ACCREDITATION OF DEGREE-GRANTING PROGRAMS

This form includes only those accrediting bodies that are included on the FORM IPEDS-1C-1 (6/1/94) and/or have been approved by the Commission and are applicable to at least one South Carolina public institution or program.

If your institution offers one or more programs listed in the Commission's current Inventory of Academic Degree Programs that is accreditable in one or more of the categories listed in the column labeled "ACCREDITING AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS" you must complete the two right hand columns for that accrediting agency and area(s). An accreditable program is one that is eligible for accreditation, regardless of whether or not the institution chooses to pursue accreditation. An accredited program is one that has been granted full accreditation status by the appropriate accrediting agency.

If the program has been approved by the Commission within five years of the reporting date, put the date of the approval in the box instead of a check mark. You have five years to gain accreditation for a new program and the new program will be excluded from your count. However, if it has already been accredited, put a check mark and you will have it counted in your favor to increase your percentage.

One accrediting body, the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, was added to the IPEDS list in 1993. You should only fill out the form for that accrediting association if you are not accredited by or seeking accreditation by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, but have business programs that are accreditable by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs. However, since you have five years from the date an accrediting body is added to the form to obtain accreditation by that body, simply write the date 1998 in the appropriate accreditable "cell(s)" and you will not have it counted against you if your applicable programs have not been accredited by that body. If you have already had your programs accredited by that body, put check marks in the appropriate boxes and you will receive credit for that accomplishment. In addition, The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Counseling Association (CACREP) were added in 1998 and are governed by the same guidelines, with their 5-year period ending in 2003. The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) was added in 1999, with a 5-year period ending in 2004 (if approved by the Commission at its meeting in May 1999).