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Accreditation Alerts Archive
Accredited institutions and others maintaining a complete and up-to-date copy of the Standards of Accreditation should add the notices issued since July 1, 2007 to their current standards book under the Accreditation Alerts tab.
The Standards of Accreditation will be revised July 1, 2008 at which time these revisions will be incorporated into that document. The July 1, 2008 Standards of Accreditation will be available for download from the Commission’s website at www.accsct.org.
2011 ACCSC Accreditation Alerts
Recognition of Outside-of-Class Work and Preparation / Notification Requirements
The Commission is dedicated to actively staying abreast with changes in federal policy and regulations as they occur and as such ACCSC developed a process to evaluate and recognize outside of class student work and preparation in a clock hour program (see the March 25, 2011 ACCSC Accreditation Alert). While ACCSC based its process and procedure for the evaluation and recognition of out-of-class work/preparation upon its understanding of the federal regulation and upon common academic practice for such evaluations, it has since come to the Commission’s attention from the U.S. Department of Education (“the Department”) that schools may be required to use a specific formula and calculation for federal student financial aid purposes.
In order to help ensure that schools are following the Department’s interpretation, the Commission believes it is in the best interest of ACCSC-accredited schools to evaluate applications seeking recognition of outside work using the Department’s interpretation of §668.8(l).
Additionally, the Commission recently made revisions to Section IV & V, Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation pertaining to school notification requirements and promulgated those revisions in an April 22, 2011 Accreditation Alert. While the Commission has always had notification requirements for material events or circumstances that could affect the school’s operations, the purpose of the revisions was to make more clear the Commission’s expectations.
Click Here to download the October 25, 2011 Accreditation Alert.
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Revisions to the ACCSC Standards of Accreditation
Over the period of July 1, 2010 through July 1, 2011, the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (“ACCSC”) made several revisions to the Standards of Accreditation. In order to ensure that accredited institutions have complete and up-to-date knowledge of the Commission’s current requirements, a revised version of the ACCSC Standards of Accreditation dated July 1, 2011 is now available.
Click here to download the July 1, 2011 Accreditation Alert.
Click here to download the July 1, 2011 Standards of Accreditation.
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The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (“ACCSC” or “the Commission”) has made revisions and additions to the Standards of Accreditation in the following areas:
Chapter 1 - Rules of Process and Procedure:
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Section I (A), Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation – Definitions
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Section IV, Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation – Substantive Changes
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Section V (E&F), Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation – Notification Reports
Chapter 2 - Substantive Standards:
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Section IV, Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation – Student Recruitment
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Section V, Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation – Admissions Policies and Practices
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Appendix I – Accreditation Fees
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Appendix V – Recruitment and Admissions Personnel Code of Conduct
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Appendix VI – Admissions Documentation
ACCSC has clarified its policies in the following areas:
Chapter 1 - Rules of Process and Procedure:
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Section IV (D)(9), Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation – Effect of Substantive Changes
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Section VII (M)(2), Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation – Maximum Timeframes to Remedy Noncompliance and Good Cause
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Section X (E)(3), Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation – Information Sharing with Government Entities and Other Accrediting Agencies
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Section VII (C)(3)(j) & (D)(3-4), Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation – Consideration of Third-Party Information
Please refer to this Accreditation Alert for the current revised policies, procedures, and substantive standards as set forth herein. The revisions to the Rules of Process and Procedure, Appendix I – Accreditation Fees, and the policy clarifications are effective as of April 22, 2011. The revisions to Section IV and Section V, Substantive Standards (including new Appendix V & VI) are effective July 1, 2011. The Commission will issue a fully revised Standards of Accreditation document available for download on July 1, 2011.
Click here to download a PDF version of the April 22, 2011 Accreditation Alert.
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Clock-Hour-to-Credit Hour Conversion and Recognition of Work Outside of Class
During the Program Integrity Negotiated Rulemaking Session, the U.S. Department of Education (“the Department”) introduced new regulations pertaining to the conversion of clock hours to credit hours for the purposes of determining program eligibility for federal Title IV student financial aid.
