Procedure II.2001.A.a, Monitoring Substantive Change

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Associated Policy

Policy II.2001.A, Substantive Change

Procedures

1. To ensure comprehensive monitoring of changes to College operations that may represent a  “substantive change” as defined by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Substantive Change Policy and Procedures, the College’s Institutional Accreditation Liaison  to SACSCOC in collaboration with the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) identifies specific teams, offices, or personnel responsible for reporting prospective changes to and consulting with the College’s SACSCOC Institutional Accreditation Liaison (IAL) to initiate the process of reporting a substantive change to SACSCOC.

   Identified teams, offices, or personnel will be responsible for types of substantive change that are within the scope of their responsibility. The teams, offices, or personnel and the types of substantive change for which they are responsible for monitoring include the following:

   1. Strategic Leadership Team (SLT)
      1. Change in Measure of Student Progress to Completion
      2. Competency-based Education by Course/Credit-based Approach–Institutional-level Approval (1)
      3. Distance Education – Institutional-level Approval
      4. Correspondence Education– Institutional-level Approval
      5. Governance Change
      6. Institution Closure
      7. Institution Relocation
      8. Institution, Program, or Location Acquisition
      9. Institutional Contingency Teach-out Plan
      10. Level Change
      11. Merger/Consolidation
      12. Mission Change
      13. Ownership, Means of Control, or Legal Status Change
      14. Competency-based Education by Direct Assessment–Approval
      15. Competency-based Education by Direct Assessment–Notification
      16. Cooperative Academic Arrangement
      17. Cooperative Academic Arrangement with Non-Title IV Entities–Approval
      18. Cooperative Academic Arrangement with Non-Title IV Entities–Notification
      19. Correspondence Education-Approval
      20. Correspondence Education-Notification
      21. Dual Academic Award
      22. Joint Academic Award with non-SACSCOC Institution(s) or Entity(ies)
      23. Joint Academic Award with SACSCOC Institution(s)
      24. New Program–Approval (3)
      25. Program Closure (2)
      26. Program Re-open
      27. Off-campus Instructional Site Notification 25%-49%
      28. Off-campus Instructional Site Extensive Review Approval (including Branch Campus)
      29. Off-campus Instructional Site Limited Review Approval (including Branch Campus) 50% or more
      30. Off-campus Instructional Site Relocation Branch Campus
      31. Off-campus Instructional Site Closure
      32. Off-campus Instructional Site Re-open
   2. Instructional Leaders, Deans, and Department Chairs
      
      1. Change in Measure of Student Progress to Completion
      2. Correspondence Education–Institutional-level Approval
      3. Institution, Program, or Location Acquisition
      4. Competency-based Education by Direct Assessment–Approval
      5. Competency-based Education by Direct Assessment–Notification
      6. Cooperative Academic Arrangement
      7. Cooperative Academic Arrangement with Non-Title IV Entities–Approval
      8. Cooperative Academic Arrangement with Non-Title IV Entities–Notification
      9. Correspondence Education-Approval
      10. Correspondence Education-Notification
      11. Dual Academic Award
      12. Joint Academic Award with non-SACSCOC Institution(s) or Entity(ies)
      13. Joint Academic Award with SACSCOC Institution(s)
      14. New Program–Approval
      15. Program Closure
      16. Program Re-open
      17. Off-campus Instructional Site Notification 25%-49%
      18. Off-campus Instructional Site Extensive Review Approval (including Branch Campus)
      19. Off-campus Instructional Site Limited Review Approval (including Branch Campus) 50% or more
      20. Off-campus Instructional Site Relocation Branch Campus
      21. Off-campus Instructional Site Closure
      22. Off-campus Instructional Site Re-open
   3. Dual Credit Leaders, Instructional Leaders
      
      1. Off-campus Instructional Site Notification 25%-49%
      2. Off-campus Instructional Site Extensive Review Approval (including Branch Campus)
      3. Off-campus Instructional Site Limited Review Approval (including Branch Campus) 50% or more
      4. Off-campus Instructional Site Closure
      5. Off-campus Instructional Site Re-open

    

   2. Leadership teams, offices, or personnel will report and consult with the College’s SACSCOC (IAL) regarding a prospective change immediately upon becoming aware of the internal discussions and planning regarding the prospective change.
   3. The College’s (IAL) to SACSCOC or designee will provide training annually to leadership teams, offices, or personnel identified previously within this procedure. The Liaison may also provide training subsequent to changes in the personnel. The training for each group will include an overview of substantive change and a focus on the specific types of substantive change for which the team, office, or personnel is responsible.

    

   Definitions

   Substantive change: a significant modification or expansion of the nature and scope of an accredited institution. Substantive change includes high-impact, high-risk changes and changes that can impact the quality of educational programs and services. The full scope of changes considered substantive changes, including those required by federal regulations, is defined by the SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy and Procedures.

   Date of SLT Approval	July 20, 2021
   Effective Date	September 17, 2021
   Associated Policy	Policy II.2001.A, Substantive Change
   Primary Owner of Policy Associated with the Procedure	Deputy Chancellor and President
   Secondary Owner of Policy Associated with the Procedure	College-designated Institutional Accreditation Liaison to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)