Dr. David Campbell, president of Northeast Alabama Community College, recently received one of the most distinguished awards in higher education when the Southern Association of Colleges Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) presented him with a Meritorious Service Award at their annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
The award is given to those who have supported and advanced higher education through their participation and leadership in SACSCOC related programs, activities, and committees. At the presentation, SACSCOC noted that Campbell through the years had served on twenty-six accreditation review committees, having chaired fourteen of those committees. SACSCOC is one of six organizations in the United States that are authorized by the federal government to accredit colleges and universities. Accreditation is essential for a college to operate. Without meeting the SACSCOC accreditation standards, colleges cannot receive federal financial aid and their courses do not transfer. The overall purpose of SACSCOC is to improve education in the South. SACSCOC is the recognized accrediting body in eleven Southern states and parts of Latin America. SACSCOC President, Dr. Belle Wheelan, made the presentation to Campbell and five other recipients at a general assembly session at the conference, which was attended by more than 4,000 educators from around the South.
“I was very pleased to receive this award,” Campbell said. “SACSCOC and its staff is an organization that I highly respect and it is quite an honor to receive their recognition. I think that SACSCOC has done more than any regional organization that I know to improve education and make certain that students get the best education possible.”
Campbell noted that he has worked with SACSCOC throughout his career, having been appointed by former NACC president, the late Dr. Charles Pendley, to serve as the college’s SACSCOC representative and liaison. “I appreciate that opportunity that Dr. Pendley gave to me,” Campbell stated. After becoming president of Northeast, Campbell began serving as chair of both on-site and off-site accreditation committees, usually once or twice per year. “Serving on those committees has taken me throughout the South,” Campbell said. “I have served more in the states of North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas.” Campbell added that although it is intense and challenging work, visiting colleges throughout the South has been very valuable to him personally. “The SACSCOC committees assure that schools are meeting expectations, and this is good for both the students and the school under review,” Campbell said. “Committee visits are also a way to share ideas about education as well, so the process always helps your school and students with what is learned. Also, everywhere I have been, no matter where it is, there is always something unique and distinct about the area where the college is located and there are always very dedicated and friendly people at the colleges. You really learn a lot about the South from these visits.”
Through his work with SACSCOC, Campbell has seen many changes in the accrediting process. “One thing that I particularly remember was when SACSCOC delegates voted to accredit colleges on how well they fulfill their unique missions, rather than evaluating just on a numerical catalog of standards. Missions are of course what colleges say they do to teach students and serve their communities. I remember being there and at the time the vote was taken to go to evaluating schools based on these missions and thinking: this is going to positively change education in the South forever. And it did. Colleges now must through reliable data and documentation prove that they are successful in doing their jobs. They are held to a high level of accountability. It has been a real pleasure to see and be a part of such benchmark changes in education through SACSCOC.”
For additional information about SACSCOC, visit the organization’s web site at www.sacscoc.org.
For additional information about Northeast, go to www.nacc.eduor download the college’s free App at the Apple App Store or by going towww.naccmobile.com.
Courtesy of NACC
