Accreditation Reaffirmation

The University of South Carolina Aiken submitted its most recent reaffirmation of accreditation to SACSCOC in September 2020 as a Compliance Certification Report. An off-site review occurred in November resulting in preliminary responses from SACSCOC to each standard. In February 2021, a Focused Report was submitted to SACSCOC to address questions related to 11 standards. A virtual onsite visit of the institution followed in March 2021 where the institution was found to be in compliance with all standards. The University's accreditation was reaffirmed until 2031, with a Fifth-year report due in 2027.

The 2021 Reaffirmation of Accreditation Leadership Team includes the following:

Dr. Lloyd A. Dawe, Institutional Accreditation Liaison and Reaffirmation Chair
Dr. Sandra J. Jordan, Chancellor
Dr. Daren Timmons, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Mr. Cam Reagin, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance
Ms. Nicole Spensley, Director of Institutional Effectiveness, Research & Compliance and QEP Implementation Committee Chair

Narrative Submission	Off-site Review
1.1: Integrity	SACSCOC Response to 1.1
2.1: Institutional mission	SACSCOC Response to 2.1
3.1.a: Degree-granting authority	SACSCOC Response to 3.1.a
3.1.b: Coursework for degrees	SACSCOC Response to 3.1.b
3.1.c: Continuous operation	SACSCOC Response to 3.1.c
4.1: Governing board characteristics	SACSCOC Response to 4.1
4.2.a: Mission review	SACSCOC Response to 4.2.a
4.2.b: Board-administrative distinction	SACSCOC Response to 4.2.a
4.2.c: CEO evaluation-selection	SACSCOC Response to 4.2.c
4.2.d: Conflict of interest	SACSCOC Response to 4.2.d
4.2.e: Board dismissal	SACSCOC Response to 4.2.e
4.2.f: External influence	SACSCOC Response to 4.2.f
4.2.g: Board self-evaluation	SACSCOC Response to 4.2.g
4.3: Multi-level governance	SACSCOC Response to 4.3
5.1: Chief executive officer	SACSCOC Response to 5.1
5.2.a: CEO control	SACSCOC Response to 5.2.a
5.2.b: Control of intercollegiate athletics	SACSCOC Response to 5.2.b
5.2.c: Control of fund-raising activities	SACSCOC Response to 5.2.c
5.3: Institution-related entities	SACSCOC Response to 5.3
5.4: Qualified administrative - academic officers	SACSCOC Response to 5.4
5.5: Personnel appointment and evaluation	SACSCOC Response to 5.5
6.1: Full-time faculty	SACSCOC Response to 6.1
6.2.a: Faculty qualifications	SACSCOC Response to 6.2.a
6.2.b: Program faculty	SACSCOC Response to 6.2.b
6.2.c: Program coordination	SACSCOC Response to 6.2.c
6.3: Faculty appointment and evaluation	SACSCOC Response to 6.3
6.4: Academic freedom	SACSCOC Response to 6.4
6.5: Faculty development	SACSCOC Response to 6.5
7.1: Institutional planning	SACSCOC Response to 7.1
7.2: Quality enhancement plan	SACSCOC Response to 7.2
7.3: Administrative effectiveness	SACSCOC Response to 7.3
8.1: Student achievement	SACSCOC Response to 8.1
8.2.a: Student outcomes - educational programs	SACSCOC Response to 8.2.a
8.2.b: Student outcomes - general education	SACSCOC Response to 8.2.b
8.2.c: Student outcomes - academic and student services	SACSCOC Response to 8.2.c
9.1: Program content	SACSCOC Response to 9.1
9.2: Program length	SACSCOC Response to 9.2
9.3: General education requirements	SACSCOC Response to 9.3
9.4: Institutional credits for an undergraduate degree	SACSCOC Response to 9.4
9.5: Institutional credits for a graduate or professional degree	SACSCOC Response to 9.5
9.6: Post-baccalaureate rigor and curriculum	SACSCOC Response to 9.6
9.7: Program requirements	SACSCOC Response to 9.7
10.1: Academic policies	SACSCOC Response to 10.1
10.2: Public information	SACSCOC Response to 10.2
10.3: Archived information	SACSCOC Response to 10.3
10.4: Academic governance	SACSCOC Response to 10.4
10.5: Admissions policies and practices	SACSCOC Response to 10.5
10.6: Distance and correspondence education	SACSCOC Response to 10.6
10.7: Policies for awarding credit	SACSCOC Response to 10.7
10.8: Evaluating and awarding academic credit	SACSCOC Response to 10.8
10.9: Cooperative academic arrangements	SACSCOC Response to 10.9
11.1: Library and learning information resources	SACSCOC Response to 11.1
11.2: Library and learning information staff	SACSCOC Response to 11.2
11.3: Library and learning information access	SACSCOC Response to 11.3
12.1: Student support services	SACSCOC Response to 12.1
12.2: Student support services staff	SACSCOC Response to 12.2
12.3: Student rights	SACSCOC Response to 12.3
12.4: Student complaints	SACSCOC Response to 12.4
12.5: Student records	SACSCOC Response to 12.5
12.6: Student debt	SACSCOC Response to 12.6
13.1: Financial resources	SACSCOC Response to 13.1
13.2: Financial documents	SACSCOC Response to 13.2
13.3: Financial responsibility	SACSCOC Response to 13.3
13.4: Control of finances	SACSCOC Response to 13.4
13.5: Control of sponsored research and external funds	SACSCOC Response to 13.5
13.6: Federal and state responsibilities	SACSCOC Response to 13.6
13.7: Physical resources	SACSCOC Response to 13.7
13.8: Institutional environment	SACSCOC Response to 13.8
14.1: Publication of accreditation status	SACSCOC Response to 14.1
14.2: Substantive change	SACSCOC Response to 14.2
14.3: Comprehensive institutional reviews	SACSCOC Response to 14.3
14.4: Representation to other agencies	SACSCOC Response to 14.4
14.5: Policy compliance	SACSCOC Response to 14.5

Original Narrative	SACSCOC Response	Institutional Response
6.1 Full-time faculty	SACSCOC Response to 6.1	Institutional Addendum to 6.1
6.2.a Faculty qualifications	SACSCOC Response to 6.2.a	Institutional Addendum to 6.2.a
6.2.c Program coordination	SACSCOC Response to 6.2.c	Institutional Addendum to 6.2.c
8.1 Student achievement	SACSCOC Response to 8.1	Institutional Addendum to 8.1
10.1 Academic policies	SACSCOC Response to 10.1	Institutional Addendum to 10.1
10.5 Admissions policies and practices	SACSCOC Response to 10.5	Institutional Addendum to 10.5
11.3 Library and learning information access	SACSCOC Response to 11.3	Institutional Addendum to 11.3
12.3 Student rights	SACSCOC Response to 12.3	Institutional Addendum to 12.3
12.6 Student debt	SACSCOC Response to 12.6	Institutional Addendum to 12.6
13.8 Institutional environment	SACSCOC Response to 13.8	Institutional Addendum to 13.8
14.3 Comprehensive institutional reviews	SACSCOC Response to 14.3	Institutional Addendum to 14.3