ACCSC Webinar Series: A Conversation with the Executive Director December 17, 2013 Dr. Michale S. McComis Executive Director Christopher Lambert Associate.

ACCSC Webinar Series: A Conversation with the Executive DirectorDecember 17, 2013

Dr. Michale S. McComis

Executive Director

Christopher LambertAssociate Executive

Director

• The slideshow is interactive • Includes hyperlinks to various websites and forms

referenced in the webinar.

• Please feel free to ask your questions by typing them into the webinar platform system. • Staff will do our very best to answer all questions,

either during, or after, the webinar.

• A copy of the webinar will be made available at www.accsc.org under Events/ Webinars Section• A copy of the slides will be made available online

Webinar Logistics

• Pending Revisions to the Standards of Accreditation• Information Sharing

• Reminder: Independent Third Party Verification of Employment

• Commission’s Strategic Planning Program of Work

• External Affairs Activities: • NACIQI / Negotiated Rulemaking / Senate Hearing on

Accreditation

• Notice from the Federal Trade Commission: • Guides for Private Vocational and Distance

Education Schools.

• Member Services:• New Student Letter

• 2013/2014 Commissioner Election Update

Agenda

Revisions to the Standards of Accreditation

•Section X, Rules of Process and Procedure, Standards of Accreditation•Section IV(C) Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation

Section X, Rules of Process and Procedure

•As outlined in the December 21, 2012 Call for Comment, ACCSC’s transparency efforts are focused on explaining accreditation in a manner which enhances the public’s understanding of what accreditation means and which promote the sharing of information amongst all members of the regulatory “triad.”

•Currently ACCSC discloses many, but not all, of its accreditation actions and primarily modeled its current notification and information sharing rules around the regulations required to be met by U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting bodies.

Notification and Information Sharing

Section X, Rules of Process and Procedure

ACCSC is launching a multi-phase transparency initiative as follows:

Phase I

•ACCSC will continue to publically disclose a list of grants of initial and renewal of accreditation, probation, and adverse actions on its website at www.accsc.org.

•ACCSC’s published list will include other actions taken such as show cause orders and deferrals and will publish a copy of the Commission letter for Probation actions and Adverse Actions on its website.

•ACCSC will also publish a fact sheet to include an explanation describing what each Commission action means (e.g., What does Probation Mean?).

Notification and Information Sharing

Section X, Rules of Process and Procedure

ACCSC is launching a multi-phase transparency initiative as follows:

Phase II

•ACCSC may disclose publically via its website at www.accsc.org, - along with the items in Phase I - the Commission’s grant of accreditation letter for any school that was successful in achieving initial or renewal accreditation from ACCSC.

•ACCSC will disclose publically via its searchable directory made available online at www.accsc.org the graduation and employment rates for each program using the data reported to the Commission in the most recent ACCSC Annual Report.

Notification and Information Sharing

Section X, Rules of Process and Procedure / Section IV (C)(3), Substantive Standards, Standards of Accreditation

•The Commission will require that schools disclose both the graduation and employment rates for all programs offered at the school as reported to the Commission in the AR. (The Commission currently requires that employment rates be disclosed).

•The Commission will establish a future date for when these disclosures are to be made by schools.

•ACCSC will publish a Fact Sheet on its website with information about how graduation and employment rates are calculated and reported, and how the Commission calculates its benchmark student achievement rates.

Notification and Information Sharing

Reminder: Independent Third-Party Employment Data Verification

• As stated in the July 1, 2013 Accreditation Alert, the Commission will implement an independent third-party employment verification requirement as part of the initial and renewal of accreditation process.

• The Independent Third-Party Employment Data Verification policy will go into effect for all schools that attend an initial or renewal workshop AFTER January 1, 2014.

• Those schools beginning the renewal of accreditation process in 2014 will not be subject to the Commission’s own random sampling and verification of student achievement data as reported in the ACCSC Annual Report.

Independent Third-Party Employment Data Verification

Primary Elements:

•The “independent” third-party cannot perform any other services for the school

•The independent third-party auditor selects a minimum of a 50% sample of graduates classified as employed in the field from each Graduation and Employment Chart submitted in the AR. (Line 15 on the G&E Chart)

•The independent third-party auditor attempts to verify with the employer or the graduate the classified employment status.

• Not just a review of the school’s back-up documentation.

•The independent third-party auditor’s report provides a summary of results and a description of the methodology used for the selection of the sample and the verification process.•The independent third-party auditor must include a signed certification attesting to the accuracy of the auditor’s findings and the auditor’s independence

Independent Third-Party Employment Data Verification

ACCSC Commission:Strategic Planning

• Strategic Planning Initiative as a key component of the Commission’s work.

• Culmination of 2013 Strategic Planning Program of Work with a full Commission and staff leadership retreat in December 2013

• Retreat focused on key elements, such as:

• ACCSC’s Mission, Vision, and Values.

• What are ACCSC Strength’s and Challenges?

• Internal and External

• What are ACCSC’s Goals for the next three years?

Strategic Planning Initiative

Initial Results – ACCSC Wants to:

•Ensure that ACCSC as an organization represents its member institutions; recognizes challenges, trends and innovations; and continually meets its mission, vision, and values.

