What is accreditation?
Accreditation is intended to assure constituents and the public of the quality and integrity of higher education institutions and programs, and to help those institutions and programs improve. These outcomes are achieved through rigorous internal and external review processes during which the institution is evaluated against a common set of standards.
When accreditation is awarded to an institution of higher education by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), a regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, it means that the institution has
(1) a mission appropriate to higher education,
(2) resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish and sustain its mission,
(3) clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers, and that it is
(4) successful in assessing its achievement of these objectives and demonstrating improvements.
Accreditation by SACSCOC is a statement of the institution’s continuing commitment to integrity and its capacity to provide effective programs and services based on agreed-upon accreditation standards.