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
commitment. Following the meeting, the TRACS Team complimented the Board of Directors for their
understanding and commitment to the mission of Southeastern 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
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 provide adequate fulfillment of the second recommendation.
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
suggestions and recommendations.
2. The Commission could vote to approve Southeastern for full accreditation.
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.