In order to accommodate the new federal requirements, ACCSC has developed a process to evaluate and recognize academic work outside of class in a clock hour program.
Click here to download a PDF version of the March 25, 2011 Accreditation Alert
Please note that this Alert includes hyperlinks to the related applications/forms, including applications/forms for affiliated institutions.
Click here to access ACCSC's Forms portal.
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Guidelines for Employment Classification
ACCSC has been in discussion for some time regarding the definition of “employment” as it relates to our accreditation standards and has conducted research into the practices of other accrediting agencies and convened focus groups to discuss this topic.
The reason for these efforts has been to ensure that the Commission clearly articulates and schools fully understand the expectation for what constitutes an employed graduate in a training related field and to set forth guidelines for issues such as verification, relatedness, self-employment, and career advancement.
Click here to download a PDF version of the January 5, Accreditation Alert.
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The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (“ACCSC”) has made revisions to the Standards of Accreditation in the following areas:
Rules of Process and Procedure:
Substantive Standards:
ACCSC has also established a new policy in the following area:
Click here to download a PDF version of the January 1, 2011 Accreditation Alert.
2010
July 1, 2010
The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (“ACCSC”) has made revisions to the Standards of Accreditation in the following areas:
Rules of Process and Procedure:
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Section IV (E)(7) & (F), Rules of Process and Procedure – Teach-out Plan and Teach-out Agreement
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Section V (B)(6), Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation – Annual Report
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Section VI, Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation – Complaint Procedures
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Section VIII, Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation – Appeal of Commission Decisions
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Section X (C)(6), Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation – Notification and Information Sharing
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Section X (C)(1) and (D)(1), Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation – Notification and Disclosure of Commission Actions
Substantive Standards:
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Section I (B), Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation – Institutional Assessment and Improvement
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Section I (G), Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation – Teach-out Plan and Teach-out Agreement
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Section III (A)(2), Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation – Educational Administration
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Section V (A)(1), Admission Policies and Practices – Technical Revision
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Section IX (A)(5), Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation – Distance Education
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Appendix IV, Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation – Student Achievement Rates
The revisions are effective as of July 1, 2010.
Click here to download a PDF version of the July 1, 2010 Accreditation Alert.
The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (“ACCSCT”) has announcements and revisions to the Standards of Accreditation in the following areas
- Name Change for the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology
- Logo Design Competition: Student Winner Announcement
- Bylaws Revisions
- New Electronic Election and Ballot Process
- Schools to Be Considered List for the November 2009 Meeting Available Online
Click here to download the September 1, 2009 Accreditation Alert.
The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (“ACCSCT”) has announcements and revisions to the Standards of Accreditation in the following areas
- Name Change for the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology
- ACCSC Logo and Branding Concept Announcement
- Instructor and Graduate of the Year Nominations Available Online
Click here to download the June 2, 2009 Accreditation Alert.
The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (“ACCSCT”) has announcements and revisions to the Standards of Accreditation in the following areas:
- Commission Engages the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems to Undertake a Systematic Program of Review of the Standards of Accreditation, Sends Survey
- Grounds for Appeal – Section VIII (C)(2)(b), Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation
Click here to download the April 3, 2009 Accreditation Alert.
The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT) has announcements and revisions to the Standards of Accreditation in the following areas:
- Schools to Be Considered List for the February 2009 Meeting Available Online
- Eligibility Criteria – Section I, Rules of Process and Procedures
- Application for Accreditation – Section II, Rules of Process and Procedures
- Accreditation Fees
Click here to download the December 31, 2008 Accreditation Alert.
