Eagles Soar Through SACS Reaccreditation

In the 114th annual meeting of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) that concluded yesterday in Atlanta, North Carolina Central University received reaffirmation of its accreditation as a degree-granting institution of higher education. The next formal review will be conducted in 2019.

Chancellor Charlie Nelms said, “I’m obviously pleased that the Commission reaffirmed our accreditation. I want to thank the faculty and staff for their continuous commitment to teaching and learning and their diligent pursuit of means to enhance the quality and effectiveness of our programs.”

The university offered its self-evaluation to the Commission several months prior to SACS’ reaffirmation visit conducted April 14 – 16, 2009, by a team of administrators from peer institutions. Chaired by Dr. Velvelyn Foster, vice president for academic affairs and student life at Jackson State University, the team assessed NCCU’s compliance with the Association’s standards. They also evaluated the university’s required Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) titled Communicating to Succeed.

Subsequent to their assessment, Dr. Pauletta Bracy, NCCU’s director of accreditations, led the effort by campus faculty and staff to address the action items identified prior to the submission of the on-site team’s final status report to the Commission this fall.

“This process of reaffirmation has been a valuable exercise in our continued quest for excellence and it is especially significant as it falls during our centennial year,” said Bracy.

NCCU elected to focus its QEP on improving the quality of students’ oral and written communication skills. The university has begun to invest greater resources in its writing and speaking laboratories and to institute greater emphasis on these skills throughout the curricula.