PWS 2 3 - 2010 Federal HB 2-25-10 FINAL w Covers.pdf

Council on Occupational Education

Handbook of Accreditation for Federal Institutions:

2010 Edition

COUNCIL ON OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION

41 Perimeter Center East, NE, Suite 640, Atlanta, GA 30346

(770) 396-3898 or (800) 917-2081 Facsimile (770) 396-3790 www.council.org

Note to the Reader:

Sections II. Through V. of this Handbook contain conditions that must be met by member institutions and, in most cases, are stated in terms of “shall”, “will”, and “must”. These requirements are indicated in bold.

Section VI. contains accreditation standards, objectives, and criteria. Within this section, each criterion listed under the eleven standards is a requirement for acquiring and maintaining accreditation.

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HANDBOOK OF ACCREDITATION

FOR FEDERAL INSTITUTIONS

Section Page

I. The Role and Value of Accreditation

II. Development of COE Accreditation A. History B. Core Values C. Mission, Goals, and Objectives of the Council D. Council Membership E. Innovation

III. Affiliation with COE A. Candidate for Accreditation

1. Meaning of Candidate Status

2. Eligibility Requirements

3. Award of Candidate Status

4. Annual Renewal of Candidate Status B. Accreditation

1. Eligibility Requirements

2. Alternate Procedure for Acquiring Initial Accreditation

3. Annual Renewal of Accreditation

4. Reaffirmation of Accreditation

IV. The Accreditation Process A. The Self-Study B. The Site Visit C. Institutional Response Report D. Annual Documentation Required for Renewal of Candidacy or Accreditation E. Commission Action

1. Possible Commission Decisions

2. Appearance before the Commission

3. Appealable Actions

4. Resolution of Disagreements

V. Obligations of Affiliation A. Administrative Obligations

1. Accreditation Liaison Officer

2. Official Communications

3. Requested Report or Documentation

4. Confidentiality of Materials

5. Maintenance of Accreditation File

6. Publication of Status with the Commission

7. Voluntary Withdrawal of Status by the Institution

Handbook of Accreditation for Federal Institutions - iii

Section Page

8. Payment of Dues and Fees

a. Dues for Candidates for Accreditation

b. Dues for Candidate and Accredited Institutions

c. Full-Time Equivalent

d. Cost of Institutional Evaluations

e. Fees

f. Penalties

g. Deposits B. Substantive Obligations

1. Institution’s Relationship with the Council

a. Institutional Ethics and Integrity

b. Maintaining Eligibility Requirements

c. Reports

d. Comprehensive Review for Continuation of Accreditation

e. Focused Team Evaluation

f. Substantive and Other Changes

g. Non-Main Campus Sites

h. Change of a Branch to a Main Campus

i. Change of Location

j. Closure, Recombination through Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)

2. Institution’s Relationships with Other Constituencies

a. Recruitment

b. Advertising/Marketing

c. Contractual Arrangements

d. Complaints

3. Institutional Relationships to Federal Requirements Applicable to Accreditation

a. Requirements Applicable to Applicants for Candidacy or Accreditation

b. Requirements Applicable to the Commission

c. Non-Discriminatory Policy of the Council

VI. Accreditation Standards, Objectives, and Criteria Standard One: Institutional Mission Standard Two: Educational Programs Standard Three: Program and Institutional Outcomes Standard Four: Strategic Planning Standard Five: Learning Resources Standard Six: Physical Resources Standard Seven: Financial Resources Standard Eight: Human Resources Standard Nine: Organizational Structure Standard Ten: Student Services and Activities Standard Eleven: Distance Education

VII. Definitions iv – Council on Occupational Education

Handbook of Accreditation for Federal Institutions - 1

SECTION I.

The Role and Value of Accreditation

Accreditation is a status granted to an educational institution or program that has been found to meet or exceed stated criteria of educational quality. Accreditation emerged in the United States in the late 1800s as a voluntary peer review process that was initiated by educational institutions to assure quality in par-ticular types of institutions (e.g., colleges, high schools, and subsequently other types of institutions). In contrast, accreditation is generally unknown in other countries of the world because they rely on govern-ment supervision and control of educational institutions. The record of accomplishment and outstanding success in the education of Americans can be traced in large part to the reluctance of the United States to impose governmental restrictions on institutions of postsecondary education, and to the success of the voluntary system of accreditation in promoting quality without inhibiting innovation. In the United States, accreditation is voluntarily sought by institutions and programs and is generally conferred by *non-gov-ernmental agencies.

Accreditation has two fundamental purposes: (1) to assure the quality of the institution or program and (2) to assist in the improvement of the institution or program. Accreditation applies to institutions or pro-grams, and is distinguished from certifi cation and licensure which apply to individuals.