Click here to download a copy of the Standards of Accreditation (010109)
The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT) has announcements, reminders, and revisions to the Standards of Accreditation in the following areas:
- New Commission Monograph Available Online – Faculty Improvement Planning and Implementation (page 2)
- Schools to Be Considered List for the August 2008 Meeting Available Online (page 2)
- Instructor and Graduate of the Year Nominations Available Online (page 2)
- Electronic Submission Requirement Reminder (page 3)
- 2008 Annual Report Submission Deadline – New Due Date (page 5)
- Instructions for Financial Statements (page 6)
- Distance Education Approval Process (page 8)
- Statement on Academic Freedom (page 8)
- Statement for Working with External Consultants in the Accreditation Process (page 9)
Click Here to download a PDF version of the June 20, 2008 Accreditation Alert.
The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology has reviewed its practices, policies, and standards and has issued guidance and revisions in the following areas:
- Electronic Submission Requirements Reminder
- Transfer of Credit
- Notification and Information Sharing
Click Here to download a PDF version of the April 17, 2008 Accreditation Alert.
The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology has reviewed its practices, policies, and standards and has issued guidance and revisions in the following areas:
- Electronic Submission Requirements
- Interpretative Guidance – Final Accreditation Decisions
- Conforming and Technical Revisions to the Standards of Accreditation
Click here to download a copy of the September 18, 2007 Accreditation Alert.
Click here to download a copy of the revised Standards of Accreditation.
Click here to download a copy of the revised Instructions for Electronic Submission.
- Section IX, Distance Education, Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation
- Conforming Revisions to the Standards of Accreditation
Click here to download a copy of the July 1, 2007 Accreditation Alert.
- Rules of Process and Procedure & Restructured Standards of Accreditation
- Section II (A)(4) – Program Advisory Committee
- Section III – Educational Administration and Faculty
- Advertising of Accredited Status
- Accreditation Fees
Click Here to download a copy of the March 15, 2007 Accreditation Alert.
For additional information related to these adopted changes, please contact Michale S. McComis, Associate Executive Director, at (703) 247-4520, or via email at mccomis@accsct.org.
- Section II (A)(1) – Program Length
- Section II (A)(2) – Program Organization
- Section II (A)(6) – Externships
- Section VI – Student Services
- Section VII (C) – Student Achievement Standard
As of February 15, 2006, the Commission has also amended the Standards of Accreditation as appropriate in the following areas:
- Required Rates of Student Achievement
- Maximum Timeframes for Achieving Compliance
- Interpretative Guidance – Faculty Qualification Requirements for General Education Faculty
Click here to download an updated copy of the Standards of Accreditation.
September 30, 2005
- ACCSCT Support for Schools Impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
September 30, 2005
July 1, 2005
- Section X and Accreditation Reviews – Separate Facility Standards
- Section VIII – Management Standards
- Accreditation Process and Procedures – Maximum First Term Grant of Accreditation
March 17, 2005
- Section V – Admissions Documentation
- Definition of Gross Tuition
- Submission of Materials in English
December 14, 2004
- Section II (A)(5) – Learning Resource System
- Section II (B)(4) – Master’s Degree Standards
- Section IV (B) – Catalog Requirements
- Section III (B)(3) – Faculty Qualifications (Interpretive Guidance)
March 17, 2004 B
- Section III (A)(7) & III (B)(4) – Faculty Qualifications
- Section IV (D) – Advertising
- Section VII (C) – Student Achievement
- Section X – Separate Facilities
- Section XI – Statement of Purpose, Distance Education
- Accreditation Overview – Accreditation Fees
March 17, 2004 A
- Submission of Sustaining Fees
- ACCSCT Sustaining Fee Calculation Worksheet
- Instructions for the Submission of Financial Statements and Financial Reporting
- Financial Statement Analysis Form
July 10, 2003
March 21, 2003
- Accreditation Overview Section –Waivers
- Process and Procedures Section of the Standards of Accreditation – Probation
- Section VII (B) – Satisfactory Progress Policy Standards
- Accreditation Reviews Section of the Standards of Accreditation
September 26, 2003
- Section III – Faculty
- Section IV – Student Recruitment
June 14, 2002
- Section II & Section V - Admissions Policies
- Section I - Criteria For Eligibility
- Catalog Disclosure Requirements
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