SACSCOC Reaffirmation
SACSCOC Reaffirmation The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the southeastern United States. The reaccreditation process develops over several academic semesters and unfolds in phases. The criteria for review are spelled out in the SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation, including broad-based core requirements, regional comprehensive standards and federal requirements. The first step of reaffirmation entails the filing of the Compliance Certificate, a complex document of narratives written to each of the 97 standards specified in the Principles of Accreditation with thousands of pieces of supporting evidence. An Off-Site Review Committee, composed of SACSCOC-appointed reviewers from peer institutions, evaluates the Compliance Certificate and may request additional Focused Reports to be written on standards where the College seems to not be in compliance. The original Compliance Certificate, supplemented by any Focused Reports, as well as an additional 100-page Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), is (re)evaluated by a second committee of SACSCOC-appointed reviewers during the next phase, the On-Site Review. In addition to reviewing the submitted documentation, the OnSite Review Committee will visit select campuses and centers to confirm delivery of programs and services, and may interview College employees and select students about key aspects of College operations. While the On-Site Review Committee submits their findings and recommendations for reaffirmation in their report to SACSCOC, the Commission’s board of trustees makes the final decision regarding reaffirmation of accreditation.
Compliance Certificate
The College’s original submission of the Compliance Certificate in March 2013 is available on our website: www.fscj.edu/district/sacscoc-reaffirmation-2014/ index.php. Additionally, printed copies of the narratives in the Compliance Certificate are available at each of the College’s campuses and centers in the Library and Learning Commons on reserve in the Library Services area for in-house review. A copy of all the SACSCOC standards to which the Compliance Certificate is written may be found on their website: www.sacscoc.org/pdf/2 012PrinciplesOfAcreditation.pdf
In preparation for the On-Site Visit by the SACSCOC Review Committee, consider the following: What are the primary functions of your program or unit? And, what are its governing policies and procedures? Day-to-day, we all know how our positions serve the College. Yet where is such information recorded? What are the published guidelines, such as APMs, that direct our procedures and processes. In addition to knowing the correct information, remind yourself and your colleagues where this information may be found either on the College website or in a program manual. Reflect on what evidence you would use to document and support the accuracy of this information. Do you have an understanding of what was submitted in the Compliance Certificate that relate(s) to your office or unit? Each SACSCOC standard has a key word or phrase to help identify the area of the College to which the standard applies. Your division leader or campus team leader for the On-Site visit can help direct you to the specific sections of the Compliance Certificate most relevant to your position. Is your program or unit addressed in any of the required Focused Reports? Or, does your program or unit fall under any of the SACSCOC standards that are asterisked for mandatory second review, such as the Federal Requirements? These programs or units are likely to be involved in a group interview during the On-Site Visit. It would be good preparation to dialogue with your colleagues and supervisor about the contents of these reports. Are there any new policies or on-going process improvements that also need to be considered?
Florida State College at Jacksonville provides equal access to education, employment, programs, services and activities and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religious belief, or marital status. The College Equity Officer has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and may be contacted at [email protected]. Florida State College at Jacksonville is a member of the Florida College System and is not affiliated with any other public or private university or college in Florida or elsewhere. Florida State College at Jacksonville is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the baccalaureate and associate degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, or call (404) 679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Florida State College at Jacksonville. The Commission is to be contacted only if there is evidence that appears to support an institution’s significant non-compliance with a requirement or standard.
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Compliance Certificate
The College’s original submission of the Compliance Certificate in March 2013 is available on our website: www.fscj.edu/district/sacscoc-reaffirmation-2014/ index.php. Additionally, printed copies of the narratives in the Compliance Certificate are available at each of the College’s campuses and centers in the Library and Learning Commons on reserve in the Library Services area for in-house review. A copy of all the SACSCOC standards to which the Compliance Certificate is written may be found on their website: www.sacscoc.org/pdf/2 012PrinciplesOfAcreditation.pdf
In preparation for the On-Site Visit by the SACSCOC Review Committee, consider the following: What are the primary functions of your program or unit? And, what are its governing policies and procedures? Day-to-day, we all know how our positions serve the College. Yet where is such information recorded? What are the published guidelines, such as APMs, that direct our procedures and processes. In addition to knowing the correct information, remind yourself and your colleagues where this information may be found either on the College website or in a program manual. Reflect on what evidence you would use to document and support the accuracy of this information. Do you have an understanding of what was submitted in the Compliance Certificate that relate(s) to your office or unit? Each SACSCOC standard has a key word or phrase to help identify the area of the College to which the standard applies. Your division leader or campus team leader for the On-Site visit can help direct you to the specific sections of the Compliance Certificate most relevant to your position. Is your program or unit addressed in any of the required Focused Reports? Or, does your program or unit fall under any of the SACSCOC standards that are asterisked for mandatory second review, such as the Federal Requirements? These programs or units are likely to be involved in a group interview during the On-Site Visit. It would be good preparation to dialogue with your colleagues and supervisor about the contents of these reports. Are there any new policies or on-going process improvements that also need to be considered?
Florida State College at Jacksonville provides equal access to education, employment, programs, services and activities and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religious belief, or marital status. The College Equity Officer has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and may be contacted at [email protected]. Florida State College at Jacksonville is a member of the Florida College System and is not affiliated with any other public or private university or college in Florida or elsewhere. Florida State College at Jacksonville is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the baccalaureate and associate degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, or call (404) 679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Florida State College at Jacksonville. The Commission is to be contacted only if there is evidence that appears to support an institution’s significant non-compliance with a requirement or standard.
WE ARE
