ACCSC Webinar Series:
A Conversation with the Executive Director
April 30, 2012
Dr. Michale S. McComis
Executive Director
Christopher Lambert
Director of External Affairs
Opening Remarks
Agenda
April 13, 2012 Accreditation Alert – available on line at
www.accsc.org
 New Commissioners Announcement
 Definition of a Credit Hour
 Continuing Education / Avocational Course and Secondary
Educational Objectives
 English as a Second Language
 Changes of Ownership
 Admissions
Revised Standards of Accreditation
 April 15, 2012
Agenda
ACCSC On-the-Road: Overview of External Affairs Activities
 CHEA Annual Meeting
 Pennsylvania: PAPSA Regional Workshops
 Texas Senate Higher Education Committee Public Hearing on Transfer
of Credit
 Interstate Compact for Distance Education
 Summer 2012 Activities
External Constituent Activities
 2012 NASASPS Annual Conference
 NACIQI Draft Final Report: ACCSC Responds
The 6th Annual Professional Development Conference
September 10-12, 2012 - San Diego, California
April 15, 2012
Accreditation
Alert
New
Commissioners
Announcement
The Commission is pleased to announce that the ACCSC membership has elected
the following individuals to serve a four-year term as a School Commissioner
commencing July 1, 2012 and ending June 30, 2016:
Sherry Bomberger
Sr. Vice President, Education and Regulatory Affairs
YTI Career Institute
William Buchanan
Executive Vice President, Marketing and Admissions
Corinthian Colleges, Inc.
The Commission is also pleased to announce that the following individual has been
appointed to serve a four-year term as a School Commissioner commencing July 1,
2012 and ending June 30, 2016:
James A. Bologa
Chief Operating Officer
Porter and Chester Institute
Definition of a
Credit Hour
Definition of a Credit Hour
 In the October 29, 2010 Federal Register, the
Department issued new regulations and a federal
definition of a credit hour. – essentially the Carnegie
Unit of Credit
 The federal definition is for federal financial aid (Title
IV) eligibility purposes
 The federal definition of a credit hour is for degree
program and is different from clock-hour-to-credit-hour
conversions for non-degree programs
 New federal regulations also require accreditors to
review and evaluate institutional credit hour awards
Definition of a Credit Hour
Given the unique nature of vocational education, ACCSC has found
that the federal credit hour definition does not accurately reflect the
reality of the learning environments for ACCSC member schools.
In vocational and career-oriented education, a combination of:
 Didactic learning
 Hands-on practice and experimentation, and
 Out-of-class work/preparation
represent the best learning environment and opportunity for
students to acquire the necessary skills and competencies.
Definition of a Credit Hour
Given the variety of learning environments and experiences in vocational and
career-oriented education typically found in ACCSC-accredited institutions, the
Commission has developed a definition of a credit hour that:
a) reasonably approximates the federal definition, and
b) provides flexibility in program design and delivery as a means to afford students
the best opportunity to achieve programmatic learning objectives.
Paradigm shift in the way in which schools traditionally have measured and
classified “time” in the program.

Moves away from establishing “where” the learning takes places – i.e., in a
classroom, in a laboratory – and

Moves toward establishing “how” the educational process takes place – i.e.,
didactic, supervised, or self-directed.
Definition of a Credit Hour

ACCSC’s definition “weights” the value of each type of educational process

Gives greater weight/value to learning environments where students have the most
didactic engagement with faculty (e.g., direct instruction)

Giving lesser weight/value
work/preparation)

Consider the following example in an Automotive Brake Systems 101 course:
to
self-directed
activities
(e.g.,
out-of-class

One hour in a classroom listening to a lecture – a didactic learning
environment

One hour in a laboratory where the instructor shows students the different
components of a brake system – a didactic learning environment

One hour engaged in hands-on practice assembling brake components while
the instructor oversees their work – a supervised laboratory learning
environment.

