TYPE OF REPORT (INITIAL, REEVALUATION, OR ADDITIONAL LOCATION
INCLUSION)
CAMPUS
Address
City, State, Zip
ACICS ID Code: Code
MAIN
Main Campus (if different from above)
City, State
ACICS ID Code: Main campus code
(Campus e-mail address)
Name of On-Site Administrator, Title (e-mail address)
Date(s) of Visit (Month Date, Year)
Name
Chair
Team member's institution
City, State
Name
Student-Relations Specialist
Team member's institution
City, State
Name
Discipline of Specialist
Team member's institution
City, State (Press tab to insert new row.)
750 First Street, NE, Suite 980 ● Washington, DC 20002-4223
●
t – 202.336.6780
●
f – 202.842.2593
●
www.acics.org
ACCREDITING COUNCIL FOR INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS
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Page 2 of 11
PROGRAMS OFFERED BY
CAMPUS
CITY, STATE
CAR
Retention & Placement
2011
CREDENTIAL EARNED
(Certificate, Diploma, Occupational
Associate’s, Academic Associate’s,
Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral)
Name of diploma or degree
APPROVED
PROGRAM TITLE
Name of major
Clock
Hrs.
Sem./
Qtr.
Hrs.
TOTAL
ENROLLMENT
Notes:
*
**
***
Enroll:
Fulltime/
Part-time
Ret.
0.00%
Pla.
0.00%
2010
Ret.
0.00%
Pla.
0.00%
000
Type in bold any retention rate below 62.0% and any placement rate below 58.0%. Delete either Sem. or Qtr. in the
column 3 heading. Add or delete rows as needed.
Program reviewed for the first time.
For any program with no enrollment, either identify below the expected date of enrollment or explain the campus’s
plans regarding the program. Do not evaluate programs with no enrollment.
For any program (s) not reviewed because of specialized accreditation, please indicate which program(s), the
specialized agency, and the grant expiration date (s).
INTRODUCTION
Please use this page to give a narrative introduction of the campus. Provide a brief history of the campus, a description of its
geographic service area, and a description of the composition of the student population. Also include a description and
explanation of any extenuating circumstances and/or any distinctive or unusual features of the campus or evaluation visit.
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Page 3 of 11
REPORT QUESTIONS
CRITERIA
QUESTIONS
1. MISSION
3-1-100-MISSION: PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES
1.01
Every institution must have a mission which is its specific
purpose for existing. This mission, together with a set of
objectives to accomplish it, must be summarized in a mission
statement. The objectives should be devoted substantially to
career related education and should be reasonable for the
program of instruction, mode of delivery, and facilities of the
institution.
Institutions may exhibit a variety of missions, ranging from
those which have a singleness of purpose to those which are
multi-purpose.
Give the page number in the campus catalog on which the mission
statement can be found.
If there is no mission statement in the catalog, insert the section
number in parentheses and explain.
1.02
Does the campus have an appropriate mission statement with a set of
supporting objectives?
Yes
No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
1.03
Are the objectives devoted substantially to career-related education?
Yes
No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
1.04
Are the objectives reasonable for the following?
(a) The programs of instruction
Yes
No
(b) The modes of delivery.
Yes
No
(c) The facilities of the campus.
Yes
No
If No for any item, insert the section number in parentheses and
explain:
1.05
Are the mission statement and supporting objectives appropriately
disclosed in the campus catalog and in other publications that are
readily available and understandable to the public?
Yes
No
If No for any item, insert the section number in parentheses and
explain:
3-1-102. Implementation. The institution is measured both in
terms of its stated purpose and in terms of its conscientious
1.06
Is the campus committed to successful implementation of its mission?
Yes
No
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QUESTIONS
endeavor to fulfill this purpose. The faculty, financial resources,
physical plant, administration, management, and educational
activities shall be appropriate and committed to successful
implementation of the stated mission of the institution.
Institutional Effectiveness
3-1-110 − INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS
An important indication of the overall effectiveness of an
ACICS-accredited institution is the degree to which it meets its
own predetermined educational outcomes. Each campus of an
ACICS-accredited institution, consistent with its mission, shall
develop and implement a Campus Effectiveness Plan that
identifies how it plans to assess and continuously improve its
educational programs and processes, and that addresses its
ability to meet the educational and occupational objectives of
its programs. In this document, each campus should attempt to
incorporate short-term objectives to be accomplished in order to
achieve the mission of the institution as it applies to the campus
and its future goals.
