The Walsh University Student Government meeting that took place this past Thursday evening at 9:30pm had a nice change in schedule as we welcomed Dr. Baxter, Walsh University’s Dean of Instruction to speak with us a bit on the reaccreditation process that will be taking place at Walsh University in the very near future. We learned that our institution is only up for accreditation once every ten years—and with this being Walsh University’s 50^th anniversary—this is pretty much a big deal for all of us!! So what does this mean to us (the students) you may ask? Well as Dr. Baxter clearly explained in his speech: the accreditation of a university is the value behind each degree. Therefore, various factors of the university are taken into consideration in order to determine if the university will be granted higher accreditation. Factors such as: is Walsh University living up to their mission statement, and finding out if the university is meeting its set-goals that were set by the faculty and staff. If all goes well and we are granted with higher accreditation then this means that the degree that you will receive someday from Walsh will have an even greater, more professional backing behind it then in the past. This not only makes the school more desirable, but has a huge impact on the degree holders (you and me!) who will be happy to know that this could land you a great job someday as this accreditation reflects so strongly on the quality of education in your courses of study.

Dr. David Baxter--Coordinator of Accreditation and Coordinator of Retention, Promotion and Tenure and a professor of English at Walsh University.

Basically in a nutshell—Walsh’s reaccreditation means great things and I am excited that I am at Walsh at this exciting time for the university’s history.

The meeting was very interesting and I feel that I learned a great deal about Walsh University’s mission. I felt honored to be able to get a sneak peak into the entire process. Dr. Baxter highlighted the entire process, which let me tell you did not sound like a lot of fun; however, his hard work, along with many other faculty members and staff is all dedicated towards the Walsh community and for that we should all be very thankful for the years of diligence that has been dedicated towards this process.

Since the last accreditation back in 1999, the University has grown in leaps and bounds, not only in physically size, but all around—stronger education programs, stronger faith with the addition of Our Lady of Peace Chapel and Religious Education Center, as well as stronger in community outreach as Walsh constantly is involved in one way or another in our local community. In fact for our 50^th Anniversary celebration Walsh invites the entire community to participate in our many events hosted specifically for our friends and neighbors. The addition of several residence halls, and university apartments has allowed Walsh to truly expand its capacity and make for a comfortable living environment for close to 3000 students. All of this could not have been accomplished without the leadership of President Richard Jusseaume, as well as the many dedicated faculty and staff members who are all passionate about what they do and who truly enrich the Walsh community simply for being part of it.

Finally, we went over some of the university’s strengths and challenges that it has faced over the years. The entire speech was very insightful and each one of us immediately felt involved in this exciting process! As for now we must be patient and await the arrival of the accreditation team and then their final evaluation. Until then, I encourage you all to educate yourselves more about this process by reviewing the brochures and other material that will be available to the student body throughout the next couple of weeks. I don’t know about you but I always like to know what’s going on, and Walsh is making sure you know exactly what will be taking place—so take advantage of the great offer—it potentially could have quite a positive effect on your future!

Finally—I would like to leave you with this quote which I found while I was searching for quotes for the sophomore leadership retreat that is quickly approaching.

It’s the little things you do that make the big things happen.
- Michael Dooley

It seems fitting for the topic of this blog (the time and dedication Dr. Baxter put into this project), as well as for so many of us who may not think that they are actually making a difference for simply being kind, helpful, and respectful to others–know that this is recognized more than you know, and that you are a true role model to everyone around you.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Take care,

Chris Burr