Accreditation Anticipated During the 2020/21 School Year
Tuesday, July 7, 2020, the College Dean Dr. Danny Baer stood excitedly at the front door of the Southeastern Cafeteria waiting, along with twenty-five attending College faculty and staff members, to receive their honored guests. The college campus was in tip-top shape as the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools’ accrediting team drove on campus for the final on-site campus review visit.
Then the TRACS Team, led by Dr. Tanmay Pramanik, arrived. The team was greeted and then took their seats among the college staff. President Ange was pleased to introduce past presidents Dr. Lorenza Stox and Rev. Jim Marcum. When Dr. Stox and Mr. Marcum addressed the audience, everyone could hear their love for Southeastern and their excitement at the prospect of being one step closer to full accreditation with TRACS. Afterward, the group enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by Mike Morris and his team.
Wednesday morning began with a devotion and followed with a campus tour for the TRACS Team and a rigorous schedule of faculty and staff interviews. The TRACS team meticulously reviewed hundreds of documents prepared by the college faculty and staff and verified proper procedures were in place.
A working lunch at a local restaurant was next with a significant representation of the College’s Board of Directors in attendance. The TRACS Team asked questions regarding the College’s mission and the Board’s involvement. Following the meeting, the TRACS Team complimented the Board of Directors for their understanding and commitment to the mission of Southeastern FWB College.
Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, the TRACS Team continued reviewing every aspect of Southeastern College. Right after lunch, they notified Mrs. Gaynor that their exit review meeting with all the faculty and staff was moved up to 2:00 p.m. in the College Chapel. Excitement and anticipation rested on the hearts of everyone on campus.
Finally, 2:00 p.m. arrived, and Dr. Pramanik, along with all the TRACS team members, read their written report aloud. Below is a note from Dr. Danny Baer to the faculty and staff explaining their conclusions.
The TRACS Evaluation Team determined that there were 0 Findings, 2 Recommendations, and 7 Suggestions.
- A Finding would have been a determination that we were out of compliance with a TRACS standard that was an Institutional Eligibility Requirement (IER). If we had had any Findings, we would have been barred from possible accreditation this fall! We had none!! Praise the Lord!!!
- Recommendations are determinations that we are out of compliance with TRACS standards. We have two years to remedy the recommendations. We remedied Recommendation 1 this afternoon. We expected Recommendation 2, and we have been working through a plan to remedy that one before the October TRACS voting.
- Suggestions are simply professional opinions of how we can improve our college. They have provided some excellent suggestions, and we are already planning on working on those in the next few months.
What are the next steps toward accreditation?
1. The College Office will respond to TRACS, explaining the College’s plan to implement or address the two recommendations and the seven suggestions offered by the TRACS Team.
2. One of the two recommendations has already been rectified, and the new faculty members hired for the Fall semester should help us clear up the second recommendation within the next school year.
3. President Ange and Dr. Baer are invited to attend the TRACS Commission Meeting in October when Southeastern will be presented to the Commission for a vote.
What are the possible outcomes of the October meeting?
1. The Commission could defer Southeastern for an additional six months to further address the recommendations and suggestions.
2. The Commission could vote to approve Southeastern for full accreditation. However, with only two recommendations and no findings, we anticipate that the Commission will vote to approve Southeastern for full accreditation. You can help us pray to that end.
In conclusion, the hurdles during Southeastern’s journey toward accreditation have been numerous. Nevertheless, God’s hand of miraculous blessings has been abundant. President Ange invites the entire Southeastern family to unite in prayer around the goal of full TRACS accreditation in October 2020.
