Institutional Effectiveness and SACSCOC Accreditation

Kevin B. Vichcales, Ph.D., earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from Albion College, and Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Modern European History from Western Michigan University. In his previous role as Associate Provost for Undergraduate and Graduate Education, he provided a vision and leadership for undergraduate and graduate student learning and success, including the formulation and implementation of all academic plans, policies, priorities and innovations. Ensuring the alignment with the University’s Strategic Plan and Mission to ensure that all programs identify and achieve the highest standards to prepare trainees for leadership in their respective fields.

Victoria C. Shipley, MSODL, serves as the Director of Accreditation Planning and Quality Improvement at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW). In this pivotal role, she ensures institutional excellence and drives continuous enhancement across all campuses by leveraging her extensive expertise to strategically guide the university through complex accreditation processes and lead initiatives that elevate overall quality and operational efficiency.

Ms. Shipley holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Legal Studies and a Master of Science degree in Organizational Development and Leadership. She is further expanding her expertise by currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Administration degree with a concentration in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from UIW.

Her career at UIW spans over a decade, a testament to her impactful leadership and consistent advancement. Having launched her formal education and career just ten years ago, her rapid ascent from foundational experience to executive leadership fuels her unwavering commitment to helping others forge similar paths of growth and opportunity. This commitment is deeply personal, as her two daughters are proud UIW alumnae.

A passionate champion for fostering inclusive environments and advancing equitable opportunities, Ms. Shipley chairs the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Steering Committee. This committee focuses on researching and addressing challenges faced by Hispanic students while benefiting all. Through her commitment to empowerment and recognition as a thought leader, she actively serves as a speaker, panelist, and panel moderator, often discussing women and Latina leadership, and has been interviewed on numerous podcasts.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Ms. Shipley demonstrates a profound commitment to community service. She serves as the Advisory Council Chair for Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, a non-profit dedicated to supporting kinship families and preventing children from entering the foster care system. Additionally, she is a Co-Founder and Leader for Lean In Latinas-San Antonio, a local subgroup of the national organization, Lean-In, focused on advancing leadership equity for women.

Maité Landa brings over 25 years of experience in education, curriculum development, and assessments to her role as Director of Assessment at the University of the Incarnate Word. She supports institutional effectiveness across three campuses, including CIW and Bajio, by leading academic program assessments and contributing to university-wide accreditation efforts with SACSCOC.

Landa oversees the university’s annual academic assessments and five-year program reviews, guiding faculty, deans, and program directors in aligning learning outcomes with institutional goals. She plays a key role in developing core curriculum assessment instruments and serves on both the Core Advisory Council and the Institutional Effectiveness Committee.

Prior to her current role, Landa served as Dean, Department Chair, and tenured Assistant Professor of History at Northwest Vista College. She also developed large-scale assessments for three state departments of education and trained over 300 teachers in benchmark test development as a Social Studies Content Specialist with Pearson Assessments.

Her teaching experience spans K-12, community college, university levels, and adult education, with subject expertise in U.S., World, and Latin American History. She has developed college curricula focused on critical thinking and cultural literacy. Her innovative teaching methods earned multiple awards, including the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence in Teaching Award and recognition in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.

Landa earned her Master of Arts in History with a concentration in Modern China from the University of Texas at San Antonio and her Bachelor of Arts in History from Incarnate Word College in 1993. She is a second-generation graduate of the institution—her mother, Celia Esquivel, earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Incarnate Word College in 1955. Continuing the family legacy, her daughter is currently enrolled in the Fashion Marketing program at UIW and will graduate in December 2026.

Outside of her professional work, Landa is an avid gardener, a writer of short stories, and a certified Health and Wellness Coach, integrating creativity and holistic wellness into her personal and professional life.

Her scholarly work includes a co-authored book chapter on Latino immigrant narratives:

Sanchez, P. and Landa, M. (2016). Cruzando Fronteras: Negotiating the Stories of Latino Immigrant and Transnational Children. In Multicultural Literature for Latino Bilingual Children: Their Words, Their Worlds (1st ed., pp. 69–82). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield.