Operational Policy A-3, Disclosure of Accrediting Documents and Commission Actions

Disclosure of Accrediting
Documents and Commission Actions

The records of the Commission, including self-study and visiting committee reports, are confidential as described in Policy B-3 Code of Good Practice in Accrediting in Higher Education.

Self-study and Other Institutional Reports. Institutions are encouraged to distribute throughout the institution the self-study and other reports filed with the Commission.

The Commission, with the approval of the institution, may permit representatives from other institutions access to the self-study or other reports, if helpful to their self-study or accreditation processes. Also, with prior approval of the institution, the Commission may allow self-studies and other reports to be used by educators who are conducting research relating to the accreditation process and institutional improvement.

Evaluation Committee Reports. Institutions are encouraged to distribute the evaluation committee report widely within the college community and especially to the governing board. The institution should take special effort to avoid publication or distribution of excerpts that quote only those portions favorable to the institution or that take statements out of their context in the report. This mandate does not preclude individual schools or departments from quoting with objectivity portions relating only to them. When selective quotations are made in public documents, the institution must also indicate that a copy of the entire report can be obtained from the institution.

The Commission, as a general rule, will not release committee reports to the public. If an institution releases only selected portions of the report, the Commission reserves the right to release the entire report.

Public Statements by Institutions. If an institution uses a public forum to take issue with an official action of the Commission relating to the institution, or conducts its affairs such that they become a matter of public concern, the Commission may announce, through the President, the action taken, the basis for that action, and make public any pertinent information available to it.

Public Disclosure by the Commission About Institutions. Upon inquiry, the Commission will release the following information about accredited, candidate, or applying institutions:

1.	The status of candidacy application(s) made and Commission decisions concerning those applications;
2.	The date when initial candidacy was granted;
3.	The date of denial or removal from candidacy;
4.	The date and nature of the most recent on-site evaluation or special report, and subsequent Commission action regarding the institution’s candidate or accredited status;
5.	The date and nature of the next scheduled on-site evaluation or special report required by the Commission;
6.	The date when institutions were placed on Probation or Show-Cause status, denied initial candidacy or accreditation, or had their candidacy or accreditation terminated; and
7.	Whether or not the institution has appealed a negative action of the Commission, and, if so, the status and outcome of such an appeal.

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Commission Decisions on Institutions

Once the Commission has made a decision regarding candidacy or accreditation of an institution, it will provide written notification of the action to the institution within one month of the date the action was taken. Commission action with regard to institutions include:

1.	Grant Candidacy or Initial Accreditation.
2.	Continue Candidacy or Reaffirm Accreditation.
3.	Request a Progress Report and/or a Focused Interim Report and Visit.
4.	Defer action on Candidacy or Accreditation.
5.	Issue or Continue Warning.
6.	Impose or Continue Probation.
7.	Issue or Continue a Show-Cause order with Candidacy or Accreditation to terminate unless the institution has demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the Commission that it has satisfied the Commission’s concerns or responded to its directives prior to a specified date.
8.	Deny Candidacy or Accreditation.
9.	Terminate Candidacy or Accreditation.

All of the Commission actions set forth above, except number 5, are posted to the Commission’s website, published in the Directory of Accredited and Preaccredited Institutions, and in the minutes of the Commission meeting at which the action took place. In addition, in taking any of the above actions, the Commission may impose conditions on continued accreditation or candidacy status or request additional reporting or site visits. (See Policy A-3 Disclosure of Accrediting Documents and Commission Actions.)

Negative Decisions. Sanctions may be applied to an institution when the Commission concludes that the institution is in serious non-compliance with one or more Commission standards, policies, or eligibility requirements. If the Commission takes a negative action regarding an institution, the reason(s) will be stated in the Commission’s action letter to the institution. The intent of a sanction is to highlight the immediate need for an institution to bring itself into compliance. While the Commission has discretion to determine the appropriate course of actions, 34 CFR 602.20 provides that the Commission must require that an institution bring itself into compliance with accreditation standards and policies within a specific period which may not exceed:

1.	Twelve months, if the program is less than one year in length;
2.	Eighteen months, if the program is at least one year, but less than two years, in length; or
3.	Two years, if the program is at least two years in length.

