Policies, Interpretations, Guidelines, Good Practices, and Position Statements: Definitions for Accreditation Purposes
The Commission on Colleges and Universities Policies
A policy is a required course of action to be followed by The Commission or its member or candidate institutions. The Commission policies may also include procedures, which are likewise a required course of action to be followed by The Commission or its member or candidate institutions. The Principles of Accreditation requires that an institution comply with the policies and procedures of The Commission. Policies are approved by vote of The Commission Board of Trustees. At its discretion, the Board may choose to forward a policy to the College Delegate Assembly for approval.
The Commission Interpretation of Standards
An interpretation is a clarification of the expectations required of member or candidate institutions for documenting compliance with the Principles of Accreditation. Interpretations are approved by vote of The Commission Board of Trustees.
The Commission Position Statements
A position statement examines an issue facing The Commission members, describes appropriate approaches, and states The Commission’s stance on the issue. It is approved by the Executive Council or The Commission Board of Trustees.
The Commission Guidelines
A guideline is an advisory statement designed to assist institutions in fulfilling accreditation requirements. As such, guidelines describe recommended educational practices for documenting requirements of the Principles of Accreditation and are approved by the President with notification to the Executive Council. The guidelines are examples of commonly accepted practices that constitute compliance with the standard. Depending upon the nature and mission of the institution, however, other approaches may be more appropriate and also provide evidence of compliance.
The Commission Good Practices
Good practices are commonly-accepted practices within the higher education community that enhance institutional quality. Good practices may be formulated by outside agencies and organizations and approved by the President with notification to the Executive Council.
The Commission staff are responsible for updating and correcting errors of fact or language in policies, interpretations, guidelines, good practices, and position statements, as they are discovered, on behalf of the Executive Council and/or Board of Trustees.
All documents are available on The Commission website. The Commission maintains currency of website information and reserves the right to add, modify, or delete any of the documents listed.