Bodies which conduct programmatic or specialized accreditation are national in scope and focus attention on a program within a postsecondary institution preparing students for a profession or occupation.

Bodies which conduct institutional accreditation are national or regional in scope, and consider the char-acteristics of whole institutions. For this reason, an institutional accrediting body gives attention not only to the educational offerings of the institutions it accredits, but to such other institutional characteristics as student personnel services, fi nancial status, administrative structure, facilities, and equipment. The Coun-cil on Occupational Education is a national institutional accrediting agency.

* The sole exception to accreditation for degree-granting higher education institutions being conferred by “non-governmental agencies” is the New York State Board of Regents, which is the oldest accredit-ing body in the United States. In addition, there are several state agencies that are recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as “state approval agencies” which confer “accreditation-like” status upon certain public, non-degree, postsecondary, career and technical education institutions.

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SECTION II.

Development of COE Accreditation

A fundamental tenet of a democratic society is that all individuals should have an opportunity to receive an education commensurate with their personal abilities and ambitions. For the vast majority of Americans, this means that the educational system must provide for (1) the acquisition of competencies that will lead to gainful employment in various occupational fi elds and (2) the continuing education nec-essary as technological advances place new demands on workers.

A. History

The Council on Occupational Education (hereinafter referred to as the Council or COE) came into exis-tence initially in 1971 as the Commission on Occupational Education Institutions (COEI) of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), a regional accrediting association that serves institutions in an 11-state region. Operating as a unit of SACS, COEI provided accreditation services to postsecondary occupational education institutions located, with a few special exceptions, in the SACS region.

In preparation for assuming a national scope, the Council was incorporated as a non-profi t education organization under laws of the State of Georgia in June 1994. At the end of June 1995, the Council be-came a fully operational agency when all assets (staff, physical resources, and fi nancial resources) and the membership of COEI were transferred from SACS to the Council. The Commission composed of 19 members functions as the governing board and the decision-making body for all accreditation actions of the Council.

Throughout its history, the Council and its predecessor agency have been recognized by the U.S. Secre-tary of Education as a reliable authority on the quality of education offered by the institutions it has ac-credited. Its current scope of recognition is as a national institutional accrediting agency for the accredita-tion of non-degree-granting and applied associate degree-granting postsecondary occupational education institutions.

The Commission AdHoc Committee on Strategic Planning at its June 2008 meeting recognized the need for fl exibility and customization of standards for non-Title IV institutions. This need had been document-ed through the Council’s experience of accrediting federal institutions since its inception. Hence, one of the recommendations of the committee was to develop accreditation standards for federal institutions.

Through the work of the Federal Institutions’ Community of Practice, and on the recommendation of the Council Committee on Standards and the Accrediting Commission of the Council, the new Handbook of Accreditation for Federal Institutions was adopted at the business meeting of the Council by the delegates on November 7, 2009.

B. Core Values

On November 8, 2008 the delegates at the Council’s annual meeting adopted the core values listed below.

The core values provide the foundation for the Council’s mission, goals, and objectives.

1. Trustworthiness - In the context of COE accreditation, trustworthiness is the metaphorical equivalent to having a good credit score. It denotes honesty, integrity, and reliability.

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2. Transparency - It implies openness, communication and clear visibility. There should be nothing secretive or mystical about an accreditation process or status.

3. Accountability - It implies being answerable and liable. Such institutions are responsible to students, regulatory agencies and business and industry.

4. Commitment - It requires the dedication of institutions, volunteers, Commissioners and staff.

It denotes allegiance, loyalty, and obligation.

5. Flexibility - It is the ability to adapt to both internal and external market changes while maintaining core values. It implies resilience and being open to modifi cation and change.

6. Planning - It should be a blueprint for expectations for the future. It should address the expanded learning economy, student preparedness, and cultural understanding.

7. Sharing - It involves making cooperative use of resources and best practices. It can be accomplished through institutional collaborations and communities of practice.

C. Mission, Goals, and Objectives of the Council

As articulated by its membership, the mission of the Council is “assuring quality and integrity in career and technical education.” The goals that represent the signifi cant values and purposes to which the Coun-cil is dedicated are the following:

1. To offer public assurance that accredited educational institutions provide quality instruction in career and technical education that facilitates learning by students and meeting the needs of the labor market.

2. To provide guidance to institutions for the continual improvement of their educational offer-ings and related activities.

3. To promote high ethical and educational standards for career and technical education.

4. To enhance public understanding of career and technical education providers and of the value of the education and the credentials offered by these providers.

