SACS Reaffirmation

What is SACS or SACSCOC?

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

What is the purpose of SACSCOC?

The SACSCOC Web page describes the purpose of this organization: “The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states.  The Commission’s mission is the enhancement of educational quality throughout the region and it strives to improve the effectiveness of institutions by ensuring that institutions meet standards established by the higher education community that address the needs of society and students.  It serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices among the diverse institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Latin America and other international sites approved by the Commission on Colleges that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees.”

What is reaffirmation?

Every ten years, South Plains College undergoes an evaluation by SACS for reaffirmation of accreditation. This accreditation by SACS allows SPC to continue to award associate degrees. SACS evaluates all degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states to ensure they are meeting the highest educational standards. South Plains College’s accreditation assures that the college maintains its strong reputation and its credits will transfer to other accredited colleges and universities. Accreditation also means the college is eligible for state and federal funds, specifically funding for student financial aid.

 

SACSCOC On-Site Reaffirmation Committee

 

Dr. L. Anthony Wise

Committee Chair

WiseDr. L. Anthony Wise Jr. began his tenure as president of Pellissippi State Community College on July 1, 2011. Yet, he was no stranger to the Knoxville, Tenn., college before being chosen to lead the institution. Between May 2007 and June 2011, he served as vice president of the Learning Division. He also held the position of department head of Liberal Arts for three years and taught history at Pellissippi State for nine years.

Since his first time teaching in a classroom, Dr. Wise has made it his mission to help students succeed. For example, as a faculty member he played an instrumental role in the development and implementation of the College’s Foundations of Excellence initiative, which outlined strategies for student success. As president, he continues to encourage student engagement through initiatives such as Service-Learning and the Arts at Pellissippi State.

Dr. Wise earned a Doctorate in History in 1997 from the University of Tennessee, a Master of Arts degree in United States History in 1993 from Wake Forest University in North Carolina and a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and business economics in 1990 from Wofford College in South Carolina.

Throughout his career, Dr. Wise has played an active role in numerous committees and councils hosted by educational bodies such as the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the Tennessee Board of Regents, the National Alliance of Community and Technical Colleges and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Honors include his selection for participation in TBR’s Global Leadership Academy, Class of 2008 and the Regents Academic Leadership Institute, Class of 2006.

Locally, Dr. Wise serves on the boards of the Great Schools Partnership, Project GRAD and the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee’s Workforce Connections.

Dr. Wise and his wife, Lynn, have three children. The family is actively involved in soccer, dance and music.

 

Claire Robinson

QEP Evaluator

RobinsonClaire Robinson serves as the Associate Director of the Student Success Center at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

In her role, she oversees several academic support programs including academic coaching, academic recovery initiatives, outreach and early intervention, marketing and communications, cross campus advising, transfer student support, tutoring and supplemental instruction. Robinson also coordinates the unit’s planning and performance blueprint. She has been a member of the university’s Planning, Assessment, and Innovation Council since 2009 and works with various units across the Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support to assist in their strategic planning and assessment.

Robinson has directed the academic success coaching program since 2007. Using the Appreciative Advising framework, she trains academic coaches to offer individualized student support on campus. She has consulted at several institutions on academic success coaching, succeeded in getting the ACE program CRLA level-three certified, and awarded program winner of a NASPA Excellence Bronze Award in academic support. Robinson has written several articles on academic coaching, appreciative advising, and co-authored the book Appreciative College Instruction: Becoming a Force for Positive Change in Student Success Courses. She also teaches a section of a freshmen seminar course.

Robinson received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Psychology from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Master of Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of South Carolina.

 

Dr. Matthew Domas

DomasDr. Matthew Domas began his career in education 20 years ago as a high school teacher in Memphis. Since 1995, he has worked at Northwest Mississippi Community College, Senatobia, Miss., in various capacities as an Adult Education instructor and coordinator, as the Director of Campus Life, as the Director of Institutional Planning and Research and currently as the Associate Vice President for Educational Affairs.

