Policies and Procedures

Accreditation of Applied and Clinical Sociology Programs

 

Commission on Applied and Clinical Sociology

June, 1999 (Rev. February 2005)

 

 

1.0       Introduction

 

1.1           The Commission on Applied and Clinical Sociology (hereafter referred to as the Commission) was incorporated by the Society for Applied Sociology (SAS) and the Sociological Practice Association (SPA) in 1995 to develop, promote, and support quality sociological education and practice in applied and clinical areas.

 

1.2           In support of this goal, the Commission had developed an accreditation review process. This review process involves four components: 1) a program self study and report, 2) a site visit, 3) a review of self study report and site visit findings by a review team, and 4) final action by the Commission.

 

1.3           Programs accredited by the Commission will be listed in The Directory of Accredited Applied and Clinical Sociology Programs at the Baccalaureate and Master Level (hereafter referred to as the Directory). The Commission assumes no liability or obligation arising out of the use of this Directory by individuals or organizations.

 

1.4           Graduates from accredited programs will be listed in the Registry of Graduates in Accredited Programs in Applied and Clinical Sociology at the Baccalaureate and Master Level (hereafter referred to as the Registry). The Commission assumes no liability or obligation arising out of the use of this Registry by individuals or organizations.

 

1.5           Deadlines for each step in the accreditation review process, including payment of specified fees, must be met by the applicant program (hereafter referred to as the Program) for it to continue in the process.

 

1.6           Any member of the Commission who has a potential conflict of interest shall be excluded from all actions in an accreditation review process.

 

1.7           Results of the accreditation review process will be released only by official action of the Commission.  Hence no individual member of the Commission, accreditation review team, staff and others involved in the process shall make any disclosure about individual program evaluations.

 

1.8           The documents used by the applicant program for the accreditation process at the Baccalaureate or Master level are:

a)   Initial Application for Accreditation

b)   Standards for Applied and Clinical Sociology Programs at the Baccalaureate or Master Level

c)   Policies and Procedures

d)   Guidelines for Completing the Self Study Report  

e)   Review Process Manual

 

 

1.9           Programs seeking initial accreditation or reaccreditation must provide complete and detailed documentation for use by the Commission in determining conformity with the Standards. The burden of proof rests with the Program.

 

1.10         In assessing each program for accreditation, the Commission shall base its conclusions on:

a)     the conformity to the Standards 

b)    the overall quality of the program.

 

1.11         The Commission reserves the right to make accreditation decisions for individual programs based on review of available evidence.

 

1.12         The Commission may grant departures from the Standards with written justification from the Program.

 

1.13         Accreditation will be for a period of up to five (5) years. Accreditation may be full, provisional, or probationary.

 

1.14         Failure to apply for reaccreditation in a timely manner will result in loss of accreditation.

 

 

2.0       Eligibility Requirements

 

2.1           Application for accreditation is open to Baccalaureate or Master level programs in sociological

practice, applied sociology, and clinical sociology to meet the criteria included in all of the section on Preconditions for Review in the Standards.

 

 

3.0       Fees

 

3.1           The current fee schedule is listed below. It is subject to periodic review.

               

Application Fee

$  100

Accreditation Fee

$2,000

Annual Fee

$   500

 

3.1.1        A non-refundable application fee due upon submission of program's application.

 

3.1.2        Programs will pay a set accreditation fee at the time of submission of the self-study.  This fee will be divided as follows:  1) The first half of this fee covers the initial committee review of the self-study; this portion of the fee is non-refundable; 2) The remaining half of the fee covers the site visit and final report; this portion is refundable if the Commission decides that no site visit can be scheduled within the time permitted.  Programs will have two years from the time of submission of the self-study to the time of the site visit.  The review committee will make a recommendation to the Commission after its initial review as to whether or not they believe a site visit can be scheduled within two years, if not, the review committee will make a recommendation to the Commission about whether to refund that half of the fee.  

.

3.1.3        Other fees as required        

 

3.1.4        The program is responsible for payment of allowable expenses of the Site Visit Team. The Commission reimburses individual team members and bills the program directly for costs of the Site Visit.

 

3.1.5        Commission institutional dues and review/accreditation fees must be paid for a program to be listed on the Directory of accredited programs.

 

 

3.1.6        A Program may voluntarily withdraw from the accreditation review cycle at anytime. If an accredited program chooses not apply for re‑accreditation, the Commission will withdraw its accreditation.

 

 

4.0       Application for Accreditation or Reaccreditation

 

4.1           Application forms and other information related to the accreditation process are available from the Commission Executive Office. Questions regarding the process should be directed to the Commission Executive Office.

 

4.2           An application for accreditation or reaccreditation must be sent to Commission Executive Office to initiate the process. The application form must contain original signatures of the chief academic officer, academic dean, department chair, and program director.  A program description from the catalog and/or published brochure describing the program must accompany the application.

 

4.3           An Initial Application for Accreditation shall be valid for 18 months from the date of receipt of that Application.  Failure to submit the Self Study during that time will result in the need to resubmit a new Initial Application.

