The board of trustees of the accrediting body informed President Connie Ledoux Book that the institution’s accreditation has been reaffirmed without recommendations or needed revisions.
鶹Ƶ has successfully completed the reaccreditation process by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (). The commission informed President Connie Ledoux Book this week after its board of trustees voted to reaffirm 鶹Ƶ’s institutional accreditation without recommendations or revisions.
“The reaffirmation by SACSCOC, combined with 鶹Ƶ’s commitment to our mission to deliver the nation’s best environment for engaged learning and high-impact practices, affirms our leadership position as a university where academic excellence and student success are at the forefront,” Book said in a message to the university community.
As the regional accrediting body for higher education institutions in the southern states, SACSCOC mandates conducted by peers within the academy every 10 years. During 鶹Ƶ’s evaluation, the committee thoroughly assessed the university’s compliance with accreditation Core Requirements and Standards. 鶹Ƶ was last reaccredited in 2013.
The review included a rigorous site visit in March, during which the reaffirmation committee was extremely impressed with 鶹Ƶ’s academic programs, campus facilities, financial stability, management and, most notably, the community of students, faculty and staff. The on-site team also reviewed the proposed five-year Quality Enhancement Plan – “Data Nexus” – which aims to prepare 鶹Ƶ graduates to understand the role data and data analysis play in society, enabling them to be global citizens and informed leaders motivated by concern for the common good.
The reaccreditation and site visit process involved contributions from 鶹Ƶ faculty and staff from across campus as the university provided SACSCOC with the volumes of information considered during the examination.
“The commitment of our faculty and staff and their investment in the success of our students are critical components of the 鶹Ƶ experience,” Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Rebecca Kohn said. “Our university benefits from this every day, both inside and outside of the classroom, and it is reflected in our successful reaccreditation.”
鶹Ƶ continues to be recognized nationally for the quality of the education it provides students, with U.S. News & World Report ranking the university #1 for undergraduate teaching excellence for a third straight year this fall. 鶹Ƶ is a leader in the U.S. News “Programs to Look For” feature as the only college or university ranked in the top 20 in all eight categories of academic programs linked to student success and positive learning outcomes.
SACSCOC is the body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. It serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices primarily among the diverse institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Latin America and certain other international sites approved by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees.