Dear ACICS Member Institution:
ACICS is closely monitoring the circumstances surrounding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the public health and safety concerns many of you share. We take this rapidly evolving situation very seriously and place a high priority on the safety and wellbeing of all faculty, staff, and students. Many of your states have been declared states of emergency, which focuses each state on dealing with the emergency and the ability to access government aid and resources.
ACICS continues to monitor guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), public health advisories, and the U.S. Department of Education (USDE).
In response, ACICS has made the following immediate decisions:
Onsite Evaluation Visits:
ACICS will be rescheduling all onsite evaluation visits currently scheduled for the Spring Cycle (May/June) to the Fall Cycle (August/September/October). Staff will be communicating with you regarding the update of any application deadlines and the scheduling of the visit to your campus.
Annual Conference:
ACICS has made the difficult decision to cancel the in-person Professional Development Conference and Annual Meeting scheduled for May 13–14, 2020. Staff will be processing refunds for those who have already registered; there is nothing further you need to do. We will, however, be notifying you of the Annual Meeting to be held via webinar prior to June 30, 2020. We will share this via a separate communication.
Initial/Reaccreditation Workshops:
ACICS has cancelled the in-person initial and reaccreditation workshops that were scheduled to be held on May 12, 2020 in Las Vegas, NV. Staff is working to transition these to be held via webinar and will be communicating the new dates for these workshops. If you have already registered, ACICS will be processing your refund automatically.
Changes to Academic Calendars:
ACICS understands that many of you will be following the example of public colleges and universities in making the decision to extend your spring breaks or even delay upcoming starts. We recognize that you may even need to cease enrollment temporarily. Any changes to your already published academic calendars should be communicated to ACICS at info@acics.org so that we may discuss your specific needs and work to identify solutions.
Temporary Changes to Educational Modality:
ACICS recognizes that many colleges are moving to a distance education modality for a short period of time as the pandemic continues. The USDE has issued guidance for students who receive federal financial aid and have had their academic activity affected by COVID-19. This flexibility is offered as a short-term solution for students to complete the term in which they are currently enrolled. Please note that this does not apply for students not yet enrolled or terms that have not yet started. We encourage you to monitor USDE’s page as they continue to post updates.
If you are seeking to change the modality by which you deliver academic instruction on a short-term basis to finish a current term, via USDE guidance and flexibility, you still must notify ACICS prior to any changes. ACICS has created an Application for Short-Term Change in Educational Delivery to address these circumstances. This document should be forwarded to info@acics.org.
Long-Term Changes to Educational Modality:
If any change to your educational modality exceeds the current term, quarter, or semester or involves students not previously enrolled, you MUST complete and submit an application for Distance Education (DE). This application can be found in the institution’s member portal. ACICS will work diligently to expedite the review, feedback, and/or approval of any DE applications. Appendix H of the Accreditation Criteria details the policies of the Council to guide institutions when designing, implementing, and evaluating forms of delivery for distance education.
Resources:
ACICS will continue to rely on the guidance provided from the CDC and USDE. Please see helpful resources available below:
https://www.career.org/coronavirus.html
https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus
https://ifap.ed.gov/electronic-announcements/030520Guidance4interruptionsrelated2CoronavirusCOVID19
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
Michelle Edwards
President and CEO
Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools