Who:

The Commission on Colleges (COC) of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is the recognized regional accrediting body in eleven southern U.S. states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) and in Latin America. It offers accreditation to institutions of higher education that award associate, baccalaureate, master's, and/or doctoral degrees.

What:

To maintain accreditation with the COC, 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 COC. The COC applies the requirements of its Principles to all applicant, candidate, and member institutions, regardless of type of institution (public, private for-profit, private not-for-profit). These documents provide consistent guidelines for peer review, representing the collective judgment of the membership on standards appropriate for the assurance of quality in higher education.

When:

SACS will make its final decision regarding NKU's reaffirmation in December 2009, but the preparations for that final decision began in 2006 and will build in intensity up to the submission of our Compliance Certification in August 2008, the submission of our Quality Enhancement Plan in January 2009, and the visit of the SACS On-Site Review Team to the campus in spring 2009. There is a definite timeline that needs to be followed to achieve SACS reaffirmation.

Why:

Reaffirmation plays a significant role in fostering public confidence in the educational enterprise, in maintaining standards, in enhancing institutional effectiveness, and in improving higher education. It also provides the basis on which colleges and universities can be assured that accredited institutions have complied with a common set of requirements and standards

How:

The following are the eight steps to reaffirmation described by SACS on pages 5-6 of the Handbook for Reaffirmation of Accreditation. They involve interactions the institution seeking reaffirmation, an Off-Site Review Committee composed of members chosen from the faculty and staff of similar insitutions, an additional On-Site Review Committee composed of different members from similar institutions, and the permanent staff of the COC.

1. The Commission staff conducts an orientation for the institution’s Leadership Team.
2. The institution prepares and submits its Compliance Certification and relevant supporting documentation (and annual institutional profiles) to the Commission on Colleges.
3. The Off-Site Review Committee reviews the Compliance Certification and supporting documentation attesting to the institution’s determination of its compliance with all Core Requirements and Comprehensive Standards with the exception of Core Requirement Twelve, which relates to the Quality Enhancement Plan. The Off- Site Committee prepares a report of its findings for each institution it reviews.
4. The Commission staff communicates to the institution the findings of the report prepared by the Off-Site Review Committee. The institution may choose to submit a Focused Report in response to the committee’s findings. The On-Site Committee receives a written copy of the Off-Site Committee’s report and the institution’s Focused Report, if one is submitted.
5. The institution submits its Quality Enhancement Plan to the Commission.
6. The On-Site Review Committee visits the institution to review and determine the acceptability of the QEP, to review areas of noncompliance and other areas of concern noted by the Off-Site Committee, and to review any areas of concern that surface during the visit. The On-Site Committee submits its report to the Commission.
7. The institution prepares a response to the On-Site Committee’s report and submits it to the Commission.
8. The Commission reviews the findings included in the report of the On-Site Committee and the institution’s response and takes action on the institution’s reaffirmation.