The accreditation staff ensures integration of accreditation and program review standards into the University's overall continuous improvement process and collaborates with programs and units to identify, develop, and document appropriate data and information that provides evidence of compliance with accreditation and program review standards.  Specifically, this division is responsible for the following: 

 

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Accreditation

  • Designs and implements processes for ensuring continuous compliance with the SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation, such as those pertaining to faculty competence and physical, financial, and learning resources.

  • Coordinates with the SACSCOC Liaison (Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness) in notifying and/or requesting approval for substantive changes to the SACSCOC.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SACSCOC ACCREDITATION »

 

Programmatic Accreditation

  • Collaborates with and supports programs and units holding external accreditations, including the clarification of linkages with SACSCOC accreditation and program review standards.

 

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT Programmatic ACCREDITATION »

SACSCOC Accreditation

 

SACSCOC LOGOAugusta University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the regional accrediting agency for the Southern U.S. states. 

Along with the Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness, who serves as the institution’s Accreditation Liaison to the SACSCOC, the accreditation staff develops and maintains processes and support materials to assist Augusta University leaders and administrators with ongoing compliance with regional accreditation standards. Services apply to decennial reaffirmation of accreditation, the Fifth-Year Review, substantive changes, and any special requests from the SACSCOC. Specifically, the division provides the following services:

  • Provides guidance to appropriate Augusta University units to ensure they are maintaining documentation to support the case for ongoing compliance when reporting to the SACSCOC is required.
  • Communicates changes to the SACSCOC accreditation standards, policies, and guidelines to the appropriate University stakeholders. 

For additional questions related to the SACSCOC accreditation, please email ie@augusta.edu


AU ACCREDITATION HISTORY

2022:

Augusta University submits its first ever Fifth Year Interim Report to SACSCOC.

2016:

The University hosts an onsite visit for reaffirmation of SACSCOC accreditation and receives no recommendations from the review team. The SACSCOC grants continuing accreditation with no recommendations in December 2016.

2012:

The SACSCOC approves the consolidation of Augusta State University and Georgia Health Sciences University to establish Augusta University (named Georgia Regents University at the time). The Georgia Board of Regents formally ratifies the consolidation in January 2013.

2011:

The Medical College of Georgia is renamed to Georgia Health Sciences University.

1996:

To better reflect the expansion and growth of the institution, Augusta College is renamed Augusta State University.

1973:

The Medical College of Georgia becomes accredited by the SACSCOC, reflecting the institution's expansion from solely medical education to overall health science education. Between 1956 and 1969, the College added schools of Nursing, Graduate Studies, Allied Health Sciences, and Dentistry.

1963:

Augusta College becomes a four-year institution.

1958:

The Junior College of Augusta joins the University System of Georgia and is renamed Augusta College.

1926:

The Junior College of Augusta is formed, the first junior college in Georgia, and will eventually become Augusta State University. The institution is initially accredited by the SACSCOC at this time.

1907:

The Medical College of Georgia is first accredited by the Council on Medical Education, the precursor to the current accrediting body for medical programs, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) that formed in 1942.

1828:

The Georgia General Assembly grants a charter for the formation of the Medical Academy of Georgia, which is shortly renamed the Medical College of Georgia. At this time, accreditation did not yet exist.

SACSCOC TOOLKIT

The SACSCOC Toolkit is a module within Compliance Assist used to organize, store, and evaluate documentation and information related to the University's compliance with the SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation. Approved users of Compliance Assist have access to the Toolkit for submission, review, and validation of information related to their programs or departments.

Access the SACSCOC Toolkit

 To access the SACSCOC Toolkit, please click here to log in to Compliance Assist.

Need Access?

 If you are a new user or would like to request access, please email ie@augusta.edu.


SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE POLICY

Augusta University is responsible for maintaining compliance with the SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy as a requirement of continued accreditation. A substantive change is defined as "a significant modification or expansion of the nature and scope of an accredited institution." In accordance with the AU Substantive Change Policy, any changes that are or are suspected to be substantive in nature must be reported to the Planning & Assessment Program Coordinator as soon as possible to determine what, if any, reports must be submitted to the SACSCOC for the substantive change.

Substantive changes are classified by the SACSCOC at two levels: changes requiring notification only and changes requiring approval prior to the implementation of the change by the SACSCOC. Upon being notified of the change, the SACSCOC Liaison will work with the unit requesting the change to develop a plan to ensure the required procedures are completed and documentation submitted. The following types of changes are considered substantive:

  • Changes requiring Board of Regents approval or request for substantive change
  • Changes that necessitate catalog revisions
  • Changes that involve instruction at new locations or via new modalities
  • Changes that necessitate a contractual agreement or involve a new organization.

If you have any questions or need to report a possible substantive change, please email ie@augusta.edu.

For more information, please consult the Augusta University Substantive Change Policy or the SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy.


AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY REAFFIRMATION DOCUMENTS

Augusta University's accreditation was reaffirmed by the SACSCOC on December 6, 2016. The University submitted the Fifth Year Report in Spring 2022, including an impact report on the Quality Enhancement Plan. The next reaffirmation of the University's accreditation will take place in 2026. 

Access the SACSCOC Toolkit

To view the 2016 Reaffirmation Report and 2022 Fifth Year Report, please click here to log into Compliance Assist.

Request Access

To request access to the reaffirmation reports, please email ie@augusta.edu.

Programmatic Accreditation

In addition to the University's accreditation through SACSCOC, many of the academic programs hold programmatic accreditation. Programmatic accrediting agencies accredit only a program, department, or college and ensure the academic programs meet or exceed standards as determined by the profession or field of study. For some careers, especially those in the health sciences, earning a degree in a specially accredited program is mandatory for licensure, employment, and/or continuing education; for other fields, accreditation is a mark of higher quality education.

The accreditation staff collaborates with specially accredited academic programs to ensure compliance with respective accreditation requirements. Specifically, the division provides the following services:

  • Identifies linkages of programmatic accreditation standards with SACSCOC accreditation and program review expectations, providing the opportunity to leverage information across regulatory bodies.
  • Provides support to programs based on their accreditation needs from the institution, including serving on committees, investigating compliance with standards at the institutional or University System of Georgia level, developing content for reports, and advising on coordination of visiting committee meetings and events.
  • Tracks programmatic accreditations to document and monitor key historic dates, upcoming dates, contacts, and other pertinent information.

 

Please email ie@augusta.edu if you have questions or need assistance related to programmatic accreditation.


List of Accredited Programs at Augusta University

ACCREDITING AGENCY

ACCREDITED PROGRAM

DATE OF INITIAL ACCREDITATION

DATE OF NEXT REVIEW

POINT OF CONTACT

Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) Master of Science with a Major in Allied Health 1981 2024-2025 Nicole Moore
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) Master of Health Science in Occupational Therapy 1974 2030-2031 Pam Kearney
Accreditation Review Commission for the Medical Illustrator (ARC-MI) of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) Master of Science in Medical Illustration* 1967 2024-2025 Amanda Behr
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) Master of Physician Assistant 1973 June 2029

Lisa Daitch

April Paschal

Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM)  Bachelor of Science in Health Information Administration
1962 2035 Lori Prince
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy 1977 2029-2030 Christoper Truelove, Jr.
Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) Doctor of Physical Therapy 1973 2029-2030 Colleen Hergott
Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene 1969 2026-2027 Erin Boyleston
Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences with a Major in Radiation Therapy Technology 1973 2022-2023 Kevin Kindle
Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT) Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences in Nuclear Medicine Technology 1975 2023-2024 Greg Passmore
National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science
1938

2029-2030

Scott Wise

Lester Pretlow

National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) Master of Health Science in Clinical Laboratory Science 2008

2029-2030

Scott Wise

Lester Pretlow

* Program belongs to The Graduate School. Please contact Ms. Emily Crider with questions.

Accreditor is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

‡ Accreditor is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE)


ACCREDITING AGENCY

ACCREDITED PROGRAM

DATE OF INITIAL ACCREDITATION

DATE OF NEXT REVIEW

POINT OF CONTACT

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)  and Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) Master of Education with a Major in Counselor Education - School Counselor* 2006 October 2023 Jordon Beasley
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) Master of Education in Counselor Education - Clinical Mental Health Counseling* 2015 October 2023 Jordon Beasley
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) Bachelor of Science in Education with a Major in Elementary Education 2021 2023 Debbie Morowski
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) Bachelor of Science in Education with a Major in Middle Grades Education 2021  2023 Debbie Morowski
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)  Bachelor of Science in Education with a Major in Special Education 2021 2023 Debbie Morowski
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)  Master of Education with a Major in Leadership* 2021 2023 Debbie Morowski
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)  Master of Arts in Teaching* 2021 2023 Debbie Morowski
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)  Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Gifted Education Endorsement 2021 2023 Debbie Morowski
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)  Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Reading Endorsement 2021  2023 Debbie Morowski
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)  Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in STEM Education Endorsement  2021 2023 Debbie Morowski
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)  Post-Master's Certificate in Education Leadership for Tier One Certification   2021 2023 Debbie Morowski
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)  Post-Master's Certificate in Education Leadership for Tier Two Certification  2021 2023 Debbie Morowski
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)  Specialist in Education with a Major in Educational Leadership*  2021 2023 Debbie Morowski
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)  Post-Baccalaureate in Computer Science  2021 2023 Debbie Morowski
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)  Post-Baccalaureate in ESOL  2021 2023 Debbie Morowski
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)  Post- Baccalaureate in PBIS   2021 2023 Debbie Morowski

* Program belongs to The Graduate School. Please contact Ms. Emily Crider with questions.

