Tarleton Earns High Marks in Fresh SACSCOC Accreditation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 7, 2021

STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State University today received notice of its 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

SACSCOC accreditation signifies that Tarleton has the programs, resources and services to sustain its mission to transform generations by inspiring discovery, leadership and inclusion through educational excellence.

Tarleton’s fresh accreditation comes with zero recommendations for improvement and no negative findings.

“This is a superb outcome for such a rigorous review,” said university President James Hurley. “What an incredible capstone to 2021!”

Following a year of diligent preparations, Tarleton’s in-person site visit by the SACSCOC team — the final component of a multistage process — had to go virtual this past April due to the pandemic.

“It was hard work, but great work,” Dr. Hurley said. “And it would not have been accomplished without the leadership of Senior Associate Provost Dr. Jordan Barkley and the entire Tarleton family — faculty, staff and students.

“The dedication of faculty and staff and the tenacity of our students forever amaze me. I so appreciate the time and energy that secured this achievement.”

The SACSCOC site team was impressed with Tarleton’s cohesive leadership, financial stability, research relevant to regional needs, and unwavering commitment to student success. The team also applauded the tremendous effort that went into the university’s new strategic plan (Tarleton Forward 2030: Our Future-Focused Strategic Plan) and Quality Enhancement Plan (Texan Smart).

With 14 accreditation principles and over 55 subsections plus a Quality Enhancement Plan to address, a reaffirmation visit with zero recommendations or findings is “certainly no small feat,” Dr. Barkley said. “Countless faculty and staff drafted responses, helped arrange the virtual visit, participated in virtual interviews, and assisted with follow-up responses for our visiting team, and they have our profound appreciation.

“I am especially grateful for the tireless work of Dr. Denise Martinez, Dr. Dennis Jones, Mr. Morgan Carter, Ms. Michele Hancock and Dr. Laurie Sharp. I could not have asked for a more invested group of individuals to lead this effort.”

SACSCOC first accredited Tarleton in 1926, and last granted reaffirmation in 2010.

To learn more about Tarleton’s blueprint for the next decade, visit www.tarleton.edu/TarletonForward/. For more on the university’s Quality Enhancement Plan, go to www.tarleton.edu/QEP/QEP.html.

A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of nearly 17,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. True to Tarleton’s values of excellence, integrity and respect, academic programs emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.
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