Each of the Dallas County Community College District’s seven colleges — Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake and Richland — is individually accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097; telephone: 404-679-4501) to award the associate degree. The official statement of accreditation for each college is published on the college’s accreditation Web page.
The three-fold purpose for publishing the Commission’s address and contact numbers is to enable interested constituents (1) to learn about the accreditation status of the college, (2) to file a third-party comment at the time of the college’s decennial review or (3) to file a complaint against the college for alleged noncompliance with a standard or requirement.
Normal inquiries about the college, such as admission requirements, financial aid, educational programs, etc., should be addressed directly to the college and not to the Commission’s office.
In addition to regional accreditation, numerous instructional programs of the colleges have earned accreditation from national and state agencies, industry councils and/or professional associations.
Why Is Accreditation Important?
Being accredited means that a college has met certain standards of quality set by an independent accrediting agency. Attending an accredited institution is the best way to ensure your degree (and all the hard work that went into it) will be recognized by other colleges and universities when you transfer and by future employers. Federal financial aid is only available to students of accredited colleges and universities.
DCCCD Membership in Higher Education Associations
All seven DCCCD colleges also are members of the American Association of Community Colleges, the Association of Texas Colleges and Universities (formerly the college section of the Texas State Teachers Association) and the League for Innovation in the Community College.