Rocky Mount, N.C.—“Reaffirmed!”—the word that North Carolina Wesleyan College has eagerly been waiting to hear—arrived this week in a letter to Wesleyan President James A. Gray III from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The word indicates that Wesleyan continues to be accredited by the Commission to award baccalaureate degrees, following a rigorous self-inspection and peer review carried out over 18 months.

“It’s one thing, internally, to feel that you’re doing a good job, but it’s something else to be recognized by your peers,” said Wesleyan President James A. Gray III. “We won’t accept complacency, though,” Gray added. “The point is not to get a pat on the back but for us to use this as a stimulus to become even better.”

Vel Johnson, Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees chairman, said, “The Board of Trustees and the school leadership have a shared vision of Wesleyan’s becoming America’s next great college, and this is a confirming step in that process. We appreciate the tremendous effort of the entire Wesleyan community during the SACS reaffirmation process to articulate the college’s commitment to the highest standards to achieve educational excellence.”

Jay Stubblefield, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College, coordinated Wesleyan’s reaffirmation process. He called the re-approval by SACS “an important milestone for Wesleyan—one that we’ve reached only through the tireless efforts of many students, faculty and staff members, and trustees. It reaffirms not only our accreditation, but our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement.”

Specific areas of Wesleyan that SACS examined included the college’s administrative structure, faculty qualifications, course work for degrees, learning resources, student support services, financial and physical resources, general education components, and more.

At the heart of the evaluation was an assessment of Wesleyan’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), a major requirement for reaffirmation. “The QEP describes a college’s plan to enhance student learning,” Stubblefield explained. “Each college that seeks reaffirmation of accreditation is required to develop a QEP. Wesleyan’s plan is entitled ‘Getting Information Skills Today.’”

Directed by Reference and Instruction Librarian James Parrigin, Wesleyan’s QEP focuses on strengthening students’ ability to use technology to locate and evaluate information and use it effectively and ethically. Students learn what are often called “information literacy” skills through courses in subjects they study to complete their major. Ultimately, the QEP prepares students for effective participation in today’s information-centered society.

Participation in the SACS accreditation process is voluntary and is considered a form of self-regulation. The review requires a college to undergo an extensive and intense self-examination as well as a peer review every 10 years, with an interim review every five years. The process assesses an educational institution’s strengths and weaknesses, and makes recommendations for improvement, if necessary, in order to assure quality in higher education.

As stated in the SACS Commission on Colleges Principles of Accreditation, “the process stimulates evaluation and improvement, while providing a means of continuing commitment to the Commission’s principles and philosophy of accreditation.” Wesleyan was first accredited by the Commission in1966.

SACS is a regional accreditation organization, with headquarters in Decatur, Ga., that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. It accredits universities and colleges in 11 states and several Latin American countries that comply with its high standards of quality.

The Commission on Colleges may be contacted at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation status of North Carolina Wesleyan College.