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Substantive Change

Under the authority of and delegated duties articulated in federal regulation, in addition to regular five-year and ten-year institutional reviews, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) requires its member institutions to provide notice of or seek pre-approval for activities that result in a substantive change to the institution’s current accredited status. The Commission defines substantive change as a significant modification or expansion of the nature and scope of an accredited institution. Substantive Change includes high-impact, high-risk changes, and changes that can impact the quality of educational programs and services, as defined by federal regulations and SACSCOC policy.

In accordance with UCF Policy 4-505.2, the Academic Program Quality unit maintains a list of activities that can trigger the need for substantive change reporting. The list provided here does not intend to replace or supersede SACSCOC policy but rather, serves to simplify the SACSCOC reporting requirements for internal audiences. UCF policy requires that the person initiating an action in the list or the unit head with oversight for the associated activity must notify the UCF SACSCOC Liaison or designee in Academic Program Quality as soon as the change is considered. Typically, this would occur nine to twelve months in advance of implementing the possible change. Failure to proactively detect and report such changes can result in serious consequences for the entire institution, including sanctions by SACSCOC and/or the U.S. Department of Education.

Please direct all questions concerning substantive change to the UCF SACSCOC Liaison and Senior Vice Provost Tim Letzring or to a member of the Academic Program Quality team that operates under his oversight.

Resources

For more information, including a detailed explanation of the substantive change process, see the following university and SACSCOC policies and other resources:

Contacts