What is the Reaffirmation Process?

Mayland Community College is always focused on maintaining its institutional accreditation. Our College looks forward to the opportunity that reaffirmation of accreditation offers our institution to examine and enhance our educational quality and effectiveness. Additionally, the College feels it is important to share with the community our progress throughout the reaffirmation process. Mayland Community College maintains an on-going dialogue with the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS COC). Faculty and staff regularly monitor SACS COC guidance and expectations and respond to SACS COC policies and “best practices.” While interactions with SACS COC are often on an “as required” basis, there are formal institutional evaluation activities occurring on a five-year cycle. Mayland Community College is assigned to a cohort, or group of institutions, that undergoes a major reaffirmation or an interim review every fifth-year. Mayland Community College is a member of SACS COC 2015 cohort. This means that MCC will undergo evaluation activities that will culminate in the College’s reaffirmation as maintaining SACS accreditation in 2015. In 2010 and again in 2020, MCC underwent and will undergo a Fifth-Year Interim Reporting process which is an abbreviated evaluation/reaffirmation process.

A General Overview

2015 Decennial Reaffirmation of Accreditation Process

Every ten years, member institutions are required to undergo an internal and external review in order to receive reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS COC). Mayland Community College is in the Class of 2015. This means that during the years of 2013-15, the College will focus on self-examination and improvement. MCC has the opportunity to demonstrate integrity of its institution, show rigor in its programs, and be reviewed by peers on the success of the College mission.

Explanation and History of Accreditation

Since their beginnings, institutions of higher learning have placed great emphasis on the collective quality of instruction and educational resources. These institutions came together to organize and support accrediting bodies that set standards, manage peer review processes, and evaluate compliance. In the U.S. today, higher education accreditation is voluntary and self-regulating. Accreditation efforts fall into two general categories – institutional accreditation and programmatic accreditation.