ORLANDO, FL – At its Annual Meeting on Dec. 12, the Commission on Colleges (COC) of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) announced the Reaffirmation of Accreditation of Lees-McRae College and the removal of the College from Probation.
The reaffirmation process occurs every 10 years and involves an in-depth self-study and peer review of all of Lees-McRae College’s operations. The next reaffirmation process will begin in 2014.
The removal from Probation eliminates a sanction originally imposed in December 2004 dealing with financial stability. Since that time, Lees-McRae has successfully documented to the COC significant growth and increased fiscal stability evidenced by a variety of important financial indicators, resulting in the removal of the College from all public sanction.
“Accreditation is fundamentally a process of peer review and continual self-assessment and improvement in fulfilling our educational mission. Reaffirmation of accreditation means that Lees-McRae has met the high standards demanded by SACS, and has effectively demonstrated this level of achievement to our peer institutions”, stated Lees-McRae President Dr. David W. Bushman. He continued, “I am grateful to the entire campus community and our Board of Trustees for their diligent work throughout the reaffirmation process.”
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, often known by its acronym, SACS, is comprised of a Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (or CASI, containing commissions on elementary, middle and secondary schools) and the Commission on Colleges (or COC, dealing with institutions of higher education).
The recent Annual Meeting was the COC’s 111th. SACS itself is the oldest, and arguably the most rigorous, of the nation’s regional accrediting agencies. According to its Handbook for Reaffirmation of Accreditation, the accreditation process “is a voluntary and self-regulatory mechanism of the higher education community … [reflecting] the institution’s commitment to quality enhancement.” Lees-McRae College welcomes the formal input of SACS as an important resource in its efforts toward continuous improvement and enhanced student learning.
Further questions regarding the accreditation status of Lees-McRae College, or SACS process and requirements, can be directed to Dr. John Keener, Dean of Planning, Research, and Records.