3-1-111. Campus and Institutional Effectiveness Plans. Each
campus shall have on file a Campus Effectiveness Plan (CEP).
A main and its additional locations may share aspects of a CEP,
such as the mission, but each main and additional location is
expected to have its own plan for effectiveness that describes
the characteristics of the programs offered and of the student
population, describes what types of data will be used for
assessment, identifies outcomes, and states how continuous
improvement will be made to improve or enhance outcomes at
the campus. A distributed enterprise institution must also
submit a consolidated Institutional Effectiveness Plan (IEP)
containing information and data on the institution as a whole.
The IEP of a distributed enterprise institution is due on or
before September 15 annually.
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
CAMPUS EFFECTIVENESS
1.07
student retention rates;
2.
student placement rates;
3.
level of graduate satisfaction;
4.
level of employer satisfaction;
5.
student learning outcomes; and
6.
graduation rates [when available].
In compiling the data needed to assess the six elements, each
campus shall identify and describe how the data were collected,
the rationale for using each type of data, a summary and
analysis of the data collected, and an explanation of how the
data have been used to improve educational processes. Baseline
data must be identified for each of the five elements.
For example, the data needed to demonstrate student learning
outcomes includes baseline data and data to support that student
learning has occurred. Examples of data may include, but are
not limited to, course grades, GPA, CGPA, pre- and post-tests,
Does the campus have a current Campus Effectiveness Plan (CEP)?
Yes
No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
1.08
If the campus is an additional location, does the additional location
have its own CEP, separate from the main campus IEP?
Yes
No
Not Applicable
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
1.09
For the Campus Effectiveness Plan, the following six elements,
at a minimum, will be evaluated for institutional
effectiveness:
1.
Page 4 of 11
Does the CEP describe the following?
(a) The characteristics of the programs offered.
Yes
No
(b) The characteristics of the student population.
Yes
No
(c) The types of data that will be used for assessment.
Yes
No
(d) Specific goals to improve the educational processes.
Yes
No
(e) Expected outcomes of the plans.
Yes
No
If No for any item, insert the section number in parentheses and
explain:
1.10
Are the following five required elements evaluated in the CEP?
(a) Student retention.
Yes
No
(b) Student placement.
Yes
No
Not Applicable (new additional
location only)
(c) Level of graduate satisfaction.
Yes
No
Not Applicable (new additional
location only)
(d) Level of employer satisfaction.
Yes
No
Not Applicable (new additional
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Page 5 of 11
QUESTIONS
entrance assessments, portfolios,
standardized
tests,
professional licensure examinations, and other measures of skill
and competency attainment. Placement data should not be used
exclusively to validate student learning outcomes.
location only)
(e) Student learning outcomes.
Yes
No
If No for any applicable item, insert the section number in parentheses
and explain:
1.11
Define the student learning outcomes used by the campus and how
these outcomes are being assessed.
1.12
Are the following identified and described in the CEP?
(a) The baseline data for each outcome.
Yes
No
Not Applicable
(b) The data used by the campus to assess each outcome.
Yes
No
Not Applicable
(c) How the data was collected.
Yes
No
Not Applicable
(d) An analysis and summary of the data collected and an
explanation of how the data will be used to improve the
educational processes.
Yes
No
Not Applicable
If No for any applicable item, insert the section number in parentheses
and explain:
Each campus shall publish annual placement and retention
goals. In formulating these goals, the campus shall take into
account the retention and placement rates from the previous
three Campus Accountability Reports and the specific activities
that will be undertaken to meet those goals. The activities must
demonstrate the campus’ ability to maintain or improve
retention and placement outcomes each year.
1.13
Institutions are encouraged to include additional information in
their plans which is relevant to improving their overall
effectiveness.
3-1-112. Implementation and Monitoring of Campus and
Institutional Effectiveness Plans. Distributed enterprise
institutions and all campuses shall document that the specific
activities listed in the plan are carried out and that periodic
Has the campus published annual placement and retention goals in its
CEP that take into account its rates from the last three Campus
Accountability Reports and that demonstrate its ability to maintain or
improve retention and placement outcomes?
Yes
No
Not Applicable (new additional
location or initial applicant only)
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
1.14
Has the campus published specific activities that will be undertaken to
meet placement and retention goals?
Yes
No
Not Applicable (new additional
location only)
1.15
Describe the specific activities that the campus will undertake to meet
these goals.
1.16
Does the campus have documentation to show the following?
(a) That the CEP has been implemented.
