
Comments