See: http://www.sacscoc.org/ for all policies and procedures.

One policy example below:

http://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/integrity.pdf

Commission on Colleges
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
1866 Southern Lane
Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097

INTEGRITY AND ACCURACY IN INSTITUTIONAL REPRESENTATION
- Policy Statement –

Institutional integrity serves as the foundation of the relationship between the Commission on Colleges and its member and candidate institutions. This fundamental philosophy is reflected in the Principles of Accreditation as follows:

“Integrity, essential to the purpose of higher education, functions as the basic contract defining the relationship between the Commission and each of its member institutions. It is a relationship in which all parties agree to deal honestly and openly with their constituencies and with one another. Without this commitment, no relationship can exist or be sustained between the Commission and its member institutions. The Commission’s requirements, policies, processes, procedures, and decisions are predicated on integrity.

The Commission on Colleges expects integrity to govern the operation of institutions. Therefore, evidence of intentionally withholding information, deliberately providing inaccurate information to the public, or failing to provide timely and accurate information to the Commission will be seen as the lack of a full commitment to integrity and may result in the loss of membership in the Commission on Colleges.” (page 5)

As a condition of candidacy or membership in the Commission on Colleges, the institution agrees to document its compliance with the requirements of the Principles of Accreditation; to comply with Commission requests, directives, decisions and policies; and to make complete, accurate and honest disclosure to the Commission.

The Commission’s policy on "Sanctions, Denial of Reaffirmation, and Removal from Membership" states that the Commission on Colleges requires a member institution to be in compliance with the Core Requirements and the Comprehensive Standards, Commission policies and procedures, and to provide information as requested by the Commission in order to maintain membership and accreditation. The policy also states: “

“Failure to respond appropriately to Commission decisions and requests or to make complete, accurate, and honest disclosure is sufficient reason, in and of itself, for the Commission to impose a sanction, including the denial or revocation of candidacy or accreditation.” (page 1)

In order to comply with these requirements for integrity and accuracy in reporting in its relationships with the Commission, an institution shall meet the following expectations:

1. Ensures that all documents submitted to the Commission are completely candid, providing all pertinent information whether complimentary or otherwise. With due regard for the rights of individual privacy, every institution applying for candidacy, extension of candidacy, accreditation, or reaffirmation of accreditation, as well as every candidate and accredited institution, provides the Commission with access to all parts of its operations, and with complete and accurate information about the institution's affairs, including reports of other accrediting, licensing, and auditing agencies.

2. Responds in a timely manner to requests by the Commission for submission of dues, fees, reports, or other information.

3. Ensures that information submitted to the Commission (such as that provided in the annual institutional profile, institutional responses to visiting committee reports, and monitoring reports) is complete, accurate, and current.

4. Cooperates with the Commission in preparation for visits, receives visiting committees in a spirit of collegiality, and complies with the Commission's requests for acceptable reports and self-analyses.

5. Reports substantive changes, including the initiation of new programs or sites outside the region, or new sites within the region, in accordance with the Commission policy on Substantive Change.

6. Reports accurately to the public its status and relationship with the Commission.

7. Provides counsel and advice to the Commission, and agrees to have its faculty and administrators serve, within reason, on visiting teams and on Commission committees.

8. Provides the Commission or its representatives with information requested and maintains an openness and cooperation during evaluations, enabling evaluators to perform their duties with maximum efficiency and effectiveness.

Approved: Commission on Colleges, June 1993
Revised in accord with the Principles of Accreditation: February 2004