Summer Institute

About the Institute

The Summer Institute is designed for participants who are new to accreditation or need a refresher to:

• enhance their understanding of select standards from the SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation through case studies and exercises involving interpretation and analysis
• prepare for the development and assessment of a Quality Enhancement Plan

The Summer Institute is a curated learning experience comprised of select sessions which participants choose at the time of registration. The “workshop-style” sessions will feature defined learning outcomes, in-depth discussions and activities, and planned pre-readings/assignments to more fully engage attendees.

The content for the accreditation-related sessions will be facilitated by an accomplished group of peer instructors with expertise in the selected topic and experience serving as peer evaluators/chairs of SACSCOC review committees. SACSCOC staff will be in attendance at these sessions to contribute to discussions as needed.

Additional Special Interest sessions will be offered by instructors who have led well-received sessions at the Annual Meeting and/or a prior Summer Institute.

Participation in the Summer Institute is limited to SACSCOC applicant, candidate, and member institutions and representatives from state higher education systems. 

Click here for Registration and Conference Details.

The 2024 Summer Institute will be held July 21–24, 2024 at the New Orleans Marriott in New Orleans, LA.

Registration will close when we reach capacity (1000 registrants) or June 13, 2024, whichever comes first.

Registration Fee – $1,000

Optional Pre-Institute Session: Accreditation 101 – $25
Sunday, July 21, 1:30 PM-4:30 PM (advance registration required)
This session will cover the philosophy of accreditation in the United States, the structure of SACSCOC, and the reaffirmation process for SACSCOC institutions. The facilitator will discuss the Off-Site and On-Site reviews, the Compliance Certification Report and Quality Enhancement Plan as described in the Principles of Accreditation, and key Commission policies, guidelines, and good practices.

At the time of registration, participants will choose between full-day (6-hr) and half-day (3-hr) sessions to attend during the Institute.  The session topics identified for this year’s Institute are:

Full-Day Sessions

Half-Day Sessions

Compliance Requirements for Academic Personnel (Section 6)   Compliance Requirements for Educational Programs and Policies (Section 10)   Demonstrating Compliance in Student Learning (8.2 a, b, and c)   QEP Topic Development   QEP Focus, Goals, and Assessment Plan

Documentation of QEP Implementation and Impact   Compliance Requirements in IE (7.1 and 7.3)   Compliance Requirements in Student Achievement (8.1)   Special Interest Sessions: Leading to Happiness: Applying Positivity and Happiness Research to Teaching, Serving and Leading   Leveraging the Power of AI: Best Practices for Integrating AI Tools from the Classroom to the Office   Using Data for Student Achievement: From A to Z – Creating a Business Intelligence Model for Your Institution

Click here for the participant learning outcomes for each session.

Schedule of Activities

Sunday, July 21, 2024

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM	Registration Check-In
1:30 PM – 4:30 PM	Pre-Institute Session: “Accreditation 101” – (advance registration required)

Monday, July 22, 2024 and Tuesday, July 23, 2024

7:00 AM – 4:30 PM	Registration Check-In
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM	Participant Breakfast
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM	Selected Full Day Session (morning portion) or Selected Half Day Session
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM	Participant Luncheon
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM	Selected Full Day Session (afternoon portion) or Selected Half Day Session

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM	Participant Breakfast
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM	Information Sessions with SACSCOC Vice Presidents

Hotel Reservations

Reservations at the New Orleans Marriott at the conference rate ($179 plus taxes and fees) can only be made after registration for the Institute has been completed.  Please note the following:

Connections Housing is the only official housing bureau associated with and authorized to conduct transactions for SACSCOC. While other companies may contact you offering accommodations for your travel, they are not affiliated with SACSCOC. Entering into financial agreements with these companies can have costly consequences. SACSCOC is not connected in any way with other companies claiming to represent or provide hotel services.

If you have any questions, please contact us at institute@sacscoc.org.

Volunteer at the Summer Institute!

At present, we have reached the required number of volunteers, thus, the Volunteer Interest survey is now closed. We hope that you will consider serving as a volunteer at the 2024 SACSCOC Annual Meeting in Austin, TX, December 7 – 10. Please look out for the volunteer call in July on our website.

If you have any questions, please contact us at institute@sacscoc.org.

Materials from Previous Institutes

Future Institutes