DETC Accrediting Commission
Approves Policy Revisions

At its most recent meeting, the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council gave its final approval to several changes and revisions to DETC Standards, Procedures and Policies. The following changes and revisions, listed below, were adopted June 3, 2011. Institutions must be in full compliance by January 1, 2012.

• C.3. Policy on Change of Ownership/Management (revised and addition of “management” requirements)
• C.9. Policy on Degree Programs
  • editorial: moved copy about faculty interaction and intellectual property rights to “Curriculum” – page 3
  • alternatives to high school transcripts requirement – pages 10-11
  • additions to admission requirements for non-English speaking applicants – pages 12-13
• C.27. Policy on Teach-Out Plans (addition of new Federal requirements)
  
• DETC Business Standards
  • Addition of corresponding standards
  • I.A. Advertising and Promotion:
    • #6 – added “its catalog” and on its website (page 1)
    • #9 – added “$100” (page 2)
  • II.A. Enrollment Agreements:
    • #1 – requires institution to ensure applicants are informed of rights, responsibilities and obligations before enrollment agreement is signed (page 2).
    • #6 – no enrollment agreement is binding until submitted by student and accepted by institution (page 3)
  • II.B. add Referrals:
    • #3 – require official transcripts to be sent to the institution within one enrollment period not to exceed 12 semester credits or student will not be accepted into the program – (page 3);
    • #6 – if an institution provides incentives for referrals it must not exceed a nominal value (page 3);
  • II.C. add “and Monitoring” and “including employees or contractors” (page 3);
    • new #3 – on routinely monitoring compliance of standards (page 4);
  • III.A. Tuition Practices:
    • #3 – delete 5 day cooling-off period (page 4);
    • #4 – add “a best effort estimate” of costs of textbooks must be made available to the students on the enrollment agreement (page 5); and
  • Revised Code of Ethics, #4, 6, 7, 8, (pages 9 & 10)

Call for Public Comment

In addition, the Commission also gave its approval to several changes. The public has a chance to comment on the changes, listed below, before their final adoption in September 2011.

1. Accreditation Standards (added NCHEMS’ suggestions and revised standard on succession plans)
2. Business Standards (added 3 items – pages 1 & 2)
   • New Standard I.A.6. (Institutions must make available information prior to the collection of personal contact information)
   • New Standard I.A.8. (Institutions must provide performance information)
   • New Standard I.B.4. (DETC’s approval of ownership change before sale)
3. C.1. Policy on Substantive Change and Notification (major revision)
4. C.9. Standard II. (Changed “doctoral-level” to “graduate-level”)
5. C.18. Policy on Annual Reports (added compliance with C.1. on page 1)
6. C.20. Policy on Complaints (revised definition of complaint and revised section on complaints about applicant institutions)
7. C.24. Policy on Non-U.S. Institutions (accepting foreign applications only with petition)
8. C.28. Policy on Credit Hour (new policy to conform to Federal regulations)
9. D.1. Policy on Providing the Chair’s Report (added to next to the last paragraph on written notification)
10. D.1.1. Actions Available to the Commission (added burden of proof rests with the institution under Show Cause Action)
11. D.2. Policy on Appealing Commission’s Adverse Decision (major revision)
12. D.4. Policy on Retention of Commission Files (major revision to simplify)
13. D.8. Policy on Standards of Ethics and Professionalism (added appeal panel and last paragraph)
14. Addition to E.14. Glossary (added new definition for correspondence education and distance education; also added Intellectual Property Rights)
15. Changes to Pages 12, 14 & 16 of the AC Handbook (added correspondence and distance education definitions)
16. Changes to Pages 26 & 27 of the AC Handbook (revised section under Decisions of Other Agencies)
    

Any comments on the above proposed policy changes should be sent to Sally Welch (sally@detc.org) before August 19, 2011. Final adoption of these additions will be considered at a Commission meeting in September.

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