ACCSC Webinar Series: A Conversation with the Executive DirectorNovember 28, 2012

Dr. Michale S. McComis

Executive Director

Christopher LambertAssociate Executive

Director

• There may be a slight pause between slide transitions• The slideshow is interactive

• Includes hyperlinks to various websites, forms, and Alerts referenced in the webinar.

• Please feel free to ask your questions by typing them into the webinar platform system. • Staff will do our very best to answer all questions, either

during, or after, the webinar.• If you have an “institution specific” question, for example

on your credit hour calculations, engaging with staff offline via email/phone is the best scenario.

• A copy of the webinar will be made available at www.accsc.org under Events/ Webinars Section• Yes, a copy of the slides will be made available online as

well.• Provide this information to your staff for ongoing training

and development.

 

Webinar Logistics

• An update on the Commission’s External Affairs Activities

• An update on Organizational Initiatives

• Revisions and Proposed Revisions to the Standards of Accreditation

Agenda

External AffairsUpdate

Reauthorization of Higher Education Act Strategic Planning Session•Sponsored by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation•Named by National Accreditors and Designated Representative to CHEA

• First Meeting

California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools Annual Conference•Break-out Session: Accreditation as a Blueprint for Institutional Success•Panel Discussion: Accreditor’s Perspectives

Career Colleges and Schools of Texas Annual Conference • ACCSC Member Forum• Invitation from incoming Chair, Mary Cano, Western Technical College (ACCSC-accredited) – Dinner with Sen. Royce West (D-Texas State Senate)

 

External Affairs Update

On the Road…

Attending the APSCU Symposium•December 5-7, 2012 – Washington DC

• ACCSC will be in attendance on December 6th

Maryland Association of Private Colleges and Career Schools Annual Conference•December 6-7, 2012 – Baltimore•ACCSC to participate in Accrediting Agency Panel Discussion on December 6th

National Advisory Committee for Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) Fall 2012 Meeting•December 11-12, 2012 – Washington, DC•ACCSC in attendance

 

External Affairs Update

Organizational Activities

• Call for Commissioner Nominations• 2 School Commissioners for terms to begin 07.01.13 and to

end 06.30.17• 1 Public Commissioner for a term to begin 07.01.13 and to

end 06.30.17 • 1 School Commissioner for a term to begin on 07.01.13 and to

end 6.30.14

• 2012 Annual Report Deadline• As of today, November 28, 2012, 99% submission

(756 of 761)

• Deadline for Implementation of the Definition of a Credit HourAs stated in the April 13, 2012 Accreditation Alert the

deadline for implementing the Commission’s new definition of a credit hour is no later than December 31, 2012.

Organizational Activities

Credit Hour Resources

• April 13, 2012 Accreditation Alert• Read about the Commission’s Definition of a Credit Hour• Read about the program approval process• Read about the approval process for avocational/continuing education programs.

• April 30, 2012 Webinar• Hear from ACCSC’s Executive Director as he explains the Commission’s Definition of a Credit Hour, the approval process, expectations, and some interesting questions from the membership.• Under Events / Webinars at www.accsc.org

• Contact ACCSC• Engage with the Commission’s staff regarding any questions you have with respect to the application of the Commission’s Definition of a Credit Hour.

766 accredited institutions

•Membership Services• 173 participants at ACCSC workshops in 2012• 212 participants at the 2012 PDC• 1000+ at ACCSC Webinars

•Accreditation• On schedule for 314 on-site evaluations in calendar

year 2012

•Institutional Review and Development• 490 Substantive Change Applications • 93% of these applications have been approved

(464/490)

•Operations• Successful 2012 Audit

3Q Activity Report

Staff Changes

•Associate Executive Director• Christopher Lambert (1996)• As of November 1, 2012

•Director of Membership Services• Karen Marcinski (2004)• As of January 1, 2013

•Open Positions• New – Manager of Institutional Review• New – Manager of Institutional Development• New – Institutional Review Assistant• New – Volunteer Coordinator• Accreditation Coordinators

Organizational Activities

Proposed Revisions to the Standards of Accreditation

December 2012Call for Comment

Transparency in AccreditationA common buzzword in the policy community relative

to the role of accreditation is “transparency” and the need for more of it.

In common parlance this means that accreditors should share more about their processes and actions as a means to:

•Demystify and explain accreditation in a manner which enhances the public’s understanding of the key concepts and fundamental tenants of accreditation;

•Enhance the public’s understanding about the quality of an institution vis-a-vis its accredited status; and

•Promote and ensure the sharing of information amongst all members of the regulatory “triad 

Transparency in Accreditation

The December Call for Comment will include the Commission’s proposal regarding the requirement for accredited institutions to disclose graduation rates, graduate employment rates, and information regarding Commission actions.

