ACCREDITATION - SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

FOR INITIATION OF OFF-CAMPUS PROGRAMS & DISTANCE LEARNING ACTIVITIES INTRODUCTION The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accredits an entire institution and not individual programs or other substantive changes to the institution. It is responsible for reviewing all major institutional changes which occur between scheduled evaluation periods, determining whether or not the substantive change has affected the quality of the total institution, and deciding whether or not to maintain the institution’s accreditation when it finds that the substantive change has eroded the quality of the institution. Therefore, prior to the implementation of a substantive change, it is the responsibility of an institution to follow the Substantive Change Procedures of the Commission and inform the Commission of such change in accord with those procedures. The Commission on Colleges is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an agency whose accreditation enables its member institutions to seek eligibility to participate in Title IV programs. To maintain its recognition with the Department of Education. The Commission is required to adhere to all federal laws and regulations associated with its recognized status. In accordance with Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 34, Section 602.27 (b), the Commission on Colleges must include in its policies provisions requiring prior approval of branch campuses, and similar off-campus programs and distance learning activities, before the Commission may extend the institution’s accreditation. NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES (top) The institution should follow Substantive Change C: Procedure Two when the definition of an off-campus program, or distance learning program includes the following: That educational process that occurs when instruction is delivered to students physically remote form the main campus, the location or campus of program origin, or the primary resources that support instruction. In this process, the requirements for a course or program may be completed through face-to-face interactions and/or through remote communications with instructional and support staff including either on-way or two-way written, electronic, or other media forms. When the method or location of distance learning instruction is significantly different, or when an institution has significantly expanded its off-campus programs or distance learning activities from those that were reviewed as part of the most recent official accreditation action of the Commission, the procedures described in this document apply. An institution must report the when the number of credits offered in the degree program exceeds 50%. Any institution planning a substantive change should carefully review the "SACS Criteria for Accreditation." The Criteria apply to all institutional programs and services wherever they are located or however they are delivered. All changes must be in complete accord with the Criteria. NOTIFICATIONS AND DEADLINES (top) The President must provide a written "Notification Letter" detailing the change to the Executive Director six months in advance of implementation of the substantive change. Upon notification, the Commission staff member will ask the institution to submit a completed prospectus, if one has not previously been submitted. The prospectus must be submitted at least three months in advance to allow for ample time for review and approval. Without such approval, the institution may not implement its substantive change. Programs to be offered outside of the United States should follow policy "13.11 Procedures for Initiating International Programs and Activities," in the Academic Affairs Policies and Procedures Manual. NOTIFICATION LETTER (top) This should be a succinct two to three page statement of our intentions written in a language understandable to an outside reader. The letter is sent by the President to SACS. The University Accreditation Officer works with the program director to develop the letter. The letter should contain the following: 1. General statement of degree, where, when. 2. Degree: Not new degree, offered since –. 3. Where: Town, City, Country. If local, miles from UP or NC. 4. With Whom: Institution/University/Corporation. 5. When: Course to begin —. Length of degree for students. 6. Who: Targeted group, needs. 7. How it fits into University, college, department mission, vision, goals, and especially University academic themes. 8. Teaching Methodology: Face to face, Internet, video. Percentage of curriculum? Classroom, internships, trips, guest speakers, etc. Language taught in. 9. Student Enrollments: numbers, cohorts or on-going. Anticipated length of program. 10. Any differences in admission and or graduation requirement. 11. Faculty: Regular faculty, adjuncts, etc. 12. Faculty qualifications: Are quality faculty available that meet SACS criteria for level. (Bachelors, masters, doctoral.) 13. Affiliation/Collaboration with other Institutions: Consortia Relationship with other educational institution or Contract Agreement with organization (SACS Criteria 4.9) 14. Finances/Sponsorship: Government grants or initiatives, corporate sponsors. Tuition plus fees, Sponsored Credit. (Use understandable words) 15. Facilities: Buildings, classrooms, faculty offices. 16. Learning resources: Libraries, computers, computer networks. 17. Support Services: Admission, registration, advising, orientation, etc. 18. Ways to monitor and ensure quality of courses, instruction and program as a whole: evaluation methods, instruments, who is responsible for implementation, how results will be used to make improvements. External evaluation of entire off-campus program is recommended every three years. (How will achievement of the faculty defined student outcomes for the degree be documented as comparable to on-campus program?) SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE PROSPECTUS OUTLINE (top) A. The nature of the change, including an assessment of need B. The relationship of the academic program to institutional purpose and mission C. The location (s) where the academic program or distance learning activities are offered, including group sites and geographical areas of individual access. For each location where the distance learning activity is being offered by technology-based instruction (TBI), the delivery system (S) being used at each site should be identified. Include any arrangements the institution has made with other entities to deliver instruction via TBI; e.g., broadcast television, cable television, ITFS, compressed video, satellite systems, computer systems, and recorded media D. Means used by the institution to monitor and ensure the quality of the overall academic program(s) delivered to the site (s). This description must include (1) the planning process (2) procedures for systematic evaluation of instructional results (3) the process for monitoring and evaluating programs at the new site (s) (4) any differences in admission or graduation requirements for students enrolled at the new site (s) (5) any special arrangements for grading, transcripts, or transfer credit policies E. If the institution acquires any or all of its instructional materials from another organization or institution describe the: procedures to identify and evaluate the selection of instructional materials process to edit or adapt acquired materials resources of the institution to supplemental materials the accreditation status of the organization/institution with which contractual or other arrangements were made F. Information concerning the institution's faculty and personnel involved in the development and presentation of academic programs: the selection of course content the qualifications of faculty teaching at the new site (s) using the attached "roster of Instructional Staff" form to list faculty member involved in preparing/presenting instructional material and their qualifications (Provide an explanation if the criteria for faculty teaching in the new distance learning program are not comparable to those for faculty teaching a similar course on campus.) procedures for the evaluation of teaching faculty the policy on faculty teaching load G. Arrangements made to provide learning resources and services of an appropriate breadth and quality to students; e.g., mailing of materials, arrangements for accessing library resources and services, use of computerized data banks, student purchases of resource materials, and other information made available to students H. Means by which the institution provides support services for students enrolled at the site(s): e.g., the areas of admissions, skills assessment, course registration, records maintenance, academic advising, counseling, etc. I. Contractual or other arrangements for the sue of support services provided by other institutions or organizations J. The institution's organizational structure for the administration of the new academic programs or site (s) (Note any special administrative arrangements for the delivery of technology based instruction.) K. Financial resources required to support the change, together with information on how such resources have been secured, projected revenues and expenditures and cash flow, and the amount of resources going to institutions or organizations providing contractual instruction or support services (include a specific budget for the first year of course offerings of the distance learning activities). SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE VISIT (top) After receiving the submitted prospectus, the SACS Officer will begin to organize a Substantive Change Committee to visit the institution within six months of the establishment of the program. The report of the Substantive Change Committee, together with the response of the institution to the recommendations contained in that report, will be reviewed by the SACS Committee on Criteria and Reports. The Committee on Criteria and Reports may continue the institution in accreditation, with or without a progress report, with or without sanctions of Notice, Warning, or Probation. When a Substantive Change Committee is involved, all final decisions regarding the accreditation status of an institution will be made by the Commission on Colleges. Substantive changes will not normally affect the cycle of reaffirmation of accreditation. An institution may discontinue its substantive change at any time during the process. Denial of approval of a substantive change Cannot be appealed. An institution which fails to gain approval of the substantive change may re-submit a revised prospectus following the guidelines and time frames described in this procedure. BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS (top) As with all committee visits it is the policy of the Commission on Colleges that the institution being reviewed bear the travel, meals and lodging expenses of the visiting committee and the accompanying Commission staff representative $100 miscellaneous expenses for the chair and $50 for each committee member and any clerical expenses. A line item in your budget should be for "SACS Visit." This should include the above expenses for two SACS visiting committee members, a SACS staff member, and if it is a non-local site, then it should include the costs for a University Officer to accompany the SACS visitors. Another line item should be "Program Evaluation." This should include funding for assistance to conduct the program assessment and evaluation, to analyze and report the results on a yearly basis. To reduce bias, analysis and reporting should be conducted by persons outside the College or School. It is recommended that an external review of the program by two visitors take place every three years following the SACS site visit.