SCC Earns Reaffirmation of Accreditation, Receives High Marks for Quality

02/20/2020

Southeastern Community College was recently notified by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) that its accredited status will continue. The college will undergo its next evaluation in the 2029-2030 academic year. SCC was assessed on a number of criteria, including the quality of teaching, student achievement, academic rigor, and strategic planning.

HLC is a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Official accreditation is required for all US colleges to apply for institutional funding and to offer students federally subsidized loans, federal work-study, and Pell grants.

The reaffirmation of accreditation was a 7-year process that encompassed every aspect of the College, including internal and external stakeholders. The process incorporated many things, such as the implementation of annual quality improvement projects, a thorough self-evaluation, and the participation in HLC Strategy Forums.

The process concluded with a two-day, on-site comprehensive evaluation by the HLC Peer Review Team who met with 179 individuals including faculty, staff, students, and external constituents during 22 sessions.

Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Janet Shepherd, says the college's reaffirmation of accreditation is a testament to the quality of the institution.

"Institutional accreditation tells you if the college is legitimate or not, and it tells students that they are receiving a high quality education based on national criteria," says Dr. Shepherd. "It also conveys to the community that the college holds itself to high standards."

President Dr. Michael Ash is pleased with the employees for the work they put into the years-long process to renew the accreditation and the comprehensive site visit to reaffirm the College's accreditation.

"As you can imagine, this is not a simple process," he says. "I am proud of everyone — from our faculty to employees across each department — for working together to make this go as seamlessly as it did."

With the reaffirmation of accreditation renewal in place, the college is now focused on maintaining quality assurance and institutional improvements using HLC's Open Pathway model.

To read more about the college's accreditation https://www.scciowa.edu/aboutscc/inst_effectiveness/accreditation/

For more news or to learn about Southeastern Community College, visit: https://www.scciowa.edu/aboutscc/office_mktg_comm/news/