By Kristin Martin
Published on October 10, 2007
As a part of the accreditation affirmation process for Pensacola colleges, a committee from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools(SACS) visited PJC Oct. 9-11, 2007 to review PJC’s Quality Enhancement Plan and Compliance Certification document.
About 40 people from PJC’s faculty and staff met with the SACS team for a meeting.
“We were very successful, I believe, in responding to our questions,” said June Linke, Department Head of Behavioral Sciences.
For the past two and a half years, PJC has been making many preparations for the reaffirmation process.
“Extra work? Yes it was,” said Linke.
For a college to be accredited by SACS, it must meet an extensive amount of standards. Once accredited, the college must show that they maintain those standards and have its accreditation renewed every ten years.
“Continuing to have accreditation at PJC means that as an institution we are making the commitment to the quality of the services that are provided to students,”Tanjula Farlough, Quality Enhancement Plan director, said via email, “[as well as] raising student achievement, and improving the necessary processes to enhance success of all students at PJC.”
On March 9, 2007, PJC submitted its Compliance Certification document for review. The Compliance Certification document answers a questionnaire that covers many aspects of the college. This certification was reviewed May 16-17, 2007 by the “A9” off-site committee.
Within the next few weeks PJC will receive a written report from SACS. In March 2008, PJC will send a response to the report. The report will then go into review by an additional SACS group. By July 2008, PJC will be notified with the final results regarding the accreditation reaffirmation.
“We feel very confident that we will receive affirmation,” said Linke.