Shaw University Announces SACSCOC Accreditation Renewal

RALEIGH, NC – Shaw University is announcing the successful reaffirmation of its accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The rigorous reaffirmation process officially began for the university in December 2019 at the SACSCOC 2019 Annual Conference and ended with notification of reaffirmation at the SACSCOC 2022 Annual Conference on Dec. 6, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia. The process of initial accreditation and continued reaffirmation of accreditation requires a 10-year comprehensive and five-year interim review. Shaw was last reaffirmed in December 2012.

Dr. Paulette Dillard, President of Shaw University, said: “Shaw University is proud to announce the reaffirmation of academic accreditation. This announcement of accreditation renewal is further validation of the significant role Shaw University plays in fulfilling the mission of educating students, advancing knowledge, and developing future global leaders.” 

SACSCOC is the accrediting body for degree-granting higher education institutions in 11 Southern states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Accreditation by SACSCOC signifies that the institution complies with the standards of the “Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement” and the policies and procedures of the Commission.

Dr. Renata Dusenbury, the Shaw University SACSCOC Liaison and Vice President for Academic Affairs – who also led the university through the accreditation process – said: “It is both rewarding and an enormous relief to successfully guide Shaw through the rigorous process of its 10-year SACSCOC reaffirmation, with no recommendations for improvement. Accreditation by SACSCOC signifies that Shaw (1) has a mission appropriate to higher education; (2) has resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish and sustain that mission; and (3) maintains clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and appropriate to the degrees it offers.” 

Shaw University, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, is the first historically Black institution of higher education founded in North Carolina and is among the oldest in the nation. The University was founded in 1865 by Henry Martin Tupper. Dr. Paulette Dillard currently serves as the University’s 18th President. For more information, visit: www.shawu.edu