SACSCOC Accreditation

What is SACSCOC?

Beaufort County Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Beaufort County Community College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Beaufort County Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) is the recognized regional accrediting body in the eleven U.S. Southern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) and in Latin America for those institutions of higher education that award associate, baccalaureate, master's or doctoral degrees. The Commission on Colleges is the representative body of the College Delegate Assembly and is charged with carrying out the accreditation process.

• 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 is the 5th Year Report?

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is one of only a few accrediting commissions that conducts a comprehensive review of its institutions every ten years. Most accrediting agencies conduct such reviews every 5 to 7 years. The U.S. Department of Education requires accrediting agencies that it recognizes to monitor its institutions more often to ensure that institutions having access to federal funds continue to meet accreditation standards. To that end, the Commission has developed a Fifth-Year Interim Report. This report addresses selected standards of the Principles of Accreditation, as well as the impact of the institution’s most recent Quality Enhancement Plan. The Fifth-Year Interim Report is due approximately four and one-half years prior to the institution’s next reaffirmation of accreditation, allowing the institution to demonstrate ongoing compliance with the selected standards following the mid-point of its reaffirmation cycle.

• 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 BCCC?

Many people from all around the College will be actively involved in preparing the 5th year Interim Report and the Reaffirmation Report. The SACSCOC Leadership Committee 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 BCCC have to do for SACSCOC?

BCCC must prepare a report that shows that the College is in compliance with all sections of the SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation.

• How does the submission process work?

Reports will be submitted electronically to be reviewed by an off-site SACSCOC team. An additional review team will visit the campus for the 10 year reaffirmation report to follow up on the off-site team report. The SACSCOC team will make a determination whether or not BCCC is in compliance with each requirement, and will report those findings to SACSCOC. For the 5th Year Interim report, institutions are required to host an on-site visit if it has established five (5) or more approved off-campus instructional sites, which have not hosted a visit since its last reaffirmation.

• Are the requirements the same for all colleges and universities?

Every college and 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 the requirements are met are unique to the resources and creativity of each school.