Institutional Accreditation
Virginia Western Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Virginia Western Community College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Virginia Western Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
The College is a member of the Virginia Community College System and is approved by the State Board for Community Colleges. Virginia Western is also approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
Program Accreditation
The following College programs hold program-specific accreditation:
- Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP Reporting Data – PDF).
- American Culinary Federation
- American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation.
- National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences, 5600 N. River Rd. Ste. 720 Rosemont, Il 60018, 773-714-8880, NAACLSinfo@naccls.org.
- Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology.
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
The College holds the following facility accreditations:
- American Welding Society, Accreditation of Test Facilities for AWS Certified Welder Program
- Supported through Virginia Western’s Career Studies Certificate in Welding & Metal Processing
Approval
The following College programs hold program-specific approval:
SACSCOC Reaffirmation Process
This section provides information on Virginia Western’s progress towards reaffirmation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). This information is subject to update throughout the reaffirmation process.
What is reaffirmation?
Institutions accredited by SACSCOC normally go through a full reaffirmation process every ten years. Virginia Western, which has been continually accredited through SACSCOC since 1969, had its accreditation fully reaffirmed in 2014. During this process, SACSCOC reviewed Virginia Western’s compliance with nearly 100 standards. Virginia Western’s next reaffirmation will be conducted in 2024.
What is SACSCOC?
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. It serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices among the diverse institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Latin America and other international sites approved by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees. The Commission also accepts applications from other international institutions of higher education.
What is accreditation?
Accreditation is intended to assure constituents and the public of the quality and integrity of higher education institutions and programs, and to help those institutions and programs improve. These outcomes are achieved through rigorous internal and external review processes during which the institution is evaluated against a common set of standards. Accreditation by SACSCOC is a statement of the institution’s continuing commitment to integrity and its capacity to provide effective programs and services based on agreed-upon accreditation standards.
This accreditation includes ensuring that the institution has
- a mission appropriate to higher education,
- resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish and sustain its mission,
- clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers, and that it is
- successful in assessing its achievement of these objectives and demonstrating improvements.
(modified from the SACSCOC Website)
Why is this accreditation important for our students and the College?
Accreditation by SACSCOC is recognition of the quality and integrity of Virginia Western and its programs.
The U.S. Department of Education requires that schools participating in federal student aid programs be accredited. Without college accreditation, our students would automatically be ineligible for federal financial aid.
Additionally, most accredited institutions will only accept transfer credits from other accredited institutions. In order for students to transfer credits earned at Virginia Western to other colleges and universities, it is essential that the College maintain its accreditation.
The SACSCOC reaffirmation process is a peer review process which provides an opportunity for the College to reflect on its programs and services. Through successful reaffirmation, Virginia Western will assure the quality and integrity of its programs and services to the students, faculty, staff and public.
(College Accreditation in the United States)
Reports & Assessment
- SACSCOC Reports and Information (requires Virginia Western login)
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