Centenary College re-accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
SHREVEPORT, LA — Centenary College has successfully completed a rigorous re-accreditation process and has been re-accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). SACSCOC made the announcement at its annual meeting held in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday, December 10. Centenary and other colleges must complete the re-accreditation process every ten years to reaffirm their standing with SACSCOC, recognized as the leading accreditation body for higher education institutions in 11 southern states and Latin America.
“Decennial re-accreditation is a major event in the life of any college,” says Centenary president Dr. Christopher L. Holoman. “I am very pleased that SACSCOC recognizes not only the quality of Centenary’s programs, both inside and outside the classroom, but also the integrity of our governance, and our financial stability. We are excited about the next ten years and beyond as Centenary enters its third century of preparing students to be successful and engaged citizens.”
The re-accreditation process requires institutions to submit a compliance certification report with extensive documentation covering all aspects of college operations, including academics and co-curricular activities, faculty and staff policies, governance, and finances, among other areas.
Institutions are also required to submit a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) for consideration as part of the re-accreditation process. Centenary’s QEP builds on the College’s strengths in knowing and supporting each student, creating an innovative Integrated Advising program to promote student success. The program is currently being piloted with first-year students.
During the re-accreditation process, a committee of peer evaluators conducted both an off-site and on-site review of Centenary, including the compliance certification report and the QEP. Both evaluative committees produced reports that were then reviewed by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees to assist the Board in its decision to reaffirm Centenary’s accreditation status.
“Accreditation is truly a campus wide endeavor,” explains Dr. Karen Soul, interim provost at Centenary. “The faculty and staff at Centenary are committed to excellence and to continuous improvement, and many of them played key roles throughout the accreditation process. From submitting information for the compliance certification report to helping craft the QEP to meeting with members of the on-site evaluation team, our Centenary community worked collectively to give the SACSCOC evaluators a clear and comprehensive picture of the College and the important work we are accomplishing here.”