Office of Institutional Assessment and Effectiveness

Annual Institutional Effectiveness (IE) plans are required by all academic and administrative departments. The annual plan template and resource guides are available on the Office of Institutional Assessment and Effectiveness website. The template is designed to mimic the cycle of ongoing improvement beginning with the previous year’s outcomes and student learning outcomes (SLOs), the assessment and results of the progress toward those outcomes and SLOs, and plans for the upcoming year. 

 

• Assessing the Core Curriculum
• Feedback from SACSCOC on the Compliance Report, Standard 3.5.1: Assessing the Core at UST
• Instructions for Assessing the Core
• Institutional Effectiveness Glossary
• Institutional Effectiveness Handbook
• Institutional Effectiveness Process
• Institutional Effectiveness Plan Preparation Guide - Academic Student Support Units
• Institutional Effectiveness Plan Preparation Guide - Administrative Support Units
• Institutional Effectiveness Plan Preparation Guide - Educational Programs

 

To learn more about the accrediting process, visit the SACSCOC website.

Reaffirmation 2015 SACSCOC: Overview & Compliance Certification

The University of St. Thomas is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degrees.

view accreditation statement (SACSCOC)

What does accreditation by SACSCOC mean?

Accreditation by SACSCOC means that UST:

Has a mission appropriate to higher education,

Has resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish and sustain the mission,

Maintains clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers, and that indicate whether it is successful in achieving its stated objectives,

SACSCOC is the regional accrediting body for degree-granting higher education institutions in 11 Southern states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. SACS, founded in 1895, is a private, voluntary, nonprofit organization dedicated to the enhancement of educational quality and improvement of institutional effectiveness through peer review and institutional self-regulation,

SACSCOC sets forth requirements for initial and continued accreditation of colleges and universities. Once an institution is accredited, SACSCOC maintains a continuous cycle of review at the following intervals:

• Initial accreditation
• Fifth-year interim reaffirmation of accreditation
• Tenth-year reaffirmation of accreditation

How does SACSCOC evaluate institutions for accreditation?

To be accredited, SACSCOC evaluates institutions on their:

• Compliance with the Principle of Integrity
• Compliance with Core Requirements
• Compliance with Comprehensive Standards
• Compliance with additional Federal Requirements
• Compliance with policies of the Commission

The SACSCOC tenth-year reaffirmation covers all aspects of the university’s operations – mission, policies, procedures, programs, resources and services.  The reaffirmation process has five components that involve intensive internal and external reviews over an 18-month period:

• Compliance Certification
• Quality Enhancement Plan
• Off-Site Review
• On-Site Review
• SACSCOC Board of Trustees Review
• SACSCOC Board of Trustees Notification

The Compliance Certification is an intensive self-study in which UST takes a serious and reflective look at the quality and effectiveness of its programs and services and judges its own adherence to the over 80+ principles.  The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), developed by a broad-based representation of the UST community, is a detailed action plan to improve students’ learning outcomes or the learning environment.

The Off-Site Review, by SACSCOC, includes an evaluation of UST's Compliance Certification document and preparation of preliminary findings about UST’s compliance.  The On-Site Review performed by SACSCOC is extensive and begins before their representatives come to campus.   

The On-Site Review includes an examination of the Off-Site committee’s preliminary findings, a separate in-depth assessment of UST’s Compliance Certification, a thorough review of UST's QEP and how it was developed, a visit to a sample of UST’s off-campus locations where classes are offered, a review of third-party comments, and an exit conference with key UST personnel.  The SACSCOC Board of Trustees makes its decision and posts it to the SACSCOC website.  The three possible outcomes are:

• Reaffirmation of accreditation
• Denial of reaffirmation
• Removal from membership

SACSCOC Leadership Team at UST

The Southern Association of School and Colleges Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) requires that institutions form an Institutional Leadership Team to manage and validate the internal institutional assessment of compliance.

These individuals have a high level of responsibility for the internal compliance process and the integrity of UST’s compliance documents.

SACSCOC recommends that this leadership team include, at the minimum, the chief executive officer, chief academic officer, accreditation liaison and a representative faculty liaison. The SACSCOC also points out the importance of an institution’s governing board in supporting and funding the compliance process.

The UST Institutional Leadership Team consists of five UST administrative officers pictured below. In addition to the SACSCOC recommended team members, UST’s team includes our Associate Vice President of Institutional Assessment & Effectiveness and the Chief Financial Officer. Our leadership team attended the leadership orientation conducted by the SACSCOC in Atlanta in June 2013.

SACSCOC outlines some key responsibilities of the Institutional Leadership Team:

• Coordinating and managing the university-wide internal review process.
• Coordinating the completion of the Compliance Certification that is required by SACSCOC.

Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

The focus of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) for the University of St. Thomas is the development and deployment of a university-wide writing program for all incoming freshmen.

SACSCOC Resources

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools website includes information about the requirements for institutional accreditation and provides executive summaries of Quality Enhancement Plans developed by graduate institutions.

• QEP Resources for the Class of 2015

Planning documents for the 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation:

• The Principles of Accreditation: Any university that is accredited by SACSCOC must be in compliance with the Principles of Accreditation, which are the foundations for an institution's quality enhancement. This document includes all of the nearly 100 principles as of 2012.
• The Handbook for Institutions Seeking Reaffirmation: All SACSCOC-accredited universities must apply for reaffirmation of accreditation every ten years. The Handbook for Institutions Seeking Reaffirmation is designed to guide institutions through the reaffirmation process, and outlines the four major steps in the quest for reaffirmation in (1) building a foundation of understanding as the institution starts the process, (2) preparing for the off-site review, (3) preparing for the on-site review, and (4) completing the reaffirmation process.
• The Resource Manual for the Principles of Accreditation: The SACSCOC reaccreditation process is a major undertaking for any university. The Resource Manual for the Principles of Accreditation is designed (1) to provide guidance to institutions as they seek to identify strategies for documenting compliance with commission requirements and standards and (2) to be a resource in the training of review team members and trustees as they strive to apply the Principles fairly and consistently.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, please contact us at assessment@stthom.edu.

Check back soon for more information

UST's overall mission is to educate leaders of faith and character.  To that end, it is essential that these leaders are able to communicate effectively both within and across their respective disciplines.  Our QEP mission is to improve students' writing skills across the curriculum, which we believe will foster critical thinking, effective communication, and professional success.

UST Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

The UST Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), “Toward a Culture of Writing,” will advance the University Mission by improving students’ writing skills so that they are able to:

• communicate effectively within and across disciplines
• think critically  
• achieve professional success  

Working from clearly articulated educational values for writing, and through a careful analysis of available data in Core subjects, the UST community will:

• evaluate existing practices, resources, strategies, and outcomes to determine their effectiveness
• identify and address our weaknesses
• build on our strengths and our unique identity as the Catholic liberal arts university in the heart of Houston
• educate better writers and thinkers in all disciplines.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a QEP?

A QEP is a Quality Enhancement Plan. Our regional accrediting body, SACSCOC, requires that we develop and implement such a plan within the next five years. According to SACS, “the QEP describes a carefully designed course of action that addresses a well-defined and focused topic or issue related to enhancing student learning.”  This well-defined and focused topic must be derived from an analysis of comprehensive data, i.e. it must address a known area that needs improvement at UST, and its goals and outcomes must be measurable over the entire life cycle of the QEP.  Finally, the university must have both the financial and administrative where withal to execute the QEP they choose.

What is the UST QEP topic?

“Write Well, Think Well: Toward A Culture of Writing”

The University of St. Thomas QEP focuses on improving student writing and creating a culture of writing at the University of St. Thomas.  In short, we want our students to:

• Use writing to explore, reflect, and develop sound arguments using logic, persuasive rhetoric and sound grammar.
• Produce writing suitable for academic purposes in all disciplines such as the Humanities, Sciences and the Arts.
• Receive, where applicable, assistance in developing sound writing skills which are in keeping with current best practices in regard to remediation.
• Become more engaged in the creative process of writing through the student writing group, The Aquinas Writing Scholars, which will expose student writers to the world of professional writing in the disciplines. 