 

4.4.1A Program may voluntarily withdraw from the accreditation review process at anytime.

 

 

5.0      Self Study Report

 

5.1                 Self Study Reports are required as part of the accreditation or re-accreditation process.

 

5.2                 The self study must comply with the Commission’s Guidelines for Completing the Self Study Report.

 

5.3                 Upon receipt of the Self Study Report and acceptance by the Accreditation Review Committee, a site visit will be scheduled.  Programs will have two years from the time of submission of the self-study to the time of the site visit

 

5.4                 Upon receipt, the Executive Office will review the Report for completeness.  Incomplete reports will be returned for resubmission.  Resubmission may result in delay for the review process.

 

5.5                 The Commission can require an updated Self Study report if circumstances warrant. (See Section 11.3 in this Manual)

 

 

6.0       Accreditation Review Committee

 

6.1           The Chair of the Commission, in consultation with the Executive Committee, appoints the Accreditation Review Committee (hereafter referred to as the Committee).

 

6.2           The Committee shall consist of a chair plus four (4) additional members.  Two of the additional members shall serve as the Site Visit Team.

 

6.3           The chair of the Committee serves as the primary contact with the Program.

 

6.4           Members of the Committee shall have appropriate training to carry out their responsibility.

6.5           Persons having a connection to the Program, such as faculty or former faculty, students or former students, outside advisers, or others with potential conflicts of interest shall not serve on the Committee.

 

6.6           The Accreditation Review Committee reviews the Self Study Report, conducts the pre-site visit screening, communicates deficiencies that may preclude a site visit to the Program, schedules the site visit, communicates findings to the Program and makes recommendation concerning accreditation status to the Commission.  These will be conducted in accordance with the Review Process manual.

 

7.0       Site Visits

 

7.1           Site visits will be scheduled September to November and February to April.

 

7.2           They will be conducted in accordance with the Review Process Manual and will be two to three days in duration.

 

7.3           The Program will be responsible for expenses of the Site Visit Team.

 

7.4           The Site Visit Team will conduct an exit meeting with the Program Director and other departmental and institutional representatives to provide an overview of the strengths and weaknesses, to allow the Program to make comments, and to review the subsequent steps in the accreditation review process.

 

7.5           The Site Visit Team will prepare a Site Visit Report to submit to the Chair of the Accreditation Review Committee.

 

8.0       Accreditation Review Committee Report and Recommendations

 

8.1           The Accreditation Review Committee will examine all of the documentation including the Site Visit Report submitted for the accreditation review process.

 

8.2           The Committee will prepare a Report of Findings, without accreditation recommendation, to be sent to the Program for comment and clarification.

 

8.3                 Following the receipt of a response from the Program, the Committee will prepare a full report to be sent to the Commission.  The report will include a recommendation for one of the following accreditation statuses:

                               

ü       Fully Accredited: a status granted to a Program when the available evidence indicates that an applicant Program is in substantial compliance with all of the Standards of the Commission. Full accreditation is awarded for 5 years.

 

ü       Provisionally Accredited: a status granted to a Program when an applicant Program is in substantial compliance with most of the Standards of the Commission, and any deficiencies are such that they can be corrected within a short period of time.  Provisional accreditation shall not exceed 2 years.  During that time, if the Program can correct the deficiencies the Program will be awarded Full accreditation for the remainder of the 5-year accreditation period. If the deficiencies have not been corrected, the Program will no longer be accredited.

 

ü       Probationally Accredited: a status granted to a Program when an already accredited Program experiences changes that cause the Program to fall below the acceptable level of compliance with the Standards of the Commission.  Programs on Probationary status will be given a maximum of 2 years to correct the problems that have caused them to fall below Commission Standards.  If the Program successfully remedies the deficiencies, the Program will be restored to Full accreditation status.  If the Program is unable to correct the deficiencies within the 2-year period, the Program will no longer be accredited.

 

ü       Not Accredited: when the available evidence indicates that an applicant Program is in substantial non-compliance with most of the Standards of the Commission..

 

9.0       Commission Final Report on Accreditation

 

9.1           The Commission will review the final report and recommendation of the Committee and make a final determination on accreditation of the Program.

 

9.2           The Program Director, the chief academic officer, and the president will be notified in writing of the Commission’s decision and will receive a copy of the Commission Final Report on Accreditation. Reasons for probationary accreditation, provisional accreditation or non‑accreditation will be specified.

 

9.3           A Program receiving full, probationary, or provisional accreditation will be listed in the Directory of Accredited Applied and Clinical Sociology Programs at the Baccalaureate or Master Level.

 

9.4           A Program receiving provisional accreditation will be permitted to correct deficiencies within a period specified by the Commission and to submit evidence of compliance.  At that time the Commission will make a redetermination of accreditation of the Program.

 

 

10.0     Reaccreditation Process

 

10.1         A Program will be notified 1 year in advance of the need to apply for reaccreditation. 

 

10.2         A Program seeking reaccreditation will undergo the same accreditation review process as specified in this document. Reaccreditation will be for a period of up to seven (7) years.

 

10.3         The final decision for reaccreditation of a program may be full accreditation, probationary accreditation, or that the Program not be accredited.

 

10.4         If the Commission determines that a currently accredited program has valid reasons for requesting a delay in its scheduled review, the Commission may extend its accreditation for up to one (1) year.

 

10.5         If an accredited program chooses not apply for reaccreditation, the Commission will withdraw its accreditation.

 

 

11.0     Maintenance of Accreditation Status

 

11.1         To maintain accreditation during the period approved by the Commission and to remain listed in the Directory, the Program must pay the annual fee as specified by the Commission.

 

11.2         An accredited program shall submit an annual report that is due by July 1st . This report will specify continuities and changes in the Program’s resources, faculty, administration and curriculum. The annual report will become part of the Program’s permanent accreditation file. Continued accreditation is contingent upon this annual report.

 

11.3         If substantive changes occur, the Program shall notify the Commission of the nature of those changes.  Substantive is defined as changes in preconditions of program eligibility and/or addition or deletion of a degree, major, or concentration.  The Commission may require the Program to submit an updated Self Study Report to maintain its accredited status and a site visit may also be required.  Based on a review of the substantive changes and required information, the Commission may grant full accreditation, provisional accreditation, probationary accreditation or that the Program not be accredited.

 

 

12.0     Appeal of Commission Decisions

 

12.1         Grounds for appeal are that the final determination is clearly erroneous as to fact or

interpretation of the Standards or that there was a procedural error in the accreditation review process.

 

12.2         A program initiating an appeal will retain its current accreditation status until the appeal process is completed.

 

12.3         A program wishing to appeal (hereafter referred to as the Appellant) must submit a request for a hearing to the Commission Chair in writing within 30 days of notification of the final decision on accreditation. The request shall state specifically the basis of the appeal and include an agreement to bear all costs as indicated below in Section 12.10.  

 

12.4         Within 30 days, the Commission chair shall provide the Appellant a list of six names of impartial persons (and brief biographical sketches) as potential members of the Appeals Panel (hereafter referred to as the Panel). Each of these persons shall have agreed that he or she is willing to serve and have been enjoined from discussing the matter with anyone. Members of the Commission and the Program’s Accreditation Review Committee are not eligible for panel selection.

 

12.5         The Appellant shall review the list of six (6) names and have an opportunity to strike no more than two (2) persons.

 

12.6         The Commission chair will select three (3) persons from the remaining pool.

 

12.7         The three (3) persons selected will constitute the Appeals Panel. The Commission will notify the Panel members of their selection. Within 30 days of such notification, the Panel members will select one of their members as chair and so notify the Appellant and the Commission.

 

12.8         Within thirty (30) days of selection, the Panel chair shall determine the date and the site of the hearing in conjunction with the Appellant and the Commission.  After consultation with the Commission chair and the Appellant, the Panel chair shall decide whether the hearing is open or closed and who will be in attendance. The Panel chair shall then formally notify the Appellant and the Commission chair of the date and location of the hearing at least 30 days in advance of the hearing. Such hearing must be held within 90 days of the selection of the Panel chair.

 

12.9         The Commission will provide each Panel member and the Appellant with:

a)       a copy of the appeal request stating the grounds for the appeal,

b)       a copy of the Self Study Report,

c)     a copy of the Site Visit Team Report,

d)    a copy of the Accreditation Review Committee Report & Recommendation

e)     a copy of the Commission Final Report on Accreditation,

f)     copies of annual reports, if applicable,

g)    a copy of the Standards

h)    a copy of the Policies and Procedures,

i)      a copy of the Guidelines for Completing the Self Study,

j)      a copy of the Review Manual, and

k)     any relevant correspondence and documentation on file.

 

 

12.10       The Appellant shall pay all travel expenses of the Panel members and all other costs associated with the hearing except the Commission’s legal fees, if any.

 

12.11       At least 2 weeks before the hearing, the Appellant may request in writing that a transcript of the hearing be made. The Appellant must pay for the transcript costs unless the Commission also desires a transcript, if so, the costs will be shared equally.

 

12.12       The hearing must be conducted in the presence of all Panel members. The procedures must include the right of the Appellant and Commission to appear before the Panel, to be represented by counsel if so desired, to present oral and documentary evidence, to cross‑examine witnesses, and to present oral argument within the time limits prescribed by the Panel chair.

 

12.13       The final decision of the Panel shall be based on all of the evidence presented.

 

12.14       Within 30 days of the completion of the hearing, the Panel shall submit in writing to the Appellant and Commission its decision and rationale.

 

12.15       The decision of the Appeals Panel is binding upon both parties.

 

12.16       Public statements concerning the Appellant’s accreditation status shall be withheld until the Panel has notified both parties of the Panel’s final decision.

 

 

13.0     Public Information

 

13.1         The Commission shall prepare an annual report of its activities. 

 

13.2         The Commission shall issue other reports as it deems appropriate.