SACS ACCREDITATION

George Mason University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of George Mason University.

Accreditation is important to higher education institutions because it permits our students to have access to federally-subsidized financial aid, allows our faculty to compete for federal research grants, and ensures that the courses and degrees our students earn will be recognized by other institutions.

Every ten years, George Mason engages in the process of reaffirmation of accreditation. This activity takes three years, and students, staff, and faculty across the institution will be involved. Two major tasks compose the reaffirmation: 1) development of a Quality Enhancement Plan (a strategic plan for learning), and 2) preparation of the Compliance Certification, a secure Web site that provides evidence that the university remains in compliance with the Principles of Accreditation.

George Mason University will provide the Quality Enhancement Plan and the Compliance Certification to teams of peer reviewers from SACS institutions. They will use this information and the results of an on-site review in the spring of 2011 to determine whether to reaffirm George Mason’s accreditation for the next ten years.