President’s Desk

• Commission President, Dr. Barbara A. Beno posts communications to member institutions on this page. You can also find letters sent to the field listed by date and topic.

  FEDERAL UPDATES
  

  • President Beno's letter regarding NACIQI Draft Report on the Future of Accreditation and the NACIQI Discussion Draft: Higher Education Accreditation Reauthorization Policy Considerations dated October 18, 2011 available for download here.
  • The U.S. Department of Education released Guidelines for accreditor recognition for 2012.  The document is available for download here:  Guidelines for Preparing/Reviewing Petitions and Compliance Reports.

    GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT
  

  • The U.S. Department of Education released the final regulations on the gainful employment rule on June 1, 2011. The final regulations and  information about the rule are available for download here:  USDE Press Release on Gainful Employment final regulations;   Supplemental Information on Gainful Employment Regulations.

  • A letter from the U.S. Department of Education regarding implementation of regulatory requirements related to Gainful Employment Programs is available for download here:  USDE letter regarding Gainful Employment Programs_April-20-2011. 

     STATE AUTHORIZATION and CREDIT HOUR
  

  • A contact list for the purposes of state authorization is available on the SHEEO (State Higher Education Executive Officers) website: http://www.sheeo.org/stateauth/stateauth-home.htm.
  • A letter from the U.S. Department of Education containing clarification on the enforcement of State Authorization regulations is available for download here: State-Authorization-under-the-Program-Interity-Regulations-April-20-2011.
  • ACCJC is a signatory of letters submitted by the American Council on Education on April 26, 2011, to Congress members, requesting assistance in blocking regulations introducing a federal definition of 'credit hour' and state authorization.  The letters are available for download here:   ACE Letter April 26, 2011   ACE Letter April 26, 2011   A letter to Deputy Under Secretary J.R. Kvaal is available for download here.
  • Letters from the Department of Education explaining new federal regulations on state authorization and on credit hour, as well as President Barbara Beno's letters to the field in regard to that are available for download here:  New federal regulations on state authorization, March 24, 2011.   New federal regulations on credit hour, March 28, 2011.
  • ACCJC is a signatory of  letters submitted by the American Council of Education on March 2, 2011 and February 16, 2011, to Secretary Arne Duncan expressing concerns about the establishment of a federal definition of 'credit hour' and state authorization regulations. The letters are available for download here: ACE Letter March 2, 2011. ACE Letter_February 16 2011.
    
  • ACCJC is a signatory of a letter submitted by the American Council of Education on March 10, 2011, to Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, Ms. Virginia Foxx expressing concerns about the regulations to establish a federal definition of ‘credit hour’ and expand state authorization requirements. The letter is available for download here.
   
     PROPOSED RULEMAKING
  
  • The ACCJC is a signatory of the response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) posted in the Federal Register July 26, 2010, Docket ID-2010-OPE-0012 submitted by the American Council on  Education on September 9, 2010.  The response was submitted jointly by over 60 higher education associations and accrediting agencies.  The response is available for download here.
  • The ACCJC is a signatory of the response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) posted in the Federal Register on June 18, Docket ID-2010-OPE-0004 submitted by the American Council on  Education on August 2, 2010.  The response was submitted jointly by over 70 higher education associations and accrediting agencies.  The response is available for download here.
  • The Higher Education Opportunity Act was passed by Congress in September 2008. This describes what is new for accreditation in the act.
  • The HEOA, Negotiated Rulemaking, and Accreditation
    
   
  OTHER MESSAGES FROM THE PRESIDENT
  
  • ACCJC Announcement of Commission Vacancies and Request for Nominations-Applications
    
  • Commission Chair Mr. Michael T. Rota's November 9, 2011 letter to college Superintendents, Chancellors and Presidents regarding Accreditation Standards review is available for download here.
  • The New Ecology for Higher Education: Challenges to Community College Accreditation.  A paper prepared for ACCJC/WASC by Dr. Peter Ewell (NCHEMS) is available for download here.
  • A memo to ACCJC Commissioners, dated June 8, 2011, regarding Commissioner election results is available for download here.
  • The Commission has developed a document that introduces 12 common questions and answers that are meant to provide basic information about regional accreditation to college staff and students. The document is available for download here.
  • U.S. Senator Durbin asks 60 accrediting agencies, including the ACCJC, for an explanation of standards they use to ensure quality at colleges and universities.   The March 4, 2011 letter is available for download here.
  • Commission President Dr. Barbara Beno's August 27, 2010 letter to member institutions regarding the U.S. Department of Education's finding on ACCJC's compliance with federal regulations is available for download here.
  • The findings of the 2006-07 External Review Committee, which examined the implementation of the 2002 Accreditation Standards, are published in Quality Assurance: A Formative Review.  The Review presents the general findings in 3 areas – college implementation of the Accreditation Standards, team evaluations of colleges using the Standards, and Commission support to improve the college implementation of the Standards. The Review Report is available for download here.
  • An interview by WCET -WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies with President Dr. Barbara Beno on the topic Regional Accreditation: Changing Roles and the Impact for Community and Junior Colleges is available through the following link: http://www.wcet.wiche.edu/learn/barbara-beno.
  • Summary of Data about Colleges on Sanction, January 2011
  • Summary of Data about Colleges on Sanction, January 2010
  • Summary of Data about Colleges on Sanction, January 2009
  • "What Executives Need to Know", Presented by Dr. Barbara Beno, President, ACCJC, November 2009