Yes
No
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Page 6 of 11
QUESTIONS
progress reports are completed to ensure that the plan’s
activities are implemented. Appropriate individuals should be
assigned responsibility for implementing and monitoring the
Campus and Institutional Effectiveness Plans.
(b) That specific activities listed in the plan have been completed.
Yes
No
(c) That periodic progress reports have been completed.
Yes
No
If No for any item, insert the section number in parentheses and
explain:
3-1-113. Evaluation of Campus and Institutional
Effectiveness Plans. Distributed enterprise institutions and all
campuses shall evaluate the plan, its goals, and activities at least
annually. Evaluation requires the determination of initial
baseline rates and a measurement of results after planned
activities have occurred. Distributed enterprise institutions and
all campuses shall maintain documentation of historical
outcomes and show evidence of how this documentation is used
to achieve expected goals. Distributed enterprise institutions
and all campuses should adjust their goals accordingly as a
result of an evaluation of the Institutional and Campus
Effectiveness Plans.
1.17
Who is responsible for implementing and monitoring the CEP?
Describe this individual’s qualifications. If a committee is utilized
please describe the committee.
1.18
Does the campus have documentation to show that the CEP is
evaluated at least annually?
Yes
No
Not Applicable (new additional
location or initial applicant only)
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
GENERAL COMMENTS:
2. ORGANIZATION
3-1-200ORGANIZATION
Each institution should have an organizational structure designed
to promote among all staff and faculty a spirit of understanding,
cooperation, and responsibility. Performance standards and
monitoring controls need to be employed to insure adequate
administrative functioning. The annual budget expenditures
should be adequate to properly carry out the stated educational
objectives of the institution.
2.01
3-1-201. Disclosure. The governance, control, and corporate
organization of the institution shall be stated in appropriate
publications, including the catalog, together with the names of the
trustees, directors, administrators, and officers.
3-1-202. Integrity. The integrity of an institution is manifested by
the professional competence, experience, personal responsibility,
and ethical practices demonstrated by all individuals comprising
Is the following information regarding the campus appropriately
stated in the catalog?
(a) Governance, control, and corporate organization.
Yes
No
(b) Names of the trustees, directors, and/or officers.
Yes
No
(c) Names of the administrators.
Yes
No
If No for any item, insert the section number in parentheses and
explain:
2.02
Does the campus:
(a) Adequately train its employees?
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QUESTIONS
the ownership, control, or management.
Yes
No
(b) Provide them with constant and proper supervision?
Yes
No
(c) Evaluate their work?
Yes
No
An institution must assume full responsibility for the actions,
statements, and conduct of its representatives and must, therefore,
select each of them with the utmost care, provide them with
adequate training, and arrange for constant and proper supervision
and evaluation of their work. The Council considers the following
to be important:
(a)
(b)
Emphasis shall be placed upon the efficiency and
effectiveness of the overall administration of the
institution. Attention shall be given to educational
activities, admissions, student financial aid, financial
operations, plant and equipment, student services,
and compliance with applicable local, state, and
federal laws. The degree of institutional compliance
with the criteria in these areas is a measure of the
administrative capability of the chief on-site
administrator of a main campus or additional
location and, or a distributed enterprise, the
designated chief administrator of the institution.
Page 7 of 11
If No for any item, insert the section number in parentheses and
explain:
2.03
Is the administration of the campus efficient and effective?
Yes
No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
2.04
The institution must maintain written evidence that
faculty and staff members clearly understand their
duties and responsibilities, know the person to whom
they report, and understand the standards by which
the success of their work is measured. A copy of the
document describing these terms and conditions shall
be given to the faculty and staff member and a copy
maintained by the institution. The administration
must maintain documentation of the evaluation of the
faculty and staff.
Does the campus maintain written documentation to show that faculty
and staff members:
(a) Clearly understand their duties and responsibilities?
Yes
No
(b) Know the person to whom they report?
Yes
No
(c) Understand the standards by which the success of their work is
measured?
Yes
No
If No for any item, insert the section number in parentheses and
explain:
2.05
Does the administration maintain documentation of the evaluation of
the faculty and staff?
Yes
No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
(c)
(d)
In the administrative organization of the institution,
the professional integrity of the faculty and staff
shall be respected. Administrative decisions shall
not inhibit the academic freedom of the faculty. The
institution shall adopt a policy assuring academic
freedom and communicate the policy to all faculty.
An institution shall establish, publish, and
implement appropriate grievance policies and
procedures for considering complaints received
from students, employees, and other interested
parties. The grievance procedure for students shall
be published in the institutional catalog or student
handbook and shall include the name and address of
ACICS.
