Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Program Accreditation Processes
Approved by Dean’s Council 1/30/08

The following procedures apply to all programmatic accreditations at Clarion University.
Definitions
Please refer to the definitions below as these clarify reporting and approval lines for
units.
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Dean – Administrator for a College, Enrollment Management, University
Libraries, or the Venango Campus
Department – A unit within the Divisions of Academic Affairs, Finance and
Administration, or Student and University Affairs
Chair – Manager for an Academic Department that reports to a Dean (i.e.,
Department Chair)
Director –
ƒ For the Division of Student and University Affairs - Director for a Center
within the Division of Student and University Affairs,
ƒ For the Division of Finance and Administration – Director for a program/unit
within the Division of Finance and Administration
Academic Program Director – For the Division of Academic Affairs, a director of
an academic program. Depending upon where the academic program is
administratively housed, the academic program director reports either to the
department chair in which the program is housed administratively, an academic
dean (if the program is not housed within a department), an associate or assistant
vice president (if the program is not housed administratively within a college), or
the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs (if the program reports directly
to a vice president.
Assistant Vice President – Divisional Administrator reporting either directly to
the Associate Vice President or the Vice President
Associate Vice President – Divisional Administrator reporting directly to the
Divisional Vice President
Vice President – Divisional Administrator reporting directly to the President (i.e.,
Provost, Vice President for Student and University Affairs, Vice President for
Finance and Administration, Assistant to the President for Social Equity)

Initial Accreditation Processes
Notification of Desire to Pursue Accreditation and Determination of Accreditation
Potential
Chair, Director, or Academic Program Director notifies the Dean of a desire to pursue
accreditation, Director notifies the appropriate Associate Vice President, Assistant Vice
President, or Vice President of a desire to pursue accreditation.
If the Chair or Academic Program Director has not done this already for an
academic program, the Dean contacts the Office of the Provost to verify that the
accrediting body is recognized by the Office of the Chancellor.
Department reviews accreditation standards and makes initial assessment as to likelihood
of attaining accreditation.
Official Request for Permission to Pursue Accreditation to the Provost or Vice
President
If the probability of accreditation is reasonable, the Chair, Director, or Academic
Program Director sends a memorandum to the appropriate Dean, Associate Vice
President, or Assistant Vice President, or Vice President, who forwards his/her approval
to the Provost/Vice President formally requesting permission to seek accreditation.
The memorandum must indicate why the department desires accreditation, the
benefits of the accreditation to the university, and the likelihood that the
accreditation effort will be successful.
The memorandum must also include the projected timeline and projected costs
associated with the initial accreditation effort, as well as costs associated with
accreditation maintenance. Information on other SSHE universities and nearby
universities and colleges with the desired accreditation would be appreciated as
well. A template that may be used for the accreditation request memorandum is
attached.
Official Request for Permission to Pursue Accreditation to the President
If approved, the appropriate Vice President will develop a cover memo to the President
officially seeking permission to apply for accreditation. The cover memo will identify
budgetary responsibility for each accreditation cost and summarize the accreditation
request relative to presidential signature.
The President will make the final decision on the request to apply for accreditation. If
approved, the signed cover memo will be copied to the Office of the Provost, and the
appropriate Associate/Assistant Vice President, Vice President, Dean, Chair, Director, or
Academic Program Director.

Request for Accreditation Candidacy Letter
If approval is granted, the Chair, Director, or Academic Program Director sends an initial
letter requesting accreditation candidacy to the appropriate Dean, Associate Vice
President, or Assistant Vice President, who forwards an approved candidacy request
letter through the appropriate Vice President to the president for signature. Depending
upon the requirements of the accrediting agency, the request for candidacy letter may be
signed by the Chair/Director/Academic Program Director and the President, the
President, or the Dean/Associate Vice President/Assistant Vice President and the
President. No request for accreditation candidacy may be sent without the President’s
signature.
Completing the Accreditation Application for Initial Accreditation
As departments work on the accreditation application and supporting documentation, the
appropriate Dean/Associate Vice President/Assistant Vice President must be kept
apprised of progress and must have sufficient opportunity to review and approve the
application and supporting documentation before it is sent. The signature of the Dean or
Associate/Assistant Vice President on an accreditation application signifies that the
Provost/Vice President has also reviewed and approved the application. No application
for accreditation may be sent to the accrediting agency until there is a signature from the
Dean or Associate/Assistant Vice President on file approving the application for
transmittal.
Departments must work with the appropriate Dean/Associate Vice President/Assistant
Vice President and the Office of Institutional Research as they record university and
departmental statistics so that these match standard reports from the university.
The appropriate Dean/Associate Vice President/Assistant Vice President must be
provided with copies of all correspondence from the accrediting agency, and must
approve all planning for the accreditation site visit. As well, the appropriate
Dean/Associate Vice President/Assistant Vice President must approve any rejoinders or
other correspondence sent to the accrediting agency during or after the initial
accreditation visit. No correspondence may be sent to the accrediting agency until there
is a signature from the appropriate Dean, Associate Vice President, or Assistant Vice
President on file approving such correspondence for transmittal.
Recording Receipt of Accreditation
When accreditation is received, a copy of the accreditation letter must be provided for the
Provost and the Divisional Vice President. The letter that is sent to the Provost is filed as
documentation for purposes of reporting to other external agencies, and it is used to
update the university’s web site that lists all university accreditations:
http://www.clarion.edu/admin/academicaffairs/accreditations.shtml.

Periodic Accreditation Reporting
After an initial accreditation has been received, the appropriate Dean, Vice President,
Associate Vice President, or Assistant Vice President must be kept apprised of continuing
accreditation reports and correspondence with the accrediting agency, and must be given
sufficient time to review and approve correspondence from the university before it is sent
to the accrediting agency. The Dean, Vice President, Associate Vice President, or
Assistant Vice President’s approval of accreditation correspondence and renewal
materials signifies that the Provost/Vice President has reviewed and approved such
correspondence.
The Dean, Vice President, Associate Vice President, or Assistant Vice President must
keep the Office of the Provost apprised of all accreditation activity. Requests for
information or assistance, as well as questions regarding this process should be directed
to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs who is the university’s designated
coordinator for accreditations.

CLARION UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Interoffice Correspondence

DATE:
FROM:

Chair/Director/Academic Program Director

THROUGH:

Dean/Associate Vice President/Assistant Vice President

THROUGH:

Provost/Vice President

TO:

President

RE:

Accreditation from _____________________

The [Department] is seeking permission to apply for accreditation from the [accrediting
agency] for its program(s) in [title of program(s)].
Rationale for the Accreditation
Why department desires accreditation and why the proposed accreditation is a fit
for the identified program(s)
For Academic Programs: Indication of whether or not the accrediting
agency is on the State System list of recognized accrediting agencies. If
the accrediting agency is not on the State System list, please indicate why
this accreditation is important for the university.
Other PASSHE universities and nearby universities and colleges with the
desired accreditation
Benefits that will accrue to the university from the proposed accreditation
Likelihood that accreditation effort will be successful
Projected Timeline for Accreditation Process
Projected Costs
Initial Costs (itemized)
Continuing Costs (itemized)

Permission to apply for accreditation from the [accrediting agency] for the [program(s) to
be accredited] is:

__________ Approved

________ Not Approved

____________________________________________
Dean/Associate Vice President/Assistant Vice President
College/Division

__________ Approved

______________________
Date

________ Not Approved

__________________________________
Provost/Vice President

______________________
Date

Presidential signature should only be provided after a memo from the Provost or
appropriate Vice President has been attached, in which financial responsibilities for
costs associated with the initial accreditation and accreditation maintenance are
outlined.

__________ Approved

________ Not Approved

__________________________________
President

______________________
Date