Office of SACS Reaffirmation

Welcome to Winthrop University’s SACS Reaffirmation website.  The purpose of the site is to provide information on Winthrop’s preparation for its 2011 reaffirmation of accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Winthrop University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master's, and specialist degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Winthrop University. Please do not contact the Commission with other questions unless there is evidence that appears to support Winthrop's significant non-compliance with the Commission's accreditation requirements or standards.

Winthrop received initial regional accreditation in 1923.  Accreditation by the Commission on Colleges signifies that the institution (1) has a mission appropriate to higher education, (2) has resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish and sustain that mission, and (3) maintains clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers, and that indicate whether it is successful in achieving its stated objectives.

To broaden and deepen awareness of the University’s initiatives and the rationale for them, Winthrop annually publishes and disseminates widely to on- and off-campus stakeholders, its Strategic Values and updated Annual Initiatives in a brochure known as the Vision of Distinction.  During 2010-2011, Winthrop will focus on the following accreditation initiatives outlined in the Vision of Distinction. 

• To build on its record of nationally recognized quality and value while ensuring the continued availability of the distinctive Winthrop Experience for students of the future, Winthrop in 2010-2011 will:
  • Continue to institutionalize processes to ensure ongoing compliance with accreditation standards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and refine the goals, objectives, and assessments associated with the institutional Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).
  • Submit by September 10, 2010, the SACS Compliance Certification, which provides evidence that Winthrop complies with the Core Requirements, Comprehensive Standards, and Federal Requirements contained in the SACS Principles of Accreditation
  • Receive in December 2010, from the Off-Site Reaffirmation Committee, feedback regarding compliance.
  • Host on April 4-6, 2011, the On-Site Reaffirmation Committee, which will conduct a focused evaluation on campus to finalize issues of compliance, as well as evaluate the acceptability of the QEP Winthrop has selected regarding Facilitating the Cognitive Shift to Global Learning.
   

Important Notice:

This site will be updated frequently with important resources and information related to the SACS reaffirmation process. Please make sure to bookmark this site (CTRL+ B or right-click on page), as it will be the pipeline through which the SACS team will communicate instructions and distribute vital documents to the Winthrop community.