AOP Revision
In January 2017 the APA’s CoA was made aware by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) that one of its operating procedures does not meet the Secretary’s criteria with regard to the effective date of a decision; more specifically, the date upon which the CoA awards accreditation, either “contingent” or “full.” The USDE requires that an accreditation decision be effective on the date an agency’s decision-making body makes the decision and cannot be retroactive. Sections 8.6 D, 8.6 I, and 8.6 P, of the current Accreditation Operating Procedures of the Commission on Accreditation (AOP) stipulate that the award of accreditation is effective on the final day of the site visit preceding the CoA decision. This procedure suggests that the site visit team has decision-making authority over a program’s accreditation status. In order to comply with the Secretary’s criterion, 602.15 (a)(3-6), with regard to the distinction between a site visit team and a decision-making body, the CoA has revised Sections 8.6 D, 8.6 I, and 8.6 P to underscore the Commission’s decision-making authority over a program’s accreditation status.
The proposed revisions change the effective date of a decision to award accreditation (either “on contingency” or “full”) and other non-appealable accreditation decisions to the date of adjournment of the CoA meeting in which the decision was made.
In accordance with the APA “Policies for Accreditation Governance” and the USDE regulations for notice and comment, the CoA made available the proposed changes for a period of public review and comment. The public comment was open for a 30-day period from early May to early June. The CoA will review the comments at its July meeting.
Newly Approved IRs
Throughout the spring the CoA has met both in person and virtually to vote on several Implementing Regulations (IRs). These votes include actions to approve the revisions to IRs for Direct Observation, as well as the Use of Annual Reports for Reaffirmation of Accredited Status and Monitoring of Individual Programs, and the Use of Narrative Annual Reports for Reaffirmation of Accredited Status and Monitoring of Individual Programs. The newly approved IRs can be found on the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation website.