General Requirements for Substantive Change

The below general requirements will apply to all or most of the substantive change types. These requirements will address obligations and processes by an institution and SACSCOC. 

Submission Deadlines

• For full SACSCOC Board of Trustees
  • March 15 for review at the Board's June meeting
  • September 1 for review at the Board's December meeting
• For those requiring approval from the Executive Council of the SACSCOC Board of Trustees or Notification only
  • January 1 for an implementation date between July 1 and December 31
  • July 1 for an implementation date between January 1 and June 30
• Notifications may be submitted any time before implementaion. Once the notification has been submitted, the institution may implement the change prior to receiving a response from SACSCOC.If any additional information is needed, the SACSCOC liaison will be contacted.
• For a substantive change to close a program, site, program at a site, or method of delivery, a teach-out plan should be submitted as soon as possible after the decision is made to close. 

Accreditation Cycle

• May be affected by a substantive change
  • a merger/consolidation, acquisition of an institution, or change of ownership
  • change of governance, means of control, or legal status 
  • extensive substantive changes

Appeal of substantive change decision

• should the SACSCOC Board of Trustees deny a substantive change, they may not be appealed
• all actions are final
• institution may revise and resubmit a prospectus or application

Appeal, litigation, and arbitration

• a SACSCOC institution in the appeals process or litigation or arbitration is not eligible for substantive change

Approval Date

• approval date for substantive change is the date on the SACSCOC response letter

Board Review Pathways

• approval or denial is granted by either the full SACSCOC Board of Trustees or the Executive Council of the SACSCOC Board of Trustees
  • Exceptions
    • if an institution is on sanction
    • an institution has recently been removed from sanction for non-compliance with Standards 13.1, 13.2, or 13.3
    • an institution is currently on reimbursement for title IV federal funding

Deferral

• a proposal is returned for additional information or explanation

Disclosure

• Institutions must submit on the SACSCOC cover sheet the below information
  • currently on sanction (Warning, Probation, or Probation for Good Cause)
  • if they have been on sanction in the last three academic years
  •  currently under provisional certification for participation in federal financial aid programs
  • currently on reimbursement for title IV federal student aid programs

Extensive Changes

•  some changes may change the reaffirmation cycle
  • significant change in the number of off-campus instructional sites including branch campuses
  • significant change in number of programs
  • significant change in enrollment
  • frequent mergers/consolidations or acquisitions

Implementation Date

• determined by the institution but is not able to pre-date an earlier denial or the date a substantive change is submitted

Implementation Time Limit

• substantive changes must be implemented within two years of the approval date or a new prospectus is required

Maintaining off-campus instructional site/additional locations accuracy and completeness

• must keep all off-campus locations up to date with name and addresses

Non-enumerated changes

• SACSCOC reserves the right to consider an institutional change or group of changes as a substantive change even if not specifically numbered in policy

Notification vs. Approval

• notification accepted by SACSCOC staff
• approval is granted by SACSCOC Board of Trustees

Possible non-compliance

• if SACSCOC feels their could be non-compliance they have the right for further review. 
• institution may be required to submit materials related to this for action

Systems

• state coordinating boards are not able to submit substantive changes

Submission authority

• substantive changes must be submitted by the institution's chief executive officer or accreditation liaison only

Withdrawal

• an institution may withdrawal a substantive change proposal at any time during the review process

*Information Source: SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy and Procedures