About SACSCOC and the Reaffirmation Process

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (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. To maintain accreditation with the Commission on Colleges, an institution must comply with the standards and requirements in The Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement  and with the policies and procedures of the Commission on Colleges.

Reaffirmation of accreditation occurs every 10 years. Radford University’s next reaffirmation of accreditation will take place in 2022-2023.

As part of the reaffirmation of accreditation process, Radford will submit 1) a Compliance Certification demonstrating compliance with The Principles of Accreditation: requirements, standards, and federal regulations, 2) an Institutional Summary Form prepared for Commission review, and 3) a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that addresses a focused topic or issue related to enhancing student learning. An Off-Site Reaffirmation Committee, which consists of faculty and staff members from other SACSCOC accredited institutions, will review Radford’s Compliance Certification in fall 2022. Additional documentation may be required after the Off-Site Committee’s review.

An On-Site Reaffirmation Committee, which also consists of faculty and staff members from other SACSCOC accredited institutions, will visit Radford University’s campus from March 27-30, 2023. The On-Site Committee evaluates and determines the acceptability of the QEP, reviews areas of non-compliance noted by the Off-Site Committee, reviews standards and requirements related to the criteria established by the U.S. Department of Education, and investigates any additional areas of interest. The On-Site Reaffirmation Committee completes the Report of the Reaffirmation Committee, which is submitted to the Commission.

In December 2023, SACSCOC will notify Radford University of the reaffirmation of accreditation decision.