Accreditor is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

‡ Accreditor is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE)

ACCREDITING AGENCY

ACCREDITED PROGRAM

DATE OF INITIAL ACCREDITATION

DATE OF NEXT REVIEW

POINT OF CONTACT

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) ‡ and Georgia Board of Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing 2006 2023-2024 Kelly Boik
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Master of Science in Nursing with a Major in Clinical Nurse Leader*

2006

2023-2024 Kelly Boik
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Doctor of Nursing Practice Programs* 2009 2023-2024 Kelly Boik
Pediatric Nursing Certification Board Doctor of Nursing Practice - Pediatric Nurse Practitioner 1997 2023-2024 Kelly Boik
Council on Accreditation of Nursing Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) Doctor of Nursing Practice - Nursing Anesthesia 1995 2022-2023 Shannon Broxton
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Post-Master's Certificate in Nurse Practitioner - Adult Gerontology Acute Care, Family, Pediatric, or Psychiatric and Mental Health* 2014 2023-2024 Kelly Boik
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Post-graduate APRN Certificates Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner 2013 2023-2024 Kelly Boik

* Program belongs to The Graduate School. Please contact Ms. Emily Crider with questions.

Accreditor is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

‡ Accreditor is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE)

ACCREDITING AGENCY

ACCREDITED PROGRAM

DATE OF INITIAL ACCREDITATION

DATE OF NEXT REVIEW

POINT OF CONTACT

American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training (ACS) Bachelor of Science with a Major in Chemistry 2018 2024 Guido Verbeck

* Program belongs to The Graduate School. Please contact Ms. Emily Crider with questions.

Accreditor is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

‡ Accreditor is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE)

ACCREDITING AGENCY

ACCREDITED PROGRAM

DATE OF INITIAL ACCREDITATION

DATE OF NEXT REVIEW

POINT OF CONTACT

Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) Doctor of Dental Medicine  1973 2026-2027

Kim Capehart

Susi Hamilton

* Program belongs to The Graduate School. Please contact Ms. Emily Crider with questions.

Accreditor is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

‡ Accreditor is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE)

ACCREDITING AGENCY

ACCREDITED PROGRAM

DATE OF INITIAL ACCREDITATION

DATE OF NEXT REVIEW

POINT OF CONTACT

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business  (AACSB-International) Bachelor of Business Administration with a Major in Accounting 1998 2027-2028

Mark Thompson

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business  (AACSB-International) Master of Business Administration* 1998 2027-2028

Mark Thompson

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business  (AACSB-International) Bachelor of Business Administration, General 1998 2027-2028

Mark Thompson

* Program belongs to The Graduate School. Please contact Ms. Emily Crider with questions.

Accreditor is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

‡ Accreditor is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE)

ACCREDITING AGENCY

ACCREDITED PROGRAM

DATE OF INITIAL ACCREDITATION

DATE OF NEXT REVIEW

POINT OF CONTACT

Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) Doctor of Medicine 1907 2023-2024

Andria Thomas

* Program belongs to The Graduate School. Please contact Ms. Emily Crider with questions.

Accreditor is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

‡ Accreditor is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE)

ACCREDITING AGENCY

ACCREDITED PROGRAM

DATE OF INITIAL ACCREDITATION

DATE OF NEXT REVIEW

POINT OF CONTACT

Council on Social Work Education's Commission on Accreditation (CSWE) Bachelor of Social Work 2011 2031-2032

Morgan Fields

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) Bachelor of Arts in with a Major in Art
2002 2023-2024

Scott Thorp

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) Bachelor of Fine Arts with a Major in Art 2002 2023-2024

Scott Thorp

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) Master of Arts in Teaching with a concentration in Art Education 2017 2023-2024

Scott Thorp

National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Music
1970 2024-2025

Angela Morgan

National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) Bachelor of Music in Music Education 1970 2024-2025

Angela Morgan

National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) Bachelor of Music in Performance 1970 2024-2025

Angela Morgan

Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) Master of Science with a Major in Psychology* 2005 2027

Sabina Widner

The Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA) of the Network of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) Master of Public Administration* 2008 2029-2030

Wesley Meares

* Program belongs to The Graduate School. Please contact Ms. Emily Crider with questions.

Accreditor is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

‡ Accreditor is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE)

ACCREDITING AGENCY

ACCREDITED PROGRAM

DATE OF INITIAL ACCREDITATION

DATE OF NEXT REVIEW

POINT OF CONTACT

The Computing Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Bachelor of Science with a Major in Computer Science 2015 2022-2023

Gursimran Walia

* Program belongs to The Graduate School. Please contact Ms. Emily Crider with questions.

Accreditor is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

‡ Accreditor is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE)

ACCREDITING AGENCY ACCREDITED PROGRAM DATE OF INITIAL ACCREDITATION DATE OF NEXT REVIEW POINT OF CONTACT
Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) Master of Public Health* 2009 Currently Under Review Monirul Islam
Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) School of Public Health (at large) In Process TBD Jie Chen

* Program belongs to The Graduate School. Please contact Ms. Emily Crider with questions.

Accreditor is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

‡ Accreditor is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE)