The Constituent Council plays an important role in the governance of CEA set forth in Section 19 Constituent Council Governing Rules. Since accreditation is a process of voluntary peer review, it is incumbent upon accredited sites to participate in the governance of the accrediting body. The purpose of the Constituent Council is to:
An accredited site must promptly notify CEA of the following events set forth in Section 8.2 Notifications to CEA:
CEA may withdraw the eligibility of a site, withdraw accreditation of a site, or take other action based on such notification if compliance with CEA’s policies is affected by the notification, and if necessary, after implementing the due process procedures described in Section 12: Advisory and Adverse Actions.
Send notifications to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Read MoreWhen a change is under consideration, CEA staff should be consulted to determine whether it is a substantive or minor change and whether a substantive change report must be filed, and to assess how the change will affect the program or institution in terms of meeting the CEA Standards. Please contact Masha Vassilieva, Director of Compliance at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (703) 665-3400.
The types of substantive changes that must be reported prior to the change taking place include, but are not limited to, the following:
2024 CEA Substantive Change Reporting Guidelines.pdf
Read MoreAccredited programs and language institutions are expected to continue to meet the CEA Standards during the term of accreditation. A student, faculty or staff member, or any individual outside the program or institution who may have knowledge of an accredited program or institution’s alleged failure to maintain the CEA Standards may file a complaint with CEA as described in the CEA Policies and Procedures Section 15: Complaints.
Filing a Complaint Against an Accredited Site
Read MoreUse of the “Accredited by” logo in any fashion is restricted to programs or institutions currently accredited by CEA. Use of the tagline logo with “Leading by Advancing Standards” is for exclusive use by CEA.
Use of the logo must ensure that it is made clear to prospective students which programs and/or instructional locations are accredited by CEA and which are not.
CEA periodically verifies use of its logo by accredited sites. Sites found to be using the logo improperly will be notified and will be expected to resolve the issue within 30 days.
Announcement of accreditation should be made through use of the accreditation statement which appears in each site’s letter of accreditation. Sites found to be using inaccurate statements regarding CEA accreditation will be notified and will be expected to resolve the issue within 30 days.
Constituent Council guidelines require sites to publicly post the CEA Standards, along with the document “Filing a Complaint Against an Accredited Site," available on the Complaints tab above.
Electronic posting of the specific CEA webpages is acceptable using the following urls:
CEA Standards: http://cea-accredit.org/about-cea/standards
CEA Complaint Policy: http://cea-accredit.org/about-cea/complaint
2024 Logo Guidelines of Use (PDF)
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Read MoreMechanics for Submission
Creating Working Hyperlinks
2024 CEA Mechanics for Submission(Click to download Word doc)
Read MoreCEA Strategic Plan 2021-2025
In all aspects of its work, CEA seeks to be mindful of:
Priority 1: Advance high standards and lead accreditation practice to promote ESL program quality
Exemplify model accreditation practice through good governance, agency operations and on-site practices.
Continue to cultivate highly qualified commissioners, reviewers and staff.
Promote quality through clear and transparent standards that are well-understood by constituents and serve as models of good practice.
Priority 2: Respond appropriately to changing conditions in the field
Develop a systematic process for monitoring trends in the field.
Create a protocol to determine what actions should be taken, if any.
Communicate changes in policies and procedures effectively when trends require action impacting constituents.
Priority 3: Contribute to ongoing professionalization of the field through outreach, research and training
Educate potential stakeholders on the value of CEA accreditation.
Establish a research group to explore a research agenda.
Expand training opportunities for sites, reviewers, commissioners and staff, including exploring micro-credentialing.
Priority 4: Explore appropriate expansion of accreditation activities consistent with CEA’s mission
Establish scope of work and metrics for consideration of expansion.
Consider recommendations of the expansion task force.
In order to maintain accredited status, all accredited programs and institutions are required to submit an Annual Report to CEA. The 2024 Annual Report is due February 15, 2024.
Annual Report Portal - carp.cea-accredit.org (for accredited sites to input their annual report data)
Please note that annual reports are different from the one-year reports. Annual reports are the same for every program, and every program (with a few exceptions) is required to file its annual report every year by February 15. One-year reports are produced by programs/institutions to address reporting requirements issued at the time of initial 1-year accreditation or 1-year reaccreditation. One-year reports have reporting requirements that are different for each site and have their own due dates (Typically Feb 1, Jun 1, or Sep 1).
Email questions any time to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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