Radford University has completed a successful accreditation process with the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), earning a 10-year
reaffirmation from the SACSCOC Board of Trustees during its annual meeting on Dec.
3.
"This important accomplishment proves that people can trust the high quality of a
Radford University education," President Bret Danilowicz said. "We welcome any opportunity
to improve the effectiveness of our institution and deliver the best possible experiences
for our students. I am proud of the members of our university community who gave the
SACSCOC Reaffirmation Committee a candid look into our programs and services, and
demonstrated the high standards that made our reaffirmation a success."
"I am impressed by the excellent collective effort that went into earning this reaffirmation
of accreditation," Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Bethany
Usher said. "The reaffirmation leadership team led by Dr. Jessica Stowell, members
of the reaffirmation advisory committees, and the individuals who participated in
the on-site visit should be commended for their work. Our efforts to enhance equity
in educational outcomes will benefit students from all backgrounds who choose our
university."
Stowell, the Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Quality Improvement, led
a reaffirmation process which included a year-and-a-half of planning prior to a visit
from the SACSCOC Reaffirmation Committee in March of 2023. Over a two-day period on
March 26th and 27th, the committee met with over 50 students, faculty, staff, administrators
and Board of Visitors members, and reviewed evidence. During the interviews, they
investigated policies, finances, faculty qualifications, distance education, general
education, evaluation of faculty and administration, assessment, and the Realizing
Inclusive Student Excellence (RISE) Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). In addition to
spending two full days on the main campus, committee members visited three sites:
Radford University Carilion (RUC), the Roanoke Higher Education Center and the Southwest
Virginia Higher Education Center.
The RISE QEP, approved in March by the reaffirmation committee, was implemented at
the start of fall 2023. The topic which inspired the QEP, "Belonging and Student success
in required 100 and 200 level courses," sought to close equity gaps in student performance
in foundational courses. RISE will enhance student learning and success through faculty
development and fostering student-faculty relationships. Each academic college and
RUC will have a RISE Community Action Team (R-CATs) consisting of students, faculty,
and staff who will examine college-level data and create outreach events to build
community and belonging within their units.
Radford will undergo an interim review and submit a QEP impact report to SACSCOC in
September of 2028. The university's next reaffirmation of accreditation takes place
in 2033.
SACSCOC is the recognized regional accrediting body in the eleven U.S. Southern states
(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) and in Latin America for those institutions
of higher education that award associate, baccalaureate, master's or doctoral degrees.
To maintain accreditation with the Commission on Colleges, an institution must comply
with the standards and requirements in The Principles of Accreditation: Foundations
for Quality Enhancement and with the policies and procedures of the Commission on
Colleges.
