Reaffirmation of Accreditation by SACSCOC

The Periodic Process

Emory University received reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), which is the recognized regional accrediting body in 11 U.S. Southern states and Latin America for institutions of higher education that award associate, baccalaureate, master's, doctoral, or professional degrees.

In a letter received in January 2015, SACSCOC announced that its board of trustees met in December 2014 to formally reaffirm Emory's accreditation for the next decade, requesting no additional reports. Emory was reviewed in October 2013 and visited in March 2014.

The accreditation review process is a rigorous, multi-stage examination that is required every 10 years and touches on all aspects of Emory's programs, services, and facilities. The process is specific to an institution seeking reaffirmation of accreditation and consists of preparation by the institution and review by peers.

Emory submitted a Compliance Certification Report demonstrating compliance with the standards contained in the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement. This document is prepared by the institution and demonstrates its compliance with each of the core requirements, comprehensive standards, and federal requirements. Signatures by the institution's chief executive officer and accreditation liaison certify that the process of institutional self-assessment has been thorough, honest, and forthright, and that the information contained in the document is truthful, accurate, and complete.

Quality Enhancement Plan

The university also submitted a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that addresses a focused topic or issue related to enhancing student learning. The QEP is a new mandatory requirement of SACSCOC dedicated to improving an aspect of student learning or the environment for student success.

Emory's 2013 QEP, The Nature of Evidence, enhanced the first-year students' encounters with evidence and seeks to fully prepare students to experience the scholarly enterprise throughout their undergraduate careers. The university is preparing a new QEP, Connect-Integrate-Reflect: Experiential Education at Emory, for the 2024 decennial review.

Schedules and Reports

Emory successfully completed it's Fifth-Year Interim Report in 2020. The university's next decennial review will take place in 2024.