What is the process for advising CAA of a decision to close a program?
When closure of an accredited or candidate program has been decided, programs must notify the CAA in writing as soon as possible but no later than 30 days after the final decision to close. This includes any component of the program, such as a distance education track or satellite/branch campus. This notification should be a standalone letter sent to the CAA formally acknowledging this change and should not be embedded in any report to the CAA.
The notification must include the following:
- specific circumstances and details of the pending closure, including closure date, and copies of the official decision or notification to close the program or any of its components
- a transition plan and timeline to ensure completion of the program by all current students that will ensure sufficient leadership, faculty, and other resources to provide the curriculum, practicum experiences, support services, and advising needed to fulfill the program’s mission, meet its obligations to students, and maintain all appropriate student records consistent with institutional policy
- evidence that all current and prospective students have been informed of the program closure, with a plan for assisting them in completing the program of study
After reviewing the program’s transition plan, the CAA will acknowledge the program’s closure and modify the program’s accreditation cycle to reflect the anticipated closure date. Programs will be expected to continue to file reports to the CAA to ensure adherence to the program’s transition plan and continued compliance with the CAA’s Standards for Accreditation.
For complete information on program closure, see the Accreditation Handbook (Chapter XI Expectations of Programs) or contact a member of the Accreditation team (accreditation@asha.org).
