Institutional Change and Accreditation Status

The Commission recognizes that change at institutions of higher learning is constant and it supports change to improve educational quality. The Commission has defined specific conditions under which the institution needs to obtain authorization before implementing changes because they may affect accreditation.

Commission Policies on Institutional Change

The different categories for change and the requirements for institutions related to these changes are detailed in the Overview of Commission Policies and Procedures for Institutional Changes Requiring Commission Notification or Approval.

In June 2010, the Commission’s Board of Trustees approved new and updated policies on substantive change. The Commission also has a number of policies that were created specifically to address requirements from the U.S. Department of Education.

An institution’s Statement of Affiliation Status (SAS) identifies any stipulations that may affect the institutional change process. An SAS may be accessed in the Institution Directory.

Note to AQIP Institutions
All institutions participating in AQIP for the purpose of maintaining accreditation are obligated to follow the Commission’s change policies and processes.

Procedure Overview

Any affiliated institution may request at any time Commission review of changes it plans to introduce. The only institutions limited in this regard are those appealing a decision of the Commission. The change process can take anywhere from ninety days to eight months depending on the breadth of the change and the appropriate approval process.

Based on the category of change, the institution may be required to receive Prior Commission Approval, submit Notification to the Commission, or participate in the Notification Program for Additional Locations if the institution has received Commission permission.

Changes requiring Commission notification. Currently institutions will notify the Commission of these changes through the Annual Institutional Data Update (AIDU) or through scheduled Commission evaluations.

Changes requiring prior Commission approval. Institutions submitting change requests through September 1, 2010, may choose to follow the Commission’s new document requirements (see the forms below), or they may choose to follow the six question format currently in use.

After September 1, 2010, all change requests must follow the new process and document requirements unless other specific arrangements have been made with the Commission.

New forms are available for:
Program Change Application
Certificate Programs Application (the form will explain those certificates that need to be reviewed for approval and those that need no separate approval. Screenshots of the complete application are available.)
Branch Campuses and Additional Locations Application
Distance Delivery Application
Contractual or Consortial Arrangements in Delivering One or More Existing Programs Applicaton (Note: the institution should contact the Commission staff liaison regarding contractual programs where more than 50 % of any educational program is outsourced to the other party)

Forms will be available in mid-August for:
Teach Out of an Existing Location or Branch Campus
Change in Clock or Credit Hours
Course Locations Out-of-State and Outside the United States

Institutions that have been approved for the Notification Program for Additional Locations can log in to the MACRO System.

Change of Control Requests
Requests related to Change of Control, Structure, or Organization follow a separate process and require a different type of documentation and a different fee schedule. Institutions considering this type of change should write to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Fees
Most change processes are subject to a fee. Visit the 2011 Fee Schedule for questions about the costs attributed to the Institutional Change process.

Approval Process of Change Requests
Once an institution notifies the Commission about specific aspects of its planning and submits a change request to that effect, the Commission determines the appropriate process under which the request will be evaluated. The process options are detailed in the Overview of Commission Policies and Procedures for Institutional Changes Requiring Commission Notification or Approval.

Questions
For more information on policies or on how to submit a change request, institutions should send a query to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it