USF Reaffirmation
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Institutional Effectiveness
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SACS Web site

SACS Principles of Accreditation

SACS 2003
Annual Meeting

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

According to SACS (2003), "the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is the recognized regional accrediting body in the eleven U.S. Southern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) and in Latin America for those institutions of higher education that award associate, baccalaureate, master's or doctoral degrees. The Commission on Colleges is the representative body of the College Delegate Assembly and is charged with carrying out the accreditation process."

The following description of SACS was excerpted from the Principles of Accreditation (2001).

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is a private, nonprofit, voluntary organization founded in 1895 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Association is comprised of the Commission on Colleges, the Commission on Secondary and Middle Schools, and the Commission on Elementary and Middle Schools. The three commissions carry out their missions with considerable autonomy, developing their own standards and procedures, and governing themselves by a delegate assembly. All three operate under the Association's board of trustees.

The College Delegate Assembly is comprised of one voting representative (the chief executive officer or the officer's designee) from each member institution. Its responsibilities include electing the 77-member Commission on Colleges to guide the organization's work, to approve all revisions in accrediting standards as recommended by the Commission, to approve the dues of candidate and member institutions as recommended by the Commission, and to elect an Appeals Committee to hear appeals of certain accreditation decisions.

As elected by the College General Assembly, the 77 member Commission on Colleges is responsible for preparing a statement on the standards for candidacy and membership; authorizing special visits; taking final action on the accreditation status of institutions based only on its published standards, policies, and procedures; nominating to the College Delegate Assembly persons to succeed those members of the Commission whose terms expire; electing an Executive Council of the Commission that will act for the Commission while it is not in session; appointing special study committees as needed; and approving the policies and procedures consistent with the Association's charter and bylaws.

The 13-member Executive Council is the executive arm of the Commission and functions on behalf of the Commission and the College Delegate Assembly between sessions. However, the actions of the Council are subject to the revision and approval of the Commission. The Council interprets Commission policies and procedures; develops procedures for and supervises the work of special and standing committees of the Commission; approves goals and objectives of the Commission; reviews and approves the Commission's budget; oversees and annually evaluates the work of its executive director; and initiates new programs, projects, and policy proposals.

The Council receives and acts on reports from all special and standing committees and submits them to the Commission. In the case of institutions applying for candidacy, membership, or reaffirmation of accreditation, the Executive Council receives recommendations from the Committees on Criteria and Reports, standing evaluation committees of the Commission, and in turn submits its recommendations on these institutions to the Commission for final action.