5. To ensure that the accreditation process validates the achievement of learning and program objectives.

These goals embrace a commitment to integrity and credibility that are intended to result in accredita-tion by the Council being viewed as a nationally-honored seal of excellence for occupational education institutions. Through its accreditation process, the Council seeks to stimulate the following: (1) validation of job skills; (2) certifi cation of skills for local, state, regional, and national application; (3) portability of skill credentials; (4) placement of graduates in jobs related to preparation received; (5) facilitation of partnerships and consortia through which the United States can continue to compete successfully in the global economy; and (6) linkages among employers, policymakers, business and industry, labor, and other parties with vital interests in technical education.

Handbook of Accreditation for Federal Institutions - 5

The mission and goals of the Council provide the framework from which the objectives of COE as an ac-crediting agency are derived. These objectives are the following:

1. To foster excellence in the fi eld of career and technical education by establishing standards and guidelines for evaluating institutional effectiveness.

2. To encourage institutions to view self-assessment and evaluation as a continuous quality improvement process.

3. To provide counsel and assistance to established and developing institutions, disseminating information between and among institutions that will stimulate improvement of educational programs and related activities.

4. To ensure that the standards, policies, and procedures developed demonstrate recognition of and respect for the diversity of institutional missions.

5. To ensure that the standards, policies, and procedures developed advance quality, creativity, cooperation, and performance.

6. To require, as an integral part of the accrediting process, an institutional self-assessment that is analytical and evaluative and an on-site review by a visiting team of peers.

7. To ensure that the processes of evaluation, policy-making, decision-making, and public par-ticipation accommodate the interests of the constituencies affected by the accrediting agency.

8. To publish and otherwise make publicly available the (a) names of candidate and accredited institutions, (b) names and affi liations of members of its policy and decision-making bodies, and (c) names of its principal administrative personnel.

D. Council Membership

Membership in the Council is achieved through a process whereby an institution elects on a voluntary basis to seek affi liation with the Council. The institution seeks initial affi liation with the Council as a candidate for accreditation, which is followed by an extensive self-assessment and, where necessary, self-improvement effort to demonstrate compliance with the Council’s standards and criteria on educational quality for occupational education institutions. Membership in the Council is achieved and maintained by institutions through the granting of accreditation or reaffi rmation of accreditation by the Commission of the Council.

Accreditation is a status of recognition that is granted to an institution which complies with the eligibility requirements, standards, procedures, and obligations adopted by the member institutions of the Council.

Accreditation does not certify that every facet of an institution is of equal quality, but it does indicate that no part of the institution is so weak that the educational effectiveness of the institution as a whole and its services to students will be undermined.

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E. Innovation

The Commission welcomes and encourages perceptive and imaginative experimentation which aims at in-creasing the effectiveness of the institution. The Commission is cognizant that special requirements may pertain to some institutions; but these requirements should not be permitted to inhibit new approaches and emphases in educational programs. The Commission insists, however, that such innovative approaches be consistent with the institution’s mission and goals, as well as with the mission, goals, and objectives of the Council. Where an innovative or experimental program may be at variance with one or more accredita-tion criteria of the Council, the institution must request Commission concurrence prior to implementation of the innovation. Such concurrence shall be based upon the institution’s ability:

1. To identify the specifi c criteria that cannot be applied to the innovation, as well as its (their) related objectives.

2. To propose alternate ways to assess the effectiveness of the innovation in achieving the objec-tives which are related to the criteria that cannot be applied to the innovation.

Handbook of Accreditation for Federal Institutions - 7

SECTION III.

Affi liation with COE

Federal institutions may affi liate with the Council by becoming a candidate for accreditation or achiev-ing and maintaining accreditation. These two types of affi liation are described below.

A. Candidate for Accreditation

1. Meaning of Candidate Status

Candidate for Accreditation is a pre-accreditation status of an institution actively seeking accreditation by the Commission. During the period of candidacy, the institution is involved in the process of self-study and planning for a team visit. Once an institution has been approved as a candidate, the institution has status with the Council and must notify the Commission of any changes as specifi ed below under Section V.B.1.f. Substantive and Other Changes. Candidate status does not imply accreditation of an institution.

The institution must not use its candidate status in any way to imply, publicly or privately, that candidate status with the Council denotes approval of its programs or accreditation of the institution by the Com-mission.

2. Eligibility Requirements

Each Federal occupational education/training institution (university, college, school, center, unit, or other entity) applying for affi liation with the Council must initially demonstrate that it satisfi es each of the re-quirements enumerated below. Taken together, these requirements defi ne the kind of educational organiza-tion that the Council considers a part of its institutional universe and within the scope of the accrediting activities for which the Commission assumes responsibility.

To be eligible to be considered by the Commission for candidacy for accreditation (pre-accreditation status), an institution must:

a. Offer associate degree and/or non-degree postsecondary instruction exclusively in career and technical education.

b. Utilize a campus-based instructional delivery system with at least 25 percent of the institution’s total FTE being derived from enrollments in traditional programs.

c. Be legally authorized to operate within the jurisdiction in which it is located for a mini-mum of one year.

d. Have been in continuous operation and providing instruction at the main campus and under the same governance for a minimum of one year.

e. Demonstrate that it has the administrative capabilities (including, but not limited to, fi nancial) to support the educational programs offered.

f. Demonstrate that it meets the fi nancial stability requirements for the most recent com-pleted fi scal year as stated in Standard 7 - Financial Resources.

g. Be in compliance with all Federal requirements applicable to accreditation.

h. Agree to comply with all requirements of the Council.

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3. Award of Candidate Status

An institution meeting the above requirements shall host a candidate visiting team by the Commission (cost to be paid by the institution). The visiting team will submit a written report to the Executive Director within 30 days of the date that the candidate team visit was concluded. The offi cial report will be trans-mitted to the institution. The institution must submit a response to all recommendations for receipt in the Council offi ce within 30 days of the date that the team report was transmitted from the Council offi ce. If the team report and the institutional response report, if required, show that there is a reasonable expecta-tion of accreditation being achieved, the Commission may grant candidate status to the institution. To become a candidate for accreditation, an institution must be approved by the Commission.

Candidate institutions demonstrating progress toward be coming accredited may remain in candidate status for a period not to exceed three years. The only substantive changes that can be approved while in candidate status are changes in existing educational programs originally approved by the Commission.

Candidate institutions must complete a self-study and host a visiting team no earlier than six months after becoming a candidate but no later than 24 months after becoming a candidate. Institutions which have been denied candidate status or have voluntarily withdrawn from candidacy may fi le a new application for candidacy for accre ditation after one year.

4. Annual Renewal of Candidate Status

Continuation of candidate status is determined annually by Commission approval of institutional annual reports indicating that candidate institutions are making progress toward meeting the Council’s standards and criteria. Non-public institutions must also submit fi nancial information on an annual basis as de-scribed in Section IV., D.2.

B. Accreditation

1. Eligibility Requirements

After an institution has been accepted as a candidate for accreditation and becomes an active participant in the program of the Council, the earliest that the institution can host a visiting team for the purpose of initial accreditation is six months after the date candidate status is approved. To be eligible for accredita-tion, a Federal institution must:

a. Continue to meet the eligibility requirements to be a candidate for accreditation.

b. Demonstrate that it meets the minimum required benchmarks for completion, place-ment, and/or licensure exam pass rates.

c. Occupy its own physical facilities.

d. Have students continuously in attendance for a minimum of two years except for regu-larly scheduled breaks, holidays, and vacation periods.

e. Have the on-site administrator or other full-time employee at the main campus attend a

Commission Self-Study and Annual Report Workshops within six to 18 months prior to hosting the accreditation visiting team.

f. Have undergone a self-study based on the mission of the institution and the standards and criteria approved by the Council and have fi led the required documents with the Commission.

g. Have undergone a visiting team review.

Handbook of Accreditation for Federal Institutions - 9

h. Have written a letter requesting accreditation and submitted an institutional response, if required, to the team report by the chief administrative offi cer of the institution. (The response must be received in the Council offi ce within 30 days of the date that the let-ter requesting a response was transmitted from the Council offi ce.)

i. Be accepted by a majority vote of the Commission as meeting the standards and criteria of the Council.

Institutions being considered for initial accreditation must obtain accreditation status within 12 months after the fi rst review by the Commission.

2. Alternate Procedure for Acquiring Initial Accreditation

Initial accreditation is normally achieved only after a period of candidacy. An institution may acquire initial accreditation without being required to enter into a period of candidacy provided it meets all of the following conditions:

a. Demonstrates to the Commission that the institution is in compliance with all of the eligibility requirements for candidacy as stated in Section III.A.2. above. (This may require an on-site visit by a Commission representative with the cost of the visit to be paid by the institution.)

b. Meets all requirements for initial accreditation as stated in Section III.B.1. above.

c. Is in good standing as an accredited institution with another institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education (i.e., seeking dual accreditation) or has voluntarily withdrawn in good standing from accreditation by such an agency within the past 12 months.

d. Completes a self-study and hosts a visiting team within two years from the date of ap-proval of an application for use of the alternate procedure.

Institutions being considered for initial accreditation must obtain accredited status within 12 months after the fi rst review by the Commission. If initial accreditation has not been granted within that 12-month period, the institution must wait one year and must apply for candidate status.

3. Annual Renewal of Accreditation

Accreditation is for a period of one year. Continued accreditation is determined annually by Commis-sion approval of institutional annual reports that verify that accredited institutions are complying with the Council’s standards, criteria, and conditions.

