News
Voorhees College receives reaffirmation of accreditation by SACS
June 21, 2012
Voorhees
College has been reaffirmed accreditation for the next 10 years from the
Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
President
Dr. Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr. said the reaffirmation is another huge milestone
the institution has achieved through the combined efforts of faculty, staff and
students.
“This
is an exciting time for us at Voorhees because everyone worked so hard toward
this goal,” President Sellers said. “The reaffirmation from the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) keeps the institution on the right
path of becoming a premier liberal arts institution.”
Every
10 years, SACS’ Commission on Colleges conducts an in-depth internal evaluation
of institution’s policies and academic programs to ensure compliance with
standards for the education of students. Reaffirmation indicates that
institutional programs meet or exceed national standards, and it also is
important with regard to an institution offering financial aid to students.
A
major component for Voorhees to receive reaffirmation was the completion of a
Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). Voorhees’ QEP was centered on improving the
writing skills of its students, and the QEP’s theme was “Journeying Through
Writing: From Thought to Expression.”
Since
first earning accreditation from SACS in 1946 as Voorhees School and Junior
College, Voorhees has remained accredited. Additionally, Voorhees was the first
Historically Black College or University in South Carolina to be accredited by
SACS.
The
SACS Reaffirmation process was led by Samuel Blackwell, vice president for
planning and information management. This was the third consecutive time
Blackwell has led Voorhees through a successful reaffirmation.
“I
sincerely appreciate the Leadership Team for assisting me throughout the SACS
Reaffirmation process,” said Blackwell. “Our job is to now demonstrate
sustainability and implement our Quality Enhancement Plan.”