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ABHE Home > About Accreditation > Accreditation Procedures |
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Accreditation Procedures |
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ABHE's process of accreditation involves three stages whereby institutions proceed: A. Attaining applicant status An institution desiring applicant status with the Commission on Accreditation should forward to the association office the current application fee and three copies of the following items:
An institution may wish to obtain the counsel of the Association’s professional staff with respect to the preparation of this document. An on-site visit by a member of the professional staff will assist the institution in analyzing itself in relation to the Conditions of Eligibility and in determining what steps would need to be taken in order to document compliance with the conditions. The commission’s Committee on Applicant and Candidate Status will review these materials and determine whether to grant or deny applicant status or defer action. The committee’s decision is based upon whether it believes the institution has demonstrated compliance with the Conditions of Eligibility and appears to be able to achieve candidate status within four years. An institution denied applicant status must wait one year before reapplying. If desired, it may appeal the decision in accord with the “Policy and Procedures for Appeals.” An institution may voluntarily withdraw its request for applicant status, without prejudice, at any time prior to the decision of the Committee on Applicant and Candidate Status. B. Maintaining applicant status An applicant institution must demonstrate progress in moving toward candidate status. The commission’s Committee on Applicant and Candidate Status will annually review the institution’s progress report, its financial audit report for the recently completed fiscal year, and its completed annual report form. It will then make a determination whether sufficient progress is being made to warrant the continuation of applicant status. Continued applicant status is contingent upon submission to the association commission of all required reports and payment of annual fees to the association when due. In extenuating circumstances, a grace period of up to six months may be requested. Institution representatives are expected to participate annually in the association’s self-study seminar. C. Statement on applicant status Applicant institutions are to accurately reflect the nature of “applicant status” in their catalogs and other advertising. The following statement must be used to define applicant status: “(Institution name) holds applicant status with the Association for Biblical Higher Education, 5575 S. Semoran Blvd., Suite 26, Orlando, FL 32822-1781; 407/207-0808. Applicant status is a pre-membership status granted to those institutions that meet the ABHE Conditions of Eligibility and that possess such qualities as may provide a basis for achieving candidate status within four years.” A. Attaining candidate status A new applicant institution will host a consultative visit by a representative of the association. This visit is normally two days in duration. The consultant will analyze the institution with respect to the Criteria for Accreditation and assist the institution in organizing for self study and institutional planning. Additional on-site consultative visits by representatives of the professional staff will be made at the institution’s invitation. The institution will conduct an institutional self study with respect to its own mission and objectives and with respect to the Criteria for Accreditation. A final report, in the form of a compliance document, of the institution’s self study (normally not exceeding 100 pages), together with an assessment plan and institutional planning document, is to be received in the association office no later than November 1 prior to an evaluation team visit scheduled for the spring or fall of the institution’s fourth year of applicant status. An evaluation team will verify claims made in the institution’s self-study materials, formulate recommendations relative to the institution’s achievement of the Criteria for Accreditation, assess whether the institution has in place a mechanism for ongoing development, and prepare a recommendation for the Commission on Accreditation regarding the institution’s readiness for advancement to candidate status. Institution representatives will be given an opportunity to appear before the Commission on Accreditation as it considers the evaluation team report and the institution’s response to the team report and determines whether to grant or deny candidate status or defer action. The commission’s decision is based upon whether the institution appears able to achieve accredited status within four years. An institution denied candidate status must wait one year before making reapplication. If desired, it may appeal the decision in accord with the “Policy and Procedures for Appeals.” An institution may voluntarily withdraw its request for candidate status, without prejudice, at any time prior to the decision of the Commission on Accreditation. B. Maintaining candidate status A candidate institution must demonstrate progress in moving toward accredited status. The commission’s Committee on Applicant and Candidate Status will annually review the institution’s progress report, its financial audit report for the recently completed fiscal year, and its completed annual report form. It will then make a determination whether sufficient progress is being made as would warrant the continuation of candidate status. Continued candidacy is contingent upon submission to the association commission of all required reports and payment of annual fees to the association when due. In extenuating circumstances, a grace period of up to six months may be requested. Institution representatives are expected to participate annually in the association’s self-study seminar. C. Statement on candidate status Candidate institutions are to accurately