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Wallace Community College (WCC) recently announced that the Demopolis campus received its accreditation on Dec. 3, 2023. The Demopolis City Council officially acknowledged the school’s accomplishment at the Feb. 1 meeting.

President of WCC, Dr. James Mitchell, spoke before the council and said that the process of accreditation for the Demopolis campus began two years ago.

“Accreditation is a long process. It’s not something where you write a letter, and they write back and say you’re accredited. We had to go through a lot of hoops,” said Mitchell.

The accreditation process is conducted by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). It is a rigorous evaluation that assesses institutions based on various criteria such as their mission statement and integrity, support and learning for the students, resources, and leadership and governance.

Mitchell said that WCC has received a great deal of support from the Demopolis City Council when the college first opened in 2019.

“You all have really helped us with the support you have given us. The support form you made it much easier for us to go through this process,” said Mitchell.

Having the Demopolis campus accredited is highly beneficial to the area and will have a positive impact on education. Mitchell said what the accreditation means is that a student in Demopolis does not have to leave to earn a two-year degree.

“They don’t have to come to Selma to take their courses or go to another community college. They can get their two-year degree right here in Demopolis,” said Mitchell.

Demopolis Mayor Woody Collins expressed how much he and the council appreciate the efforts of Mitchell and Demopolis Campus Director Blaine Hathcock.

“You all have been an absolute pleasure to work with. Your Technical Training Center out there is amazing, and I know you put a lot of time and energy into that,” said Collins. “On behalf of the community, thank you for everything you have done. If there is anything we can do to help you, feel free to come to our council meetings.”