ACC Hosts Accreditation Site Visit
Alvin Community College hosted the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) during a virtual site visit on October 13-15.
The site visit is part of the accreditation reaffirmation process, which colleges must undergo every 10 years. Accreditation reaffirmation helps provide colleges and their programs standardization and proof of academic integrity.
“I couldn’t be more happy with the outcome of the virtual site visit,” ACC President Dr. Christal M. Albrecht said. “Our team worked so hard over the last several years to bring us to this point, all while doing their regular jobs. We are all very proud of this monumental accomplishment which demonstrates ACC’s commitment to student learning and achievement.”
The nine-member SACSCOC on-site committee lauded ACC staff members assigned to the accreditation reaffirmation effort for their hard work. The college was found in compliance of all standards and no formal recommendations were made.
“The responsiveness of your staff is commendable,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Glover, SACSCOC vice president. “They were very committed to ensuring that they presented the institution in the best possible light.”
The site visit for the college’s seventh accreditation reaffirmation was unique because it was conducted virtually. The purpose of the visit is to interview college faculty and staff regarding the compliance portion of accreditation.
There will be a follow-up interview with ACC staff members in person next spring.
Accreditation by the Southern Association is critical to the college. Non-accredited institutions’ coursework rarely transfers to accredited colleges and universities, and accreditation is required before institutions can participate in financial aid programs such as Pell Grants. ACC has been accredited by SACS since 1959.
The reaffirmation process includes the reporting of all major changes to the college (such as the offering of new programs or degrees), the submission of a Compliance Report that covers all aspects of the college’s instructional and support functions, a Focused Report addressing concerns raised by the Compliance Report, the recently concluded visit, and finally the submission of a Response Report in which the college outlines any final adjustments suggested by the visiting committee. ACC will receive final word on its reaffirmation in June 2021.
“During the past two years, innumerable ACC employees spent countless hours preparing for our decennial reaffirmation visit,” said Dr. Cynthia Griffith, ACC vice president for Instruction and head of the accreditation reaffirmation team. “Their commitment to the development and creation of our institutional compliance reports as well as our Quality Enhancement Plan led to the College’s successful on-site committee report. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to all of our faculty, staff, and students who contributed to our reaffirmation work and make ACC such a great institution.”
Reaffirmation began with faculty committees researching and drafting sections of the Compliance Report. The college also solicited input from the community and staff regarding the focus of an institution-wide project to improve learning at the college—the Quality Enhancement Plan, or QEP.
The QEP will be Success Through Engaged Advising which is designed to improve the quality of the student advising experience. It will aid students in choosing a career path, continuing successfully, and completing the path by obtaining a degree or certificate.
The program launched in Fall 2020.
For more information about accreditation or SACSCOC, visit www.sacscoc.org. To learn more about the QEP, visit www.alvincollege.edu/qep.