reflect the nature of “candidate status” in their catalogs and other advertising. The following statement must be used to define candidate status: “(Institution name) holds candidate status with the Association for Biblical Higher Education, 5575 S. Semoran Blvd., Suite 26, Orlando, FL 32822-1781; 407/207-0808. Candidate status is a pre-accreditation status granted to those institutions that meet the ABHE Conditions of Eligibility and that possess such qualities as may provide a basis for achieving accreditation status within four years.” A. Attaining accredited status A candidate institution will conduct an institutional self study with respect to its own mission and objectives and with respect to the Criteria for Accreditation. A final report, in the form of a compliance document, of the institution’s self study (normally not exceeding 100 pages), together with an assessment plan and institutional planning document, is to be received in the association office no later than November 1 prior to an evaluation team visit scheduled for the spring or fall of the institution’s fourth year of candidate status. An evaluation team will verify claims made in the institution’s self-study materials, formulate recommendations relative to the institution’s achievement of the Criteria for Accreditation, assess whether the institution has in place a mechanism for ongoing development, and prepare a recommendation for the Commission on Accreditation regarding the institution’s readiness for advancement to accredited status. Institution representatives will be given an opportunity to appear before the Commission on Accreditation as it considers the evaluation team report and the institution’s response to the team report and determine whether to grant or deny initial accreditation or defer action. The commission’s decision is based upon the Principle for Accreditation, i.e., that an institution is substantially achieving and can be reasonably expected to continue to achieve its own mission and objectives and the Criteria for Accreditation, and that it is committed to ongoing institutional development. An institution denied accredited status must wait one year before reapplying at the level of its choice. If desired, it may appeal the decision in accord with the “Policy and Procedures for Appeals.” An institution may voluntarily withdraw its request for accredited status, without prejudice, at any time prior to the decision of the Commission on Accreditation. B. Maintaining accredited status Continued accreditation is contingent upon submission to the association commission of all required reports and payment of annual fees to the association when due. In extenuating circumstances, a grace period of up to six months may be requested. In the third year of accreditation, a supplementary evaluation visit will be conducted by a representative of the association in order to verify the progress reported by the institution. C. Reaffirming accredited status An accredited institution will conduct an institutional self study with respect to its own mission and objectives and with respect to the Criteria for Accreditation. A final report, in the form of a compliance document, of the institution’s self study (normally not exceeding 100 pages), together with an assessment plan and institutional planning document, is to be received in the association office not less than eight weeks prior to an evaluation team visit that will be scheduled for the spring or fall of the institution’s fifth year of accredited status. An evaluation team will verify claims made in the institution’s self-study materials, formulate recommendations relative to the institution’s achievement of the Criteria for Accreditation, assess whether the institution has in place a mechanism for ongoing development, and prepare a recommendation for the Commission on Accreditation regarding the reaffirmation of the institution’s accredited status. The Commission on Accreditation will consider the evaluation team report and the institution’s response to the team report and determines whether to reaffirm the institution’s accredited status. The commission’s decision is based upon the Principle for Accreditation, i.e., that an institution is substantially achieving and can be reasonably expected to continue to achieve its own mission and objectives and the Criteria for Accreditation, and that it is committed to ongoing institutional development. An institution denied reaffirmation of accredited status may, if desired, appeal the decision in accord with the “Policy and Procedures for Appeals.” Once reaffirmed, the institution will repeat the reaffirmation process every ten years. Institutions offering sub-baccalaureate vocational education may be required to host an unannounced visit at least once during each interval between reaffirmation visits. The purpose of the visit will be to ensure that the institution has the personnel, facilities, and resources it has claimed to have and that it continues to comply with the Criteria for Accreditation. These visits are conducted without the benefit of self-study materials. The Commission on Accreditation will consider reports of unannounced visits at its regular meetings. Upon considering such reports, it will have the same range of decision-making options as are available for regular reaffirmation visits. D. Statement on accredited status Accredited institutions are to accurately reflect the nature of accredited status in their catalogs and other advertising. E. Title IV noncompliance As a consequence of the 1992 Higher Education Amendments, the U.S. Department of Education is more closely monitoring institutional compliance with Title IV (Federal Student Financial Assistance) requirements. Upon discovery that an institution is no longer in compliance with the Title IV requirements, ABHE will conduct a special assessment to assure that the institution remains in substantial compliance with the association’s criteria. Adopted 1989, revised October 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997, and February 2000 |
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