Accreditation
University Accreditation
Accreditation is a system of peer review that is used to establish that an institution has a mission appropriate to higher education; that it has resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish and sustain that mission; and that it maintains clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers. As part of that process, an institution must also describe how it measures the extent to which it reaches those objectives and show that it responds to these measures to continuously improve its programs.
The University of Texas at El Paso is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees. The University of Texas at El Paso also offers credentials such as certificates at the baccalaureate and graduate level. Questions about the accreditation of The University of Texas at El Paso may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website ( www.sacscoc.org).
Wh at is “Reaffirmation of Accreditation?”
Every ten years, institutions engage in a thorough review of their missions, policies, procedures, and programs to assure that they are in compliance with the principles of accreditation and to reflect about ways in which they can further enhance the student learning environment. The key steps in this process include 1) the development of a Compliance Report; 2) an Off-site Review of that report; 3) the development of a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP); and 4) an On-site Visit from Peer Reviewers, who review and discuss the Compliance Report and the QEP with many campus constituents.
UTEP successfully completed the reaffirmation process in 2016, extending accreditation through the next ten years. Every stakeholder at UTEP played an important role in supporting this process, which included input from faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members in the Paso del Norte region we proudly serve.
Wh at is “Student Achievement?”
UTEP is committed to fostering student success among all students, especially among young people, working adults, returning students and lifelong learners from socioeconomic groups that have been traditionally under-represented in U.S. higher education. Progress in UTEP’s goals for student success can be demonstrated in each of the performance indicators illustrated in the page provided below: