Accreditation
Substantive Changes
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) requires its member institutions have a written policy and procedure to ensure that all substantive changes are reported to the Commission in a timely fashion. 乐播传媒入口 adheres to the聽. See聽MTSU’s Policy 50 Timely Reporting of a Substantive Change for Accredited Institutions of the SACSCOC.
SACSCOC and MTSU substantive change policies and procedures assure the public that the University and its academic programs continuously meet the standards outlined in the SACSCOC . Specialized accreditation agencies have additional substantive change policies and procedures for specific academic programs.
For more information, please contact MTSU accreditation liaison Jeff Gibson at [email protected], (615) 898-5806, or Cope Administration Building Room 110.
SACSCOC defines substantive change as a significant modification or expansion of the nature and scope of an accredited institution. Substantive changes are organized in to three categories: institutional changes, program changes, and off-campus instructional site changes. The tables below summarizes types of changes in each category, as well as the requirements for institutions not on substantive change restriction. Changes with
Institutional Changes
| Change Type | Requires | Site Visit |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition | Approval by Full Board | Yes |
| Change in measure of student progress to completion | Approval by Senior Staff | |
| Competency-based education by course/credit approach institution level | Approval by Senior Staff | |
| Distance education institution level | Approval by Senior Staff | |
| Governance change | Approval by Full Board | Yes |
| Institution closure/teach-out plan | Approval by Executive Council | |
| Institutional contingency teach-out plan | Approval by Executive Council | |
| Level authorization addition | Approval by Executive Council | |
| Level change to higher level | Approval by Full Board | Yes |
| Merger/consolidation | Approval by Full Board | Yes |
| Mission change | Approval by Executive Council | |
| Ownership, form of control, or legal status change | Approval by Full Board | Yes |
| Prison education program – best interest review* | Approval by Executive Council | Yes |
| Prison education program – institutional-level approval* | Approval by Executive Council | Yes |
Program Changes
| Change Type | Requires | Site Visit |
|---|---|---|
| Competency-based education by direct assessment (each program) | Approval by Full Board | Yes |
| Cooperative academic arrangement with non-Title IV entities* | Notification by Institution | |
| Method of delivery* | Notification by Institution | |
| New program* | Approval by Senior Staff | |
| Program closure/teach-out plan | Approval by Executive Council | |
| Program length change* | Approval by Senior Staff |
Off-Campus Instructional Site Changes
| Change Type | Requires | Site Visit |
|---|---|---|
| Off-campus instructional site by extensive review (first two sites approved after January 2021)* | Approval by Full Board | Yes |
| Off-campus instructional site closure | Approval by Executive Council | |
| Off-campus instructional site (all sites after first two approved) | Notification by Institution |
* Change has different and/or additional requirements for institutions on substantive change restriction
MTSU must notify and/or receive approval from SACSCOC before implementing a substantive change. The Office of the University Provost prepares and submits all notifications and prospectuses for approval. See 鈥淩eporting the Various Types of Substantive Change鈥� above for a full list of the types of substantive changes and their respective requirements. Deans, department chairs and directors of schools, and administrative officers must inform the University鈥檚 accreditation liaison in writing of any planned substantive change by the deadlines shown in the tables below.
Changes requiring approval by the Executive Council or by senior staff
| For implementation in | Inform Liaison by | SACSCOC deadline is |
|---|---|---|
| January-June | May 1 of preceding year | August 1 of preceding year |
| July-December | November 1 of preceding year | February 1 |
Changes requiring approval by SACSCOC Board of Trustees
| For implementation in | Inform Liaison by | SACSCOC deadline is |
|---|---|---|
| January-June | June 1 of preceding year | September 1 of preceding year |
| July-December | January 1 | March 15 |
Changes requiring notification by the institution
| For Implementation In | Inform Liaison By | Liaison Notifies SACSOC By |
|---|---|---|
| January-April | November 1 of preceding year | December 1 of preceding year |
| May-July | March 1 | April 1 |
| August-December | June 1 | July 1 |
If an institution is non-compliant with Substantive Change Policies and Procedures or Standard 14.2 (Substantive change), its accreditation may be in jeopardy. An unreported substantive change may require a review of the institution鈥檚 substantive change policy and procedures document by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees. Non-compliance subjects the institution to monitoring, sanction, or removal from membership. Failure to secure approval, if required, of a substantive change involving programs or locations that qualify for title IV federal funding may place the institution in jeopardy with the U.S. Department of Education, including reimbursement of funds received related to an unreported substantive change. For additional information, refer to Unreported Substantive Change in the procedures section of the Substantive Change Policies and Procedures.
MTSU’s open off-campus instructional sites, including those for which the university submitted a notification and those that SACSCOC has approved, are outlined in the table below.
| OCIS Name | Address | Program | OCIS Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackman High School | 3956 Blaze Drive Murfreesboro, TN 37128 United States | Dual Enrollment Courses | 25-49% |
| Page High School | 6281 Arno Road Franklin, TN 37064 United States | Dual Enrollment Courses | 25-49% |
| Riverdale High School | 802 Warrior Drive Murfreesboro, TN 37128 United States | Dual Enrollment Courses | 25-49% |
| Rockvale High School | 6545 State Highway 99 Rockvale, TN 37153 United States | Dual Enrollment Courses | 25-49% |
| Siegel High School | 3300 Siegel Road Murfreesboro, TN 37129 United States | Dual Enrollment Courses | 25-49% |
SACSCOC OCIS Types:
- 25-49% of a program offered at the site: requires notification to SACSCOC prior to implementation
- 50-100% of a program offered at the site: requires approval by SACSCOC if the institution has not had two OCIS approved by extensive review