2.06
Has the campus adopted a policy on academic freedom that has been
communicated to the faculty?
Yes
No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
2.07
Does the campus have an appropriate grievance policy for faculty and
staff?
Yes
No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
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Page 8 of 11
QUESTIONS
2.08
Does the campus catalog or the student handbook contain an
appropriate grievance policy for students that includes the name and
address of ACICS?
Yes
No
Not Applicable (initial applicants
only)
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
3-1-203. Financial Stability. The financial well-being of an
institution requires constant oversight by competent managers.
2.09
Who is responsible for the financial oversight of the campus, and
what are this person’s qualifications?
The institution shall have adequate revenues and assets to meet its
responsibilities, to ensure continuity of service, and to accomplish
its mission. Budgetary practices should reflect a balanced
application of resources to operations; the amount of expenses
and debt must not burden the educational objectives of the
institution; the proportion of the budget allocated to instructional
programs must be adequate; and the financial profile of the
institution must support the intent of its objectives.
GENERAL COMMENTS:
3. ADMINISTRATION
2-1-100ACCREDITATION WORKSHOP
REQUIREMENTS
3.01
Is there evidence that the chief on-site administrator(s) or the selfstudy coordinator for the campus attended an accreditation workshop
within 18 months prior to the final submission of the self-study?
Yes
No
3.02
Are all staff well trained to carry out administrative functions?
Yes
No
The Council schedules accreditation workshops each year.
Applicants for initial or new grants of accreditation are required
to attend a workshop. During these workshops, Council
representatives will consult with institutional representatives to
help them understand and complete the process. Institutional
representatives are required to attend an accreditation workshop
within 18 months prior to the final submission of the self-study.
For initial applicants, the chief on-site administrators of main
campuses and all additional locations are required to attend. For
currently accredited institutions, the chief on-site administrators
or the self-study coordinators for single campus institutions and
multiple campus institutions, and representatives of distributed
enterprises are required to attend. Currently accredited distributed
enterprises are responsible for providing workshop information to
the chief on-site administrators and self-study coordinators of all
main campuses and additional locations.
3-1-300ADMINISTRATION
Each institution must coordinate its administrative functions to
best serve its educational mission. All staff should be well trained
to carry out administrative functions. Detailed recordkeeping
enhances the management of the institution.
3-1-301. Management. Each institution shall have a chief
executive officer. Moreover, each institution also shall have a
qualified on-site administrator at the main campus and at all
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
3.03
Who is the on-site administrator, and what are this person’s
qualifications?
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Page 9 of 11
QUESTIONS
additional locationes. This person must be made known to
ACICS and shall be responsible for the implementation of the
stated mission as determined by the institution's governing body.
The staff continuously shall evaluate the programs of study,
student activity program, guidance services, financial aid services,
instructional procedures and resources, and other aspects of the
educational program of the institution. The chief executive officer
shall seek to improve the educational program as a result of such
evaluation. A current copy of the Accreditation Criteria shall be
maintained by each main and additional location location and
shall be available to faculty and staff.
3-1-302. Evidence of Degrees. Institutions listing degrees of staff
members in the catalog shall have on file appropriate evidence of
the degrees. Copies of either transcripts or diplomas are
acceptable.
3.04
Does the campus list degrees of staff members in the catalog?
Yes
No
If Yes, is appropriate evidence of the degrees on file?
Yes
No
If the degrees are not on file, insert the section number in parentheses,
list staff member names, degrees, and awarding institution, and
explain:
3-1-303. Records. Careful recordkeeping is crucial to the smooth
day-to-day operation of an institution. The data from these
records are important to the institution for future planning, to
students for informational purposes, and to evaluation teams
during school visits. All such records should be maintained at
each institutional site or shall be available at each site during
evaluation visits. The Council expects at least the following:
(a)
Adequate records shall be kept by each institution
relative to administrative operations. These include
financial aid activities, admissions, curriculum,
accreditation and licensure, guidance, instructional
resources, supplies and equipment, school plant,
faculty and staff, student activities, and student
personnel.
3.05
Is there evidence that the campus keeps adequate records to support
the following administrative operations?
(a) Financial aid activities.
Yes
No
Not Applicable (campus does not
participate in financial aid)
(b) Admissions.
Yes
No
(c) Curriculum.
Yes
No
(d) Accreditation and licensure.
Yes
No
(e) Guidance.
