The accrediting standards used by the Southern Association of Colleges and School’s Commission on Colleges make up the Criteria for Accreditation. This document provides consistent guidelines for peer review, and sets standards appropriate for the assurance of quality in higher education. A key component in the accreditation process is the self-study. Since Central Piedmont Community College is applying for renewal of accreditation, it is required every ten years to conduct a comprehensive study of its purpose, programs, and services. Faculty, administrators, staff, and students serve on committees which study all aspects of the college, report their findings, and offer advice on improvement. This process results in a document evaluating the institution’s effectiveness in reaching its stated goals and its compliance with the Criteria for Accreditation.
At the culmination of the self-study, the Commission on Colleges sends a Visiting Committee of about 18 people to the campus to assess the educational strengths and weaknesses of the institution as outlined in the self-study, to evaluate the institution’s effectiveness in reaching its stated goals and complying with the Criteria, and to consult with the institution on issues important to its advancement. The Visiting Committee reaches a consensus of its findings and completes a formal written report, which helps the institution improve its programs, and provides the basis on which the Commission decides to reaffirm or withdraw accreditation.
(Handbook for Institutional Self-Study, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges, 1999)
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