FERRUM RECEIVES REACCREDITATION AS COLLEGE

     Ferrum College received Reaffirmation of Accreditation at the 107th Annual Meeting of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in San Antonio, Texas, December 7-10, 2002. Over 3,000 delegates attended workshops and seminars on more than 150 topics, took action on accreditation issues, and set policy for the regional accrediting agency.

     Dr. Jennifer L. Braaten, president of Ferrum College, called the reaffirmation incontrovertible evidence that Ferrum is meeting the needs of 21st century students. Braaten expounds, “Even with this continuation of our accreditation, it is incumbent upon Ferrum to seek new and innovative ways to serve students. While reaffirmation acknowledges quality compliance, it isn’t an invitation to be complacent. Ferrum has a charge to build upon its success.”

     Accreditation is a process of helping institutions improve through a systematic program of evaluation. It assures not only that an institution meets minimum standards, but also that it demonstrates a commitment to providing quality education programs. The Association is a nongovernmental agency, and membership is voluntary.

     Delegates attending the annual meeting included faculty, administrators, and educational professionals representing the more than 12,000 accredited public and non-public early childhood centers and kindergartens, elementary schools, middle schools, junior high schools, high schools, vocational-technical schools, military schools, colleges, and universities.

     Founded in 1895 and headquartered in Decatur, Georgia, the Southern Association is one of six regional accrediting bodies in the United States and covers 11 Southern states from Virginia through Texas, as well as American-type schools in Central and South America and in the Caribbean.

     Ferrum College is a four-year, private, co-educational, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. For more information on Ferrum, visit www.ferrum.edu. # # #