ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, June 14, 1996 TAG: 9606140022
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ELIZABETH W. PAYNE
IN RESPONSE to the June 3 news article, ``Mormon-led school finds an ally":
All public colleges and universities in Virginia participate in the process of accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Reaccreditation takes place every 10 years.
Between 1991 and 1993, Virginia Western Community College underwent an exhaustive self-study that led to the reaccreditation of the institution by SACS. The college made whatever changes necessary to come into compliance with SACS' criteria.
Those criteria, incidentally, are developed by peer institutions and not some outside agency. This is an important concept that should be noted by those who threaten intervention in the accreditation process by some ``higher authority'' which isn't happy that Southern Virginia College wasn't reaccredited by SACS.
All of the other 22 community colleges have recently undergone or will undergo the reaccreditation process during the next few years. While recognizing the advantages to all concerned to have Southern Virginia College become a viable institution again, making exceptions wouldn't be fair to the other institutions that have done all they must to become accredited or reaccredited by SACS. It's simply a factual matter - they either meet the criteria or they don't.
Provisions are made for probation and appeals that allow an institution to rectify adverse conditions.
More important, however, is the fact that Southern Virginia College is converting from a two-year college to a four-year college; and from a single-sex institution to a co-ed institution with new management, new philosophies and new priorities. The current accreditation criteria wouldn't apply to the newly structured Southern Virginia College without modifications.
Another point that should be made is that, while not being accredited by SACS could hamper transfer of credits to other institutions, the receiving institution has the option of accepting any credits they choose.
Therefore, the receiving institution could consider each individual case, evaluate the student's competency in the subject matter, and accept the credits from Southern Virginia College.
Fully appreciating the signifiance of becoming accredited by SACS might be difficult for one who hasn't been a part of an educational institution that has undergone this rigorous self-examination.
It's a banner proudly carried and shouldn't be diluted by making unwarranted exceptions for institutions that do not meet the criteria.
Elizabeth W. Payne a retired program head at Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke, directed the college's reaccreditation self-study.
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