MACON — Dr. Danielle Buehrer, vice provost for institutional effectiveness at Mercer University, has been selected to serve two weeks overseas as part of the prestigious Fulbright Specialist Program. She will serve June 16-30 in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa, assisting the International University of Grand-Bassam (IUGB) in applying for accreditation with an institutional accreditation agency in the United States.
“Dr. Buehrer is a recognized expert on accreditation processes, and Mercer is proud for her to serve as a Fulbright specialist in Côte d’Ivoire. She will serve in an important ambassadorial role, fostering international cooperation and helping her host institution develop effective accreditation procedures,” said Mercer Provost Dr. D. Scott Davis.
The Fulbright Specialist Program is the short-term arm of the larger Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Fulbright Specialists serve assignments between two and six weeks at overseas colleges and universities, where they share expertise, strengthen institutional linkages, hone skills, gain international experience, and learn about other cultures while building capacity at their host institutions.
“This opportunity will allow me to enhance and enrich the culture of quality assurance at both IUGB and Mercer University as well as my career as a higher education accreditation professional,” Dr. Buehrer said.
The title of Dr. Buehrer’s project is “Achieving U.S. Regional Accreditation in Francophone Africa.” Her primary objectives are to review accreditation findings from a previous mock accreditation site visit and provide advice to IUGB regarding institutional changes; assist IUGB in prioritizing institutional initiatives and sequencing steps over the medium to long term; provide advice to administrative and academic leadership on strategies to satisfy accreditation standards; and leave IUGB with a one-year action plan for implementing recommendations.
Dr. Buehrer joined Mercer’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness in 2022. Previously, she served as executive director of institutional quality and accreditation at Kennesaw State University and was the institution’s accreditation liaison for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). She is currently a member of the SACSCOC Board of Trustees.
She has served as SACSCOC liaison at three different institutions, leading them successfully through reaffirmations of accreditation and several substantive changes. She also worked as a paid advisory consultant to assist with institutional and program accreditation issues for eight private and public postsecondary educational institutions in Georgia and Florida.
Dr. Buehrer earned her bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in public administration, both from Valdosta State University, as well as her Doctor of Education from the University of Georgia and a graduate certificate in institutional research from Florida State University.
About Mercer University
Founded in 1833, Mercer University is a dynamic and comprehensive center of undergraduate, graduate and professional education. With approximately 9,000 students enrolled in 12 schools and colleges, on major campuses in Macon and Atlanta; medical school sites in Macon, Savannah and Columbus; and at regional academic centers in Henry and Douglas counties, Mercer is ranked among the top tier of national research universities by U.S. News & World Report. The Mercer Health Sciences Center includes the University’s School of Medicine and Colleges of Nursing, Health Professions and Pharmacy. Mercer is affiliated with five teaching hospitals — Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center and Piedmont Macon Medical Center in Macon; Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah; and Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital and St. Francis-Emory Healthcare in Columbus. The University also has an educational partnership with Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins. It operates an academic press and a performing arts center in Macon, an engineering research center in Warner Robins, and Mercer Medicine clinics in Sumter, Peach, Clay and Putnam counties. Mercer is one of only 293 institutions nationwide to shelter a chapter of The Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation’s most prestigious academic honor society; one of eight institutions to hold membership in the Georgia Research Alliance; and the only private university in Georgia to field an NCAA Division I athletic program. For more information, visit mercer.edu.