Yes
No
(f) Instructional resources.
Yes
No
(g) Supplies and equipment.
Yes
No
(h) The school plant.
Yes
No
(i) Faculty and staff.
Yes
No
(j) Student activities.
Yes
No
(k) Student personnel.
Yes
No
If No for any applicable item, insert the section number in parentheses
and explain:
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CRITERIA
(b)
(c)
For all students admitted under an ability-to-benefit
determination, the institution shall maintain records
of the validated test scores, initial and periodic
academic and career advising, and any other factors
used by the institution to support its admissions
determination.
QUESTIONS
3.06
Does the campus admit ability-to-benefit students?
Yes
No (Skip to Question 3.11.)
3.07
Does the campus maintain records for the following that support the
admissions determination for ability-to-benefit students?
(a) Validated test scores.
Yes
No
(b) (b)Initial and periodic academic advising.
Yes
No
(c) (c)Initial and periodic career advising.
Yes
No
For institutions admitting students under an
ability-to-benefit determination, documentation shall
be maintained to evidence the relationship between
test cut-off scores on whatever test the institution
uses and successful academic or employment
outcomes.
Such records could include such data as admissions
rate (acceptances versus rejections), completion rate
of those enrolled, general placement rate, or specific
career placement rate.
For students tested and enrolled based on a test's
validity to predict aptitude, the test score should
predict successful completion of the program.
Institutions must develop longitudinal data
comparing the test cut-off score(s) utilized for
acceptance with the eventual success of students.
An institution admitting a high percentage of
applicants based on testing and losing a comparably
high percentage of those students before completion
(even allowing for factors other than ability) may not
be using the appropriate test to measure aptitude, or
the cut-off score for admission is too low, or both.
The use of the minimum cut-off scores determined
by the U.S. Department of Education will not, in and
of itself, satisfy the requirements of this section.
Page 10 of 11
If No for any item, insert the section number in parentheses and
explain:
3.08
Is there evidence of documentation that supports the relationship
between test cut-off scores and successful academic or employment
outcomes for ability-to-benefit students?
Yes
No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
3.09
Does the campus maintain longitudinal data that compares the test
cut-off scores utilized for acceptance with the eventual success of
ability-to-benefit students?
Yes
No
Not Applicable (campus has not
admitted ATB students long enough to have developed such data)
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
(d)
(e)
3.10
Describe the data used for ability-to-benefit student determination and
how it is analyzed.
For high school graduates or those with high school
equivalency, the institution shall have on file
evidence that the student has received a high school
diploma or its equivalent. A signed statement by the
student is acceptable documentation. The student's
record also may include personal background
information, evidence of other educational
experiences (including certificates, diplomas, or
degrees earned), or information about the ability of
the student to benefit from the education offered,
including any aptitude testing information or
recommendations from other sources.
3.11
Do student files contain evidence of graduation from high school or the
equivalent?
Yes
No
A permanent academic record (transcript) of the
student's progress shall be maintained. Compatible
with the institution's mission, the transcript shall
indicate student accomplishment in terms of clock
3.12
If No, insert the section number in parentheses, list student names, and
explain:
Are appropriate transcripts maintained for all students?
Yes
No
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Page 11 of 11
QUESTIONS
hours, units of credit, or some other recognized
system. The grading system used shall be fully
explained on the transcript and must be consistent
with that appearing in the institutional catalog.
If No, insert the section number in parentheses, list student names, and
explain:
3.13
Is the grading system fully explained on the transcript, and is it
consistent with the grading system that appears in the campus catalog?
Yes
No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
(f)
All basic records and reports pertaining to students shall be
safely protected. Acceptable methods of protecting records
from theft, fire, water damage, or other possible loss include
appropriately fire-rated file cabinets (that can be and are
locked when not being used); a central location such as a
vault, the entirety of which is protected; and microfilmed
records, computer disk, backup tape, printout records, or
other hard copies of records protectively stored off the
premises.
3.14
(g) Certain basic records shall be maintained by the institution
for a specified period of time. Transcripts should be kept
indefinitely, and admissions data and other records should
be kept for at least five years from the last day of
attendance. Financial aid records shall be maintained
according to the guidelines established by the funding
source.
3.15
Are student records protected from theft, fire, water damage, or other
possible loss?
Yes
No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
Does the campus maintain transcripts for all students indefinitely?
Yes
No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
3.16
Does the campus maintain admissions data and other records for at least
five years from the last date of attendance for all students?
Yes
No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
GENERAL COMMENTS: