Tennessee State University Hires New Assessment and Accreditation Director

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) - Tennessee State University has hired Dr. Charlise Anderson, a longtime assessment and institutional effectiveness expert, to serve as director of assessment and accreditation.

Anderson’s hiring comes in the wake of the recent sanction placed on the university by its accrediting body, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. TSU was placed on a one-year probation by SACSCOC for failing to comply with one of 25 accrediting standards, which involves student outcome for educational programs.

Dr. Charlise Anderson

TSU has a “plan of action” to address this issue, TSU President Glenda Glover announced at the Fall Faculty and Staff Institute Monday, assuring the gathering that TSU remains a fully accredited institution.

““We are fixing this and fixing it now,” Glover said. “Dr. Charlise Anderson has been hired as a full-time director to guide this process internally. We are confident in her ability and 100 percent confident that TSU will do all that is required to prepare and submit the documentation that is necessary to remove us from probation.”

In her long career, Anderson has served as senior leadership team member for college reaffirmation and accreditation, a SACSCOC fifth-year interim report coordinator, evaluator of college strategic plan, as well as directed all activities of a quality enhancement plan, or QEP, a key component of SACS’s reaffirmation process.

Before coming to TSU, Anderson was the director of institutional research, effectiveness and assessment, as well as accreditation liaison at Jarvis Christian College. Previously, she was the director of institutional research and assessment at Lane College.

Dr. Alisa Mosley, TSU’s interim vice president for Academic Affairs, described Anderson as “a valued addition to work with our staff” on assessment accreditation.

“She will work with our colleges, departments, divisions, and the University Assessment and Improvement Council to ensure that our academic programs and nonacademic units remain committed to a culture of assessment,” Mosley said. “Dr. Anderson assesses the needed experience in assessment and collaborating with external entities to ensure compliance.”

On how she plans to move forward with helping the institution to put together the needed corrective measures in the wake of the SACSCOC sanction, Anderson said documentation is currently being collected to demonstrate the analysis and use of results to make program improvements and “we will respond to SACSCOC accordingly.”

“In addition, assessment activities have been designed for the 2019-2020 academic year for each academic program to evidence a cohesive common process across all programs at the institution,” she said.

Anderson holds a doctorate degree in higher and adult education from the University of Memphis; M.S. in instructional technology and education from St. Joseph’s University; and B.S. in general studies from Lane College.

In the implementation of TSU’s action plan, President Glover also announced that the university has retained a nationally known firm with expertise on accreditation matters, as well as a communication/reputation management firm.