Accreditation
Hampden-Sydney College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate degrees. Questions about the accreditation of Hampden-Sydney College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Mission
Hampden-Sydney College seeks to form good men and good citizens in an atmosphere of sound learning.
Goals for Student Achievement
The College's clearly established measures of student achievement include various widely used retention metrics. Additionally, the College measures adherence to the historic Honor Code on a year-year basis as a measure of student achievement and development. The goals for Student Achievement order the work of a number of College Units under the direction of the Dean of Faculty’s Office.
Student Complaints Policy
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) requires its accredited institutions to have in place student complaint policies and procedures that are reasonable, fairly administered, and well publicized. The Commission also requires, in accord with federal regulations, that each institution maintains a record of complaints received by the institution. The record of complaints may be reviewed and evaluated by the Commission as part of the institution's decennial evaluation or when other SACSCOC Committees are on campus. Students may wish to file complaints against the College with SACSCOC and may also file complaints against the SACSCOC Board of Directors, staff and visiting teams.
Substantive Change Policy and Procedure
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) defines substantive change as a significant modification or expansion in the nature and scope of an accredited institution.
SACSCOC is responsible for reviewing all substantive changes that occur between an institution’s decennial reviews to determine whether the change has affected the quality of the institution, and to ensure that the institution continues to meet defined standards. Certain types of substantive changes, such as adding branch campuses, mergers/consolidations, degree level changes, and changes in governance, require a visit by a substantive change committee to determine continued compliance.
Developments that are considered to represent a substantive change and the procedures for reporting them can be found in the commission’s Policy on Substantive Change. Hampden-Sydney College has adopted procedures to ensure the timely reporting of any action requiring notification and approval from SACSCOC.