Upon the consideration of any written comments, suggestions, or recommendations received, the Commission may: •Elect to adopt a revised standard as proposed, •Adopt the standard with revisions, •Defer action for further study and consideration, or •Reject the proposed standard.

Revisions to the Standards of Accreditation

October 25, 2012Accreditation Alert

October 25, 2012 Accreditation Alert

• Section IV(D)(9), Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation - Effect of Substantive Changes

• Appendix IV, Faculty Qualification Provisions, Standards of Accreditation - Faculty Grandfathering Provision

• Section V(A)(4)(a-b), Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation - Admissions Documentation

Section IV(D)(9), Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation - Effect of Substantive Changes

In an April 22, 2011 Accreditation Alert, the Commission issued a policy clarification for the purposes of formalizing ACCSC’s parameters around when a substantive change requires a total re-evaluation. The Commission has incorporated this policy clarification part of the Rules of Process and Procedures, has revised Section IV (D)(9), Rules of Process and Procedure

Effect of Substantive Changes: Proposed changes to a school may be so substantial that the Commission may conclude that the school must undergo a total re-evaluation in order to ensure the sufficient continuity of the accredited school and that the school maintains continuous compliance with accrediting standards.

Appendix IV, Faculty Qualification Provisions, Standards of Accreditation - Faculty Grandfathering Provision

On March 17, 2004, ACCSC issued an Accreditation Alert modifying its faculty qualification standards. In so doing, the Commission also established grandfathering provisions (now found in Appendix IV) that allows faculty hired prior to April 1, 2004 to meet the Commission’s pre-March 17, 2004 requirements.

•As part of its review of the Standards of Accreditation, the Commission concluded that a sufficient amount of time has passed such that the grandfathering provisions can be removed from the Standards of Accreditation.•The phase-out process of the faculty grandfathering provisions begins immediately and the provision will be removed from the Standards of Accreditation as of July 1, 2014.

Section V(A)(4)(a-b), Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation - Admissions Documentation

Background

•In late 2010, the Commission formed a Recruiting and Admissions Special Task Force to, among other things, conduct a comprehensive review of the Commission’s recruitment, advertising, and admissions standards under Section IV & Section V, Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation and to make recommendations for appropriate changes.

•The Special Task Force took up this charge and earnestly evaluated the Commission’s standards in light of the findings put forth in a Government Accountability Office report as well as the findings of several on-site evaluations conducted by ACCSC teams for the sole purpose of assessing recruiting and admissions practices in ACCSC-accredited institutions.

Section V(A)(4)(a-b), Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation - Admissions Documentation

Background

•The Special Task Force, after considerable review and discussion, recommended several changes to the Commission’s recruiting, advertising, and admissions standards to include a recommendation that the Commission require documentation that a student meets a school’s admissions criteria “prior to enrollment.”

•The full Commission reviewed the recommendations and specifically discussed the “prior to enrollment” provision and accepted the proposed revisions concluding that schools would have an opportunity to provide comments on the proposal prior to promulgation. The Commission sent the proposal to all ACCSC member schools in a Call for Comment dated December 20, 2010.

Section V(A)(4)(a-b), Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation - Admissions Documentation

Since the new language went into effect on April 22, 2011, institutions have requested further clarification of the Commission’s expectation pertaining to what “prior to enrollment” means practically.

The Commission believes that it is the responsibility of each school to make a determination that a student meets the school’s admissions criteria prior to that student beginning a program of study as a means to ensure that the student can perform the level of work required by the program curricula.

The fundamental rationale is that admissions criteria are a key and front-line indicator of a potential student’s ability to be successful in a program and as such a school should not admit students to a program of study until the potential students can show that those qualifications have been met.

Section V(A)(4)(a-b), Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation - Admissions Documentation

As such, the Commission has interpreted that “prior to enrollment” in the context of Section V (A)(4)(a-b) means prior to the acceptance of the student through the full execution of the enrollment agreement (e.g., signed by the accepting school official) and before allowing a student to start classes.

As a practical matter, the Commission concluded that a student may sign an enrollment agreement and a school may communicate conditional or provisional acceptance of a student prior to receipt of documentation1 that admissions criteria have been met.

However, a school may not consider a student fully enrolled and may not allow a student to start classes without the requisite documentation.

Online Member Forum:Questions & Answers

ACCSC Webinar Series: A Conversation with the Executive DirectorNovember 28, 2012

Dr. Michale S. McComis

Executive Director

Christopher LambertAssociate Executive

Director