Vanderbilt University Accreditation

Vanderbilt University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) to award bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s degrees.

As part of the accreditation process institutions provide 1) a Compliance Certification demonstrating compliance with requirements, standards, and federal regulations, and 2) a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that addresses a focused topic or issue related to enhancing student learning.

Reaffirmation of accreditation occurs every 10 years, with interim reports due every 5 years. Vanderbilt was last reaccredited in 2007.

Quality Enhancement Plan

Vanderbilt’s QEP is The Commons, a first-year living and learning community of faculty, students, and educational professionals aimed at acculturating incoming students to a highly selective research university. Programming within The Commons seeks to increase the engagement of first-year students in educationally purposive activities – those which form the academic, cognitive, social, and attitudinal attributes of successful citizens of today’s global society. An executive summary of the QEP may be found here.

Substantive Change Policy

Vanderbilt is responsible for notifying or obtaining approval from SACSCOC before any substantive change in its programs is implemented. A substantive change is any significant modification or expansion of a degree program and includes offering coursework or programs at a more advanced level, significantly changing the content, duration or delivery method of a program, initiating joint degrees, and offering programs/courses through collaborative agreements. If a department, school or college, is contemplating a substantive change, it should complete the Substantive Change Survey to determine if the change needs to be reported to SACSCOC in advance. Dawn Turton, Assistant Provost for Faculty, will survey schools each semester to ensure that all substantive changes are reported to the Commission in a timely fashion.

Please contact Dawn Turton, Assistant Provost for Faculty, for more information on the procedures for implementing a substantive change.

Programmatic Accrediting Agencies

Vanderbilt University is also accredited by a number of programmatic accrediting agencies. A list of these agencies may be found here.

Institutional, Financial Aid and Other Consumer Information

The information in accordance with the disclosure requirements for institutions participating in federal financial aid programs under Title IV may be found here.