From:

To:
Subject:
Date:

Crawford Gallimore
Robert M. Smith
RE: SACS accreditation at UTM
Wednesday, December 09, 2015 8:39:36 PM

I look forward to our visit.

cg
From: Robert M. Smith [mailto:robert.smith@utm.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2015 8:37 PM
To: Crawford Gallimore <cgallimore@hamilton-ryker.com>
Subject: RE: SACS accreditation at UTM
Thanks Crawford. When we get a chance to talk, Ill share some of my observationsmore venting
than useful but Ill feel better!
Bob

From: Crawford Gallimore [mailto:cgallimore@hamilton-ryker.com]

Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2015 8:33 PM
To: Robert M. Smith <robert.smith@utm.edu>
Subject: RE: SACS accreditation at UTM
Bob, please let me know how I can help. I have every confidence that you will get this fixed; I just
dont understand how we got to this point.
cg
From: Robert M. Smith [mailto:robert.smith@utm.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2015 8:26 PM
To: dipietro <dipietro@tennessee.edu>; Crawford Gallimore <cgallimore@hamilton-ryker.com>
Subject: RE: SACS accreditation at UTM
All of this is helpful. Thank you both. Im staying in the office until I get a decent draft for
tomorrow. The Auburn statement is very helpful.
Without the specifics, which as you say, will not arrive until January, we can surmise that the
problems circle around assessment. I recognized coming in that we were facing problems. It just
didnt feel right. In August when the faculty returned from the summer, we held two full day
workshops on this issue. We have a third workshop scheduled in January. Since our progress report
was turned in prior to the results of any of this, there was little indication to them that we had made
any progress since the initial review two years ago. Apparently, we didnt do much of anything.
Since our most recent progress has been made only on establishing assessment standards, we do
not have evidence our students are meeting the standards. That takes time. We will be hard
pressed to finish the development of the standards, collect evidence, review results, and execute
changes based on those assessments by fall 2016 but we will absolutely give it our best try.

Jerald and I have met on the strategy going forward. We have already engaged the deans. My letter
to the faculty will (I hope) raise the urgency. We will turn this around. Thank you for your support.
Bob
.
From: dipietro [mailto:dipietro@tennessee.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2015 8:11 PM
To: Crawford Gallimore <cgallimore@hamilton-ryker.com>
Subject: Re: SACS accreditation at UTM
Tom Rakes had lead me to believe after the site visit exit interview that the review committee had
questions regarding this essential but thought they were OK, after review by the C&R committee of the
facts they must have found differently? Or else the site team was more concerned than Tom ascertained?

From: Crawford Gallimore <cgallimore@hamilton-ryker.com>

Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 9:06 PM
To: Joseph DiPietro <dipietro@tennessee.edu>, "Carver, Keith" <carverk@tennessee.edu>
Cc: "Robert M. Smith" <robert.smith@utm.edu>, "Wells, Julia (Wells@pictsweet.com)"
<Wells@pictsweet.com>, "Johnson, Tonja" <tonjanita.johnson@tennessee.edu>, "Raja J. Jubran"
<rjubran@denark.com>, "High, Katherine Noel" <khigh@tennessee.edu>, "Mizell, Catherine S"
<cmizell@tennessee.edu>
Subject: RE: SACS accreditation at UTM
I am stunned; I do not understand how this could have happened.
cg
From: dipietro [mailto:dipietro@tennessee.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2015 7:52 PM
To: Carver, Keith <carverk@tennessee.edu>
Cc: Robert M. Smith <robert.smith@utm.edu>; dipietro <dipietro@tennessee.edu>; Crawford
Gallimore <cgallimore@hamilton-ryker.com>; Wells, Julia (Wells@pictsweet.com)
<Wells@pictsweet.com>; Johnson, Tonja <tonjanita.johnson@tennessee.edu>; Raja J. Jubran
<rjubran@denark.com>; High, Katherine Noel <khigh@tennessee.edu>; Mizell, Catherine S
<cmizell@tennessee.edu>
Subject: Re: SACS accreditation at UTM

Bob,
I am somewhat surprised and sorry about this news. I serve on the SACS Commission, C&R
Committee B, and Board and just attended the recent meeting mentioned. Our review
committee dealt with around 60 cases, albeit there are strict rules that prohibit me from
participating in any case where I am affiliated with the institution under review. Nor are
committees allowed to discuss cases outside of individual C&R committee sessions. Thus I
have no knowledge regarding concerns regarding UTM.
All that said and likely you understand, while probation is a worrisome and serious outcome,