Meharry Medical College
SACS Reaffirmation of
Accreditation (2007)
The Meharry Medical College Mission
Meharry Medical College exists to improve the health and health care of minority and underserved communities by offering excellent education and training programs in the health sciences; placing special emphasis on providing opportunities to people of color and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, regardless of race or ethnicity; delivering high quality health services; and conducting research that fosters the elimination of health disparities.
Message from the President
The process of preparing for reaccreditation of Meharry Medical College by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is rapidly coming to an end. Our site visit is scheduled for March 6-8, 2007 with our self study report submitted as required in September 2006. Dr. A. Cherrie Epps, Senior Advisor to the President, and Dean Emerita, School of Medicine as Director and Accreditation Liaison for SACS, which included her serving as chairperson of the Institutional Effectiveness Committee. However, during her tenure as Interim President of Meharry Medical College, Dr. Epps appointed Dr. Juanita F. Buford as Interim SACS Liaison and Dr. Annie Wynn Neal as the SACS Coordinator for Logistics.
Now is the time that each of you become acquainted with the process and the importance of the SACS Reaffirmation of Accreditation. The SACS reaccreditation process has changed drastically. The SACS document The Principles of Accreditation: Foundation for Quality Enhancement outlines the new focus and was presented to all participant groups (Board of Trustees, Administration, Faculty, Students and Staff).
The Commission when considering accreditation status is to determine the institution’s integrity and its commitment to quality enhancement. These two principles serve as the foundation of the relationship between the Commission and its members and candidate institutions.” Integrity and Quality Enhancement are defined as follows:
“Integrity. Integrity, essential to the purpose of higher education, functions as the basic contract defining the relationship between the Commission and each of its member institutions. It is a relationship in which all parties agree to deal honestly and openly with their constituencies and with one another. Without this commitment, no relationship can exist or be sustained between the Commission and its member institutions. The Commission’s requirements, policies, processes, procedures, and decisions are predicated on integrity.”
The Commission on Colleges (COC) expects integrity to govern the operation of institutions. Therefore, evidence of intentionally withholding information, deliberately providing inaccurate information to the public, or failing to provide timely and accurate information to the Commission will be seen as the lack of a full commitment to integrity and may result in the loss of membership in the Commission on Colleges.”
“Quality Enhancement. The Commission on Colleges expects institutions to dedicate themselves to enhancing the quality of their programs and services within the context of their missions, resources, and capacities, and to create an environment in which teaching, public service, research, and learning occur.”
“The concept of quality enhancement is at the heart of the Commission’s philosophy of accreditation; this presumes each member institution to be engaged in an ongoing program of improvement and able to demonstrate how well it fulfills it stated mission. Although evaluation of an institution’s educational quality and its effectiveness in achieving its mission is a difficult task requiring careful analysis and professional judgment, an institution is expected to document quality and effectiveness in all its major aspects.”
All Committees and their participants are very important to the self-study and the improvement of the quality of our educational offerings. Please, when asked to assist in putting our best foot forward, do so. You can make a contribution in another way know our mission and our promise to our students.
I am counting on each of you to assist in all ways possible to ensure a successful SACS Reaffirmation of Accreditation Site Visit.
Respectfully,
Wayne J. Riley, M.D., MPH, MBA, FACP
President & Chief Executive Officer
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