Wallace Community College’s accreditation confirmed for 10 years | News

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) has affirmed Wallace Community College’s accreditation for the next 10 years, after the College was found to be in compliance in all areas, with no recommendations for changes.

SACSCOC is the accreditation body that reviews colleges and universities in the Southern states. Accreditation provides institutions with access to federal funding, including Pell Grants. Accredited schools can participate in transfer credits between institutions, and it assures established standards of higher education.

The SACSCOC reaffirmation process at WCC began in March 2011 with the submission of a compliance certification, which includes core requirements, comprehensive standards, and federal requirements. There are several subsequent steps to reaffirmation, including offsite reviews of the compliance certification and an onsite committee visit.

“The reaffirmation of accreditation by SACSCOC demonstrates Wallace Community College’s commitment to academic excellence, and to providing our students with high-quality educational programs and experiences,” Wallace President Linda C. Young said. “The administration, faculty and staff are so pleased and excited with this outstanding result.”

As a requirement for SACSCOC accreditation, colleges must create a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The plan must provide a course of action to improve student learning by focusing on an area that will enhance the institution’s effectiveness.

For its QEP, Wallace concentrated on improving student performance and success rates in developmental math courses. Skills learned in these courses improve the opportunity for success in Intermediate Algebra (MTH 100) and beyond. More than 80% of new students at WCC are required to take a developmental math course. Students who fail to pass these courses severely limit their choices, and cannot advance into career tech or academic programs.

The QEP process began last year on the Sparks Campus with a redesigned math lab. This fall, the Wallace Campus will open the new Center for Academic Success (CAS), which will incorporate two math labs and classrooms. The Sparks and Wallace Campus labs are equipped with a web-based, interactive software program to help students master developmental math. The software guides students through interactive math tutorials, exercise demonstrations, practice exercises, and assessment instruments for immediate feedback. Students master one concept before moving onto the next.

Individual programs of study receive accreditation by their respective professional accreditation agency. The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) and Practical Nursing programs are approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing and are fully accredited by the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). The next review for the ADN program is scheduled for 2015; review for the PN program is scheduled for 2016. Emergency Medical Services, Medical Assisting, Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology, and Respiratory Therapist are also fully accredited. For additional program accreditations, go to www.wallace.edu/about_wallace.

Source:  Wallace Community College Director of Public Relations and Marketing