4. Reaffi rmation of Accreditation

Reaffi rmation of accreditation must occur from two to six years after initial accreditation or any subse-quent reaffi rmation decision. The time interval for reaffi rmation is determined by the Commission as a part of its accreditation or reaffi rmation decision. Institutions must meet the same requirements for reaf-fi rmation as required for initial accreditation (see Section III.B.1 above). At the discretion of the Commis-sion, the institution may be required to undergo reaffi rmation earlier than the previously determined year.

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Institutions undergoing reaffi rmation of accreditation must send the Chief Administrative Offi cer, Com-mander, the Accreditation Liaison Offi cer or other full-time employee at the main campus of the institu-tion to a Commission-sponsored Self-Study Workshop within 6 to 18 months prior to hosting the reaffi r-mation visiting team.

Institutions being considered for reaffi rmation of accreditation must obtain reaffi rmation within 12 months after the fi rst review by the Commission. If reaffi rmation has not been granted within that 12-month period, the institution shall be dropped from accreditation.

Handbook of Accreditation for Federal Institutions - 11

SECTION IV.

The Accreditation Process

The components of the accreditation process described below represent the primary means through which the objectives of COE as an accrediting agency are addressed. The process incorporates a compre-hensive institutional self-study, peer evaluation, and decision of the Commission based on the Council-approved standards and criteria for accreditation.

A. The Self-Study

The primary purpose of the self-study is to examine an institution’s qualifi cations for accreditation through a comprehensive self-evaluation conducted by institutional personnel. The self-study process also serves as a strategic planning vehicle for the improvement of all institutional services. The Council provides guidelines for the self-study in a manual that each institution is expected to use in planning, con-ducting, and reporting its self-study.

A consultant may be used to assist in the self-study, but clear indications must exist that the faculty and staff were primarily responsible for preparing, revising, and editing any documents required in the ac-creditation process. Within seven days after employing a consultant for the purpose of assisting in the accreditation process, an institution must submit a copy of the consultant’s resume to the Council. A consultant may provide assistance to the institution by conducting an on-site workshop for one or more of the following purposes:

1. Acquainting the administration and staff with the self-study process.

2. Providing an explanation of the content of the accreditation standards and criteria.

3. Lending assistance in organizing the self-study effort to maximize staff participation.

4. Identifying the types of exhibits or other documentation needed to support or complement the self-study report.

B. The Site Visit

The primary responsibility of the visiting team is to determine whether or not the institution is in compli-ance with the standards and criteria required for accreditation by the Council. The visiting team assesses the quality of an institution in light of its stated mission using the standards and criteria of the Council as the basis for the assessment. Information sources utilized by team members in conducting the on-site evaluation include the institutional self-study report, documentation available at the institution, interviews of individuals associated with the institution, and observation of conditions and practices.

The Commission is responsible for establishing all requirements related to visiting teams. Those require-ments are presented in a separate document containing the guidelines for accreditation visiting teams.

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C. Institutional Response Report

In those instances where a visiting team reports a failure of an institution to comply with one or more standards, criteria, and/or conditions for accreditation (i.e., when the team makes one or more recommen-dations), the institution is required to take appropriate corrective action immediately. The institution must also submit a written report that addresses each violation by describing and documenting the action taken by the institution to comply with the requirement. This report must be received within 30 days of the date that the team report was transmitted from the Council offi ce. Specifi c instructions for preparing and submitting the institutional response report are in the guidelines for accreditation visiting teams adopted by the Commission.

D. Annual Documentation/Reports Required for Renewal of Candidacy or Accreditation

Continued candidate status or accreditation is determined annually by Commission approval of institu-tional annual reports. Candidate institutions must show progress toward meeting standards and criteria;

and accredited institutions must show that they are complying with standards, criteria, and conditions for continued accreditation.

The institution must provide all of the applicable information requested in the annual report. Reporting substantive changes in the annual report does not constitute written notifi cation to the Council.

Failure to submit an annual report or additional information regarding the annual report by the due date established by the Commission shall be grounds for an institution to lose its candidate or accredited sta-tus.

E. Commission Action

1. Possible Commission Decisions

The Commission has a variety of options for action when making decisions regarding the award, main-tenance, or termination of status with the Council for candidate and accredited institutions. The options available are the following:

a. Award of candidacy.

b. Denial of candidate status.

c. Annual renewal of candidacy.

d. Drop from candidacy.

e. Award of initial accreditation.

f. Denial of initial accreditation.

g. Annual renewal of accreditation.

h. Reaffi rmation of accreditation.

i. Denial of reaffi rmation of accreditation.

j. Determination of special statuses

(1) Notifi cation of apparent defi ciency.

(2) Continuing review.

(3) Warning.

(4) Probation.

(5) Show cause order.

k. Deferral of decision.

l. Drop from accreditation.

