HGTC Receives Reaccreditation
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges makes no recommendations for improvement for the first time in the College’s history.
Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) announced today that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Board of Trustees has reaffirmed the College’s accreditation for an additional 10 years, completing an extensive process that began in 2016. SACSCOC accreditation provides for the ease of the transfer of credits to four-year universities and allows HGTC to offer federal financial aid for approved programs.
For the first time in its history, the College received no recommendations for improvement and is not required to submit any additional reports.
“To receive a reaffirmation of accreditation from SACSCOC, and to do so without any recommendations during the process from the Board is a remarkable accomplishment,” said HGTC President Marilyn Fore. “This validates the high-quality academic programs offered at Horry-Georgetown Technical College, as well as the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students.”
The SACSCOC reaffirmation process is an extensive review of academic programs, finances, governance, faculty qualifications, student services, facilities, and institutional effectiveness. The College began preparing for its reaffirmation in 2016, with the process culminating in October 2018 with a three-day SACSCOC onsite committee peer review.
Another required component of the reaffirmation process is the development of a new Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), which assesses and implements a set of initiatives centered on improving student learning and career success. HGTC’s proposed QEP was titled Effective Professional and Interpersonal Communication (EPIC) and was approved without recommendations. The College will carry out the five-year EPIC initiative to strengthen students’ communication skills by incorporating enhanced speaking and writing instruction into program curriculum and providing skills coaching and activities in new EPIC Labs on all campuses.
HGTC has been continuously accredited by SACSCOC since 1972. For more information about SACSCOC or the reaffirmation process, visit www.sacscoc.org.