Institutional Accreditation
Background
During the 2022 legislative session, Senate Bill (SB) 7044 created section (s.) 1008.47, Florida Statutes (F.S.), to prohibit Florida College System (FCS) institutions and state universities from being accredited by the same accrediting agency or association for consecutive accreditation cycles. It specified that FCS institutions must seek accreditation from a State Board of Education-identified accreditor or association in the year following reaffirmation or fifth-year review by their current accrediting agencies.
Once the reaffirmation or fifth-year review by the current accreditor is complete, FCS institutions will be required to provide quarterly reports on their progress of seeking accreditation from an accreditor identified by SBOE. If each SBOE-identified accreditor refuses to grant candidacy to an FCS institution, that institution must seek accreditation from an agency or association that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USED). In the case candidacy status is not granted, the FCS institution may remain with its current accreditor.
Resources
- State Board of Education Action Item - August 17, 2022
- Accrediting Agencies Approved for Florida College System Institutions
- DFC Memorandum 2022-08-24: State Board of Education Action Related to Institutional Accrediting Agencies (PDF)
Quarterly Reporting
Section 1008.47(2)(b), Florida Statutes, requires Florida College System (FCS) institutions to quarterly report the progress of seeking institutional accreditation to the Florida Department of Education once the reaffirmation or fifth-year review by the current accreditor is complete. Quarterly reports must be submitted by the college president to FCSInfo@fldoe.org in accordance with the schedule below.
- January 15 for October – December
- April 15 for January – March
- July 15 for April – June
- October 15 for July – September
Template
Anticipated Schedule
Institutions will be expected to report on activity for the quarter following reaffirmation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on College (SACSCOC) Board of Trustees or review by the Committee on Fifth-Year Interim Reports. For example, if approved/reviewed in June 2022, the first quarterly report will be due January 15, 2023, for activity from September through December 2022.
2022 Reaffirmation/Fifth-Year
- The College of the Florida Keys
- Florida SouthWestern State College
- Hillsborough Community College
- Palm Beach State College
- South Florida State College
2023 Reaffirmation/Fifth-Year
- Chipola College
- Pensacola State College
- St. Petersburg College
- Santa Fe College
2024 Reaffirmation/Fifth-Year
- Broward College
- Daytona State College
- Eastern Florida State College
- Florida State College of Jacksonville
- Indian River State College
- St. Johns River State College
- Seminole State College
- Valencia College
2025 Reaffirmation/Fifth-Year
- Florida Gateway College
- Miami Dade College
- North Florida College
- Pasco Hernando State College
- State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota
- Tallahassee Community College
2026 Reaffirmation/Fifth-Year
- College of Central Florida
- Gulf Coast State College
- Lake-Sumter State College
- Northwest Florida State College
- Polk State College
Contact
Clifford Humphrey, Ph.D.
Executive Vice Chancellor
Clifford.Humphrey@fldoe.org