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Compliance Certification

To gain or maintain accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, an institution must comply with the standards contained in the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement and with the policies and procedures of the Commission on Colleges. The documents listed below serve as guiding references to the accreditation process.

SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation Handbooks

These cross-walks below identify the current standards (2018 Principles) with the previous standards (2012 Principles) for the Fifth Year Interim Report and the Decennial Reaffirmation Review. Please direct any comments or questions to the vice president assigned to your institution.

The following documents date prior to 2017, and are available for Cross-walk comparisons to the 2018 Edition of the Principle of Accreditation: Foundation for Quality Enhancement.

All SACSCOC-accredited universities must apply for reaffirmation of accreditation every 10 years. The Handbook for Institutions Seeking Reaffirmation is designed to guide institutions through the reaffirmation process, and outlines the four major steps in the quest for reaffirmation – (1) building a foundation of understanding as the institution starts the process, (2) preparing for the off-site review, (3) preparing for the on-site review, and (4) completing the reaffirmation process.

The SACSCOC reaccreditation process is a major undertaking for any university. The Resource Manual for the Principles of Accreditation is designed (1) to provide guidance to institutions as they seek to identify strategies for documenting compliance with Commission requirements and standards and (2) to be a resource in the training of review team members and trustees as they strive to apply the Principles fairly and consistently.