Accreditation Frequently Asked Questions

SACSCOC is the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. SACSCOC is one of seven institutional accreditors recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Institutional accreditors focus on quality assurance in higher education by examining factors like academic rigor, faculty qualifications, student support and financial stability. SACSCOC accredits public and private colleges and universities in eleven Southeastern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) as well as international institutions.

Accreditation by SACSCOC means that a college or university:

1. Has a mission appropriate to higher education,
2. Has resources, programs and services sufficient to accomplish and sustain that mission, and
3. Maintains clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers and that indicate whether it is successful in achieving its stated objectives.

Source: SACSCOC Handbook for Institutions Seeking Reaffirmation

Accreditation signifies that a college’s programs, faculty, and resources meet certain standards, ensuring a quality education for students. As a result:

• Students have creditable coursework when they leave the college.
• Students have access to federally subsidized financial aid.
• Graduates of the college have completed a high-quality program, making them more valuable to employers.
• The college can apply for federal grants.

Yes, Rowan-Cabarrus is accredited by SACSCOC. The last re-accreditation of Rowan-Cabarrus was completed in 2016.

Colleges are accredited for 10 years. Reaffirmation of accreditation occurs during the final year. A fifth-year interim report is due at the mid-point of the reaffirmation cycle and requires the institution to demonstrate ongoing compliance with the selected accrediting standards.

Since the last re-accreditation of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College was in 2016, the College will complete its reaffirmation during the 2025-2026 academic year.

Rowan-Cabarrus has to:

1. Submit a Compliance Certification Report, which describes how the college complies with all of the SACSCOC and Federal standards.
2. Submit a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), which is a major project that the college will perform over the next 5 years to address improving student learning and/or success.
3. Host an on-site review committee that will visit the college to confirm the information provided in the Compliance Certification Report and the Quality Enhancement Plan.

The SACSCOC accrediting standards are in the Principles of Accreditation: Foundation for Quality Enhancement.

Rowan-Cabarrus’ Quality Enhancement Plan is called “Forward Together”, which utilizes a redesigned ACA-122 course to implement an extended orientation that includes academic and transfer planning, career research, and the use of holistic engagement and support strategies as part of the first-year experience. Informed by national research highlighting the crucial role of early engagement, the QEP centers on the intentional and coordinated delivery of institution-wide student support resources and services through this enhanced student success course, which we believe will directly contribute to improved student persistence and completion.

There are four important dates for Rowan-Cabarrus’ reaccreditation:

• The Compliance Certification Report is submitted by March 1, 2025
• The Quality Enhancement Plan and a Focused Report (as applicable) is submitted by August 18, 2025.
• The On-Site Review Committee visits our campuses on September 29-October 2, 2025.
• The decision on Rowan-Cabarrus’ re-accreditation is announced by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees in June 2026.

For more information, visit the SACSCOC website.