The purpose of this advisory is two-fold:  1) to clarify issues regarding the letters on student achievement compliance and/or improvement recently received by some ACICS accredited institutions, and 2) to provide information on specialized Campus Accountability Report (CAR) procedures with respect to licensure pass rates.

Student Achievement Review Letters:

• Institutions that reported (in the 2012 CAR) campus and/or  program placement and /or retention rates below the 2012 compliance thresholds were sent letters with the subject heading “Student Achievement Compliance Warning”.
• The letter defines the timeframes in which the campus and/or programs must come into compliance to maintain accreditation and prescribes certain requirements such as reporting, planning, participation in a workshop, consultation or special visit.
• Institutions that reported campus and/or program placement and/or retention rates in the “improvement  range”, i.e. below benchmark levels but at or above compliance levels, received a letter with the subject heading “Student Achievement Improvement Notice”.  In connection with the improvement of student achievement, this letter prescribes specific requirements such as reporting, planning, and participation in a workshop.
• Depending on its campus and program student achievement levels, an institution may have received either or both of these letters.  While ACICS acknowledges that there has been some confusion due to the complications of benchmark and compliance standards at both campus and program levels,  these two letters are not in conflict.  If you have received either or both letters please complete all of the requirements set forth therein.
• Some of the Improvement  letters included an erroneous workshop requirement that was subsequently corrected.  Those affected by the correction were notified by Ms. Terron King.
• Copies of each institution’s letters can be accessed through the member portal by clicking on the link to the EDM. The letters will be in a drawer called “Institutional-Campus Accountability report” and in the folder for 2012.
• Assistance in accessing copies of these letters may be obtained by contacting Ms. Emily Jacobs at CAR@acics.org.  If you have ANY questions about these letters or the actions required by your campus please email them to this address, and we will respond within one business day.

Licensure Pass Rates:

• Due to timing the licensure pass rate information that was collected in the 2012 CAR was incomplete.  Much licensure pass rate information is on a calendar year basis and, therefore, was not available by the CAR submission deadline.
• To allow for more complete information, CAR questions about licensure have been separated out and repeated in a “CAR Addendum”. 
• When the CAR Addendum is available, each campus that submitted a 2012 CAR will receive a notification at this same email address.  On or prior to March 22 please access and complete the CAR Addendum report through your member portal, just as was done for your CAR.
• If any programs (with 10 or more graduates) require licensure for employment, please answer the questions which follow and include the 2012 calendar year pass rate for each program.
• For assistance in accessing the CAR Addendum please contact Ms. Soo Ryun Kim at ebiz@acics.org.
• Guidelines and instructions for answering are available on the ACICS website, click on http://www.acics.org/accreditation/content.aspx?id=1616.  Licensure pass rate data will be considered by the Council at their April 2013 meeting.

As you know, this is a time of significant change for ACICS standards and associated procedures.  Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated as we enter this new phase of accreditation.

Albert C. Gray
Executive Director