Accreditation

Accreditation is important for the university to be able to receive and distribute state and federal funds. Also, accreditation is important for the acceptance and transfer of college credits. The Assistant Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics serves as the accreditation liaison for the University and is responsible for assuring that compliance with accreditation requirements is incorporated into the planning and evaluation processes of the institution.

Institutional accrediting bodies such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) conduct comprehensive reviews of institutions of higher education. This review ensures that “the institution (1) has a mission appropriate to higher education, (2) has resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish and sustain that mission, and (3) maintains clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers and that indicate whether it is successful in achieving its stated objectives” (Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement). The accreditation granted encompasses the entire institution including all degree programs, instructional sites, and online programs.

Professional Accreditation

Professional accreditors conduct focused reviews against a set of standards for educational programs within an institution. These Professional Accreditations are under the purview of the respective academic programs and are not the responsibility of the Office of Assessment and Accreditation. For more information about the academic program’s professional accreditation, visit the college’s or department’s website.

For programs without Professional Accreditations, a Program Review process, coordinated by the department, is conducted on a regular 5-7 year cycle. The primary goal of Program Reviews is to continually enhancement the academic programs offered. Each review examines information such as curriculum goals, student enrollment and success, and quality instruction. Program Review is the purview of the respective academic programs and is not the responsibility of the Office of Assessment and Accreditation.