Specialized Program Accreditation

Specialized Accreditation: BGSU's Internal Guidelines

This video, brought to you by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, provides a brief overview of internal processes guiding specialized accreditation filing at Bowling Green State University.

Click here to download the video transcript

Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is committed to maintaining standards outlined by accrediting agencies at all levels: institution (e.g., Higher Learning Commission), unit (e.g., Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)), and program (e.g., Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology (ABET)). The Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE, formerly Ohio Board of Regents) also has a role in all university accreditations under the new guidelines for Program Review. The ODHE guidelines require communication regarding accreditation and accreditation status changes of programs within institutes of higher education and their respective accrediting agencies.

Click here to view BGSU's Specialized Accreditation Guidelines

Click here for the Specialized Accreditation Master Calendar (Please Note: This schedule is updated on a regular basis. Kindly check this link for most recent updates).

BGSU's Program Review and Specialized Accreditation Schedule 2022-Onward (Please note: This schedule is updated on a regular basis. Kindly check this link for most recent updates).

Accreditation Responsibilities

Many accreditation agencies are moving towards an expectation that programs adopt a continuous improvement model focusing on student outcomes/competencies. This approach takes time, careful consideration, planning, and monitoring on a regular basis. There are units within BGSU that can assist faculty, administrators, and BGSU personnel with various aspects of implementing a continuous improvement evaluation plan and the assessment of student outcomes/competencies necessary for accreditation. Additionally, open communication and early action by all involved in the accreditation process is necessary given the increased need for external reporting about accreditation activities to state and national agencies.

Program faculty, Unit/Program Accreditation Liaison/Coordinators, college deans, the Office of Institutional Research (OIR), and the Director of Institutional Effectiveness (IE) fulfill critical roles in program accreditation. The program faculty and the Unit/Program Accreditation Liaison/Coordinator engage in the appraisal of their academic program with a focus on continuous improvement. The Unit/Program Accreditation Liaison/Coordinator leads the accreditation process and all accreditation activities (e.g., completing self-study and accreditation reports, visits from accreditation teams, etc.). The dean reviews and endorses reports and other communications prior to IE. The OIR is the official data source for the institution and all data used in accreditation materials must be vetted through the OIR. The Director of IE reviews and approves all accreditation reports and documents prior to their submission; serves as the Institutional Liaison with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE); and serves as the institutional contact among the President, Provost, and Unit/Program Accreditation Liaison/Coordinator.

Prepare Self-Study

A meeting between the Unit/Program Accreditation Liaison/Coordinator and the Director of Institutional Effectiveness must occur early in the accreditation cycle, typically two years before the self-study is due to the accreditors, to discuss data and institutional assistance is strongly recommended.

Data Requests

Institutional Data (i.e., enrollment, graduation, etc.): All institutional data, used in accreditation reports (e.g., initial self-studies, continuing self-studies, annual updates, etc.) must come from or be approved by the Office of Institutional Research (OIR). Institutional data from the OIR may be requested using the OIR Data Request Form on the OIR homepage. All data used within accreditation reports must be vetted by the OIR.

Please note that requests for institutional data from the OIR could take three weeks or more to fulfill depending upon the complexity of the data request, availability of data, and capacity/activities within the OIR. Adequate time should be allowed so that data can be incorporated and used by the unit/program in completing the accreditation self-study/report.

Student Learning Outcomes & Graduation Survey Data: Student learning outcomes data and data collected from the BGSU Graduation Survey may be requested from the Office of Academic Assessment (OAA). Please contact the office at assessment@bgsu.edu.

Library Resources and Services Support Information: Librarians will provide the information requested by the accrediting agency, including, as needed, bibliography or description of existing resources and recommendations for additional resources needed to support the program. Please contact the University Libraries Administrative Office at libadmin@bgsu.edu to request the information needed.

Completing Initial Self-Studies, Continuing Self-Studies, & Annual Updates

Accreditation reports (e.g., initial self-studies, continuing self-studies, annual updates, etc.) and evidence files are to be sent to the dean for review and endorsement. Next the accreditation reports and evidence files must be shared with the Director of Institutional Effectiveness (IE) at least one month before they are due to accreditation agencies. The Director of IE, in consultation with the Provost, Director of the Office of Institutional Research, and the Associate Director of Academic Assessment, may request that changes be made to the self-study or other accreditation reports before they are submitted to the specialized accreditation agency. Therefore, it is critical that the report and evidence files be submitted to the Director of IE with enough time to incorporate requested changes to the self-study.

Any report and/or update to an external agency must be vetted by the Director of IE and OIR prior to submission. After accreditation reports and evidence files have been reviewed by the Director of IE, the Unit/Program Accreditation Liaison/Coordinator is responsible for making any requested changes to the self-study. If the Director of IE requests changes be made to the self-study, the corrected/modified version of the self-study must be re-reviewed and approved by the Director of IE before it is submitted to the professional accreditation agency. After sending a final copy to the Director of IE and it is approved, the Unit/Program Accreditation Liaison/Coordinator can submit or upload the accreditation materials (self-study/report and evidence files).

Please note that some accreditation systems require multiple institutional contacts (e.g., President, Provost, Dean, Institutional Research Representative, etc.) to sign off on the submitted materials. If this is the case, more time may be needed to review the file. The President and/or Provost will not sign off on submitted materials for accreditation until review from the Director of Institutional Effectiveness is completed.

Team Visits

The Unit/Program Accreditation Liaison/Coordinator is responsible for coordinating accreditation team visits, scheduling meetings with the necessary institutional contacts, collaborating with the Director of IE to schedule meetings with the President and/or Provost, and informing the Director of IE of the accreditation schedule.

Please note that accreditation team visits with the President and/or Provost will not be confirmed unless the Director of IE has reviewed submitted accreditation reports and evidence files.

Communication with Accreditors: Changes in Accreditation Status, Final Accreditation Outcome & Significant Findings

Typically, the accreditation agency communicates directly with the Unit/Program Accreditation Liaison/Coordinator, Dean, Provost, and/or President about accreditation visit outcomes and/or significant findings. However, in some cases information related to accreditation is only shared with the Unit/Program Accreditation Liaison/Coordinator. To ensure that accreditation information is accurate, the Unit/Program Accreditation Liaison/Coordinator is responsible for communicating with and providing copies of any communications regarding accreditation (i.e., change in accreditation status, team visit outcomes/reports, and/or significant findings) to the Director of Institutional Effectiveness (IE). This information will be housed within IE.

Primary Contact for Institutional Effectiveness

If you have any questions regarding specialized program accreditation at BGSU please contact the Program Review and Institutional Accreditation Coordinator at institutionaleff@bgsu.edu or (419) 372-2849.