UNA Pressroom

UNA’s Accreditation Reaffirmed by SACSCOC

Apr. 02, 2024



Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392

FLORENCE, AL – The University of North Alabama has recently completed its reaffirmation process with its accrediting agency – the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges – with no findings and no recommendations for follow up. This is the best possible outcome for any SACSCOC institution. The reaffirmation process takes place every 10 years and entails a campus-wide effort that involves academic and non-academic areas as well as members of the community.   
 
“I am exceedingly pleased with how well the University fared through this reaccreditation process,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “It is a major initiative that requires many hands working in concert to be a success, and this high-level reaffirmation underscores UNA’s upward trajectory and commitment to excellence in all things.” 
 
SACSCOC is the body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. It serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices primarily among institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, as well as in Latin America and certain other international sites approved by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees.
 
Dr. Lorie Johnson is the SACSCOC liaison for UNA, and she spearheaded the efforts on campus to gather, write, and submit the accrediting documents.
 
“The SACSCOC process of Decennial Reaffirmation is a rigorous, intense undertaking that involves every unit on campus, as well as external stakeholders,” she said. “Being reaffirmed with no findings is a tremendous accomplishment and reflects the amazing educational experience we offer our students. I am so proud of our University and very thankful to each and every administrator, faculty member, staff member, student, alumni, Board of Trustees member, and community member who played a role in these outstanding results. Our site team commented on what a special place UNA is, and we absolutely agree. We have a truly outstanding campus community that serves as a shining example for others.”

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering credential, certificate, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs in the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. The first-choice University for more than 10,000 on-campus and online students, UNA is on a bucolic campus in Florence, Alabama, part of the historic and vibrant Shoals region. Lions Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of the NCAA Division I’s ASUN Conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: www.una.edu and www.una.edu/unaworks/