The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) bases its accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions and entities on requirements in the Principles of Accreditation: Foundation for Quality Enhancement. These requirements apply to all institutional programs and services, wherever located or however delivered. The Compliance Certification Report, submitted to the SACS Commission approximately fifteen months in advance of an institution’s scheduled reaffirmation, is a document completed by the institution that demonstrates its judgment of the extent of its compliance with each of the Core Requirements, Comprehensive Standards, and Federal Requirements. Signatures by the institution’s chief executive officer and accreditation liaison are required to certify compliance. By signing the document, the individuals certify that the process of institutional self-assessment has been thorough, honest, and forthright, and that the information contained in the document is truthful, accurate, and complete.
At this time, the University of West Florida is conducting an internal pre-certification self-assessment of its compliance with the specified SACSCOC Principles. Many employees have been organized into Compliance Certification Teams to assess and document UWF’s level of compliance with the Principles. The Compliance Certification Teams will address all aspects of the University, including:
The process for UWF’s continued accreditation will involve a collective analysis and judgment by the University’s internal constituencies, an informed review by peers external to the University, and a reasoned decision by elected members of the SACS Commission on Colleges. During the 2013-2014 Academic Year, the University will complete its Compliance Certification Report, which must be submitted to the SACS Commission on September 10, 2014. UWF’s Compliance Certification Report will be reviewed in November 2014 by an Off-Site Reaffirmation Committee to determine whether UWF is in compliance with all Core Requirements (except Core Requirement 2.12), Comprehensive Standards (except Comprehensive Standard 3.3.2), and Federal Requirements. At the conclusion of the review, the Committee will prepare a report explaining its decisions regarding UWF’s compliance. The report will be forwarded to an On-Site Reaffirmation Committee, which will conduct a focused evaluation in the spring of 2015 to finalize any issues of compliance. At the conclusion of its visit, the On-Site Committee will finalize the Report of the Reaffirmation Committee, in which it will note any findings of non-compliance. The Report, along with UWF’s response to noted areas of non-compliance, will be forwarded to the SACS Commission’s Board of Trustees for review and action on reaffirmation in December 2015.
All faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to read the Principles of Accreditation: Foundation for Quality Enhancement publication, as well as visit the University's 2015 Reaffirmation Web site periodically to remain informed of the University's progress toward SACSCOC reaffirmation of accreditation.