What is accreditation, and why is it important?
Accreditation is recognition that is given to an institution that demonstrates it meets standards established by private educational agencies and evaluated by its peers. According to the U.S. Department of Education, “the goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality.” Graduating from an accredited institution verifies the quality of the education received, increases employment opportunities, and affords students the opportunity to receive licensure, registration, or certification (in some fields of study). Also, federal student financial aid is only distributed to accredited institutions. UAB was accredited by SACSCOC in 1970 and seeks reaffirmation of accreditation in 2025.
What is SACSCOC?
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACSCOC, is the regional accrediting body for higher education institutions in the southern United States and Latin America that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees.
What is a QEP?
The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) is developed by the UAB community to enhance student learning in a specific, measurable way. It is a key part of UAB’s SACSCOC reaffirmation of accreditation. A new QEP is implemented every ten years and is evaluated over a five-year period.
What is UAB’s QEP?
In recognition of the important role UAB holds in the city of Birmingham, and the powerful learning that can occur as students engage with their community, UAB has selected The City Is Our Classroom as the theme of the 2025-2030 Quality Enhancement Plan. Through high-impact curricular and co-curricular practices such as community-based learning, research, and service opportunities, the QEP will help students engage with their community, study its rich history, and develop a better understanding of the value of the University as a part of the City of Birmingham.
To accomplish this, the QEP will focus on four primary goals. These goals create the framework for achieving the six student learning outcomes of The City Is Our Classroom.
- Goal 1: To provide the infrastructure and resources for faculty and staff, students and community partners to engage in meaningful and mutually beneficial community-engaged learning experiences.
- Goal 2: To expand student involvement in community-engaged learning opportunities through curricular and co-curricular activities.
- Goal 3: To encourage, increase, and assess meaningful student reflections regarding their involvement in community-engaged learning.
- Goal 4: To help students develop the skills to become engaged members and leaders of any community.
Students will demonstrate growth and learning in the areas of:
- Understanding their community and its cultures
- Being able to connect knowledge from various academic disciplines to civic life
- Participating in civic engagement activities
- Developing civic communication skills
- Reflecting on civic participation
- Working collaboratively across civic structures
When will the QEP plan be implemented?
SACSCOC evaluators will visit UAB on April 7-10, 2025, and meet with students, faculty, and leadership to learn about UAB’s planned QEP. They will make suggestions and give final approval of the plan in Summer of 2025 and the plan will begin implementation in the Fall of 2025.
How can I get involved in making The City Our Classroom?
Students make the city their classroom every time they learn, study, and serve in our local communities. This happens in classes, such as the City as Classroom courses that are part of the Blazer Core curriculum and in Service Learning and Undergraduate Research courses focused on studying and helping our local communities. It also happens as students participate in volunteer opportunities to serve in the community through the office of student affairs, student clubs and groups, internships, and others. As students learn, study, and serve in the community, they track their hours in BlazerPulse and can also record reflections of their experiences. This information becomes part of the data used to help UAB show how students are growing and learning through their experiences in the community.