02:01:00 Accreditation and Program Review

Purpose

To establish procedures for review in institutional and program accreditation reports, program reviews such as academic and administrative audit reports, or other related documents to ensure accuracy and consistency among documents, which may affect the integrity and/or accredited standing of the college or its academic programs.

Policy

I. General

As an institution that holds accreditation from more than one U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting body, Walters State must accurately represent itself to each recognized accrediting body with regard to purpose, governance, programs, degrees, diplomas, certificates, personnel, finances, and constituencies, and must keep each institutional accrediting body apprised of any change in its status with one or another accrediting body.

II. Programmatic Accreditation

Individual departments are responsible for monitoring all programmatic accreditation reporting deadlines and securing signatures for reporting submissions. The department must notify the Office of Academic Affairs and the office of Institutional Effectiveness and Compliance (IEC) of any upcoming deadlines. Reports must be submitted to these offices at least two weeks prior to the accrediting body’s deadline for review. Each vice president or assistant vice president will review and return comments prior to the accrediting body’s deadline. The department undergoing accreditation is responsible for submitting all reports to the accrediting body. Any communication regarding the acceptance, approval, or other action of these reports must be provided to both the Office of Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness and Compliance.

III. Academic and Administrative Audit self-study reports

Academic audits are scheduled at the beginning of each five-year Quality Assurance Funding cycle. Divisions or departments responsible for completing a self-study report will be notified during the cycle’s planning process and will be reminded at the beginning of the fall term prior to the audit’s January deadline. Audit reports must be reviewed and approved by both the academic dean and the vice president for Academic Affairs and submitted to the office of Institutional Effectiveness and Compliance no later than one week prior to the Tennessee Board of Regent’s deadline (usually the last weekday in January for academic audits and later in the spring semester for administrative audits). Institutional Effectiveness and Compliance (IEC)will review the self-study and submit the report to the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC).

The office of Institutional Effectiveness and Compliance is the liaison with the TBR for scheduling audit site visits and submitting follow-up reports. IEC works with the respective divisions/departments to coordinate all activities.

05/16; 05/21; 06/23