Welcome from the Chancellor
This website has been created for the 2011 reaffirmation of our accreditation through the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is the regional body for the accreditation of higher education institutions in the southern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia) and Latin America awarding 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.
To gain or maintain accreditation with the Commission on Colleges, an institution must comply with the standards contained in the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement and with the policies and procedures of the Commission on Colleges. The Commission on Colleges applies the requirements of its principles to all applicant, candidate, and member institutions, regardless of type of institution (public, private for-profit, private not-for-profit).
With the participation of faculty, staff, and students, the University's SACS Leadership Team, SACS Compliance Certification Team, and Quality Enhancement Planning Committee have produced a Compliance Certification Report and Quality Enhancement Plan. The Compliance Certification Report represents the University of South Carolina Aiken’s multifaceted work to achieve its public mission and enhance its academic programming and the college experience of its students in accordance with The Principles of Accreditation. The University’s Quality Enhancement Plan focuses on critical inquiry skills, an outgrowth of the assessments of our core competencies of student learning at USC Aiken. This is an exciting, unique plan to involve faculty and students in building a community of engaged, critical, and enquiring learners at the University of South Carolina Aiken—a plan that enhances student learning and focuses on skills that are essential for academic and professional success.
These reports contain information about USC Aiken’s programs, services, people, and processes—and so serve as a composite picture of our campus. We invite you to learn more about our work as a university by reading through the different areas of this website. While reaffirmation is critical to our accountability, it is only one part of our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and educational excellence - for students, faculty, staff, and the communities we serve.
On behalf of all of us at the University of South Carolina Aiken, I welcome you to our SACS website.
Thomas L. Hallman Chancellor