3.5 ACCJC (Accreditation) DE Requirements

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Although accreditation sometimes is used as a reference point in motivating faculty regarding distance education teaching practices, for the most part accreditation's focus is at the program and institutional level. The significant exception to this regarding DE is the requirement that distance education classes demonstrate regular and substantive interaction between instructor and students.

The ACCJC's Policy on Distance and Correspondence Education reiterates the federal definition of distance education, including standards for regular and substantive interaction. Additionally, it calls out the following policy elements informing institutional self-evaluation and accreditation related to distance education:

Development, implementation, and evaluation of all courses and programs, including those offered via distance education or correspondence education, must take place within the institution’s total educational mission (Standard II.A.1).
Institutions are expected to control development, implementation, and evaluation of all courses and programs offered in their names, including those offered via distance education or correspondence education (Standard II.A.2).
Institutions are expected to have clearly defined and appropriate student learning outcomes for all courses and programs, including those delivered through distance education or correspondence education (Standard II.A.3).
Institutions are expected to provide the resources and structure needed to accomplish these outcomes and to demonstrate that their students achieve these outcomes through application of appropriate assessment (Standards I.B.2, I.B.5, II.A.7, II.A.16, III.C.3, III.C.4).
Institutions are expected to provide the Commission advance notice of intent to offer a program, degree or certificate in which 50% or more of the courses are via distance education or correspondence education, through the substantive change process. For purposes of this requirement, the institution is responsible for calculating the percentage of courses that may be offered through distance or correspondence education (Policy on Substantive Change).
Institutions must have processes in place establishing that a student who registers in any course offered via distance education or correspondence is the same student who academically engages in the course or program.
The institution must also publish policies that ensure the protection of student privacy and will notify students at the time of class registration of any charges associated with verification of student identity.

Important Accreditation Requirements Related to DE

The college has policies for defining and classifying courses as DE
Instructors and students in DE courses maintain regular and substantive interaction that is initiated by the instructor, and online activities are included as part of a student’s grade
DE courses are evaluated for quality equivalent to face-to-face courses
The college provides comparable learning and support services to DE students
The college has a DE plan that is well integrated with the college mission and other college plans
The college is disaggregating student achievement data by modality
The institution has means and consistently applies those means to verify the identity of a DE student
The institution has sufficient technology infrastructure to maintain and sustain DE

Accreditation policies and practices continually evolve. See the ACCJC's standards and policies and guides and manuals to review the latest documentation and guidance to colleges on compliance with accreditation standards.

As noted, the accreditor requires College of the Desert to receive approval for offering programs via distance education. Once half or more of the courses required for program completion are approved for DE offering via our curriculum process, the program is considered for accreditation purposes to be a DE program. DE Programs must be approved by the ACCJC once they approach or cross that threshold. As new programs are created, and more courses are approved for DE offering, it is important for College of the Desert to continue to monitor the DE status of all programs and ensure they receive DE approval from ACCJC.

DE Accreditation History at College of the Desert

For the accreditation-curious, College of the Desert's accreditation website includes many important accreditation-related documents, most of which include distance education-related information.

Full Accreditation

2017-2024 Cycle- College Commendation 3 The team commends the College for its high quality and effective use of technology in its distance education offerings, especially in development of the online shell review and continual professional development requirements to ensure current, quality online instruction.
2025-2032 Cycle - Awaiting the report.

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