Dr. Brian S. Merritt, President of McDowell Technical Community College, announced that McDowell Tech has been notified by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) that its Board of Trustees has reaffirmed McDowell Tech’s accreditation through 2031, with no additional reporting required.
“This is excellent news,” said Merritt. “Accreditation is a rigorous peer-review process by which colleges are evaluated by a common set of principles and standards. An outcome with no findings is rare and speaks to the quality of our student learning experience at MTCC. Our faculty and staff go above and beyond every day, and I am so proud of their efforts to earn this outcome.”
All colleges and universities in the United States that receive federal aid or who coordinate federal financial assistance for their students are required to be accredited on a regular basis by a federally approved regional accrediting body—such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Sometimes the rigorous accreditation process results in additional requirements that must be met before reaccreditation can be granted or maintained.
“We are thankful that this is not the case with McDowell Tech,” said Ladelle (Bo) Harmon, Director of Institutional Effectiveness, who coordinates this process for the college and regularly prepares data and reports required for continued accreditation. “We had no recommendations or additional responses to submit. That means that SACSCOC is satisfied with the content, rigor and quality of our institutional effectiveness and review processes.”
“Having achieved this milestone,” said Merritt, “we now shift our focus toward achieving the strategic goals and objectives we have set for ourselves. Our Quality Enhancement Plan, an accreditation requirement, is titled, ‘Hear our ROARR: Improving Registration, Orientation, Advising, Retention, and Referral.’ Through the leadership of Dr. Beverly Watts, Dean of Student Success, expect to see the student experience transformed over the next five years to provide more comprehensive and holistic forms of student support. Additionally, our new Vision 2025 strategic plan will lead us in a direction to improve the lives of our students, their families and our community through quality education and workforce development. That is what we will continue to do every day at McDowell Tech.”
