Accreditation

In order to be accredited by SACSCOC, an institution is required to conduct a comprehensive compliance audit before filing the Compliance Certification.  The compliance audit includes an assessment of all programs and courses offered by the institution on campus and off campus, and those offered through distance learning. Completion of the Compliance Certification requires three actions by the institution for each of the standards and requirements for accreditation:

1. Determining the level of compliance
2. Attaching documentation that supports the level of compliance indicated
3. Developing a narrative that summarizes, links, and interprets the documentation as it builds a case in support of the level of compliance indicated.

The Compliance Certification, signed by the institution’s chief executive officer and accreditation liaison, attests to the institution’s honest assessment of compliance with the accreditation requirements of SACSCOC as applied to all aspects of the institution. 

The SACSCOC Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement, adopted by the College Delegate Assembly December 2017, can be viewed online or downloaded from the SACSCOC web site.

All institutions accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) are required to undergo a review for reaffirmation of accreditation every ten years. The documents to be submitted for decennial reaffirmation are the Compliance Certification Report (CCR) and a proposal for a new Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).

The Compliance Certification Report consists of four parts: 

• Part 1: Signatures Attesting to Compliance
• Part 2: Substantive Changes Reported and Approved Since the Last Reaffirmation
• Part 3: Compliance Certification Report (CCR)
• Part 4: Institutional Summary Form Prepared for SACSCOC Reviews

     NOTE: Embedded links in the documents above are disabled.

The CCR presented in Part 3 is the document often called the self-study. In the CCR, the College makes a narrative case for compliance with each of the Standards in The Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement. In the compliance argument for each Standard, the College describes its operational practices, how those practices are appropriate to the College Mission and to accepted practices in higher education, and how they support compliance with the Standard. The narrative is also accompanied by evidence in the form of College policies and procedures, Florida Statutes, State Board of Education Rules, excerpts from the Catalog, website screenshots, supplementary tables and reports, and sample completed forms and documents.

For the 2025 reaffirmation, MDC submitted an application to participate in the Differentiated Review Process. To be selected into the process, the College had to be in good standing with SACSCOC and all other accrediting bodies, and had to demonstrate that it met certain eligibility requirements. The College was accepted into the Differentiated Review Process (DRP), which allowed us to submit a Modified CCR, addressing only a sub-set of the Standards.

The College has been diligently preparing for its on-site visit as part of the reaffirmation process with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). This critical review involves a thorough evaluation of institutional effectiveness, compliance with accreditation standards, and the continuous improvement of academic and administrative practices. The preparation process encompasses gathering data, engaging faculty and staff in reflective discussions, and aligning practices with SACSCOC requirements to ensure a robust demonstration of the College's commitment to quality and accountability. For additional details on the preparation for the upcoming on-site visit, please refer to the document linked below.

• Preparing for the On-Site Visit

Preparing for the On-Site Visit