Fifth-year interim report of Accreditation
Valdosta State University is currently preparing its Fifth-Year Interim Report for the Commission on Colleges (COC) of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), 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, and/or doctoral degrees.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, “The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality.” Accreditation encourages public confidence in higher education; it is pivotal in keeping institutions up to date in matters of institutional effectiveness and best practices. It also allows colleges and universities to be certain that accredited institutions have complied with a common set of requirements and standards. In short, accreditation from SACS-COC means that VSU students are eligible for federal financial aid; their course credits can be accepted for transfer at other institutions; and the degrees VSU awarded are recognized as valid.
Interim Report
Every five years, VSU prepares an interim report which includes the impact report of our Quality Enhancement Plan. SACS-COC information, forms, and timelines are available at http://www.sacscoc.org/FifthYear.asp. The Fifth-Year report consists of the following sections:
Part I. Signatures Attesting to Integrity
Part II. Institutional Summary Form Prepared for Commission Reviews
Part III. Fifth-Year Compliance Certification
Part IV. Fifth-Year Follow-Up (not applicable to VSU)
Part V. Impact Report of the Quality Enhancement Plan
Abbreviated Timeline
| Description of Activity | Date |
| Institutions receive Notification Letter from the President of the Commission on Colleges |
April 25, 2015 |
| Due date for Fifth-Year Interim Report | March 25, 2016 |
| Review by the Commission on Colleges | June 2016 |
Page revised July 19, 2012.