ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (July 16, 2008) – The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) has reaffirmed SPC’s accreditation and says no additional report from the college will be required, the college announced today.

The good news was contained in a letter dated July 10 to SPC President Carl M. Kuttler Jr. from Belle S. Wheelan, SACS president.

“We are delighted that SACS has reaffirmed our accreditation,” Kuttler said. “Everyone in the college family worked very hard on the SACS reaffirmation process, and this result is a tribute to them.”

Approval of the SACS finding by the Commission on Colleges was the final step in the rigorous SACS reaffirmation process. The commission could have asked for additional information on any aspect of the report, but did not.

The preliminary SACS report released seven months ago contained no recommendations in 74 compliance areas, and the college’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) was affirmed.

Meanwhile, the Quality Enhancement Committee, under the leadership of Faculty Chairman Gail Lancaster and QEP Director Lynn Grinnell, continues its work on implementing the QEP on the development of critical thinking skills.

The SACS re-accreditation process takes place every 10 years. This most recent review was embraced by the college and viewed as an opportunity for renewal and improvement. It also involved every single member of the SPC family – every  employee underwent staff development training to better understand the reaffirmation process.