Texas Tech University

Accreditation Affirmed for Texas Tech University at Costa Rica

 

 

costa rica horizon

Texas Tech University at Costa Rica (TTU-CR), the institution's first international campus, has received approval to be included in the university's accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

“Texas Tech University's presence in a diverse and industry-rich environment in Costa Rica will provide unique opportunities for our students and faculty,” said Lawrence Schovanec, Texas Tech president. “Approval by SACSCOC is an important and necessary step to continue expanding the university's presence on a global scale.”

SACSCOC is the regional accreditation body for degree-granting higher education institutions in 11 states in the U.S., and in Latin America and other approved international sites that award associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.

“We are very excited to inaugurate our first degree-awarding international campus in Costa Rica,” said Sukant Misra, associate vice provost for international programs in the Office of International Affairs (OIA). “We are committed to making U.S.-quality university offerings available to students in their own cultural and socio-economic environment and helping establish an institution that will play a key role in Costa Rica's national development.”

In December 2015, SACSCOC reaffirmed Texas Tech's accreditation through 2026. Accreditation indicates an institution has an established mission appropriate to higher education and the resources, programs and services to accomplish and sustain that mission. It also signifies that the institution has clearly specified and maintained educational objectives consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers and an indication that it is successful in achieving its stated objectives. 

Texas Tech announced the creation of TTU-CR in August 2016 through a partnership with EDULINK, a subsidiary of Promerica Group, a highly reputable, multinational conglomerate of companies operating in many Latin American countries.

“This is an exciting time for Texas Tech University, Costa Rica and the entire Central American region,” said Jorge Salazar-Bravo, TTU-CR program director and associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. “We are proud of the partnerships already developed with Costa Rican institutions and look forward to establishing new ones in the near future. Texas Tech's goal is to provide the best available opportunities for its students, while also understanding that education must connect to homegrown demands to be successful.”

In June, Texas Tech provided the information SACSCOC requested to consider TTU-CR in the university's accreditation as an off-site campus, which the commission describes as an instructional site located geographically apart from the institution's main campus where a student can complete 50 percent or more of the coursework toward a degree. The requested information included details about course offerings and faculty appointments.

SACSCOC approved the request Sept. 15 and authorized a Substantive Change Committee to visit the site within six months after implementation to confirm continued compliance with the commission's accreditation principles. 

“SACSCOC approval to move forward with degree offerings at Texas Tech University at Costa Rica is an incredibly important step in the process of opening the new campus in San José,” said Michael Galyean, Texas Tech provost and senior vice president of academic affairs. “Once classes begin in August 2018, a formal site visit by a SACSCOC team will be required for final approval, which, when granted, will afford fully accredited educational opportunities for students in Costa Rica and Central America that were not previously available. We are proud of Texas Tech University's pioneering work in developing this unique program with our partners at EDULINK.”

For students attending classes at TTU-CR, accreditation means courses and degrees will be transferrable to other colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. The campus will offer bachelor's degree programs in electrical, industrial and computer engineering; mathematics; and restaurant, hotel and institutional management, and a dual degree program in computer science and mathematics.

All classes will be taught in English and applications are now open for fall 2018. For more information, visit the TTU-CR website.