Substantive Change Policy and Procedures

Alabama State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and complies with the Substantive Change for Accredited Institutions of the Commission on Colleges Policy Statement, requiring the university to report all substantive changes accurately and efficiently to the Commission.

Substantive change is defined by the SACSCOC as a significant change in the nature and scope of an accredited institution. During an institution's decennial review, the Commission reviews all substantive changes to determine if the change has affected the quality of the institution, and to ensure that the institution continues to meet defined standards.

The Commission's Policy on Substantive Change describes the developments that it considers to be substantive changes and the procedure for reporting them.

In order to ensure timely reporting of actions requiring notification and approval from SACSCOC, Alabama State University has adopted a Board Approved Substantive Change Policy.

 

Institutional Obligations

Member institutions are required to notify the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) of changes in accordance with the substantive change policy and, when required, seek approval prior to the initiation of changes.

Member institutions are required to have a policy and procedure to ensure that all substantive changes are reported to the Commission in a timely fashion. See the Alabama State University Substantive Change Policy See the complete Substantive Change Policy posted on the SACSCOC webpage for additional details.

 

Resources

Frequently Asked Substantive Change Questions

Programmatic and Administrative Substantive Change Checklist

 

Training on Substantive Change

To request more information or schedule a substantive change consultation, please email ASU's SACSCOC Liaison, Dr. Tanjula Petty.