Substantive Change Submission Timeline

Per SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy and Procedures, “substantive change prospectus, application, and notification submission deadlines depend on (1) the type of SACSCOC Board of Trustees review, if required (see also the Board review pathways explained below), and (2) the intended implementation date of the substantive change.” A formal review of all requests is conducted by the Office of Academic Planning and Assessment. Questions in advance of submission can be directed to:

Lila Alvarado, Coordinator III
(936) 294-1536
lca007@shsu.edu

Substantive Changes Which Require SACSCOC Approval

SACSCOC approval of a proposed substantive change may require review by the full Board of Trustees or the Executive Council of the Board of Trustees on behalf of the full Board.

  • Types of Substantive Changes Which Require Approval by the Full Board of Trustees

    Changes that require approval by the full Board of Trustees include:

    • Institutional Changes such as:
      • Acquisition (the sale, exchange, or transfer of a component of an institution's or entity's assets to a SACSCOC accredited institution)
      • Governance Changes (significantly altering governing bylaws, the board's scope of authority or responsibility, the number of board members, or how board members are selected)
      • Level Change to a Higher Level
      • Merger/Consolidation (requires Notification and Approval)
      • Ownership, Means of Control, or Legal Status Change (requires Notification and Approval
    • Program Changes such as:
      • Competency-Based Education by Direct Assessment (a program in which 50% or more of the program may be earned through the direct assessment approach to competency-based education)
    • Off-Campus Instructional Site/Additional Location Changes such as
      • Off-Campus Instructional Site (at which 50% of a program's instruction is delivered)
        • Method of approval may be by extensive review (by Full Board of Trustees) or by limited review (by Executive Council)
        • Pathway depends on (1) number of sites previously approved by extensive review, (2) whether institution has completed at least one reaffirmation of accreditation, and (3) whether institution is on Substantive Change Restriction
  • Submission Timeline for Substantive Changes Which Require Approval by the Full Board of Trustees

    For a substantive change requiring approval by the full Board of Trustees (which meets biannually), to be implemented after the date of the Board meeting, the submission deadlines are:

    March 15 September 1
    For review at the Board's biannual meeting in June of the same calendar year. For review at the Board's biannual meeting in December of the same year.
    Targeted Implementation Date
    Fall term* following Board Meeting Spring term* following Board Meeting

    * Implementation term is listed as the earliest possible implementation date. Requestors should consider the need for recruitment, marketing, and other implementation steps that may need to occur after SACSCOC approval. Requestors should consult with the Office of Academic Planning and Assessment.

  • Types of Substantive Changes Which Require Approval by the Executive Council of the Board of Trustees

    Changes that require approval by the Executive Council of the Board of Trustees include:

    • Institutional Changes such as:
      • Change in Measure of Student Progress to Completion (Institutional-Level)
      • Competency-Based Education by Course/Credit-Basd Approach
      • Distance Education - Institutional-Level
      • Institution Closure/Relocation
      • Institutional Contingency Teach-Out Plan
      • Level Authorization Addition
      • Mission Change (Significant)
      • Prison Education Program - Institutional-Level
    • Program Changes such as:
      • Clock-Credit Hour Conversion
      • Cooperative Academic Arrangement with Non-Title IV Entities (to deliver 25-50% of a program's content)
      • Correspondence Education
      • Joint Academic Award with non-SACSCOC Institution(s) or Entity(ies)
      • Method of Delivery (for institutions on Substantive Change Restriction or institutions with SACSCOC Prison Education Program - Institutional-Level Approval Adds)
      • New Program (new program with 50-100% new content)
      • Program Closure
      • Program Designed for Prior Learning (applies only to institutions on Substantive Change Restriction
      • Program Length Change (where program credit hours, or equivalent or comparable measure of progress such as clock hours or demonstrated competencies) increase or decrease by 25% or more AND students' expected time to completion increases or decreases by more than one term (or its equivalent or comparable measure
    • Off-Campus Instructional Site/Additional Location Changes such as
      • Off-Campus Instructional Site (at which 50% of a program's instruction is delivered)
        • Method of approval may be by extensive review (by Full Board of Trustees) or by limited review (by Executive Council)
        • Pathway depends on (1) number of sites previously approved by extensive review, (2) whether institution has completed at least one reaffirmation of accreditation, and (3) whether institution is on Substantive Change Restriction
      • Off-Campus Instructional Site Relocation - Branch Campus
      • Off-Campus Instructional Site Closure (equally applies to notified sites and approved sites)
    • Other Changes such as:
      • Implementation Extensions (for a previously approved substantive change except for substantive changes which must be implemented within 30 days as defined in policy, approved substantive change must be implemented within two years of approval)
  • Submission Timeline for Substantive Changes Which Require Approval by the Executive Council of the Board of Trustees

    For a substantive change requiring approval by the Executive Council of the Board of Trustees (which meets year-round), the submission deadlines are:

    January 1 July 1
    For changes to be implemented July 1 through December 31 of the same calendar year. For changes to be implemented January 1 through June 30 of the subsequent calendar year.
    Targeted Implementation Date
    Fall term* following approval notification Spring term* following approval notification

    * Implementation term is listed as the earliest possible implementation date. Requestors should consider the need for recruitment, marketing, and other implementation steps that may need to occur after SACSCOC approval. Requestors should consult with the Office of Academic Planning and Assessment.

Substantive Changes Which Require SACSCOC Notification

  • Types of Substantive Changes Which Require SACSCOC Notification

    Changes that require SACSCOC notification include:

    • Institutional Changes such as:
      • Level Authorization Removal
      • Level Change to a Lower Level
      • Merger/Consolidation (requries Notification and Approval)
      • Ownership, Means of Control, or Legal Status Change (requires Notification and Approval)
    • Program Changes such as:
      • Competency-Based Education by Direct Assessment (a program in which 25-49% of the program may be earned through the direct assessment approach to competency-based education)
      • Cooperative Academic Arrangement with Title IV Entities
      • Cooperative Academic Arrangement with Non-Title IV Entities (to deliver less than 25% of a program’s content)
      • Dual Academic Award
      • Joint Academic Award with SACSCOC Institution(s) or Entity(ies)
      • Method of Delivery (for institutions not on Substantive Change Restriction or institutions without SACSCOC Prison Education Program – Institutional-Level Approval Adds)
      • New Program (new program with 25-49% new content)
      • Program Designed for Prior Learning (applies to institutions not on Substantive Change Restriction)
      • Program Re-open (within five years of the closure date – the date the program was closed to admission)
    • Off-Campus Instructional Site/Additional Location Changes such as:
      • Off-Campus Instructional Site (at which 25-49% of a program’s instruction is delivered)
      • Off-Campus Instructional Site Relocation – Non-Branch Campus
      • Off-Campus Instructional Site Name or Address Change
      • Off-Campus Instructional Site Re-Open (within five years of the closure date)
  • Submission Timeline for Substantive Changes Which Require SACSCOC Notification

    For a substantive change requiring notification only, it can be submitted any time before implementation. Once the institution has submitted notification, it may be implemented before receiving a response from SACSCOC. If there are deficiencies or additional information needed about the notification, the institutional liaison will be contacted at the time of review for resolution and before action is taken. This applies to notifications only, not approvals: changes requiring approval cannot be implemented until approved by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees.

    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 (i.e., stop admitting students).