Happy New Year from CEA! Members of the Commission and CEA staff send best wishes for 2011 and thank everyone who has supported CEA over the past 10 years. We specifically thank all members of the Constituent Council, the many volunteer reviewers who play such a critical role in the review process, and of course the commissioners, whose responsibility it is to make final accreditation decisions as well as to govern CEA. Their work includes making policies that will sustain CEA as an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Adoption of the revised CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions
The Commission has approved revisions to the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions. CEA sought input from the field on proposed revisions to individual standards through a survey on Survey Monkey. The Standards Review Committee reviewed the 130 responses including the many comments and made changes as appropriate prior to the vote by the Commission. At the same time, the Commission approved clarifications to the context and discussions of the standards, which underwent a comprehensive review last summer. The Commission is confident that the changes will result in a standards document that is less redundant and clearer in expressing the intent of each standard.

New self-study report template
The Task Force on Accreditation Procedures has completed its work on a revision of the Self-study Guide in preparation for CEA’s move to an electronic format. Unlike the old form, the new template requires responses to specific standards-related questions in a variety of formats (narrative text boxes, check lists, yes/no/if then questions, and so forth).

The new template, which also uses the revised standards, will be introduced at the January 27-28, 2011, Accreditation Workshop and will be the required self-study format for all new applicants in the future. It is expected that CEA’s new on-line system will be ready for use later this year after training materials are developed. Sites that are currently working on their self-studies will continue to use the current format and be reviewed on the basis of the current standards

Amendment to the definition of CEA’s scope of accreditation
CEA is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as both a programmatic and an institutional accrediting agency in the U.S. Programmatic accreditation is available for English language programs (intensive English programs) in colleges and universities that are regionally or nationally accredited. Institutional accreditation is for stand-alone English language schools.

At its December, 2010, meeting, the Commission discussed how CEA can offer programmatic accreditation to a university or college English language program when the university has a contractual partnership with an outside entity to provide some services previously offered through the program. This led to a review of CEA’s current “scope” of programmatic accreditation, as stated in the CEA’s Policies and Procedures, which defines the types of accreditation offered by CEA: “Within the U.S, programmatic accreditation for intensive English programs (IEPs) in universities and colleges, including community colleges, that are accredited by a regional or other institutional accrediting body. “

The definition has been amended as follows: “Within the U.S, programmatic accreditation for intensive English programs (IEPs) with a direct reporting line within the administration of universities and colleges, including community colleges, that are accredited by a regional or other institutional accrediting body. “ Q

Policy updates
The Commission has amended two policies:

• Procedures for accreditation of a new site is a policy that gives an already accredited site an opportunity to seek preliminary accreditation for a new site without waiting for a year to seek eligibility, if the new site replicates the policies, procedures, curriculum, etc., of the accredited site. The Commission approved an amendment to the policy: A site granted either 1-year initial or re-accreditation is not allowed during that period to seek accreditation for a new site.


• Policy on change of control or ownership : In seeking CEA accreditation, English language programs and institutions must respond to the following standard, which requires a clear description of the organizational structure within which the program or institution exists as well as of the functional relationships it maintains with internal and external entities.
  
  Administrative and Fiscal Capacity 1: The program or institution clearly defines and provides a rationale for formal linkages with other entities.
  
  For programs within universities and colleges, this may be a relationship with a division or department within the university or college. For language institutions, this may be a corporate structure within which the school operates. In all cases, the program or institution must describe its relationship to any entity which has authority over it and to which it reports, or with which it shares authority over any aspects of its instructional program, administration, or services.
  
  If that relationship changes, CEA must be assured that the program or institution remains in compliance with the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions in all standards areas. Thus, the change must be reported to CEA as a substantive change prior to the change taking place in order for accreditation of the program or institution to continue under the new control or ownership.