Accreditation

SACSCOC Frequently Asked Questions

What every employee needs to know and do for SACSCOC...

  • That SACSCOC is not just something that happens every 10 (or 5) years.
  • The impact of SACSCOC requirements on curriculum and operation of the university and the implications of not being accredited.
  • The Scope of the approved quality enhancement plan (QEP), and specifics on the QEP programs and goals.
  • Submit official academic transcripts (upon hire and when updated, etc.)

What every faculty member needs to know and do for SACSCOC...

  • Submit accurate course syllabi for every course and section every semester, every year.
  • Submit and maintain up-to-date CV (each year).
  • Submit official academic transcripts (upon hire and when updated, etc.)
  • Integrate curriculum revisions with student learning outcomes.
  • How the quality enhancement plan (QEP) affects you, your teaching, your classes, etc.

What every department head needs to know and do for SACSCOC...

  • Facilitate and encourage regular discussions with all faculty about student learning outcomes and the assessment of those outcomes.
  • Coordinate, collect and enter yearly data on program/learning outcomes.
  • Ensure that catalog entries reflect student learning outcomes that match departmental input.
  • Review curriculum revisions to maintain links and relationships to student learning outcomes.
  • Maintain an up-to-date faculty roster.
  • Submit faculty justification(s).
  • Relationship of program level accreditation to SACSCOC accreditation.
  • Need and process for substantive change.
  • Review all syllabi for accurate course description (matched to current catalog), and delivery of that scope within the course.
  • Ensure that all printed and web material matches the official documentation (mission, catalogs, program of study, etc.)
  • Use the institutional process for curriculum revision and program changes (and include data for rationale for curriculum changes).
  • Incorporate (and document) improvements based on institutional effectiveness data.
  • How the quality enhancement plan (QEP) affects the department.

What every academic administrative assistant needs to know and do for SACSCOC...

  • Everything the department head needs to know and do (see above).
  • Help enforce timelines and processes for the submission of SACSCOC-related documentation (yearly, semester, etc.)
  • Maintain all accreditation documentation files (disciplinary accreditation/SACSCOC, etc.)

What every dean needs to know and do for SACSCOC...

  • Processes related to substantive change (when, how, who).
  • Interpret and educate SACSCOC criteria for college.
  • Advocate for and enforce policies and process that result in institutional improvement.
  • Transmit all information related to reaffirmation in a timely manner.
  • Hold department heads accountable for institutional/programmatic effectiveness.
  • How the quality enhancement plan (QEP) affects the college.

What every non-academic unit director/coordinator, etc. needs to know and do for SACSCOC...

  • Ensure that all printed and web material matches the official documentation (mission, catalogs, program of study, services, etc.)
  • Facilitate or encourage regular discussions with all staff about departmental goals/outcomes and the assessment of those outcomes.
  • Coordinate, collect and enter yearly data on departmental/unit outcomes.
  • Incorporate (and document) departmental improvements based on institutional effectiveness data.

What every non-academic unit administrative assistant needs to know and do for SACSCOC...

  • Everything the director needs to know and do (see above).
  • Help enforce timelines and processes for the submission of SACSCOC-related documentation (yearly, semester, etc.)

What is SACSCOC?
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is an institutional accreditor for quality assurance in higher education. SACSCOC accredits institutions that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees, including those offered via distance and correspondence education, and direct assessment within these institutions. It serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices among its members in the United States and international institutions of higher education approved by the SACSCOC Executive Council, Board of Trustees, and the Appeals Committee of the College Delegate Assembly.

What is the "Reaffirmation Report?"
The Reaffirmation Report is the documentation prepared by the institution that provides evidence that the institution is in compliance with the SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation.

What are the SACSCOC requirements?
The SACSCOC requirements are called the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement. They are a list of principles and standards that we need to meet in order to be in full compliance with SACSCOC and receive our reaffirmation of accreditation.

Who's involved in the process at USF?
Many people from all around the University will be actively involved in preparing the Reaffirmation Report. A Leadership Team will be appointed by the Provost. The Leadership Team will organize workgroups for each of the requirements and oversee the development of the report. If your area falls within one of the SACSCOC requirements being addressed, you may be asked to serve on one of these workgroups.

What does USF have to do for SACSCOC?
USF must prepare a report that shows that the University is in compliance with all sections of the SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation.

How does the submission process work?
The report will be submitted electronically. It will be reviewed by an off-site SACSCOC team. An additional review team will visit the campus to follow up on the off-site team report. The SACSCOC team will make a determination whether or not USF is in compliance with each requirement, and will report those findings to SACSCOC.

Are the requirements the same for all colleges and universities?
Every university under the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation is required to meet the same principles and standards. 

While the requirements are the same, the ways universities meet the requirements are unique to the resources and creativity of each school. You can find details on the process from the Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

I still have questions. How do I ask questions about USF and SACSCOC?
For additional information you can contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness in the USF Office of Decision Support. You can also find information on the SACSCOC website and SACSCOC Frequently Asked Questions website. 

 

 

Page Updated 3/11/2019