Purpose of Accreditation
The purpose of accreditation has been defined in the SACS Handbook for Reaffirmation of Accreditation (2004) as:
"Accreditation in the United States is a voluntary and self-regulatory
mechanism of the higher education community. It plays a significant role in fostering public confidence in the educational enterprise, in maintaining standards, in enhancing institutional effectiveness, and in improving higher education. It also provides the basis on which colleges and universities can be assured that accredited institutions have complied with a common set of requirements and standards."The accreditation process assumes that all participants will conduct their responsibilities with integrity, objectivity, fairness, and confidentiality. Many benefits can be derived from participating in the internal assessment process to determine compliance with the requirements and standards outlined by SACS. The accreditation process provides an institution with an opportunity to:
Examine its mission statement to determine whether it accurately reflects values, aspirations of the college;
Review its goals, programs, and services to determine the extent to which they reflect its mission;
Evaluate the effectiveness of programs, operations, and services;
Strive for a higher level of performance that goes beyond the level that is required to meet the requirements of accreditation;
Enhance and increase documentation and evidence that demonstrates continuous improvement;
Reinforce to all constituents that reaffirmation of accreditation is and ongoing process;
Develop a Quality Enhancement Plan focused on an issue that will make a significant impact on the quality of student learning;
Strengthen involvement of all constituents in enhancing institutional quality and effectiveness;
Demonstrate its accountability to all constituents. (SACS Handbook, 2004)