Accreditation | Accreditation and Assessment

Accreditation and Assessment

University Accreditation

Accreditation Statement

Palm Beach Atlantic University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Click here for the full statement.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and its candidate and member institutions share responsibility for maintaining a relationship whereby both are fully informed of current accreditation issues and requirements and how those requirements are applied. In order to facilitate close and effective communication, the Commission has assigned a staff member to each candidate and member institution. This staff member establishes a working relationship with the leaders of the institution, consults with the institution during its reviews, answers questions or receives comments from the institution, maintains the Commission file on the institution, and, in general, develops a familiarity with the operations of the institution, to the extent possible. Each candidate and member institution can help fulfill its responsibilities and complement this relationship with Commission staff by appointing an Accreditation Liaison.

PBA Accreditation Liaison:

Dr. Karen Pain, Director of Accreditation and Assessment

For more information on the responsibilities of the Accreditation Liaison, please click here.

Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is a document developed by the institution that (1) includes a process identifying key issues emerging from institutional assessment, (2) focuses on learning outcomes and/or the environment supporting student learning and accomplishing the mission of the institution, (3) demonstrates institutional capability for the initiation, implementation, and completion of the QEP, (4) includes broad-based involvement of institutional constituencies in the development and proposed implementation of the QEP, and (5) identifies goals and a plan to assess their achievement.

SACSCOC

SACSCOC Reaffirmation

Palm Beach Atlantic University was granted accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in December of 2008. The next reaffirmation will be in 2018.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. The Commission’s mission is the enhancement of educational quality throughout the region and it strives to improve the effectiveness of institutions by ensuring that institutions meet standards established by the higher education community that address the needs of society and students. It serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices among the diverse institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Latin America and other international sites approved by the Commission on Colleges that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees. Additional information concerning SACSCOC may be accessed at www.sacscoc.org.

SACSCOC Fifth-Year Interim Report

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is one of only a few accrediting commissions that conducts a comprehensive review of its institutions every ten years. Most accrediting agencies conduct such reviews every 5 to 7 years. The U.S. Department of Education requires accrediting agencies that it recognizes to monitor its institutions more often to ensure that institutions having access to federal funds continue to meet accreditation standards. To that end, the Commission has developed a Fifth-Year Interim Report. Additional information concerning SACSCOC may be accessed at www.sacscoc.org.