•Ensure that ACCSC’s Standards and Processes reflect best practices in higher education and training and support self-evaluation, innovation, and continuous improvement by its member institutions

•Provide high quality training opportunities and accreditation support services for institutions that enhance institutional and student success.

•Promote the value and relevancy of ACCSC accreditation.

•Position ACCSC as a leading resource and solution provider on accreditation, accountability, and education assessment and oversight.

Strategic Planning Initiative

External Affairs

•NACIQI•Negotiated Rulemaking•Congressional Hearings

• NACIQI provide recommendations to the Secretary of Education regarding the federal recognition of accrediting agencies and advises the Secretary of Education on matters related to postsecondary accreditation

• Immediate Past Chair, of NACIQI Jamie Studley, has been named Deputy Undersecretary of Education.

• December 2013 issues:

• ACCJC and CityCollege-San Francisco

• Council on Chiropractic Education – Six Hours of Third-Party Testimony

• Dr. Arthur Keiser, Everglades University / Southeastern Colleges elected Vice-Chair

• Remarks from Outgoing Under-Secretary of Education, Martha Kanter

National Advisory Committee for Institutional Quality and Integrity

• The Department Rulemaking session on “gainful employment” regulations ended without the department-appointed negotiators reaching consensus on the proposed standards for vocational programs at for-profit institutions and community colleges.

• Dissent came from representatives of both the for-profit and consumer-group.

• The Department will now submit their own final draft of the regulations for a public comment period.

• The Department is not bound by proposed language

• Final Rule should be released early next year.

Negotiated Rulemaking (NegReg):Gainful Employment

On November 20, 2013, ED published a notice in the Federal Register announcing its intent to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee that will develop proposed regulations to strengthen the integrity and improve the Title IV programs. Issues to be negotiated include:

•Cash management — including the use of debit cards and the handling of Title IV credit balances•State authorization for programs offered through distance education or correspondence education•Clock to credit hour conversion•The definition of "adverse credit"' for borrowers in the Federal Direct PLUS Loan Program•The application of the repeat coursework provisions to graduate and undergraduate programs

Negotiated Rulemaking (NegReg):Program Integrity

December 12, 2013

Hearing:•Full Committee Hearing - Accreditation as Quality Assurance: Meeting the Needs of 21st Century Learning

Headline:•Senators Say Accreditors Are Ineffective and Beset by Conflicts of Interest•Why do so few colleges lose accreditation each year? •Are accreditors doing enough to ensure institutional quality and accommodate innovation? •What is the role of the federal government and should it be more involved in the accrediting process?

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: From Hearing to Headline

Accreditation SPOTLIGHT

Federal Trade Commission

The FTC completed its regulatory review of the Guides for Private Vocational and Distance Education Schools which represent administrative interpretations of laws such as requirements for advertising, promotion, marketing and sale of, and the recruitment of students.

The adopted revisions highlighted in the Federal Register include:

§ 254.2 Deceptive trade or business names;

§ 254.3 Misrepresentation of extent or nature of Accreditation or Approval;

§ 254.4 Misrepresentation of facilities, services, qualifications of staff, status, and employment prospects for students after training.

§ 254.5 Misrepresentations of enrollment qualifications or limitations; and

§ 254.6 Deceptive use of diplomas, degrees, or certificates.

• A copy of the November 18, 2013 Federal Register Notice can be found by clicking here.

•More information from the FTC on the Guides for Private Vocational and Distance Education Schools can be found by clicking here.

Notice from the Federal Trade Commission: Guides for Private Vocational and Distance Education Schools

Member Services •New Student Letter

As part of its continued focus on member services, ACCSC has issued a New Student Letter that schools may download and distribute to students upon acceptance and enrollment into their program of study.

The intent of the letter is:•To provide an introduction to accreditation; •To reinforce to new students that by attending an ACCSC-accredited institution, they are attending an institution has undergone a rigorous process to ensure the quality of the education provided; and•To enhance students’ understanding of the critical role that accreditation serves.

ACCSC-accredited institutions are encouraged to incorporate this letter with any existing orientation packet that is provided to new students.

ACCSC New Student Letter

Commissioner Election / Appointments

During this nomination cycle, the ACCSC Nominating Committee is charged with filling five (5) vacancies on the Commission to serve the following terms:•1 Elected School Commissioner (4 year term)•1 Appointed School Commissioner (2 year term)•1 Appointed School Commissioner (4 year term)•1 Appointed Public Commissioner (2 year term)•1 Appointed Public Commissioner (4 year term)

Process Outline:

1.Call for Comment for Appointees – December 2013

2.Nominating Committee Meeting and Interviews - January 2014

3.Commissioner Interviews of Appointees - February / March 2014

4.Election in March / April 2014.

2013 / 2014 Commissioner Elections / Appointments

Online Member Forum:Questions & Answers

ACCSC Webinar Series: A Conversation with the Executive DirectorDecember 17, 2013

Dr. Michale S. McComis

Executive Director

Christopher LambertAssociate Executive

Director