The University of South Carolina Columbia submitted its most recent reaffirmation of accreditation to SACSCOC in September 2020; the on-site visit will take place in Spring of 2021. Responses from SACSCOC will be added as they become available.
Anticipating that stakeholders and the public may need an interpretation of the January 5, 2021 letter from Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) President Belle S. Wheelan, Ph.D., in order to understand the letter’s effect on the accreditation status of the University of South Carolina (USC) Columbia, the University sought and received approval from SACSCOC President Wheelan to provide the following clarification, in the following exact language:
The January 5, 2021 letter from SACSCOC President Belle S. Wheelan, Ph.D. mentions a Special Report, which was provided by USC Columbia to SACSCOC on November 1, 2019, in response to questions about the University’s CEO evaluation/appointment processes, along with institutional procedures for preventing undue external influence on the judgement of USC’s Board of Trustees (BOT). President Wheelan’s letter refers also to a Monitoring Report, which USC Columbia submitted to SACSCOC on September 8, 2020, with additional detail regarding the University’s CEO evaluation/appointment processes and institutional procedures for preventing undue external influence. President Wheelan’s letter refers lastly to a Special Committee, which included two university presidents and a former member of the governing board of a university system. That Special Committee interviewed USC Trustees and administrators on behalf of SACSCOC on October 7, 2020. The Special Committee then issued its Special Committee Report on October 19, 2020. That Special Committee Report concluded, “The Special Committee acknowledges the extensive work that has been put into developing, revising and updating policies and procedures to address the issues that led to this visit. The institution [USC Columbia], BOT, and the President are all to be commended for their serious attention to this work and for their willingness to engage and listen to external experts and consultants who have shared and encouraged best practices.” Ultimately, the SACSCOC Board of Trustees accepted this assessment of the Special Committee on December 4, 2020. The final determination from SACSCOC (“No additional report was requested”) formalizes the decision from SACSCOC that no additional Monitoring Reports will be required of USC Columbia regarding the issues of CEO evaluation/appointment and external influence. That is: USC Columbia’s accreditation is in good standing. SACSCOC has released USC Columbia from monitoring status; SACSCOC has found that USC Columbia is in compliance with SACSCOC Standard 4.2.c (CEO evaluation/selection) and Standard 4.2.f (External influence). Informally, stakeholders and the public may interpret this notice from SACSCOC to mean that SACSCOC has given USC Columbia a “clean bill of health” regarding Standard 4.2.c and Standard 4.2.f.
This is excellent news for the USC Columbia community. The Board of Trustees and President Caslen thank the administrators, executives, and faculty who advised the University as it prepared its Monitoring Report for SACSCOC. In addition, the Board and President Caslen thank SACSCOC President Wheelan, SACSCOC Vice President Linda Thomas-Glover, and the members of the SACSCOC Special Committee for their advice and support. USC Columbia believes firmly in the concept of regional accreditation of institutional excellence, along with the evaluation by peer administrators and faculty that is at the heart of accreditation of U.S. colleges and universities.
An archive of related correspondence can be found below:
| Document | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Formal Notification of SACSCOC Board Review and Action (Removal from Monitoring) | January 5, 2021 |
| Report of the Special Committee | October 19, 2020 |
| Monitoring Report Addendum | October 5, 2020 |
| Monitoring Report | September 8, 2020 |
| Action Letter/Request for Monitoring Report (SACSCOC Request #4) | January 14, 2020 |
| Response to Notification of Board Review (University Response #3/Special Report) | November 1, 2019 |
| Notification of Formal SACSCOC Board Review (SACSCOC Request #3) | October 2, 2019 |
| Response to Request for More Information (University Response #2) | September 23, 2019 |
| Request for More Information (SACSCOC Request #2) | August 19, 2019 |
| Initial Response (University Response #1) | July 26, 2019 |
| Initial Inquiry (SACSCOC Request #1) | July 15, 2019 |
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) request for Financial Profile and Indicators is sent in June and requires institutions to submit financial data. The Financial Profile portion is based on the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Finance Survey, due to the U.S. Department of Education in the Spring semester. The Financial Indicators portion is based on audited financial statements, or the most reliable financial statements available.
Each Fall, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) requires institutions to submit an Institutional Profile for general information and enrollment data.
