Flagler College, which is based out of St. Augustine, had its accreditation reaffirmed by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) with no recommendations for improvement.
SACSCOC announced Flagler kept their regional accreditation at a meeting in Houston last week.
“I cannot stress how important this accreditation process was for our institution, or how impressed I am with everyone at Flagler who helped make this possible,” said Flagler President Joseph Joyner. “Accreditation is the way that the federal government ensures higher education compliance with federal laws and mandates. Furthermore, accreditation determines our eligibility to receive federal and state funds, and our ability to transfer credits with other schools.”
“SACSCOC is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in 11 Southern states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, as well as Latin America. The mission of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is to assure the educational quality and improve the effectiveness of its member institutions,” Flagler noted. “The SACSCOC Board of Trustees conducts reviews of institutions by looking at compliance certification through submitted reports, as well as off-site and on-site reviews. In addition, colleges must submit a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that focuses on improving specific student learning outcomes and/or student successes.
“Flagler’s QEP is called FlagSHIP, for Flagler Sophomore High Impact Practice, and it focuses on developing an inclusive academic community and building confidence in students’ abilities to participate in a diverse democracy,” the college added. “Through the program, students will be able to travel abroad, study away (within the U.S.), collaborate with community partners, participate in research or take an immersive course on campus.”
Flagler turned in its Compliance Certification, which it termed “an extensive self‐study of all aspects of college life,” back in September 2018. SACSCOC sent a team out for an on-site review back in March.
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