100 Days FAQs

The decision to retain or discontinue Standard 7.2 (Quality Enhancement Plan) rests with the membership, which is expected to vote on proposed revisions to the Principles of Accreditation during the College Delegate Assembly meeting in December 2026.

Any revision to the Principles of Accreditation must be approved by the membership in accordance with the Standing Rules policy statement. This policy outlines the Board’s authority to initiate a study period for any accreditation standard between regular reviews, and it details the procedures by which the College Delegate Assembly (i.e., the membership) may approve, reject, or remand all or part of proposed changes to the Principles.

The study period for Standard 7.2 was initiated by a vote of the Executive Council, acting on behalf of the Board, in September 2025. The outcome of this study will be informed by the broader Principles Review, scheduled to begin on October 1, 2025, and expected to last between 14 and 18 months.

No. Following the Executive Council’s approval—acting on behalf of the Board of Trustees—a formal study period for the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) has been initiated. As a result, the requirement for institutions to develop and implement a QEP has been suspended pending a comprehensive review as part of the Principles Review process.

Institutions undergoing a comprehensive review (such as reaffirmation or Fifth-Year review) during this study period will not be held accountable for the QEP requirement, either now or during their next scheduled review. SACSCOC staff has already begun tracking affected institutions to ensure they are appropriately exempted both during the current study period and in future evaluations.

The decision to retain or eliminate the QEP Impact Report will be made by the membership and is expected during the Board of Trustees’ meeting in either December 2026 or June 2027, again based on the outcome of the Principles revision. The long-term status of the QEP Impact Report will be determined in alignment with the final decision regarding the Quality Enhancement Plan itself, following the conclusion of the Principles Review process.

SACSCOC staff started the process of communicating with institutions that are hosting On-Site Reaffirmation Committee visits in Fall 2025 last week. Communication efforts to other impacted cohorts of institutions immediately affected by the September 2025 launch of the study period on Standard 7.2 (Quality Enhancement Plan) are forthcoming. In addition, SACSCOC staff has begun tracking institutions scheduled for reaffirmation or Fifth-Year reviews during the 14–18 month Principles Review period, which begins October 1, 2025, to ensure consistent application of policy and appropriate consideration throughout the process.

Yes, institutions that choose not to continue with the QEP at this time (during the study period) will be held harmless at the time of its Fifth-Year review based on its exercise of the option not to continue with the QEP today.

In the immediate, the SACSCOC Office of Training and Research is determining a methodology to study recently submitted QEPs to determine patterns and lessons learned from them.

The process for a study period and/or Principles Review is as follows:

The Chair of the SACSCOC Board of Trustees will appoint a Committee, representing at least every institutional level, to serve on the Principles Review Committee. The Committee will solicit comments from the membership, relevant constituencies, and general public regarding the Principles and will consider all comments and recommendations received since the last review period. After soliciting reaction to drafts of any proposed changes as distributed in written form or through the SACSCOC website, the Committee will consider comments received regarding the proposal, modify the proposal as is appropriate, and present its final report to the Executive Council and to the SACSCOC Board of Trustees. Following review and endorsement, the Board will forward the report to the membership for review, comment and response, before a vote during the business session of the College Delegate Assembly.

Yes. The findings and conclusions of the QEP study period and all recommendations received as part of the full Principles Review will be provided to the membership as outlined in Question #5.

No. The QEP Transition Document provides recommended language for institutions impacted by the implementation of the QEP study period to include in their respective reports based on where the institution falls within its current review. The insertion of this language will relay the institution’s choice to opt in or to opt out of the QEP requirement for the current review.

If an institution chooses to retain the QEP Lead Evaluator as a member of its On-Site Reaffirmation Committee, the QEP Lead Evaluator, in collaboration with the committee, will provide written feedback on the institution’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) for informational purposes only. The QEP Lead Evaluator is selected by the institution based on subject matter expertise and serves as the committee’s topical specialist, offering a focused assessment of the plan informed by the collective input of the committee.

Should an institution opt not to include the QEP Lead Evaluator on the committee, the subject matter expert will be removed from service, and the remaining committee members will not be responsible for providing written or verbal feedback on the QEP in the absence of that designated evaluator.

The institution remains responsible for any expenses already incurred in association with the on-site visit.

No. The institution must choose to continue with its QEP and include the QEP in the On-Site Reaffirmation Committee’s review to be considered for recognition of the QEP at the time of its Fifth-Year Interim Review. However, institutions will be eligible for other SACSCOC recognitions beyond the QEP.

Yes, the “hold harmless” provision applies to the entire reaffirmation cycle for the Class of 2026, as well as any other institutional cohorts whose Off-Site Review begins during the active QEP study period and the ongoing Principles Review.

Removal of the QEP has no impact on the Committee’s timeline to prepare for the visit. It may, however, effect an on-site committee’s schedule during the visit. Institutions should consult with their SACSCOC Vice President to address any potential adjustments to the visiting committee’s schedule prior to the committee’s arrival to the institution being visited.

While institutions are encouraged to continue implementation of their QEPs and receive recognition of their work, the “hold harmless” period would apply should an institution discontinue its QEP, and it would not be required to submit a QEP Impact Report.

Refer to Question #1.

Institutions that were reaffirmed prior to the newly approved study period, and have not yet submitted a QEP Impact Report, may choose to continue their QEPs while awaiting the outcome of the Principles Review. This decision is entirely optional. However, institutions that opt to continue will remain eligible for recognition under the QEP Distinction.