Southeastern Oklahoma State University has received word that its accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission has been reaffi rmed for the next ten (10) years, through the 2033-34 academic year.
Southeastern’s first accreditation was in 1922 and the university has been continuously accredited through the HLC since 1949. The HLC focuses on advancing quality assurance through equitable, transformative, and trusted accreditation in the service of students and its member institutions.
Southeastern submitted assurance arguments to the HLC in year four (2018) and 10 (2023) of the previous accreditation cycles. A trained peer review team visited Southeastern in November 2023 as part of HLC’s comprehensive evaluation of the university. Recommendations were presented to the HLC’s Institutional Actions Council in February 2024, with the IAC continuing Southeastern’s accreditation for the next ten (10) years.
“Continued reaffirmation of Southeastern’s accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission is one of the most important processes our university goes through, and we’re exceedingly proud of the recommendation of reaffi rmation our university has earned,” said Dr. Thomas W. Newsom, 21st President of Southeastern Oklahoma State University. “Our students, faculty, and staff were thorough and truthful in the information they presented in the assurance arguments and the peer review visit. The reaffirmation of accreditation confirms that we are on the right path to continue Southeastern’s legacy of excellent education, with a focus on teaching and learning, well into the future as we execute the Vision 2040 strategic plan.”
Recognized by the United States Department of Education, The Higher Learning Commission has five major criteria for accreditation. This includes Mission, Ethics, Teaching and Learning through Quality, Resources and Support, Teaching and Learning through Evaluation and Improvement, and Resources, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness.
Dr. Teresa Golden, Southeastern vice president for academic affairs, serves as the university’s accreditation liaison to the HLC. Golden led the process of assembling assurance arguments and the peer reviewer visit in 2023, with support from a myriad of personnel on campus, especially assistant vice president for academic affairs-undergraduate studies Dr. Susan Ronnenberg. Additional key assistance was provided by the Southeastern HLC Leadership Team including Dr. Jeremy Blackwood, dean of graduate studies; Dr. Margaret Cotter-Lynch, professor of English and Honors Program Director; Dr. Rhonda Richards, department chair of accounting and finance; Dr. Mike Davis, assistant professor of behavioral sciences and special assistant to the President; Dr. Randy Clark, professor of communication; Dr. Kay Daigle, department chair of kinesiology; Dr. Brett Elliott, director of general education and professor of mathematics; Dr. Michael Hardy, professor of mathematics; Christala Smith, director of the Center for Instructional Development; Cherrie Wilmoth, deputy director of athletics for compliance and internal operations; Dr. Mark Shields, assistant vice president for academic affairs; Kristie Luke, associate dean of institutional research and records; Liz McCraw, vice president of student affairs; and Dennis Westman, vice president for business affairs and chief financial officer.
“Our current and future students will benefit greatly from this reaffirmation of accreditation. The confirmation that our mission, vision, and values are working at Southeastern is great news, and I’m confident in our ability to continue to meet the needs of Southeastern students well past the 10-year reaffirmation,” noted Golden. “Our faculty and staff have done exceptional work to meet and exceed the requirements for reaffirmation, but not just to meet that end. They do so daily in pursuit of providing the best possible educational experience for Southeastern students, helping them achieve their goals and go into their professional lives as fantastic representatives of our university.”