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SACSCOC

Frequently Asked Questions on the SACSCOC Reaffirmation of Accreditation

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.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is the regional accreditor for Jefferson Community and Technical College. When accreditation is awarded to an institution of higher education by the 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, and is a requirement for participation in Title IV federal student aid programs.

Every 10 years, institutions accredited by SACSCOC complete a self-study—a Compliance Certification Report. Jefferson submitted its Compliance Certification in February 2019. In April 2019, the Off Site Committee of peers will review our Compliance Certification Report and may make recommendations. The College will respond to any recommendations summer 2019 in a Follow-Up Report. After the off-site committee review, an On Site Peer Committee will visit Jefferson campuses in November 2019. While on campus, the Committee will conduct interviews with campus stakeholders, complete a draft report, and conclude with a presentation of their findings. The Report of the Reaffirmation Committee, along with the institution’s response to areas of noncompliance, is forwarded to the SACSCOC Board of Trustees for review and action on reaffirmation of accreditation which will be formally announced at the December 2020 SACSCOC Annual Meeting.

An important component of the Reaffirmation process is the development of a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The QEP is a document developed by the institution that (1) includes a process identifying key issues emerging from institutional assessment, (2) focuses on learning outcomes and/or the environment supporting student learning and accomplishing the mission of the institution, (3) demonstrates institutional capability for the initiation, implementation, and completion of the QEP, (4) includes broad-based involvement of institutional constituencies in the development and proposed implementation of the QEP, and (5) identifies goals and a plan to assess their achievement. Jefferson’s QEP, titled Read & Succeed, focuses on increasing a culture of reading at the College. This QEP will be evaluated, and approved as part of the November 2019 SACSCOC Reaffirmation visit and its results will be reported out in the 2025 SACSCOC Fifth-Year review.

Please contact any of the following offices:

Vice President for Academic Affairs & SACSCOC Institutional Accreditation Liaison

Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Research, & Planning