The Heart of Accreditation with Dr. Belle Wheelan

From psychology professor to president of SACSCOC, join us for this episode with Dr. Belle Wheelan. In sharing her journey, you can hear her passion and commitment, her heart, for higher education and accreditation. Dr. Wheelan talks about topics from what makes a great peer reviewer to politics in higher education. She shares how the two work together to help institutions improve through innovation.

Growing up in a racial and gender revolution, Dr. Wheelan provides guidance on how to support women in the profession, as well as how programmatic accreditation leaders can support their team, organization, and institutional members. From hearing about her favorite novels to The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) Top Strategic Issues for Boards, come to learn from a thought leader of accreditation.

Join us as we discuss:

• The hardest parts of being involved in accreditation
• Providing impactful mentorship and guidance
• Peer evaluation as the hallmark of higher education accreditation
• The power of continuous dialogue between accreditors and institutions
• Leading programmatic accreditation organizations

See Dr. Belle Wheelan’s full bio below!

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Dr. Belle Wheelan currently serves as President of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and is the first African American and the first woman to serve in this capacity. Her career spans over 40 years and includes the roles of faculty member, chief student services officer, campus provost, college president and Secretary of Education. In several of those roles she was the first African American and/or woman to serve in those capacities. Dr. Wheelan received her Bachelor’s degree from Trinity University in Texas (1972) with a double major in Psychology and Sociology; her Master’s from Louisiana State University (1974) in Developmental Educational Psychology; and her Doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin (1984) in Educational Administration with a special concentration in community college leadership.