Centenary College President Kenneth L. Schwab Elected to Leadership Position with Accrediting Agency

Kenneth L. Schwab, President, Centenary College of Louisiana

SHREVEPORT, LA -- Dr. Kenneth L. Schwab, president of Centenary College of Louisiana, has been elected to the 13-member Executive Council of the Commission on Colleges of the regional accrediting association, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The Council directs the work of the staff and the elected Commission that accredits more than 750 colleges and universities throughout the southeastern region of the United States and Latin America.

Schwab has been president of Centenary since 1991. He earned the Bachelor of Science degree (1969) from Purdue University, the Master of Education (1972) from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and the Doctorate in Education (1978) from Indiana University. Prior to joining Centenary, he held positions at Guilford College and the University of South Carolina.

The Executive Council, elected by the 77-member Commission on Colleges, is the executive body of the Commission, charged with acting for the Commission when it is not in session, interpreting Commission policies and procedures, acting on reports from the special and standing committees (including recommendations concerning institutions applying for candidacy and membership, or seeking reaffirmation of accreditation), developing and approving guidelines and standards for the accreditation of various types of institutions and submitting those standards to the Commission for review and approval, and overseeing the work of the Commission's administrative staff. Executive Council members also serve as state chairs of the commissioners within their respective states. Accreditation is a non-governmental and voluntary process concerned with improving educational quality and assuring the public that member institutions meet established standards.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of six regional accrediting organizations in the United States. Its membership consists of more than 12,000 accredited public and private institutions from university level down to the pre-kindergarten level.

Founded in 1895 and headquartered in Decatur, Ga., the Southern Association works with schools and colleges in 11 Southern states from Virginia through Texas, in Mexico, the Caribbean, and in Central and South America.

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