Plan of Implementation for the Redeveloped Institutional Standards of Accreditation and Commission Procedures

The redeveloped institutional standards and Commission procedures should be implemented in a way that provides sufficient time for institutions to adjust to the redeveloped standards. The plan of implementation provides for an interim period during which both the existing and redeveloped standards will be in force, allows schools time to address fully the redeveloped standards, and moves the Association toward functioning with a single set of standards as soon as possible.

General Institutional Standards

Theological schools accredited by the Board of Commissioners are different in size, structure, constituencies, patterns of governance, and diversity of degree programs. The General Institutional Standards apply across the range of diverse schools, even though they may be interpreted in slightly varying ways in different schools.

Schools evaluated during the 2010-2011 academic year may have elected to use the standards in effect prior to the June 2010 revision (2008 standards). Beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year, the new standards (2010 standards) will apply to all schools.

Degree Program Standards

The Commission on Accrediting identifies its expectations and requirements for the degrees offered by member schools in the Degree Program Standards. These standards for degree programs are intended to ensure a common understanding of the kind and quantity of academic work involved in a degree program undertaken at member schools, and to provide common public meaning for a degree, regardless of the member school that grants it.