Dr. Domas holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Louisiana State University, a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Mississippi and a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Domas has expertise in student persistence and departure, student access, performance accountability and state education policy.

Dr. Domas is married to the former Elizabeth Rose from Meridian, Miss., and they have two children – Nolan, 8, and Anna-Caroline, 6.

 

Sonja Riggen Eads

eadsSonja Riggen Eads is the Director of Library Services at Maysville Community and Technical College in Maysville, Ky.

Eads received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a Master of Science in Library Sciences, both at the University of Kentucky. She also completed 18 post graduate hours in history.

Eads served as Chief Cataloger at Kentucky State University, 1986-87; Librarian at Maysville Community College, 1987-89; and Director of Library Services at Maysville Community and Technical College, 1989-present. She is a member of New Hope Christian Church since 1994 and a member of the DAR, Limestone Chapter since 2012.

Eads has served with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges, Review Committee Member since 1992.

 

Dr. Randall H. Stovall

StovallDr. Randall H. Stovall serves as Provost, East Campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College, Dade City, Fla.

Dr. Stovall was raised and attended public school in Oklahoma. He attended college in Texas and Oklahoma, earning a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and a doctorate from Oklahoma State University. Along the way, he had a variety of part-time or short-time jobs, working at things like “full-service” gas stations, movie theater, drilling company and medical school animal room. One of the best short-time jobs was with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers where he worked as a lake ranger.

Since completing college, Dr. Stovall has taught biology and environmental science at colleges in Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. In the mid-1980s, he also served in several administrative roles at Valencia Community College (Orlando), LSU at Alexandria (Louisiana) and Pasco-Hernando Community College. He has served as the Provost of PHCC in Dade City since July 2004. At PHCC, Stovall’s responsibilities include services throughout East Pasco, including Dade City, Wesley Chapel, and Zephyrhills.

In addition to paid employment, Dr. Stovall has volunteered in several capacities with the American Red Cross, including service as the state service chair for Louisiana. His community service activities also include workforce investment system (WIA), chambers of commerce, community zoo and the Boy Scouts of America. Accreditation activities include service on reaffirmation committees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges, in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina and Texas.

In 2011, Dade City Chamber of Commerce named Dr. Stovall the Business Leader of the Year. In 2013, the Louisiana National Guard awarded him the Louisiana Distinguished Civilian Service Medal for service on the Board of the Louisiana Maneuvers and Military Museum. Randy served on economic development committee of the City of Zephyrhills. He currently serves as a member of the Restore Act Committee for Pasco County. He continues to serve on the Boards of both the Dade City Chamber of Commerce and the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce.

Stovall received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Texas at Arlington and a doctorate from Oklahoma State University.

 

Dr. Barbara Tansey

TanseyDr. Barbara Tansey is the fifth person and first woman to serve as president of Beaufort County Community College, formerly Beaufort County Technical Institute, Washintgon, N.C.

A veteran educator, Dr. Tansey began her career as a teacher in rural Missouri and later became director of a program serving single-parent, displaced homemakers while she finished her doctorate. Dr. Tansey also has experience in the private sector, a valuable asset for BCCC’s service area. She worked several years as Director of Corporate Training for an international construction company before accepting the position as a dean at Pima Community College in Tucson, Ariz., and another position as a dean at Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, Colo.

Dr. Tansey earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Education from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Mo. She earned her doctorate from the School of Practical Arts and Vocational Education at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo. Her doctorate dissertation was titled “Strategic Planning in a Regional Technical Education Center: A Community Based Model.”

Before her appointment as President of BCCC, Dr. Tansey served as Vice President of Academic and Student Services at Fayetteville Technical Community College for four years. Prior to her tenure at FTCC, she served more than three years as Vice President of Student Learning at South Piedmont Community College in Polkton.

