Accreditations

When assessing the quality of an educational institution, students should know about the institution's accreditation status.

Institutional Accreditation

Thomas University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award associate, bachelor and master degrees. The local office is in metro Atlanta at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia, 30033-4087: telephone number 404-679-4501.

SACS-COC is the regional accreditor that ensures the quality and transferability of your credits and degrees and enables us to offer Federal financial aid. Search the SACS database to see other excellent colleges and universities in the southeast who are SACS-accredited.

Individual programs

Education
Thomas University is authorized by the Professional Standards Commission of Georgia to offer early childhood, middle grades, and secondary grades teacher certification.

Clinical Laboratory Science
Thomas University’s program in Clinical Laboratory Science is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences.

Nursing
The RN-BSN program has full approval from the Georgia Board of Nursing and is fully accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

Thomas University is licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education to offer the RNto BSN program in the state of Florida (#3447).

Thomas University’s Master of Science in Nursing program is a candidate for accreditation by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

Rehabilitation Counseling
The Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling is accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education.

Social Work
Thomas University’s program in Social Work is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Accreditation/Program Expansion Timeline

1984- Thomas Community College received accreditation as an associate degree granting institution.

1986- Became Thomas College

1990- Received accreditation as a baccalaureate degree granting institution.

1998- Received accreditation as a master’s degree granting institution.

2000- Became Thomas University

Quality Enhancement Plan

Like all institutions, Thomas University must comply with the standards outlined by the Commission of Colleges and in our case, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Accreditation is not a one-time event but is an on-going process. There are requirements to maintain accreditation. One of those requirements, is described as a Quality Enhancement Plan, a roadmap for enhancing the learning environment.

Thomas University’s Quality Enhancement Plan, Enhancing the Climate for Student Engagement in Learning, takes shape through the Information Power Squared program (IP²).

The educational climate distinguishes Thomas University as

a university community which is caring and inclusive;
a community of learners preparing effective citizens/leaders.

The IP² program will enhance this educational climate for student engagement in learning through three program initiatives that foster students’ success through Information Literacy.

Transformers
Students will demonstrate learning outcomes from the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education (Appendix 1) integrated into assignments in three Core Curriculum courses and one upper division course in each major program. Because these are courses required of all students, this initiative has the broadest reach. Transfer students who have completed core requirements elsewhere are still impacted by the upper division required course.
The IP² Leadership Program
Students will expand their information literacy through voluntary participation in a program that engages students in three areas—academics, campus involvement, and community service, meeting learning outcomes from the ACRL Standards and the American Association of School Librarians’ Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning (Appendix 2). In each area, students earn “credentials” through successful completion of projects designed to cultivate their leadership ability through their ability to find, use, and share information in a variety of contexts.
Faculty/Staff Development
All faculty and staff will attend training events and professional development seminars to learn pedagogical strategies and to discuss pertinent topics enabling the effective implementation of the QEP components. Faculty and staff development engages all members of the university community in learning and attentiveness to students’ learning.

The components of the IP² program are grounded in the best practices established by the literature concerning Information Literacy and learning theory, especially for adult learners. Our goal is to create lifelong learning—one of the educational goals of Thomas University’s strategic plan—through the creation of a “habit” of seeking, evaluating, synthesizing, and sharing information in analytical and creative endeavors.