Substantive change is a significant modification or expansion of the nature and scope of an accredited institution. Institutions are required to notify the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) of changes in accordance with the substantive change policy and, when required, seek approval prior to the initiation of changes. Institutions are also required to have a policy and procedure to ensure that all substantive changes are reported to the Commission in a timely fashion. According to SACSCOC policy, when a member institution is planning a fairly significant change in the institution, a plan must be submitted - referred to as the Substantive Change Prospectus.
| Year | Change Description | Change Type | SACSCOC Response | Keywords (hidden column) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Art Education (IMA): Notification of termination | Program (termination) | Check back later for updates | closure, program, termination, 2020 |
| 2020 | Claflin University: Notification of dual degree program (BS in Engineering) | Program (dual degree) | Check back later for updates | dual degree, program, 2020 |
| 2020 | Accelerated MBA: Notification of program name change | Program (name change) | Check back later for updates | program, name change, 2020 |
| 2020 | General Public Health (MPH): Notification of termination | Program (termination) | Check back later for updates | closure, program, termination, 2020 |
| 2020 | Joint MPH - PharmD: Notification of termination | Program (termination) | Check back later for updates | closure, program, termination, 2020 |
| 2020 | Joint MPH - MD: Notification of termination | Program (termination) | Check back later for updates | closure, program, termination, 2020 |
| 2020 | Public Health (Graduate Certificate): Notification of termination | Program (termination) | Check back later for updates | closure, program, termination, 2020 |
| 2020 | Information Security (MS): Notification of termination | Program (termination) | Acknowledgement | closure, program, 2020 |
| 2020 | Software Engineering (MS): Notification of termination | Program (termination) | Acknowledgement | closure, program, 2020 |
| 2020 | Informatics (PhD): Approval for new program | Program (new) | Check back later for updates | program, 2020, informatics |
| 2019 | Hamad Bin Khalifa University site: Approval for a joint degree in Sport and Entertainment Management (MSEM) | Off-campus site (new) | Check back later for updates | site, program, joint degree, 2019, HRSM |
|
2019 |
Hamad Bin Khalifa University site: Approval for a joint degree in Exercise Science (MS) |
Off-campus site (new) | Approval | site, program, joint degree, 2019, ASPH |
|
2020 |
Business Administration (PhD): Notification of joint degree with La Universidad Austral |
Notification | Acknowledgement | program, 2020, joint degree, PhD |
|
2019 |
Fort Jackson Education Services Center site: Approval for offering 50% or more of AA/AS degrees |
Off-campus site (new) | Approval | site, 2019, AA, AS |
|
2019 |
Health Systems Law (MSL): Approval for new program |
Program (new) | Approval | program, 2019, law , approval |
|
2019 |
Healthcare Compliance (Graduate Certificate): Approval for new program |
Program (new) | Approval | program, 2019, law, approval |
| 2019 | Lexington Two Innovation Center site: Notification of offering 25-49% of AA/AS degrees | Notification | Acknowledgement | site, approval, 2019, AA, AS |
| 2019 | Elementary Education (MAT): Approval for program change | Program (change) | Approval | program , approval, 2019, education |
| 2019 | Ridgeview High School site: Approval for offering 50% or more of AA/AS degrees | Approval | site, 2019, AA, AS | |
| 2018 | Indian Land High School site: Approval for offering 50% or more of AA/AS degrees | Off-campus site (new) | Approval | site, approval, 2018, AA, AS |
| 2018 | Adapted Physical Education (MS): Approval for new program | Program (new) | Approval | program, approval, 2018, education |
| 2018 | Parris Island and Beaufort sites: Approval for offering 50% or more of PMBA degree | Off-campus site (new) | Approval | site, approval, 2018, pmba, business |
| 2017 | Charleston, Charlotte, and Greenville sites: Approval for offering 50% or more of PMBA degree | site, approval, questions, 2017, pmba, business | ||
| 2016 | Joint PharmD with MUSC: Notification of termination | termination, program, 2016, 2017, PharmD, MUSC, joint | ||
| 2014 | USC Union - Laurens site: Approval for offering 50% or more of AA/AS degrees | Approval | site, approval, questions, AA, AS |