Understanding Wake Forest’s 2026 SACS Reaffirmation

Wake Forest University will host a team of peer reviewers from other institutions accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) March 23–26, 2026, as part of the regular 10-year reaffirmation cycle. Originally accredited in 1921, Wake Forest has successfully maintained accreditation for more than a century. This history reflects a sustained commitment to academic quality and institutional integrity.

Reaffirmation confirms the value of Wake Forest’s degrees, ensures continued eligibility for federal financial aid, and demonstrates accountability to students, families, and the broader higher education community. The process includes comprehensive reports submitted to SACSCOC and reviewed by peer evaluators, followed by an on-site visit. Reaffirmation allows the University to demonstrate how it fulfills its mission and how it measures effectiveness.

For faculty and staff, the most important themes are mission alignment and institutional effectiveness. Reviewers are interested not only in what the University does, but in how impact is evaluated and how improvements are implemented.

Identified faculty and staff have been invited to participate in group conversations during the visit. These discussions allow reviewers to better understand how programs and administrative units operate in practice, how decisions are informed by assessment, and how mission commitments are reflected in daily work. The conversations help confirm and contextualize the documentation submitted earlier in the process.

“We look forward to hosting the SACSCOC review team and the opportunity to highlight the commitments across the University that sustain our mission-driven success,” said Anne Hardcastle, associate provost for Academic Affairs

In addition to visiting the Reynolda campus, reviewers will visit two of our other campus locations at Brookstown Mill and the WFU Charlotte Campus at the Pearl.  Undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in both on-ground and online programs will also meet with reviewers to talk about their student experience.

Reaffirmation helps the University demonstrate a culture of reflection, evidence, and ongoing improvement across the institution. It showcases the passion and excellence shown every day in classrooms, labs, offices, clinics, libraries, and campuses throughout Wake Forest.