Office of Academic Compliance
Academic compliance refers to policies, procedures, and practices in place to ensure that actions regarding degree and certificate programs – from the content of the offerings, to how and where they are delivered – adhere to institutional, state, accreditation, and federal requirements and standards.
An areal view of UVA Rotunda on a summer evening.

Accreditation & Academic Compliance

Supporting academic program development and assessment.

The Office of Academic Compliance (OAC) collaborates with schools to ensure institutional alignment with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) accreditation standards, and federal and state academic compliance requirements.

Accreditation

The University of Virginia is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, masters, educational specialist, and doctoral degrees. SACSCOC requires compliance with standards designed to assure educational quality and improve institutional effectiveness.

Reviews and Approvals

Establishing academic programs or making changes to existing programs requires advance internal and external governance reviews and approvals, which vary based on the type of action. OAC verifies alignment with institutional policies and procedures; and helps shepherd actions through external approvals.

Assessment

Assessment – the systematic process of gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data on student learning or program outcomes – helps inform student learning and improve teaching. OAC supports the planning, implementation, and reporting of student learning assessment at all levels, from course-based to institution-wide.

State Authorization

Academic Compliance coordinates with units to safeguard compliance with state and federal approvals regarding UVA-sponsored educational activity that occurs in the United States outside the state of Virginia.

Licensure

For academic programs that prepare students for professional certification or licensure, Academic Compliance works with schools to provide information on whether the program meets the educational requirements for certification or licensure in U.S. states and or territories outside Virginia.