Reaffirmation FAQs

Accreditation by SACSCOC means that a university has:

        >  a mission appropriate to higher education

        >  the resources, programs and services sufficient to accomplish and sustain that mission

        >  clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers

        >  success in achieving its stated objectives.

Being accredited and in good standing with SACSCOC assures our constituents and the public of the quality and integrity of Alabama State University (ASU) and its programs. It also allows ASU students to maintain eligibility for federal financial aid and ensures transfer of credits among accredited institutions.

Anything less than full reaffirmation potentially means:

         > loss of federal funding

         > loss of prestige and reputation

         > loss of admissions applicants

         > loss of ability of graduates to secure jobs

If the peer evaluators working on behalf of the Commission find that ASU is deficient in some area, they can offer recommendations with penalties that range from requiring Monitoring Reports or public sanction, to denial of reaffirmation and even removal of membership. While ASU does not anticipate major problems with reaffirmation, it is important for everyone to understand how serious the consequences are - and just how important the process is.

The 2018 Edition of the Principles of Accreditation: Foundation for Quality Enhancement was adopted December 2017 by the College Delegate Assembly during the SACSCOC annual meeting and took effect January 1, 2018.  There are 14 sections:

1.    the principle of integrity,

2.    mission,

3.    basic eligibility standard,

4.    governing board,

5.    administration and organization,

6.    faculty,

7.    institutional planning and effectiveness,

8.    student achievement,

9.    educational program structure and content,

10.  educational policies, procedures, and practices,

11.  library and learning/information resources,

12.  academic and student support services,

13.  financial and physical resources, and

14.  transparency and institutional representation. 

ASU is expected to comply with Core Requirement and Comprehensive Standards.

ASU is responsible for arranging all transportation, meals and housing for the three-day campus visit. This includes technology support, working space in the hotel and on campus, and detailed schedules for each peer evaluator.  An ancillary Hospitality Committee has been established to manage all of the logistical arrangements for the onsite visit.

The Three-Day Visit may entail the following:

  · Day One usually focuses on compliance issues noted by the off-site review, the Focused Report, and all federal requirements. It usually consists of interviews as requested by the chair of the On-Site Reaffirmation Committee and assembling additional documentation when requested.

  · Day Two focuses on the QEP. It usually includes a presentation to the Committee about the QEP and group interviews with a variety of constituencies.

·        · Day Three focuses on the Exit Conference, where the Committee presents its finding to the Leadership Team.

The Compliance Certification consists of four parts:

· PART 1: Signature Page for the institution’s chief executive officer and the accreditation liaison

· PART 2: List of all substantive changes that have been reported and approved by the Commission since the institution’s last reaffirmation as well as the date of approval

· PART 3: The institution’s assessment of compliance with the Principles of Accreditation. Each response includes the the following:

     o the wording of the standard

     o our determination of the level of compliance (Compliance, Partial Compliance, Non-Compliance)

     o a clear, succinct narrative that  presents a convincing justification of compliance based on analysis and appropriate links to reliable, current, verifiable, coherent, objective, relative and representative evidence

     o a list of all supporting documentation referenced in the narrative.

· PART 4: An attached and updated “Institutional Summary Form Prepared for Commission Reviews” that (a) lists all locations where coursework toward a degree, certificate, or diploma can be obtained primarily through traditional classroom instruction and (b) describes distance education credit offerings that can be obtained primarily through electronic means.

The Compliance Certification will be submitted to the Commission no later than September 10, 2019.  

The Assessment Insight System™ (AIS) platform allows every administrative, student support, research, public service and educational program to enter annual assessment plans/reports that document the following:

·         Define and use Standards/Outcomes

·         Design pathways for program and student success

·         Be thoughtful in planning and re-design efforts

·         Document assessment findings and action plans

·         Access data for analysis

·         Showcase assessment plans, reports and findings to the SACSCOC Peer Reviewers