When will all this happen?

Starting in the late spring of 2015, the University of St. Thomas will begin recruiting for the first cohort of Aquinas Writing Scholars.  The Aquinas Writing Scholars (henceforth AWS) student group will be open to all entering first year students.  Students who elect to join the Aquinas Writing Scholars and who are required to take either ENLG 1310 or ENGL1341 will receive a $1000 scholarship toward their tuition at UST and will be eligible for a $2000 scholarship upon graduation if they remain an Aquinas Writing Scholar throughout their time at UST.  Throughout the course of the 2015-2016 academic year, writing outcomes will be assessed in all Core classes through the annual Core Goal Assessment.  In addition, all departments will create departmental standards for Writing Intensive (WI) classes in line with established university standards.

Also in the fall of 2015, the core courses of English, Philosophy and Theology (approximately 78% of each entering class) will officially begin coordinating the writing outcomes of the nine (9) classes which make up their core.  Students will experience this coordination whenever they take these courses in their academic career at UST.   In addition, in the fall of 2015 the AWS will begin planning the first annual Young Writers Workshop which will take place in the spring of 2016.  In all subsequent years of the QEP out to 2020, the process outlined above will take place.

An interim QEP director will be appointed in early summer of 2015 to coordinate all aspects of the QEP writing program (annual assessment, faculty development, the Aquinas Writing Scholars student Group, the annual Young Writers Workshop, etc.).  A national search for the permanent director of the QEP will begin in the fall of 2015.

How will UST’s QEP be judged?

The SACS team of evaluators will judge our QEP using a fairly elaborate set of criteria. These criteria are sometimes framed as “guiding questions,” and they include the following:

• Has the institution provided a comprehensive and clear analysis of the crucial importance of the QEP for improving the learning     environment?
• Has the institution demonstrated that various institutional constituencies have been involved in the identification of the topic for the QEP?
• Has the institution identified a significant issue related to student learning and justified its use for the Quality Enhancement Plan?
• Does the QEP provide evidence of careful analysis of the institutional context in which the goals will be implemented and of consideration of best practices related to the topic?
• Has the institution provided evidence of sufficient financial, physical and human resources to implement sustain and complete the QEP?

Perhaps most importantly, the QEP must center on clearly defined student learning outcomes that are achievable and measurable.  Simply put, we need to be able to do what we set out to do and prove that we have indeed done it.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, please contact us at stribys@stthom.edu.

Check back soon for more information.

This Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) aims to cultivate a vibrant Catholic culture within our institution, focusing on its profound impact on building a strong sense of community and fostering positive outcomes for student success. By intertwining Catholic values, traditions, and teachings throughout the university experience, we seek to create an environment that nurtures the holistic development of our students, promoting their personal, academic, and spiritual growth.  

• Acknowledges the transformative power of Catholic culture in building a sense of belonging, unity, and shared purpose within our diverse student body. Through intentional initiatives, including liturgical celebrations, retreats, cultural festivals, and service-learning opportunities rooted in Catholic values, students will be exposed to the richness and depth of Catholic traditions, enabling them to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of their faith. 
• Recognizes that a strong Catholic culture enhances community building by fostering respect, inclusivity, and a sense of shared responsibility for the common good. By actively engaging in activities that promote interfaith dialogue, diversity, and Catholic Social Teaching, students will develop the skills necessary to collaborate effectively, respect differences, and contribute meaningfully to their communities. 
• Emphasizes the positive effects of a vibrant Catholic culture on student success. By integrating Catholic values into the academic curriculum and co-curricular activities, students will develop critical thinking skills, ethical reasoning, and moral decision-making abilities. This integration will empower students to navigate complex challenges, apply their faith to real-world contexts, and lead lives of purpose and integrity.