Georgia Southwestern earns SACSCOC reaffirmation of accreditation

AMERICUS (December 11, 2024)—Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) received recognition of a 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) during its annual meeting held Dec. 7-10 in Austin, Texas. The SACSCOC’s mission is to ensure the educational quality and improve the effectiveness of its member institutions.

“This action, which represents the best possible outcome of any accreditation review, validates our mission and our commitment to providing exceptional higher education,” said President Michelle Johnston, Ph.D. “This success is because of what our faculty and staff do, day in and day out, to serve our students and our mission.”

The decision represents years of planning by faculty and staff to document and demonstrate the University’s compliance with regional and national standards of excellence. The multi-year reaffirmation process incorporated input and insights from across GSW and reviewed all aspects of the University including institutional governance, administration and faculty, institutional planning and effectiveness, student achievement, curriculum, physical and financial resources and student support services.

“I am proud to celebrate this pivotal achievement for Georgia Southwestern,” shared Jill Drake, Ed.D., provost and vice president of Academic Affairs. “[This] is a testament to the unwavering dedication, tireless effort, and pursuit of excellence demonstrated by our entire GSW community. This milestone affirms our steadfast commitment to providing exceptional education and maintaining the highest standards of academic quality.”

During an on-site visit in March 2024, SACSCOC’s committee leaders from peer institutions engaged with students, faculty and staff, thoroughly reviewing documentation, policies and practices to offer recommendations on the future.

In a key aspect of the reaffirmation process, SACSCOC requires institutions to develop a five-year Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) to improve student learning outcomes. GSW’s QEP, titled HAIL (High-Impact Approach to Integrative Learning), was designed to help students connect their learning across their courses, in their communities, and throughout their lives after college.

 “Many hands and minds throughout the University contributed significantly to the reaffirmation efforts,” said Johnston. “I am grateful for the leadership, dedication, and expertise of Dr. Bryan Davis, [director of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning,] for the outstanding work of Dr. Paul Dahlgren and Dr. Jennifer Ryer directing the implementation of our QEP, and for the faculty and staff who served on compliance and QEP committees. I am so proud of this accomplishment, only achieved through the great work our faculty and staff do.”

SACSCOC

SACSCOC is an institutional accreditor for quality assurance in higher education who accredits institutions that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees, including those offered via distance and correspondence education, and direct assessment within these institutions. It serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices among its members in the United States and international institutions of higher education approved by the SACSCOC Executive Council, Board of Trustees, and the Appeals Committee of the College Delegate Assembly.