Accreditation

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University/Program Accreditation

The Office of Academic Planning and Program Development facilitates institutional accreditation compliance, tracking, and reporting.  Somer Franklin, Associate Vice President for Academic Planning and Assessment, serves as SHSUs Accreditation Liaison to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

Accreditation reports, resources, and listings are available via the site navigation links on this page.  For additional information or questions regarding accreditation requirements, please call 936-294-1536.

  • Accreditation Reports

    Reaffirmation of Accreditation Report: 

    Sam Houston State University submitted its most recent SACSCOC Reaffirmation of Accreditation Report in September 2018  (for a 2019 reaffirmation decision).

     

    Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP):

    Sam Houston State University submitted its most recent SACSCOC Quality Enhancement Plan in April 2019. 

     

    Archived Accreditation Reports:

    SACSCOC Fifth-Year Interim Report March 2015

    SACSCOC Reaffirmation of Accreditation Report September 2008  (for a 2009 reaffirmation decision)

  • Accreditation Resources

    What is Accreditation?

    According to the U.S. Department of Education, "the goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality. Accrediting agencies, which are private educational associations of regional or national scope, develop evaluation criteria and conduct peer evaluations to assess whether or not those criteria are met. Institutions and/or programs that request an agency's evaluation and that meet an agency's criteria are then "accredited" by that agency."

    From which agencies does SHSU seek/hold accreditation?

    SHSU seeks accreditation both for the institution as a whole and for specific degree programs.  Institutional accreditation is subject to the institution meeting and remaining in compliance with the accrediting standards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), a 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.  Program specific accreditations are discipline and agency specific.  A complete listing of accreditations held by SHSU is available on the University/Program Accreditations webpage.  

    What are SACSCOC accrediting standards?

    The Commission on Colleges bases its accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions and entities on requirements in the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement. These requirements apply to all institutional programs and services, regardless of location or delivery method.

    Additional Resources

    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

    The Council for Higher Education Accreditation

    U.S. Department of Education - Accreditation in the United States

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