Engaging and Serving the Broader Community Accreditation
Marketing Initiative
The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, the recognized accrediting agency for the north central states, since 1925. In 2006, the HLC voted to continue accrediation of the School of Mines.
The School of Mines story is too important to keep to ourselves. To remain competitive and to tell that story to more prospective students and community members, the School of Mines has undertaken an increased marketing effort. Based on the finding of intense research, a new logo was introduced, along with a marketing and recruitment plan to provide direction in order to achieve our enrollment goals. As part of this effort, the School of Mines website, <http://sdmines.sdsmt.edu> has received a new look and structure consistent with other publications. New sites for undergraduate recruitment (<www.GoToMines.com>) and graduate education (<http://graded.sdsmt.edu>) have also been established.
In September 2007, the university switched from a 10-year cycle of accreditation review under the Program to Evaluate and Advance Quality (PEAQ) to the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) process for institutional accreditation. The Higher Learning Commission is still the accrediting body; however, under the AQIP process reviews are done yearly and continuous improvement initiatives are ongoing. In addition, the curriculum in chemistry is accredited by the American Chemical Society. All engineering programs and the computer science program are accredited ABET, Inc., with the exception of mining engineering and management, a new program which is preparing to request accreditation once it has satisfied the requirement that it have at least one graduate.
The National Research Center for College & University Admissions’ (NRCCUA) recently recognized <www.GoToMines.com> as one of the top in the country. The School of Mines was one of only 140 institutions that received an “A” ranking. The School of Mines website was rated 111 overall out of more than 3,000 institutions, and ranked no. 5 on the list of Top-10 Specialty Institutions.
Recognitions The School of Mines has been named as one of America’s 100 “Best Buys in College Education” for 10 consecutive years.
Media Placement Stories about School of Mines students, faculty, research, and programs appeared in local, regional, national, and international newspapers, websites, and television and radio newscasts, including USA Today, Science, Calgary Sun, Washington Post, Turkish Daily News, Melbourne Herald Sun, CNN International, Boston Herald, Prairie Business, South Dakota Public Radio, and many more.
President’s Report 2007
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