The University is preparing for its 2027 reaffirmation of accreditation — a decennial review that will evaluate whether the University continues to meet standards for academic quality, faculty qualifications, student support, governance and institutional effectiveness. The University submitted its Compliance Certification in September, according to University Spokesperson Bethanie Glover.
The accreditation review is conducted by the Commission on Colleges and Universities, which recently rebranded from its title as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. However, the Commission continues to use SACSCOC for accreditation purposes.
The certification documents the University’s compliance with the Commission’s accreditation standards and is reviewed by peer evaluators as part of the reaffirmation process. The University has been accredited by SACSCOC since 1904 and its reaffirmation is scheduled to be completed in 2027.
Brie Gertler, interim executive vice president and provost, wrote in an email statement to The Cavalier Daily that preparing for the accreditation review required coordination across the University and expressed her gratitude to those involved.
“I’m grateful to our colleagues in the Office of Academic Compliance and across the University who have played a part in preparing for our SACSCOC decennial reaffirmation review,” Gertler said. “It is a substantial undertaking and requires coordinated efforts across central offices and all 12 schools.”
How the University prepares for the accreditation review
The reaffirmation process is coordinated by the University Office of Academic Compliance — which is part of the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost. The Office of Academic Compliance works with schools and other University units to ensure compliance with accreditation standards as well as federal and state academic requirements. Alena Herklotz currently serves as the office’s director and SACSCOC liaison.
Glover said the preparation is an institutional effort involving academic and administrative units across the University. The process includes reviewing policies, procedures, institutional data and supporting documentation related to academic quality, faculty qualifications, student support, governance, institutional effectiveness and financial stewardship.
The first step in the reaffirmation process is the University’s Compliance Certification — a document in which the University assesses its compliance with the SACSCOC’s accreditation requirement, which was submitted in September.
In November, a committee of peer evaluators will conduct the University’s off-site reaffirmation review. The committee — which normally consists of a chair and eight to 10 peer evaluators — will review the University’s Compliance Certification and determine whether it appears to comply with the accreditation standards. The committee will then prepare a report outlining its preliminary findings, which will be forwarded to another committee conducting an on-site review.
According to Glover, the University is also scheduled to submit a “Focused Report” in January 2027 that will address issues identified during the off-site review. An on-site committee will conduct a focused evaluation of the University in February 2027. Under SACSCOC’s process, the on-site committee reviews outstanding compliance issues and prepares a final report identifying any areas of noncompliance. That report — along with the University’s response — is then forwarded to the SACSCOC Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees’ Committee on Compliance and Reports will review the on-site committee’s report before making a recommendation to the Executive Council of SACSCOC. The Executive Council then recommends an action to the full Board of Trustees — which makes the final decision on an institution’s reaffirmation of accreditation.
According to Glover, the Commission’s Board of Trustees is expected to make a final decision on the University’s reaffirmation in December 2027.
No Quality Enhancement Plan was required for submission to the SACSCOC
According to Glover, unlike in previous affirmation cycles, the University was not required to submit a Quality Enhancement Plan as part of its compliance certification. A QEP was previously required under Standard 7.2 of the Commission’s accreditation standards and asked institutions to develop a plan focused on improving specific areas of student learning or success.
The Commission placed the QEP requirement under a period of study in September 2025, as part of a broader review of its accreditation standards. During the study period, institutions undergoing reaffirmation — including the University — are not required to comply with the QEP standard while the Commission considers whether to retain, revise or discontinue the requirement.
According to Gertler, the University had planned to develop a QEP focused on “experiential learning.” In June 2025, Gertler told the Board of Visitors’ Academic and Student Life Committee during its meeting that the planned QEP would focus on expanding opportunities that connect classroom learning with experiences such as research, internships and community engagement. Gertler said that experiential learning and internships were identified as an area of growth for the University.
Although the University did not have to submit the QEP, Glover said that the University continues to pursue experiential learning. The University’s current initiative includes internships, undergraduate research, study abroad, community engagement, project-based learning and leadership development, according to the Sept. 17 presentation at the Board’s Academic and Student Life Committee meeting.
Glover said that the University will continue to focus on connecting classroom learning with research, community engagement and other high-impact experiences.
How are University deans preparing for accreditation in 2027?
According to the University Faculty Handbook, while the University undergoes accreditation as an institution through the SACSCOC, some schools and programs within the University also undergo separate reviews by specialized accrediting agencies. Specialized accrediting agencies evaluate specific academic fields or professional programs based on standards for education in those fields.
The School of Engineering and Applied Science’s undergraduate engineering programs are accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology. ABET is a nonprofit organization that accredits academic programs in engineering, engineering technology, computing and applied and natural sciences.
The School of Law’s J.D. program is accredited by the American Bar Association — whose Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar establishes the standards law schools must meet to obtain and retain accreditation. The School of Nursing’s programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education — a national accrediting agency that evaluates baccalaureate, graduate and residency programs in nursing — and the Virginia State Board of Nursing for pre-licensure programs.
The Psychology department within the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is listed as the only department with an additional accrediting agency, according to the University Faculty Handbook. The Psychology department’s Clinical-Ph.D. program is accredited by the American Psychological Association and the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System.
