Winterville, NC - As anticipated, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) has officially approved Pitt Community College’s bid for reaffirmation of accreditation.  

PCC President Lawrence Rouse was notified last week that the SACSCOC Board of Trustees met and voted to put their accrediting organization’s seal of approval on Pitt for the next 10 years. It was the culmination of a process that began shortly after the college’s last successful reaffirmation bid in June 2013.  

“I’m delighted Pitt Community College has officially been reaccredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and I am proud of the work our faculty and staff put in over the years to make that happen,” Rouse said. “The reaccreditation process is a marathon, and the reward for crossing the finish line is that everyone knows PCC is meeting SACSCOC standards and remains committed to addressing our region’s educational needs.”  

Rouse said accreditation is a U.S. Department of Education requirement that compels colleges and universities to continually improve their educational programs and student support services. Meeting SACSCOC’s accrediting standards, he said, allows PCC students to apply for federal student aid and transfer course credits they earn at Pitt to other schools.  

PCC administrators have essentially known the college would be reaccredited since September, after a SACSCOC Reaffirmation Committee wrapped up its onsite visit. The eight-member team spent several days at Pitt reviewing documentation and interviewing faculty, staff and students before stating it had “no recommendations” for the college in its findings. The committee also deemed PCC’s Quality Enhancement Plan, which focuses on increasing online student success and is a key reaccreditation component, to be fully compliant.

By accepting SACSCOC accreditation, PCC must maintain the organization’s standards and undergo a peer review every 10 years. SACSCOC will conduct a fifth-year review at Pitt in 2028, so college personnel can begin focusing on everything needed to be done for PCC’s next bid for reaffirmation of accreditation in 2033.