Reaffirmation

Every 10 years, accredited institutions demonstrate that they continue to meet the standards. This page explains what that involves and how the decision is made.

What is Reaffirmation

Accreditation is not granted once and kept indefinitely. Every member institution goes through reaffirmation on a 10-year cycle: it examines its work against the Principles of Accreditation, documents what it finds, and submits that documentation to peers from other member institutions for review. Reaffirmation is the expected course of an accredited institution’s life, not a sign that anything is wrong. Institutions also complete a Fifth-Year Interim Report at roughly the midpoint between reaffirmations, and report annually in between.

The Process

WHEN	WHAT HAPPENS
Ongoing	The institution prepares — assembling evidence, examining its own practices, developing its Quality Enhancement Plan
15 months before reaffirmation	Compliance Certification submitted
–	Off-Site Reaffirmation Committee reviews the Compliance Certification and issues preliminary findings
6 weeks before the on-site review	Quality Enhancement Plan submitted
–	On-Site Reaffirmation Committee visits the campus, finalizes compliance findings, and evaluates the QEP
–	The institution responds to any findings of noncompliance
–	Committees on Compliance and Reports review the committee report and the institution's response
–	The Executive Council reviews and recommends action
Twice yearly	The Commission Board of Trustees makes the final decision
December	Decisions announced to the College Delegate Assembly at its annual business session

What your Institution Prepares

Reaffirmation requires two documents.

COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION

Submitted fifteen months before your scheduled reaffirmation, the Compliance Certification is your institution’s own assessment of how it meets each Core Requirement and Standard. It is signed by your chief executive officer and your accreditation liaison, who certify that the self-assessment has been thorough, honest, and forthright, and that what it contains is truthful, accurate, and complete.

Compliance Certification Template ⟶

Quality Enhancement Plan ⟶

How the Review Process Works

THE OFF-SITE REAFFIRMATION REVIEW

A committee of a chair and normally eight to ten peer evaluators meets in Atlanta to review Compliance Certifications. Institutions are reviewed in clusters of no more than three, grouped so that institutions are similar in governance and in the degrees they offer.

The committee determines whether each institution appears to be in compliance with each Core Requirement and Standard. The committee prepares a separate report for each institution recording its preliminary findings, which is forwarded to that institution’s On-Site Committee.

THE ON-SITE REAFFIRMATION REVIEW

Following the off-site review, an On-Site Committee conducts a focused evaluation on campus. It resolves the remaining questions about compliance and offers consultation on the issues.

At the end of the visit the committee finalizes its report, noting any areas of noncompliance. That report, together with the institution’s response to any findings, goes to The Commission’s Board of Trustees.

THE DECISION

The Committees on Compliance and Reports — standing committees of the Board — review the committee report and the institution’s response, and forward a recommendation to the Executive Council. The Executive Council recommends action to the full Board of Trustees, which makes the final decision on reaffirmation and on any monitoring it requires.

The Board convenes twice a year. Decisions are announced to the College Delegate Assembly at its annual business session in December

Resources & Help

Questions specific to your institution’s reaffirmation should go to your staff liaison.

The Principles of Accreditation

The Principles of Accreditation ⟶

Institutional Resources

Documents for institutions in reaffirmation or the Fifth-Year Interim Report process

The Fifth-Year Interim Report

Handbook for Institutions

Other Types of Review

Reaffirmation is one of several reviews the Board conducts.

The others are:

Candidacy – for institutions seeking candidate status
Initial accreditation – for candidate institutions seeking membership
Special review – when institutional circumstances related to accreditation require evaluation
Substantive change – when an institution significantly modifies or expands its nature and scope
Candidacy – for institutions seeking candidate status

Each has its own evaluation documents and peer review procedures.