One hour completing required reading and end-of-chapter questions for the
next day’s lesson – out-of-class work/preparation.
Definition of a Credit Hour
ACCSC’s definition follows:
One semester credit hour equals 45 units (and one quarter credit
hour equals 30 units) comprised of the following academic
activities:
 One clock hour in a didactic learning environment = 2 units
 One clock hour in a supervised laboratory setting of
instruction = 1.5 units
 One hour of externship = 1 unit
 One hour of out-of-class work and/or preparation for the
didactic learning environment or supervised laboratory
setting of instruction that are designed to measure the
student’s achieved competency relative to the required
subject matter objectives = 0.5 unit
Definition of a Credit Hour
Examples
General Education Course (Semester Credit Hour):
 45 didactic hours (e.g., lecture) = 90 units
 90 out-of-class work/preparation hours = 45 units
 Total Units = 135 = 3 Semester Credit Hours
(This is essentially the Carnegie Unit of Credit)
Core/Technical Course (Quarter Credit Hour):
 30 didactic classroom and lab hours = 60 units
 30 supervised lab hours = 45 units
 30 out-of-class work/preparation hours = 15 units
 Total Units = 120 = 4 Quarter Credit Hours
Definition of a Credit Hour
 The new definition of a credit hour is effective immediately,
 Applies to all programs degree and non-degree,
 Schools must begin assessing and awarding academic credit in
alignment with this definition and complete any necessary
program changes no later than December 31, 2012.
Schools may be required to be in compliance with the federal
requirements for Title IV purposes prior to December 31, 2012.
Schools should contact their U.S. Department of Education case
management team in order to determine the federal requirements in
this regard.
Definition of a Credit Hour
In the event that the new definition of a credit hour causes the total number of
credits awarded in a program to change, schools may submit notice to the
Commission of the change using the ACCSC Notice of Revised Academic Credit
Hours without a fee
In order to assist schools in the calculations for the new credit hour definition, the
Commission has also created new conversion profiles also available on the ACCSC
website:


Non-Degree Program: Non-Degree Program Profile of Clock Hour to Credit
Hour Conversion
Degree Program: Outline of a Degree Program
Schools are encouraged to utilize the new conversion profiles for assistance in
determining if adjustments are necessary to demonstrate compliance with the new
definition.
Definition of a Credit Hour

Federal Regulations require accrediting agencies to assess an institution’s
credit award policies and implementation.

The Commission intends to assess program credit awards during the regular
renewal of accreditation process for all schools.

The Commission will ask for a sample of one course from each credit-bearing
program offered at the institution:

Course design and rationales

Allotment of hours

Syllabus

Sample student work

Graded homework

Quizzes and tests
Continuing Education /
Avocational Courses
and Secondary
Educational Objectives
Continuing Education / Avocational Courses and
Secondary Educational Objectives
The Commission has established a voluntary process for continuing education and
avocational course approval within an ACCSC-accredited school’s scope of
institutional accreditation.
ACCSC will continue to allow institutions to offer continuing education and
avocational courses as a secondary educational objective outside of ACCSC’s scope
of accreditation and will now also allow institutions to apply for these types of
courses to be included in the school’s scope of institutional accreditation.
For the Commission’s purpose, continuing education courses or avocational
courses are those that do not have as an educational objective specific vocational
and career-oriented employment.
An example of an avocational course is a two-day course on baking specialized
pastry offered by a culinary school.
Continuing Education / Avocational Courses and
Secondary Educational Objectives
The Commission expects that schools will treat students enrolling in these courses
in a fair manner consistent with the requirements, spirit, and intent of ACCSC
accreditation requirements.
Continuing education and avocational courses must be defined as secondary
educational objectives

A school may not define a program with vocational objectives as avocational.
In order for a continuing education course or avocational course to be included in
a school’s scope of institutional accreditation:

Must be less than 300 clock hours

Related to an ACCSC-approved vocational career-oriented program for that
school (with the exception of GED preparation courses).
To reiterate, this is a voluntary decision on part of the institution.
Continuing Education / Avocational Courses and
Secondary Educational Objectives
Expectations:
A school must deliver continuing education and avocational courses
to students as advertised and must meet disclosure requirements.
A school must have refund and complaint policies.
A school would not be required to track or report student
achievement outcomes for continuing education or avocational
courses.
English as a Second
Language
English as a Second Language
Due to the difficulty that schools have had in demonstrating compliance with
ACCSC’s “stand-alone” English as a Second Language (“ESL”) program
requirements, the Commission has excluded stand-alone ESL programs from the
Commission’s scope.

Therefore, the approval of any stand-alone ESL program currently will cease
once all students enrolled as of April 15, 2012 have completed their training.

Any student enrolled into a stand-alone ESL program after April 15, 2012 will
not do so under the auspices of ACCSC accreditation.

Schools still have the opportunity to offer front-loaded or integrated ESL
courses.

