William G. Cale, Jr. President

On behalf of the University of North Alabama’s faculty, staff, and students, welcome to our reaffirmation website.  Through this portal we present the documentation assembled in support of our application for reaffirmation of accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. We hope that our materials have been organized in a way that is easy to use and to understand. The documentation presented serves as evidence of the University’s compliance with SACS Core Requirements, Comprehensive Standards, and Federal Requirements.

UNA traces its history to 1830 when LaGrange College began its educational mission in Colbert County, Alabama. The Methodist school became the first charted college in Alabama and in 1854 relocated to its present site in Florence, Alabama. The college was renamed Florence Wesleyan until it was deeded over to the State in 1872 and became the State Normal School at Florence. Soon thereafter it became the first coeducational school in the nation, and in 1879 the first female professor joined the faculty. In 1929 the normal school became Florence State Teachers College and four-year degrees began to be offered. There followed three other name changes as the curriculum expanded and the school grew: Florence State College, 1957; Florence State University, 1967; and the University of North Alabama, 1974. UNA was first accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1934 and was last reaffirmed in 2002.

UNA’s rich traditions continue today, with an emphasis on excellence in academics and quality programs throughout. The reaffirmation experience is an opportunity for us to examine ourselves and to insure that we continue to fulfill our purpose, meeting the educational needs of a diverse population of students while contributing in a multitude of ways to the economic, cultural, and civic growth of Northwest Alabama.

Sincerely yours,

William G. Cale, Jr.

President