According to Luke Anderson, senior associate dean and chief communications and marketing officer in the College, the Office of Academic Compliance coordinates the SACSCOC decennial reaffirmation process for the College. Anderson did not provide additional information about the College’s preparation for the review.
In an email statement to The Cavalier Daily, Christopher Elliot, assistant dean of academic and faculty affairs in the McIntire School of Commerce, said that McIntire maintains accreditation through the SACSCOC and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The AACSB specifically accredits business and accounting education — including the Darden School of Business Administration. Elliot said that McIntire has maintained AACSB accreditation since 1925 and extended its accreditation in both business and accounting in 2024.
At the same time, McIntire is a part of the University’s institutional accreditation process with the SACSCOC, contributing information regarding its academic programs, faculty qualifications and student outcomes.
Elliot said that McIntire’s most recent AACSB reaccreditation in 2024 — under the 2020 accreditation standards — focused on areas including strategic management, faculty resources and qualifications, curriculum learning, assurance of learning, intellectual contributions and societal impact.
As part of its own assessment practices of its programs, McIntire conducts annual performance reviews for faculty that track teaching, scholarly and academic leadership activities. For both SACSCOC and AACSB, Elliot said that McIntire also identifies student learning outcomes, provides learning experiences designed to achieve those outcomes and uses the results to improve courses and programs.
Elliot reported no recent accreditation related challenges to The Cavalier Daily. Instead, Elliot described the AACSB accreditation process as an ongoing opportunity to evaluate and improve its programs.
“The AACSB accreditation process [is] a continuous-improvement process that helps us strengthen our curriculum, and adapt to the evolving needs of business and society,” Elliot wrote. “Ultimately, it supports our commitment to delivering a world-class, innovative business education that prepares students to lead in a dynamic global environment.”
Accreditation amid changes in higher education policy
In April 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Education to take action against accrediting agencies that engage in “unlawful discrimination” in accreditation-related activities and directing the Department to streamline the accreditation process. The order specifically called for action against accreditation requirements that, according to the Trump administration, promoted diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
In his email statement to The Cavalier Daily, Elliot said that McIntire has not changed its accreditation on assessment practices in response to Trump’s 2025 executive order on accreditation.
“McIntire has long measured and published program-level information about graduation, internships, employment and career preparation,” Elliot wrote. “These are also long-standing metrics for AACSB accreditation. We did not make any changes because of Executive Order 14279.”
The Education Department has also intervened in accreditation matters involving other universities. In May 2025, the Department notified Columbia University’s accreditor that Columbia appeared to be out of compliance with certain accreditation standards. This came after the federal government determined that the university had violated Title VI by failing to adequately address harassment of Jewish students.
Glover said that the University is monitoring potential federal changes to higher education accreditation. At present, she said, those developments are not expected to affect the University’s current reaffirmation process. She added that the University’s review remains centered on established accreditation standards and longstanding University and state policies.
The University’s upcoming reaffirmation also follows questions raised last year about whether external pressure on the University could affect its accreditation. Following the presidential resignation of Jim Ryan, former University president and School of Law professor, in June 2025, questions arose about SACSCOC standards concerning “undue external influence” on universities.
Under Section 4 in the SACSCOC’s accreditation principles, the SACSCOC requires governing boards to protect institutions from “undue influence by external persons or bodies” and to maintain the governing board’s authority over the institution. The standards also address the relationship between governing boards and other parties with interests in the institution, saying parties agree to deal “honestly and openly” with one another.
Dr. Janea Johnson, public relations and data specialist at SACSCOC, previously said in a written statement to The Cavalier Daily July 28, 2025 that a change in university leadership does not automatically constitute a compliance concern. The University also has not reported receiving a SACSCOC noncompliance finding related to Ryan’s resignation.
In 2012, following the resignation of former University President Teresa Sullivan, SACSCOC placed the University on warning for one year after finding that the University violated two accreditation standards. The University was found out of compliance with its Core Requirement 2.2 — which addresses the Board of Visitors’ authority. Additionally, the University violated its Comprehensive Standard 3.7.5 — which requires institutions to define the faculty’s role in institutional governance.
SACSCOC found that a minority of Board members had exercised control over the University’s affairs during Sullivan’s resignation and that the University lacked a clearly established policy defining the faculty’s role in institutional governance. However, the warning did not result in the loss of the University’s accreditation. In May 2013, the Board adopted a policy formally outlining the faculty’s responsibilities and authority in academic and governance matters at the University.
What happens next?
The next step in the University's reaffirmation timeline includes the submission of the “Focused Report” in January 2027, which will respond to any issues identified during the off-site review. The “Focused Report” will be followed by an on-site committee visit in February 2027. The Commission’s Board of Trustees is expected to issue a final decision in December 2027.
For now, the University is continuing to prepare for the review while monitoring changes to accreditation policies and standards nationally, according to Glover.
Jaylynn Perez is a third-year College student from Chesapeake, Va., majoring in government and Public Policy and Leadership. She currently serves as a news senior writer and video staffer, after previously serving as senior associate editor for the news desk. She enjoys covering topics such as University governance and local politics.
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