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The review of the status of any institution may be conducted periodically as specifi ed in the procedures of the Commission. A focused review may be prompted by a notice of substantive change; by a complaint;

by notifi cation of possible unethical conduct; or by a possible violation of standards, criteria, or condi-tion adopted by the Council. The Commission may take the same actions in both periodic and focused reviews regarding the institution’s status.

With respect to institutions which are currently holding Candidate for Accreditation status, the Commis-sion uses the self-study, visiting team report, and institutional response, if required, to choose one of three alternative actions. The Commission may continue the institution in candidate status, approve the institu-tion’s initial accreditation, or drop the institution from candidate status.

With respect to institutions which are currently accredited, the Commission may continue the institution’s accredited status, may assign any of fi ve special statuses, or may drop the institution from accreditation.

Institutions will be notifi ed within 30 days of adverse Commission decisions which affect their candidate or accredited status by letter sent by certifi ed mail or other signature-required delivery service addressed to the chief administrative offi cer. The letter includes: the decision, a statement of the substance of the basis for the decision, and the deadline for an institutional response or appeal which may be permitted.

In all cases where the number of days for taking action or making a response is specifi ed, “days” means calendar days unless otherwise indicated. In all situations specifying the number of days within which the institution is required to make a response, the deadline is computed from the date the notice prompting such a reply was transmitted by the Commission.

The Commission may, to provide time for supplementary activity, choose not to take action but may defer its decision. Such a deferral causes an institution’s status to remain unchanged unless the Commission, in announcing its deferral action, specifi es otherwise.

If in the judgment of the Commission the conditions warrant, the Commission may impose one of the fi ve special statuses on an institution. The special status may be withdrawn by the Commission upon clarifi ca-tion or remediation, but is not subject to appeal.

The fi ve statuses are defi ned as follows:

a. Notifi cation of Apparent Defi ciency—Notifi cation of Apparent Defi ciency is a status which signifi es that the institution is apparently defi cient with respect to a requirement of the Com-mission. The institution has 30 days to respond. This status may be removed at any time by the Commission upon clarifi cation or remediation of the apparent defi ciency.

b. Continuing Review—Continuing Review is a status that signifi es that the Commission has determined a need to monitor an institution. This status may be extended or removed at any time by the Commission. The institution must satisfy the monitoring requirements of the Commission in order to be removed from Continuing Review status. The types and the requirements for reporting will be established by the Commission and may include but are not limited to reports on fi nancial stability, administrative capability, educational program improvement, and/or institutional outcomes data.

c. Warning—Warning is a status imposed on an institution for a period of time from 30 days up to one year by the Commission if it determines that an institution is possibly in violation of one or more of the standards, criteria, and/or conditions of the Council. A focused review team, which may include a Commission representative, may be required to visit the institu-tion.

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d. Probation—This status is imposed when, in the judgment of the Commission, there is a violation of standards, criteria, and/or conditions of the Council that must be corrected or the institution will suffer loss of candidate status or accreditation. Probation may be imposed for a period of up to one year.

e. Show Cause Order—This status is assigned by the Commission giving an institution 30 days to show cause why the institution should not be dropped because of one or more serious violations of the standards, criteria, and/or conditions of the Council.

When an institution continues to be in violation of standards, criteria, and/or conditions after being placed on probation or issued a show cause order, or where circumstances are deemed suffi ciently compelling, the Commission has the responsibility to drop the institution from candidate or accredited status. The Commission shall notify the Chief Administrative Offi cer/Commander of the institution as to the nature of the action and the procedure to be followed if an appeal is fi led. The decision of the Commission is fi nal, subject to the appeal procedure, and will be made known to the public. No institutional response is required; however, an institution may choose to follow the appeals procedure described in Section IV.E.3.

below.

An institution which does not choose to appeal may comment in writing regarding the Commission’s action provided the response complies with Commission procedures and is received by the Commis-sion within 20 days of the notice of the Commission’s action. Any response received by the Commission within 20 days shall be included in the Commission’s fi nal report to the appropriate federal and/or special agencies.

An institution that has been dropped may fi le a new application for candidate for accreditation status after one year.

The Commission need not follow any specifi c sequence or order in the assignment of statuses. Assign-ment to any one status is not required before an institution may be assigned to another status. Ordinarily, Warning, Probation, or Show Cause Order status will be assigned to an institution to provide an oppor-tunity for remediation and correction before a decision is made by the Commission to drop the institu-tion from accreditation or candidate status. However, where the Commission deems the circumstances suffi ciently extreme to warrant a prompt response, it may drop an institution without the prior assignment of any status.

During the resolution of a warning, probation, or show cause status, or during the processing of an appeal, no plan or proposal for a substantive change will be accepted by the Commission.