Dr. Tansey is a member of the Washington Noon Rotary Club and the Beaufort County Economic Development Advisory Board and serves on the Board of Directors of the Washington/Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Tansey and her husband, Tom, have two sons. They have eight grandchildren. Tom also has a son and a daughter.

 

Steven Woodburn

WoodburnSteven Woodburn is the Vice President of Student Success and Enrollment Management at College of The Albemarle, Elizabeth City, N.C. Woodburn joined COA in May 2011 and has more than 12 years of higher education administration experience, with seven years at West Virginia Northern Community College in Wheeling, West Va., and three years at Salem International University in Salem, West Va.

Woodburn currently is working toward completion of his doctorate in higher education administration from West Virginia University. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Communications Studies at Marshall University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education also from Marshall University.

At West Virginia Northern Community College, Woodburn served in multiple capacities, including Director, Academic Support Services, Division Chair for Developmental Education, Associate Dean for Curriculum and Student Development and lastly Campus Dean.

At Salem International University, he served as Associate Director of Admissions and Assistant Provost.

 

Stasia T. Herbert-McZeal

mczealStasia Theresa Herbert-McZeal is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at South Louisiana Community College (SLCC) where she has been employed since 2001. She has held several positions at the college: Department Chair of English, Department Chair of Social Sciences, which she held at one time simultaneously. Currently, Herbert-McZeal is Program Coordinator of the General Studies program. She is the President-Elect of the College’s Faculty Senate.

Herbert-McZeal has served in various leadership positions at the college, chairing the Curriculum and Academic Standards committees. She was instrumental in starting the college’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter. Herbert-McZeal has previously served as SACSCOC Co-Chair for the college, during both the initial SACSCOC accreditation phase, as well as the reaffirmation phase, as well as oversaw the college’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) as the QEP Coordinator.

Herbert-McZeal holds an Associate and Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, as well as a Masters of Arts in English. She will have her Doctorate in Psychology from Capella University conferred in December 2013. Herbert-McZeal is a member of the United Way of Acadiana Women’s Leadership Council and a graduate of the Leadership Lafayette Institute.

 

Dr. Steven M. Sheeley

COC Staff Representative

SheeleyDr. Steven M. Sheeley currently serves as a Vice President with the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. He came to that position following more than 20 years as a college professor and administrator. For most of that time, he was affiliated with Shorter College (Rome, GA), where he was Professor of Religion and Assistant Vice President for Academic Records and Academic Advising. He came to the school after a year of post-graduate teaching as Adjunct Professor of New Testament at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1994, he received the Vulcan Materials Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership Award as teacher of the year at Shorter.

Dr. Sheeley is a native of Springfield, Mo. He holds the Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo. with majors in Political Science and English; the Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas; and the Doctorate of Philosophy from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ken., with a major in New Testament Studies. He completed further study at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., and Yale University in New Haven, Conn., exploring narrative and literary criticism.

Dr. Sheeley’s doctoral dissertation, Narrative Asides in Luke-Acts, was published by Sheffield Academic Press in 1992. He is also the coauthor of two books with Robert N. Nash, Jr.: The Bible in English Translation: An Essential Guide, and Choosing a Bible: A Guide to Modern English Translations and Editions, both published by Abingdon Press. He is the author of numerous articles, reviews, and essays, and he has edited three scholarly monographs.

Dr. Sheeley has served on both the Editorial Board and the Executive Committee of the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion, and he is past-President of the Southeastern Region of the NABPR. Dr. Sheeley was a member of the Literary Aspects Group of the Society of Biblical Literature and Treasurer for Theta Alpha Kappa, the national honor society for religion and theology. He is past-President of the Seven Hills Rotary Club in Rome and served as co-president of the Rome High School PTSO. He is a member of Phi Kappa Phi national honor society.

Dr. Sheeley is married to the former Elizabeth Lowry, a Speech-Language Pathologist with the Cobb County Schools. They have two children: Kristen is a graduate of the University of Georgia and Mary is a student at Valdosta State University.