The Commission’s stand-alone ESL standards will remain in effect until all
students enrolled as of April 15, 2012 have completed their training.
Change of Ownership
Change of Ownership
The Commission has revised ACCSC’s allowance for excluded change of
ownership transactions that occur within an immediate family.
The Commission believes that it is appropriate to assess the new owner’s
experience and capacity to operate an accredited post-secondary educational
institution, regardless of familial relationships.
The intent of the revision:

Is not to remove the excluded transaction provision,

Is to provide the Commission with the information necessary to assess the
capacity of the new owner to operate the school in accordance with
accrediting standards in an on-going manner and to require remedial action as
deemed necessary.
Thus, such transactions will not require the submission of an application for
approval of a change of ownership, but will henceforth require the submission of a
Change of Ownership Report.
Admissions
Policies and
Procedures
Admissions Policies and Procedures
The Commission has revised a section of its admissions standards that has caused
some confusion for schools in order to make more clear the Commission’s
expectations and intent and to better align with other applicable requirements
meant to prevent discriminatory practices.
Specifically, currently one standard stated that a school may not enroll a student
that has a disability that would prevent the use of the knowledge and skill gained
from the training while another standard stated that a school may not deny
admission on the basis of a disability.
The main point of the standards, the Commission has determined, is that a school
should neither deny admission nor discriminate against students on the basis of
several protected classes and has revised the standards as such.
Guidelines for
Employment
Classification
Guidelines for Employment Classification
The Commission has reviewed its Guidelines for Employment Classification pertaining to
self-employment classifications and has made the following revision:
b.
ii.
Self-Employment:
The school secures some form of written verifiable documentation to
demonstrate that the self-employment is valid. such as a state license or certificate
authorizing such employment
The Commission found that the “such as” list caused some confusion for schools who
interpreted the list to be finite list instead of representative as the Commission had
intended.
Schools may use a broad range of supporting documentation so long as the
documentation is in fact verifiable and valid.
For example, a state license to work as a self-employed massage therapist in conformance
with state requirements would meet the expectations of the guidelines; however, a business
card alone would not normally demonstrate valid self-employment.
External Constituent
Services
External Constituent Activities

NASASPS Annual Conference

ACCSC General Session, “Crucial Connections”

CHEA Annual Meeting

Pennsylvania: PAPSA Regional Workshops


Six Regional Compliance Workshops

ACCSC General Session, “Critical Compliance”
Texas: Senate Higher Education Committee Public Hearing on Transfer of
Credit

ACCSC Written Testimony / CCST

Interstate Compact for Distance Education

Summer 2012 Activities

PAPSA, FAPSC, APSCU, NWCCF Annual Conferences

Puerto Rico Member Forum – San Juan, Puerto Rico (May)

Accreditation Workshop – San Francisco, California (July)
NACIQI Final Report – 02/08/12
Higher Education Accreditation
Reauthorization Policy Recommendations
The National Advisory Committee for Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI),
which makes recommendations to the Secretary of Education on accrediting agency
recognition, was also tasked to advise the Secretary on the reauthorization of the
Higher Education Act.
NACIQI engaged in “a broad dialogue about what is working (and not working) in the
current system of recognition, accreditation, and student aid eligibility” and agreed to
focus on three main areas, including:

The triad of actors (state regulators, accreditors, and the Department) in
educational quality assurance;
A critical issue focused on the extent to which accreditation serves, and should continue to
serve, a gatekeeping function for the determination of eligibility of federal funds.
Deliberations on this issue covered a range of views, and concluded with the
recommendation to retain accreditation in the institutional eligibility process.
NACIQI Final Report – ACCSC Responds
03.16.12
ACCSC expressed its full support of the recommendation to retain
accreditation in the institutional eligibility process.
ACCSC also expressed concern on the increasing federalization of
accreditation and provided some ideas on how the responsibilities of each
member of the triad (federal, state, and accreditor) can be strengthened to
ensure the reliability of our nation’s current higher education oversight
system.
Although ACCSC recognizes accreditation has room for enhancement and
improvement, as do the other members of the triad, we also believe that each
member of the triad can strengthen their respective roles while retaining the
positive qualities and the expertise that peer-review captures and delivers
without any federally mandated intervention into accreditation
affairs.
2012 Professional
Development
Conference
ACCSC is pleased to announce the launch of registration for the 2012 Professional
Development Conference scheduled for September 10-12, 2012 at the Omni Hotel
in San Diego, California!
Call for Proposals: Educational Break-out Session
Call for Nominations:
•Graduate of the Year
•Instructor of the Year
•Community Service Award
Available online at www.accsc.org
ACCSC Webinar Series:
A Conversation with the Executive Director
April 30, 2012
Dr. Michale S. McComis
Executive Director
Christopher Lambert
Director of External Affairs