By Donell Maxie, MVSU Communications Director
ITTA BENA, Miss. — The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) has reaffirmed the accreditation for Mississippi Valley State University for the next decade. MVSU's reaffirmation came without recommendations for improvement from the commission.
Additionally, MVSU gained approval for its Prison Educational Partnership Program (PEPP), which offers academic programs to incarcerated students with Second Chance Pell. This federal program is restoring access to income-based financial aid for incarcerated people. The university offers courses in both Greenwood and Cleveland, Mississippi.
The reaffirmation was announced at SACSCOC's annual meeting on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
SACSCOC serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices primarily among the diverse institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Latin America, and specific international sites approved by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees that award associate, baccalaureate, master's, or doctoral degrees.
Accreditation by SACSCOC signifies that the institution has a mission appropriate to higher education and has resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish and sustain that mission. Accreditation also shows that MVSU maintains specified educational objectives consistent with its mission, appropriate to the degrees it offers, and indicates whether it has successfully achieved its stated goals.
Dr. Jerryl Briggs, Sr., President of MVSU, said, "I am deeply grateful to all the staff and faculty for all their hard work that led to this very positive outcome of our review. I want to extend my sincerest thanks to our MVSU community for our diligence in assuring our continued growth and success, especially for this SACSCOC Reaffirmation process," he said.
"I applaud the Reaffirmation Committee and the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Committee for their diligence and commitment to organizing and submitting the necessary documentation during this process," Briggs said. They also did a great job preparing the campus community for a visit by SACSCOC's On-Site Review Committee members earlier this year. Following that meeting, the SACSCOC committee left with no issues or recommendations, meaning we had no areas of noncompliance, which was reflected in their report, Briggs explained.
"Reaffirmation of accreditation with no additional monitoring report highlights not only the diligence of our Valley family in putting together the required report but also the dedication they bring to MVSU every day. We would not have had such a positive result without that commitment," said Briggs.
Dr. Sharon Freeman, Assistant Vice President for Institutional Research and Effectiveness, was chair of the Reaffirmation Committee. Dr. Kathie Stromile Golden, Provost/Senior Vice-President for Academic Affairs, and Dr. Abigail S. Newsome, Associate Vice-President of Academic Affairs, chaired the QEP Committee.
"During my tenure as President, I have traveled across Mississippi and beyond. There continues to be tremendous excitement about what's next for The Valley. Let us put that excitement to work, and let us continue to tell this country and the world about the significant contributions that Valley alums, students, faculty, and staff are making to our communities across the globe. Let us continue working together to let everyone know we are One Goal. One Team. One Valley. …In Motion!