Editor's note: This story has been corrected. Dr. David Starrett is the dean of Academic Information Services.

Two visitors from the Higher Learning Commission are expected to arrive at Southeast Missouri State University this week to perform an Academic Quality Improvement Program check-up.

The two visitors are Dr. Jessica E. Rettig, Biology Department chair at Denison University in Ohio, and Jim Morrison, who coordinates the development of courses for the College of Liberal Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

The pair will talk to students to see what they know about the accreditation process.

"I know it's bad to lose accreditation, but I don't know how a school goes about maintaining it," Southeast education major Katie Farris said.

According to the official Higher Learning Commission website, going through the AQIP process is an alternate way to maintain the accreditation of an institution.

It focuses on quality of education improvements and the institution improving its performance.

There is more than one step in the reaccreditation process. Universities must also submit portfolios and give annual updates.

The alternative to the AQIP is the Program to Evaluate and Advance Quality.

If a university decides to use the PEAQ program instead of AQIP, those in charge perform a self-study, write a report with recommendations from a team that visits their university, and after being reviewed by a decision-making group, they may reaffirm or receive accreditation.

Without accreditation Southeast would not receive any federal funding, including funding for scholarships that are need-based. Courses students take would not transfer to other institutions.

"Southeast is in good shape to be reaccredited, but we still need to go through the formal process," said Dr. David Starrett, dean of the College of University Studies and Southeast's liaison to the Higher Learning Commission.

Retting and Morrison will hold open sessions to look for evidence of university-wide quality improvement.

There will be three different sessions held, one each for faculty, staff and students. The faculty session will be held from 1-1:45 p.m. on Sept. 13. The staff session will follow from 1:45-2:30 p.m. The student session will be held from 2:45-3:30 p.m. All sessions will be held in the University Center Ballroom B.

According to Starrett, students should attend the sessions because it will give them a chance to be involved in one of the most important processes a university will go through. Starrett hopes the students at Southeast will take an interest and not only attend, but participate in the discussions.

"They are not looking for black and white, yes or no answers," Starrett said when he spoke to the Student Government Association during its Senate meeting on Aug. 27. "I really want to urge students to attend the open session. It looks really good if lots of students attend."

The sessions are being held to allow the visiting team to talk to the groups about the different types of improvements they have observed at Southeast. Examples of improvements on campus are the new labs in Magill Hall, new software for the MA 101 and MA 102 classes and the option to take classes over winter break.

Starrett said Rettig and Morrison will want to see if students are aware of the quality improvements taking place on campus.

The university will find out by December if it has been reaccredited.