2. Appearance before the Commission

Since all Commission decisions are based upon written documents, there are normally two instances where offi cials of an institution might appear before the Commission:

a. Upon request by the Commission for the purpose of answering questions concerning an accreditation matter.

b. Upon approval of the Executive Director when the institution is making a special re-quest of the Commission.

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All requests to appear before the Commission must be submitted in writing to the Executive Director and be received at least 30 days prior to the scheduled meeting. Such a request must describe in detail why the appearance is necessary. Documentation supporting the request must be submitted with the letter.

The Executive Director may approve the request at which time the institution will be informed of the date, time, and place of the appearance. In the event the Executive Director defers action on a request to appear, the matter is taken before the Executive Committee for review and appropriate action.

3. Appealable Actions

Institutions that have fi led a complete application for candidate status, institutions that are accredited by the Commission, and institutions that are seeking reinstatement of accreditation following a change of governance or control may appeal the following actions of the Commission:

a. Denial of candidate status.

b. Removal of candidate status.

c. Decision to deny accreditation (membership).

d. Decision to discontinue accreditation (membership).

e. Decision to deny reinstatement of accreditation following a change of governance or control.

An appeal shall be based on one or more of the following grounds:

a. Errors and/or omissions in applying the standards, criteria, and/or conditions of the Council were made by the evaluation team(s) and/or the Commission.

b. Demonstrable bias or prejudice was displayed by one or more members of the Commis-sion, which signifi cantly affected the decision.

c. The documentation before the Commission at the time of the negative decision was ma-terially in error.

d. The decision of the Commission was contrary to the substantial weight of the documen-tation.

If an institution is aggrieved by any one of the four actions listed above, the Chief Administrative Offi cer or Commander of the institution, with the approval of the governing board of the institution, must give notice of intent to appeal such action to be received in the Commission offi ce within 20 days of the date of the notice of the Commission’s action. The notice shall be submitted to the Commission’s Executive Director in the form of a letter sent by certifi ed mail or other signature-required delivery service. The let-ter must state all of the following:

a. A request that an appeal board be convened.

b. The specifi c grounds for the request with a statement explaining the reason(s) for each ground.

c. Documentation (such as a copy of a resolution) showing the approval of such appeal action taken by the institution’s governing board.

d. A statement in the letter indicating the willingness of the institution to abide by the ap-peals conditions and procedures.

16 - Council on Occupational Education

The request shall be accompanied by a cashier’s check in the amount of $27,500 to cover the necessary cost of the appeal. The $27,500 consists of a $2,500 notice-of-intent-to-appeal fee (non-refundable) and a $25,000 deposit to cover the costs of the appeal board proceedings. Any funds left over from the deposit will be refunded to the institution. Should there be an outstanding balance after the deposit is applied, the institution must pay the outstanding balance.

Upon proper notice of intention to appeal, the prior status of the institution, if any, shall be restored and will remain the same pending the disposition of the appeal.

The Commission is responsible for defi ning the procedures to be used in the appeal process so as to en-sure that the process is fair and equitable for all affected parties.

4. Resolution of Disagreements

a. Interpretation of Membership Agreements

As a condition of receiving any status with the Council, each institution agrees that all agreements created by the Commission’s granting such status shall be deemed to have been entered into in DeKalb County, Georgia, and shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Georgia. Further, each insti-tution agrees that jurisdiction and venue for any action which might arise from any membership agree-ment between the institution and the Council, regardless of which party shall initiate the action, shall be exclusively in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia or the state courts of DeKalb County, Georgia, whichever of these courts shall have proper subject matter jurisdiction.

b. Litigation Bond

An institution that fi les suit against the Council shall be required to post a bond of $100,000 per location.

Should the court rule in favor of the Council, the institution shall pay all court costs, Council attorney fees, and all other costs incurred by the Council in its defense.

Handbook of Accreditation for Federal Institutions - 17

SECTION V.

Obligations of Affi liation

Affi liation of an institution with the Council creates certain obligations that must be met by the institu-tion. Those obligations are grouped and described below under two headings: Administrative and Sub-stantive.

A. Administrative Obligations

1. Accreditation Liaison Offi cer

The accreditation liaison offi cer must be a permanent staff member at the main campus of the institution.

This is the person with whom the Commission staff will discuss accreditation matters concerning the institution when the Chief Administrative Offi cer or Commander is not available.

2. Offi cial Communications

Only written communication from the Commission will be considered offi cial. All offi cial communica-tions from the Commission to candidate or accredited institutions shall be transmitted to the main campus Chief Administrative Offi cer, Commander, or, if applicable, to the institution’s Accreditation Liaison Offi -cer. All offi cial communications from candidate or accredited institutions must be from the main campus Chief Administrative Offi cer, Commander, or, if applicable, from the institution’s Accreditation Liaison Offi cer and in written form.

