Middle Georgia Technical College

MGTC Earns SACS/COC Reaffirmation

Warner Robins - The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS/COC) has just announced that Middle Georgia Technical College in Warner Robins has earned reaffirmation of their accreditation. This announcement comes after the accrediting body’s Board of Trustees meeting in June. This action was taken based on the College’s on-site visit in October 2009 with a team of educators and administrators from across the Southeast.

"Today is a great day for the entire MGTC family and for the communities we serve," MGTC Acting President Jeff Scruggs stated in an email when the official announcement was released. "We can take great pride in the fact that every member of the MGTC team answered the call."

MGTC's on-site visit in October, which was the culmination of a three-year reaffirmation process, yielded uncommonly good results. The announcement of a college receiving no recommendations on either the Compliance Certification or the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is almost unheard of. The Board of Trustees accepted the visiting team's report and officially reaffirmed MGTC at their June meeting.

As part of maintaining accredited status with COC/SACS, MGTC must regularly undergo reaffirmation visits. MGTC last hosted a COC/SACS visiting team in 2005. COC/SACS is the same accrediting body that accredits colleges and universities across the southeast including Macon State College, Fort Valley State University, and the University of Georgia.

For over three years, MGTC staff and faculty worked to prepare for last year's reaffirmation visit. In order to be reaffirmed, the College must demonstrate compliance with the Principles of Accreditation established by SACS/COC. In addition to demonstrating compliance with over 80 standards in the Principles, the College was required to create a Quality Enhancement Plan, or QEP.

The Quality Enhancement Plan created by MGTC focuses on improving the success of learning support math students. As defined by SACS/COC, the QEP is a carefully designed and focused course of action that addresses a well-defined issue or issues directly related to improving student learning. MGTC has already begun implementing parts of the QEP which will be carried out over a five year period, and will require an investment of approximately $1.4 million.

The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. The Commission's mission is the enhancement of educational quality throughout the region and it strives to improve the effectiveness of institutions by ensuring that institutions meet standards established by the higher education community that address the needs of society and students.

States served by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Latin American, and other international sites approved by the Commission on Colleges that award associate, baccalaureate, master's, or doctoral degrees.

The reaffirmation effort at MGTC was led by Scruggs, who also serves as the vice president for Economic Development and Institutional Support. In addition, Sam Lester, Business Administrative faculty, and Marion Crombie, Paralegal Studies program chair, served as co-chairs for the QEP Leadership Team. The eight-member visiting team, representing Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Virginia, combed through various documents and reports and interviewed college administrators, faculty, staff, and students to determine reaffirmation eligibility. MGTC will now be on a ten year schedule for reaffirmation visits, with the next visit taking place in 2019.

MGTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and is committed to bettering the economic, educational, and community development of middle Georgia through quality workforce education and training opportunities. The College offers over 100 associate degree, diploma, and certificate options in the areas of aerospace, allied health, personal and public services, industrial technology, and information technology. The College also offers student activities, including clubs and organizations and club sports.

For more information about Middle Georgia Technical College, or any of its services and programs, call 478.988.6800 or log on to www.middlegatech.edu.