The nature and gravity of an institutional deficiency will determine whether or not, in the judgment of the Commission, one of the following five actions will be taken. While these alternatives are of increasing severity, they are not necessarily applied sequentially by the Commission. The Commission may apply any of these alternatives any time it takes a formal action on an institution.

Deferral or Denial of Candidacy or Accreditation. The candidacy or accreditation of an initial applicant or reapplicant institution may be deferred or denied as defined in the following statements:

1.	A deferral is not a final decision. It is interlocutory in nature and designed to provide further guidance and time for the institution to correct certain deficiencies or supply specifically requested information.
2.	A denial is a final decision that is subject to appeal under the published appeal policies and procedures.

Warning. When the Commission finds that an institution has pursued a course that, if continued, could lead to more serious sanctions, it may issue to the institution a Warning to correct its deficiencies, to refrain from certain activities, or to initiate certain activities, within a stated period of time. A Warning does not affect the candidate or accredited status of the institution and will not be made public by the Commission.

Probation. When a candidate or accredited institution fails to respond to the concerns (including Warning) communicated by the Commission or when it deviates significantly from the Commission’s standards, policies, or eligibility requirements, but not to such an extent as to warrant the issuing of a Show-Cause order or withdrawal of candidacy or accreditation, the institution may be placed on Probation for a specified period of time. While on Probation, the institution may be subject to special monitoring by the Commission, which may include a requirement to submit periodic prescribed reports and to receive special visits by representatives of the Commission. In addition, during the period of Probation, any new site or degree program initiated by the institution will be regarded as a major substantive change. (See Policy A-2 Substantive Change.) The candidate or accredited status of the institution continues during the Probation period.

One copy of the probation action letter will be sent to the chief executive officer and one copy will be sent to the chair of the governing board.

Show-Cause. When the Commission finds that an institution has not taken satisfactory steps to remove the causes for its having been placed on Probation or when an institution has not responded to a Warning issued by the Commission or to conditions imposed on it by the Commission, or when an institution neither under Warning nor on Probation is found to have deviated substantially from Commission standards, policies, or eligibility requirements, the Commission may require the institution to show cause why its candidacy or accreditation should not be terminated at the end of a stated period. In such cases, the burden rests with the institution to demonstrate why its candidacy or accreditation should be continued beyond the stated period. The candidate or accredited status of the institution continues during the period of Show-Cause, and any new site or degree program initiated by the institution will be regarded as a major substantive change. (For further information, see Policy A-2 Substantive Change.) In addition, the institution will be subject to special monitoring by the Commission, which may include a requirement to submit periodic prescribed reports and to receive special visits by representatives of the Commission.

One copy of the Show-Cause action letter will be sent to the chief executive officer and one copy will be sent to the chair of the governing board.

Termination of Candidacy or Accreditation. If, in the judgment of the Commission, an institution has not satisfactorily corrected deficiencies noted by the Commission and communicated to the institution, its candidacy may be terminated or allowed to lapse or its accreditation may be terminated. In such a case, the institution must complete again the entire application process to qualify for candidacy. Termination of candidacy or accreditation is subject to appeal under the applicable policies and procedures of the Commission. If an institution’s candidacy is terminated, or if its accreditation is terminated, and if it requests an appeal, its status will continue unchanged until the appeal processes have been completed. Otherwise, its candidacy or accreditation ends on the date when the deadline for filing an appeal expires. Termination of candidacy or accreditation becomes effective July 1 following action taken at a winter Commission meeting and January 1 following action taken at a summer Commission meeting.

Notification to Appropriate State Agency and the United States Department of Education. The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, within 30 days of the final decision to withdraw accreditation or Candidate for Accreditation status of a postsecondary institution, will notify the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, other recognized institutional accrediting agencies, and the appropriate agency of the state in which the institution is based.

Within 24 hours of notification to an institution of the Commission’s final decision to place the institution on Probation or Show-Cause or to deny, withdraw, suspend, revoke, or terminate its accreditation or preaccreditation, the Commission provides public notification by posting a notice of Probation, Show-Cause, or denial, withdrawal, suspension, revocation, or termination of accreditation on the Commission’s website.

Adopted 1994/Revised 1996, 1997, 2002

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