Message from Ian Collins, 2022 Commission Chair
As many of us are nearing the end of summer, I write with greetings from CEA and the Commission. Though in some respects, many things have returned to normal, we know that the COVID-19 pandemic is still impacting enrollment, global mobility, and instructional modality at many accredited programs and institutions.

The Commission gathered to hold its August meeting in person in Alexandria, VA, where my Commission colleagues and I made accreditation decisions, participated in professional development sessions, and received updates and reports from committees and staff on a variety of topics.

Among other things, CEA staff provided an update to the Commission on the implementation of Section 23 Temporary Policy Adaptations, which remain in place until rescinded or revoked by the Commission. These policies, adopted in June 2020 in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, have allowed flexibility in conducting site visits and scheduling of reaccreditation timelines. Throughout 2022, there have been fewer hybrid site visits, fewer requests for extensions, and more sites leaving extended hiatus status and returning to operational status. Further implementation of these policies will continue to be monitored to determine their necessity. Of course, any changes to policies will be published in advance of implementation of those changes to ensure that you have sufficient time to come into compliance.

The Nominating Committee has finalized the slate for the 2023 Commission ballot. The Commission makes accreditation decisions, but also is a non-profit governance board, and the role that individuals from the field play in contributing to CEA’s work is important to maintaining CEA’s excellence. CEA’s nominations process operates independently from the Commission, as is good practice in nonprofit governance, and the ballot for elections consists of an unopposed slate. Like you, I am eager to receive the names of the Commission nominees. As you know, one of the responsibilities of the Constituent Council involves the election of commissioners, so I hope you’ll take the time to vote when the ballot is sent on September 15. 

In closing, I want to publicly thank the exceptional CEA staff for their careful and comprehensive work in support of the Commission, which allows us to conduct our board-related work and to carry out the mission of the agency. 

Ian Collins
2022 Commission Chair

Recent accreditation decisions
The Commission met in person August 5-7, 2022 to make accreditation decisions and conduct other CEA business. Accreditation decisions are announced on the CEA website under “Recent Decisions” within 30 days of each meeting. In addition, information about other Commission activities is provided below.

Please contact Heidi Vellenga, CEA’s Executive Director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions you may have about the Commission actions, announcements or activities described below.

Agency operations

Workshops

Throughout 2022, CEA has continued to deliver accreditation workshops and reviewer training workshops in a virtual environment. CEA has also begun to regularly invite new program directors and primary contacts from newly-accredited sites to participate in an informational webinar related to ongoing requirements. As part of CEA’s strategic plan to focus on sustainability and equity and access,  we are likely to maintain options for virtual training events while re-introducing some in-person options for training opportunities. 2023 workshop dates are available on the CEA website: https://cea-accredit.org/accreditation/workshops for accreditation and reviewer training: https://cea-accredit.org/reviewers/become-a-reviewer.

Site visits

CEA volunteer peer reviewers and site visit representatives are back on the road this fall site visit cycle. Since 2020, CEA has conducted hybrid site visits as a temporary policy adaptation (see Section 23 Temporary Policy Adaptations). While this has been advantageous in terms of sustainability concerns as well as equity and access among peer reviewers, we are seeing a return to most site visits taking place in person. In addition, there are a large number of in-person follow-up visits taking place this cycle. Part I of the Hybrid Site Visit process is a virtual review, and those sites must undergo an in-person follow-up visit within one year of the accreditation decision, pending travel restrictions and other considerations. After each visit, a report is produced and reviewed by the Commission. If you have any questions about site visits, please contact Melissa Van De Wege, Accreditation Review Manager, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Message from Ian Collins, 2022 Commission Chair

Greetings from Turkey on behalf of CEA. I’m delighted and honored to serve as 2022 Commission chair. 

CEA’s April Commission meeting was held in person in Alexandria, VA nearby CEA’s office. After two years of meeting primarily in a virtual setting, it was a great pleasure to meet up with colleagues face-to-face after the challenges of the global pandemic. We hope to continue for the rest of the year like this. Notwithstanding the relaxation of many rules previously imposed by the authorities to tackle the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Commission will continue to act prudently, taking a number of safety precautions during meetings and requesting Commissioners to sign an attestation relating to their own good health and vaccination status. The Commission accomplished its planned work, including an annual orientation of the full Commission, an accreditation decision- making session, a professional development session for the Commission, in addition to committee meetings and the range of reports and updates that are delivered in every meeting.

Further below you’ll find a summary of CEA’s work, but I want to especially highlight two items. First, CEA appeared before NACIQI (the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity) in February and was recommended for five years’ continued recognition by the US Secretary of Education. Second, based on work throughout the past two years, CEA has updated and published various foundational documents, including the 2022 Policies and Procedures, 2022 Standards and the 2022 Strategic Plan. You will have seen previous News from CEA articles related to the establishment of the 2020 Scope Task Force, the 2021 Distance Education Task Force, and the work of the Standards Review Committee and the work of the Commission on Strategic Planning. As part of Strategic Planning, CEA’s Mission and Values have been updated.

On a final note, I encourage you to consider service to CEA as a volunteer peer reviewer or as a member of the Commission. Peer reviewer applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, and the 2022 Call for Nominations has been posted and applications are due July 1, 2022. Not only do both activities provide an opportunity to do valuable and challenging work with highly qualified and experienced colleagues, they also represent the best specific professional development opportunities in our field. CEA peer reviewers are professionals from the field who serve as the “eyes and ears” of the Commission during site visits. CEA commissioners have responsibilities in two important areas: as the accreditation decision-making body and as the governing body of CEA as a nonprofit corporation. Commissioner qualifications are outlined in the call, and the current call encourages applicants from single-site or multi-site institutions, those with community college experience or those who have jobs which involve at least 50% teaching-related responsibilities. Having served as a peer reviewer and on the Commission myself, I can personally highly recommend it. We invite you to put yourself forward or encourage others to apply to join us in serving the field and helping CEA achieve its mission.

Ian Collins
2022 Commission Chair

Recent accreditation decisions
The Commission met virtually April 1-3, 2022, to make accreditation decisions and conduct other CEA business. Accreditation decisions are announced on the CEA website under “Recent Decisions” within 30 days of each meeting. In addition, below I’ve provided information about other Commission actions and matters. Please contact Heidi Vellenga, CEA’s Executive Director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions you may have about the Commission actions, announcements and activities described below.

Meeting reminder: 2022 Constituent Council meeting
The 2022 Constituent Council meeting, CEA’s annual business meeting, will be held virtually on Friday, June 10, 12:00 noon – 1:00 PM Eastern Time. The agenda and connection information will be issued no later than 30 days before the meeting as required by the CEA Policies and Procedures. Section 19 Constituent Council Governing Rules, describe the role of each accredited site’s primary contact.

Reminder: 2022 Call for Nominations
The 2022 Call for Nominations (for service January 2023 – December 2025) has been published and disseminated. CEA is seeking four new volunteers for service on the Commission, and applications are due July 1, 2022. The Call for Nominations is available on the CEA website at http://cea-accredit.org/about-cea/governance/the-commission/call-for-nominations-for-the-cea-commission. If you have questions about Commission service or the application process, please feel free to contact me directly.

Document Updates
Following a comprehensive and detailed review of the Standards which involved, amongst other things, surveying the field, conducting focus groups, and making them available for public comment, a revised version of the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions has been adopted, which will apply to sites that begin the accreditation or reaccreditation process in 2022, or file interim reports in 2024. While the substantive content of the CEA Standards has not been revised, they have been re-ordered and re-structured to be clearer and more user-friendly.

A number of revisions have been made to CEA Policies & Procedures, some of which reflect obligations imposed by USDE regulations. Of particular note is that the 2022 P&P reflects CEA’s new eligibility requirements, which reduce the 8 months/ year to 3 months per year, while an 18 hour/ week curriculum is no longer required for CEA eligibility. Note: 18 hours/ week or 12 credits per term is a requirement for certification by the Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP). 

Small changes have also been made to the Mission, while again not making substantive changes in language, seeks to emphasize CEA’s focus on students. Moreover, the language of the Values document has been improved and a statement valuing diversity added.

Finally, you can see posted on the CEA website a copy of the Strategic Plan for 2021-2025. This reflects more than a year’s work and sets the strategic direction of CEA over the short and medium-term. You will notice that in addition to overarching commitments to being mindful about CEA’s environmental impact and to diversity and access, CEA has four identified four main strategic priorities which it will be working towards over the coming years.

Guidance remains in place
The CEA Statement on COVID-19 remains in place. All sites are required to notify CEA of any changes to aspects of operations as a result of or in response to COVID-19 by sending an email message to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Sites returning to fully in-person courses who have not previously notified CEA should do so. The CEA Policies and Procedures Section 23 Temporary Policy Adaptations allowing for Hybrid Site Visits, Extensions of term of accreditation and Extensions of eligibility remain in place until rescinded or revoked by the Commission.

Please contact staff at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions about this News from CEA.