SACSCOC Decennial Reaffirmation of Accreditation

Overview

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is the recognized regional accrediting body in the eleven U.S. Southern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) and in Latin America for those institutions of higher education that award associate, baccalaureate, master's or doctoral degrees.

Every 10 years, the college must reaffirm its accreditation with SACSCOC. The process begins approximately two years ahead of the reaffirmation deadline, and includes extensive off-site and on-site reviews of the institution.

The reaffirmation process requires institutions to complete two significant steps:

1. Prepare a compliance certification that describes and documents the institution's compliance with the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement
2. Develop a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), which serves as a long-term plan guiding the institution's quality improvement efforts in strategic areas identified by the institution's constituencies

The college is currently in the process of preparing for its next 10-year reaffirmation in 2024.

For more information, please see the SACSCOC website 

2025 Reaffirmation of Accreditation Timeline

Quality Enhancement Plan

The reaffirmation process requires a thorough review and documentation of current programs, policies, and procedures as part of the Reaffirmation Compliance Certification Report, and the development of a new, 10-year Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). A QEP is an integral and required part of the SACSCOC 10-year reaffirmation process. It is a future-oriented, time-bound project that allows the college to demonstrate its commitment to the continuous improvement of student learning and success.

QEP Progress Timeline

The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is an integral component of the reaffirmation of accreditation process and is derived from an institution’s ongoing comprehensive planning and evaluation processes. It reflects and affirms a commitment to enhance overall institutional quality and effectiveness by focusing on an issue the institution considers important to improving student learning outcomes and/or student success.

SACSCOC, QEP Standard 7.2, defines the desired elements of a QEP, including:

• Identifies key, emerging issues for action based on institutional data
• Aligns with and supports the institution’s strategic plan
• Focuses on students and student learning
• Reflects broad-based involvement
• Includes clear and measurable goals

Year 1 - QEP Topic Selection Committee

In the Fall of 2022, the Reaffirmation Leadership Team established a QEP Topic Selection Committee for the entire college. A 27-person committee composed of college faculty, staff, and administrators was tasked with selecting a QEP topic. The committee was designed to be broadly representative, and membership invitations were extended to all college departments. The committee was presided over by the Provost and the Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness.

The QEP topic selection began with a review of institutional planning and current initiatives, with broad campus participation and links to the college's planning process.  Committee members reviewed institutional reports that discussed the important initiatives that have an impact on student success as part of this discussion. Members of the Committee were then tasked with disseminating this information and discussing the results of a campus-wide topic selection survey with their respective divisions/departments. Another QEP survey centered on the top five choices from division/department meeting reviews was distributed to all QEP committee members. In order to ensure campus-wide participation, each committee discussed these topics prior to voting on their top three choices. Based on the information gathered, the college decided on online learning as the QEP topic.

Year 2 - QEP Planning Committee

In the Fall of 2023, the Quality Enhancement Planning Committee will be formed. The purpose of this committee is to undertake an intensive study of Online Learning on campus, plan the first-year implementation, and create an overview of the student learning outcomes and measures to be collected. The below graphic offers an overview of the general timeline for the TSC QEP.