Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness

Central Piedmont Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates. Reaffirmation of accreditation is conducted every ten years, with an interim report submitted every five years.

Central Piedmont’s SACSCOC Liaison, within the Office of Planning and Research, oversees the reaffirmation process and fifth year report with the support of the entire Central Piedmont community. Teams led by faculty and staff from across the college work together to document and provide supporting evidence of Central Piedmont Community College’s compliance with standards contained in the SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement. These principles cover areas of the college's governance, administration, missions, programs, services, resources, and representation. The SACSCOC reaffirmation process also requires institutions to submit a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that is designed to enhance student learning and/or success.

For more information about accreditation at Central Piedmont visit:

• Central Piedmont Accreditation
• Central Piedmont Quality Enhancement Plan

For more information about SACSCOC visit:

• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Contact

• Sarah Wilde, SACSCOC Accreditation Liaison

Academic Continuous Improvement assesses the effectiveness of Central Piedmont's educational programs (applied science, transfer, and general education foundation). The Office of Planning and Research collaborates with educational programs to implement this process.

Academic Continuous Improvement - Programs of Study

Academic Continuous Improvement - Programs of Study is completed on a continuous, two-year cycle by all applied science and transfer programs.

• Year One: Programs gather and review data related to program student learning outcomes as well as other student success metrics such as enrollment, retention, and completion. Programs develop improvement plans around the findings.
• Year Two: Programs implement the improvement plans and determine impact of the changes.

Program Chairs generally complete the template but seek input from their faculty, associate dean, and dean as well as the Academic Continuous Improvement - Programs of Study leadership team.

Reporting

Final reports are compiled at the end of each two year cycle and posted to the Academic Continuous Improvement intranet site (login required). Central Piedmont login for faculty/staff is required to access the site.

For more information contact:

• Jeri Guido, Chair, Academic Continuous Improvement - Programs of Study
• Sarah Wilde, Co-chair, Academic Continuous Improvement - Programs of Study

Academic Continuous Improvement - General Education Foundation

All programs of study at Central Piedmont require students complete 15 hours of general education. The General Education Foundation represents the possible courses students may choose from in order to complete the General education requirements of a specific academic program. For Academic Continuous Improvement - General Education Foundation, general education courses are aligned to one of four student learning outcomes: communication (written/oral), critical thinking, personal growth and cultural literacy, and information technology and quantitative literacy.

Academic Continuous Improvement - General Education Foundation is conducted annually.

• Fall semester: faculty assess course-level student learning outcomes and record scores in Brightspace
• Spring semester: teams of faculty review the sample artifacts to reach consensus around scores, discuss student learning, and devise improvement statements

The improvement statements are implemented in the subsequent fall and spring semesters.

Reporting

Final reports are compiled annually and posted to the Academic Continuous Improvement intranet site (login required). Central Piedmont login for faculty/staff is required to access the site.

For more information contact:

• Dr. Elisha McDonald, Lead, General Education Foundation Council
• Sheri Kahn, Co-lead, General Education Foundation Council
• Sarah Wilde, Planning and Research

Evidence to Action assesses the effectiveness and continuous improvement of Central Piedmont's administrative units and educational support services areas. 

The college's strategic plan guides all aspects of the Evidence to Action process. Administrative units and educational support services areas complete Evidence to Action on a continuous two-year cycle and follow the same assessment framework.

• Year One: Units and areas determine objectives that align with the college’s strategic plan, develop assessment plans with desired outcomes and achievement targets, collect evidence of assessment results, and use those results to develop an action plan for improvement. 

• Year Two: Units and areas implement their action plans, review the results, gather stakeholder feedback, and determine progress made in achieving their action plan and making improvements. 

Each administrative unit and educational support service area selects an assessment liaison to coordinate the Evidence to Action activities for their area. The Office of Planning and Research supports the liaisons in their assessment work. 

Evidence to Action - Administrative Units

Administrative units complete Evidence to Action on a continuous two-year cycle, beginning in even numbered years.

• Communications, Marketing, and Public Relations

• Finance and Facilities Operations

• Information Technology Services

• Institutional Advancement

• Strategy and Organizational Excellence

• Talent and Organizational Engagement

Evidence to Action - Educational Support Services Areas

Educational Support areas in the Student Affairs and Academic Affairs units complete Evidence to Acton on a continuous two-year cycle, beginning in odd numbered years. 

Student Affairs Educational Support Services Areas:

• Student Engagement

• Enrollment and Student Services

Academic Affairs Educational Support Services Areas:

• Academic Success Center

• Academic Operations

• CCE/Records Management Customer Service

• Global Learning

• Library Services

Reporting

Final reports are compiled at the end of each two year cycle and posted to the Evidence to Action intranet site (login required). Central Piedmont login for faculty/staff is required to access the site. 

For more information contact:

• Sarah Wilde, Office of Planning and Research 

• Diane Frazier, Office of Planning and Research