Reaffirmation of Accreditation

Re • af • firm / rēəˈfərm / to affirm again especially as to strengthen or confirm to state again as a fact to assert again strongly; to confirm the validity or correctness of (something previously stated)

In a culture that is counter to the Christ-centered mission of ETBU, the University is thriving. The reaffirmation of accreditation for a higher education institution is a comprehensive and technical, yet cumbersome, process. Reaffirmation requires the detailed work of many individuals and years of preparation. This fall, on December 10, the University received confirmation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) that ETBU was in compliance with all 75 standards and 25 policies to reaffirm accreditation with no recommendations.

“It is a rare occurrence for a school to have no recommendations,” Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Thomas Sanders said. “I want to express my sincere gratitude to God for this remarkable result. While our team worked incredibly hard and made wise decisions, the end result is surely the work of a mighty God. I am blessed to work with a president and a cabinet who supported the work of reaffirmation, but Bryan Fitts, Dr. Emily Prevost, and Dr. Marty Warren deserve our appreciation for their leadership. Without this reaffirmation, we could not carry out the Christian mission of ETBU. Thanks to God and our incredibly gifted team.”

SACSCOC is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern United States. The Commission’s mission is the enhancement of education quality throughout the region and the improvement of the effectiveness of institutions by ensuring that they meet standards established by the higher education community that address the needs of society and students. Accreditation by SACSCOC signifies that the institution (1) has a mission appropriate to higher education, (2) has resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish and sustain that mission, and (3) maintains clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees its offers, and that indicate whether it is successful in achieving its stated objectives.

“Following years of preparation, including planning meetings, training workshops, effectiveness review sessions, policy/procedure evaluations, volumes of writing, continual edits, and prayer—much prayer, we are grateful to God for the blessing of reaffirmation that we worked so hard to achieve,” ETBU President J. Blair Blackburn said. “In our personal lives and in our professional callings at ETBU, we serve under the authority of Christ, first and foremost. Let us step forward in faith with the confidence of our calling to serve the Kingdom of God as His disciples and as His Christ-centered University. We acknowledge and appreciate the important work of our peers in higher education to support our commitment to the Gospel mission for which God founded this institution in 1912 and for which He compels us to carry forth today and tomorrow.”

In reflecting on the ways that God has blessed East Texas Baptist University over the years, we return to the innumerable opportunities He has given us to allow our students to flourish and be nurtured by the Word of God. As the Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 1:6, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”

“To fan the flame, we must teach and equip our students to serve Jesus with a fiery passion. When we fan a flame, we give the flame more fuel, more energy in the hopes it will burn more intensely,” Dr. Blackburn said. “Likewise, God’s gifts to us must be fueled by His grace through our prayer, faith, obedience, and diligence. We must use these gifts to fan the flame of the students God has set before us at ETBU. I believe that everyone who has a hand in making ETBU what it is today are the Lord’s instruments, His agents to help students know Christ, grow in Christ, and show Christ to those around them, and for that I am eternally grateful.”

In that vein, ETBU continues to strive to create new forms of community for our students including the Thrive Initiative, the University’s new Quality Enhancement Program. Thrive connects students with faculty and staff, who mentor them and keep them accountable in their relationships with God and others.

“Every student has a place to be involved in the life of the community. We all have something to give and it doesn’t matter what we look like or where we came from, our gift or our major, we all have a way we can serve,” Assistant Provost Dr. Emily Prevost said during her chapel message to students. “When we choose to serve and be connected to the community, to offer our gifts to those around us, we have the opportunity to thrive.”

The Oaks on Grove Townhomes have given

students a new place to connect with one another in camaraderie, while the exciting new Chick-fil-A on campus will foster enhanced engagement with the Marshall community. The Tiger family continues to increase in number, students are finding new ways to edify one another through our Thrive mentorship program.

This Winter 2020 issue of The Hilltop showcases the empowerment of generations of students to become ambassadors of His Word, both at home and abroad. Dozens of students discovered their call to ministry during our annual Calling Conference, dedicating their lives to using their voice for His purposes. Thanks to generous donations from our beloved benefactors, the ETBU School of Nursing in the newly renovated Marshall Grand continues to commission quality nurses as the hands and feet of the Gospel in hospitals around the country. The Chapel on the Hill will soon stand as another institutional icon and symbol of our faith in Jesus, as future Tigers gather to celebrate love and life under its steeple. Tigers have traveled thousands of miles around the world to bring God’s love to the people of over twenty countries through the Tiger Athletic Missions Experience (TAME) and the Global Study and Serve Initiative.

God has given this University incredible opportunities to help students who are called to the Hill thrive spiritually, emotionally, and academically. ETBU rejoices in light of the flawless reaffirmation of accreditation, and the Tiger family remains committed to proclaiming God’s truths and equipping His disciples.