3. Requested Report or Documentation

Decisions are made by the Commission based on written evidence. Any report or documentation request-ed by the Commission must arrive in the Council offi ce by the date due. Failure to submit any report or documentation requested by the due date shall be grounds for an institution to lose its candidate or ac-credited status.

4. Confi dentiality of Materials

The accreditation of occupational education institutions by the Commission is an activity requiring a high degree of confi dentiality. The fi ndings, recommendations, suggestions, and other information relating to an institution are, by implied agreement, exchanged within an atmosphere of trust, confi dentiality, and professional integrity. The Commission makes such information available to the participating institution and to other agencies, accrediting bodies, institutions, or individuals only upon the approval of the partici-pating institution, pursuant to these conditions; as required by law; or as required by federal regulations applicable to accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education.

The participating institution may disseminate any of the information it receives from the Commission;

however, experience has indicated such dissemination should occur only after the completion of the process leading to an action, certainly not during the process. A number of activities and cautions are employed by the Commission to assure integrity and institution/Commission confi dentiality.

18 - Council on Occupational Education

5. Maintenance of Accreditation File

An institution that is accredited by the Commission must maintain a permanent accreditation fi le. The fi le must contain the following in chronological order:

a. Copy of all substantive correspondence between the institution and the Commission (COE/COEI) to include, but not limited to, all letters related to accreditation, reaffi rma-tion of accreditation, substantive changes, and offi cial actions of the Commission.

b. Copy of the last Self-Study.

c. Copy of the last accreditation visiting team report and all other team reports since the last accreditation visiting team.

d. Copy of the institution’s response report for the last accreditation team and all other response reports to visiting teams since the last accreditation visiting team.

e. Copy of all substantive change applications since the last accreditation visiting team.

f. Copy of all annual reports since the last accreditation visiting team.

Failure to maintain the accreditation fi le as requested will call into question the administrative capability of the institution.

6. Publication of Status with the Commission

An institution must be accurate in reporting its status with the Commission to the public. In catalogs, bro-chures, advertisements, web sites, an/or news releases, any reference made to its status with the Commis-sion must be accurate and must include the name, address, and telephone number of the Commission.

Any Federal institution that is found to misrepresent its status with the Commission shall issue a correc-tion in an appropriate newspaper, web-site, and/or other forum to correct the misrepresentation. Docu-mentation that the correction has been made must be submitted to the Commission offi ce.

Each candidate or accredited institution when referring to its status with the Council on Occupational Education must use the appropriate choice of the two statements that follow:

(Name of Institution) is a Candidate for Accreditation by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education.

Name of Institution) is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education. Accredited institutions may use the accreditation seal of the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education.

The accreditation seal must be used with discretion. It is not to be used for advertising purposes, but rather to identify institutions as being members of a nationally-recognized accrediting agency. The seal may be used only on letterheads, catalogs, certifi cates, diplomas, transcripts, and web sites. If the seal is used on an institution’s web site, it must be linked to the Council’s web site (www.council.org).

Handbook of Accreditation for Federal Institutions - 19

The Commission may publish, as it deems appropriate, through its Executive Director, information contained in offi cial notifi cation letters from the Commission to the institution which relate to the follow-ing:

a. Granting candidate status or accreditation.

b. Candidate status extension or accreditation reaffi rmation.

c. Candidate status termination or accreditation withdrawal.

d. Notifi cation by the Commission to an institution that there is or may be a violation of a standard or condition resulting in placement on special status or being dropped from candidate or accredited status.

e. Denial of application for candidate status, accreditation, or reinstatement of accredita-tion following a change of governance or control.

f. Withdrawal from candidate or accredited status.

The Commission shall make public correction of any misleading or incorrect information made public concerning the candidacy or accredited status of an institution, the contents of visiting team reports, or accrediting actions. Misinformation published in the offi cial publications of the Commission shall be cor-rected in the next issue of the relevant publication. Any misinformation submitted by letter to an institu-tion relative to its status as a candidate for accreditation; its status as to meeting the standards, criteria, and/or conditions of the Council; or the actions of the Commission toward the institution shall be cor-rected by letter. If the letter containing the misinformation was copied to any federal agency, state agency, another nationally recognized accrediting agency, or anyone else, the letter of correction shall be copied to every agency or person to whom the letter of misinformation was copied.

If an institution’s operation, recruiting practices, or other actions become a matter of public or Commis-sion concern, the Commission may announce, through its Executive Director, any action the Commission has taken and the basis for that action, including all pertinent information in the possession of the Com-mission.

7. Voluntary Withdrawal of Status by the Institution

A candidate for accreditation or an accredited…