A Message from the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Welcome to The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston SACS website. This site has been developed to support The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in the evaluation of the Health Science Center for reaffirmation of accreditation and in preparation for the off-site evaluation in Fall 2009 and campus site visit in Spring 2010. Click on the slide below to view an overview of the SACS accreditation process.

The SACS Web site is intended as a mechanism for sharing information about our preparations for reaffirmation of accreditation, making documents available for broad review and input and keeping the university community apprised of the progress of this important process. Since it is an evolving process, not all of the links in this Web site are active. I will post periodic reports to let you know about our progress. In the coming months, faculty, administrators, staff and students will be asked for their cooperation and assistance in the preparation of the documentation that will demonstrate the Health Science Center's compliance with SACS requirements and I encourage you to be an active participant in this process.

Since our last reaffirmation in 2000, SACS has revised the process and adopted new accreditation standards that are more focused and emphasize student learning outcomes and improving the learning environment. I invite you to look at the Accreditation Information Section and get acquainted with the new requirements and SACS process.

Our SACS reaffirmation process begins officially with a visit from our SACS representative in June 2008, but our planning must begin now. As we embark on this journey, we will be working to improve our learning environment and demonstrate compliance with SACS requirements, but it is my hope that we will put in place processes that will continue to contribute to the quality of our academic enterprise long after the SACS review is completed.

L. Maximilian Buja, M.D.
August 2006