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The Daytona State College SACS initiative

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Daytona State College is preparing for the 2014 reaffirmation of its accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). To prepare for the reaffirmation, a Steering Team has been established to review
the College's compliance with SACS principles and standards and to develop the College's first Quality Enhancement Plan. The Steering Team is led by Dr. Thomas LoBasso, senior vice president for Student Enrollment and Development, and Dr. Michael Vitale, interim vice president for Academic Affairs. The reaffirmation process will culminate in June 2014 after an on-site visit from a team of SACS evaluators in the fall of 2013.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Michael Vitale
Senior Vice President.
(386) 506-3079
VitaleM@DaytonaState.edu

Dr. Thomas LoBasso
Senior Vice President for Student Enrollment and Development
(386) 506-3732
LobassT@DaytonaState.edu

Dr. Nancy Morgan
Associate Vice President for Accreditation, Compliance and Contracts/SACS Accreditation Liaison
(386) 506-4579
MorganN@DaytonaState.edu

What is SACS?

The SACS Commission on Colleges is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states.

The Commission’s mission is to enhance educational quality throughout the region. It strives to improve the effectiveness of institutions by ensuring that they meet standards established by the higher education community which address the needs of society and students.

To gain or maintain SACS accreditation, an institution must comply with the standards contained in the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement, as well as with the policies and procedures of the Commission on Colleges. The Commission applies the requirements of its Principles to all applicant, candidate and member institutions, regardless of the type of institution (public, private for-profit or private not-for-profit).

Daytona State College's SACS Steering Committee is comprised of eight subcommittees charged with demonstrating the institution's compliance with the core SACS requirements and comprehensive standards necessary for reaffirmation of its accreditation. 

Timeline for SACS reaffirmation

As the College undergoes the SACS reaffirmation process, there will come deadlines. These deadlines are indicated in the image on the right.  (Click here or on the image itself for a larger view.)  

The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

The Quality Enhancement Plan is a relatively new element of the accreditation process and is separate from the SACS compliance report the College is required to produce as part of the reaffirmation effort. By definition, the QEP describes a carefully designed course of action that addresses a well-defined and focused topic or issue related to enhancing student learning. It is an opportunity for Daytona State to build upon its quality and effectiveness by focusing on a single issue the college community collaboratively considers critical to student success. While the SACS study looks at past behavior, the QEP looks at a future course of action. SACS added the QEP component to the reaffirmation process to encourage colleges to launch initiatives that look forward, rather than simply focusing on compliance with existing SACS standards.

The QEP: What will it be? (Click here for the latest updates.)

Daytona State College 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. Daytona Beach, Florida 32114 (386)506-3000

Daytona State College prohibits discrimination and assures equal access, equal educational opportunity and equal employment opportunity to all persons regardless of age, ancestry, belief, color, disability, ethnicity, genetic information, gender, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, and veteran status. Our pledge covers recruitment, admission, registration, financial help, counseling, advising, course offerings, extracurricular programs, facilities, health services, athletics, employment and its privileges and benefits. To obtain more information about the College's equal access and equal opportunity policies, procedures and practices, please telephone Lonnie Thompson, Director of Equity and Inclusion, at (386) 506-3973, or write to him at: 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. Daytona Beach, Fl. 32114.