ACAHM Update | October 2025

In This Edition

• Registration now LIVE for Self-Study Report Training Seminar
• Reminder: Required Reporting Related to Distance Education Approval
• Getting to Know Notification of Change 3.01 and 3.05

Self-Study Report Training Seminar

Join ACAHM’s Director of Accreditation Services, Jason Wright, on Thursday, October 30, 2025, from noon to 3 pm Eastern time for a Self-Study Training session.



This session is mandatory for institutions and programs seeking pre-accreditation that have not completed a training session in the past. Cost for first-time attendees is $500.



Schools that already have an accreditation status with ACAHM are encouraged to attend. Cost for pre-accredited/accredited programs/institutions is $200.



Registration fees are per school with no limit on the number of school attendees.

Topics to include:

• Organizing the Self Study Process, related assessment/evaluation strategies, and documentation suggestions
• Overview of the Self Study Report, related components, and navigating the SSR submission in EDvera
• Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
• Preparing for the Site Visit and Formal Institutional Response to visit report
• Opportunity for Questions and Answers regarding SSR and accreditation requirements
  

This training seminar will be recorded and available for asynchronous viewing after the event. Click the button below to register. 

Reminder: Distance Education Approval Reporting

As noted in all action letters granting distance education (DE) accreditation, programs that include non-residential academic terms (full-time students not physically attending courses on campus for an entire term), or for which fifty percent (50%) or greater of the program’s clock hours of didactic instruction are delivered via distance education (see calculation instructions in the Distance Education Percentage Calculation Form), the institution is required to submit a 2.02 substantive change application: any significant change to an ACAHM-accredited program. In the context of this requirement, the Commission waives the 2.02 submission fee, and all programs may be included in a single submission.



The 2.02 narrative should note for each affected program: (1) how many non-residential academic terms are possible, if applicable, and/or (2) the percentage greater than fifty percent (50%) of the program’s clock hours of didactic instruction that are delivered via distance education, if applicable.



In addition, the narrative should: (1) note if the institution’s capacity to support the DE delivery remains as described in the 1.15 application, or (2) describe any changes made to support the DE delivery since the 1.15 application was submitted.

Get to Know Notification of Change 3.01

Section 3.01 of the Notification of Change Policy covers actions taken by external agencies (agencies other than ACAHM) that affect your pre-accredited/accredited institution or programs.

Some things to remember:

• 3.01 isn’t just about negative actions, it’s about positive ones as well. If you have an ACAHM accredited program, and your institutional accreditor grants a renewal of accreditation, you need to let us know. If you receive approval to award financial aid, you need to let us know. If you are placed on heightened cash monitoring, you need to let us know – and also if you are removed from heightened cash monitoring.
• Sometimes, ACAHM is cc:d on actions from other agencies, but we need to hear about it from you. You still need to make a timely 3.01 notification!
• 3.01 requires you to notify ACAHM within 10 business days of receiving an official notification or agency letter.

Section 3.01 provides a list of actions that you need to notify ACAHM about. Be sure to review that list, but be aware that it’s not a complete list. If your state higher education agency, another state agency, an accreditor other than ACAHM, or a Federal agency takes action related to your program or institution, it’s safe to assume that you need to report it to ACAHM.



How to notify ACAHM:

Go to EDvera and create a 3.XX document, then select 3.01 for the document type. Be sure to attach:

• Copy of the official notification and/or agency letter disclosing the rationale for its action
• Your response to the official notification, including all relevant documents and any remediation plan proposed to address the agency’s action.

Get to Know Notification of Change 3.05

Section 3.05 of the Notification of Change Policy covers significant and immediate increases and decreases in your student population or faculty. Federal regulations require that you notify ACAHM when these happen.

Some things to remember:

• You report your student headcount for pre-accredited/accredited programs in  Annual Institution and Program Report. 3.05 notifications are for significant changes between annual reports.
• You’re required to notify ACAHM if student unduplicated headcount for any location goes up or down by 20% or more from the last annual report you submitted. Suppose that your headcount for a location on the annual report is 40. The next two academic terms have larger entering classes than you usually recruit. 8 months after your last annual report, your headcount is now 52. That’s a 30% increase – you need to send a 3.05 notification to ACAHM.
• You’re required to notify us if your faculty headcount across all ACAHM pre-accredited/accredited programs goes up or down by 20% or more from the last annual report you submitted. Your annual report does include a faculty headcount.
• 3.05 requires you to notify ACAHM within 30 days of becoming aware of the increase or decrease.

How to notify ACAHM:

Go to EDvera and create a 3.XX document, then select 3.05 for the document type.

Your notification narrative should analyze the impact of the increase or decrease on the health of the institution, specifically its ability to keep meeting ACAHM standards.