Chapter 3
Accreditation Process And Policies

3.1 Request For Accreditation	The accreditation process will be initiated with the submission of a letter of request or completed Request for Accreditation or Re-accreditation Form (Appendix A) by a high ranking administrator (president, academic vice president, or college/school dean) of the institution seeking accreditation or re-accreditation. The completed letter (hard copy) or form must be sent to the Managing Director of the Council. Refer to the ACCGC Accreditation Schedule (Appendix B) for appropriate dates and deadlines.
3.2 Site Visitation Team Leader and Team Members Selected	The Managing Director informs the Chair of the Accreditation Committee of the request for an accreditation review and requests him/her to appoint a three-person Site Visitation Team, including a team leader. The team is subject to confirmation by the administrator who made the request for accreditation review from the institution seeking accreditation. The Site Visitation Team leader acts in the capacity of mentor to the institutional representatives requesting accreditation to aid them in preparation of the Self-Study Report and the site visitation.
3.3 Submission of Self-Study Report	Five copies of the Self-Study Report are submitted to the Council's Managing Director. Four copies of the report are distributed by the Managing Director to the Chair of the ACCGC Accreditation Committee and the three-member Site Visitation Team. The Site Visitation Team reads and evaluates the Self-Study Report to determine if clarification or additional information is needed prior to the site visitation. If the Self- Study Report is incomplete, the Team Leader will request the graphic communications program administrator to provide the additional data. If the Self-Study Report is complete, or will be complete in an appropriate time period, a visitation date is scheduled by the Managing Director of the Council.
3.4 Site Visitation	The Visitation Team will be on campus for two full days. Among other activities, team members will confer with institutional personnel to review plans, tour facilities, conduct interviews, observe classroom and laboratory activities, review documented support material, and meet with appropriate personnel including college/university administrators, program faculty, and program students. An exit meeting will be held with the department/program faculty at which time preliminary findings of the ACCGC Site Visitation Team will be provided. This may be a time for additional information to be provided to the Site Visitation Team by the department/program administrator and his/her faculty. Council members recognize that the self-study report is time consuming and that hosting the visiting team is expensive. ACCGC personnel shall be diligent in controlling costs and minimize distractions during the institutional visitation.
3.5 Site Visitation Team Report	Within 30 days of the site visitation, the Site Visitation Team Leader completes and sends a preliminary Visitation Team Report copy to the team members. They will edit and respond to the Site Visitation Team Leader within 10 days. The Team leader makes the needed revisions and forwards a "draft" copy of the Site Visitation Team Report (without evaluative comments) to the institutional representative for verification of factual data. The institutional representative must respond to the ACCGC Team Leader within 10 working days. The Team Leader will then prepare a "final" written Site Visitation Team Report and submit it to the Chair of the ACCGC Accreditation Committee, ACCGC Managing Director, and to the institutional representative no later than 90 days following the visitation. Both electronic and hard copy formats may be used for the distribution of the report.
3.6 ACCGC Accreditation Committee Action	The Visitation Team Final Report and the institution's official reaction to the Final Team Report are reviewed by the ACCGC Accreditation Committee. The Accreditation Committee makes the decision to accredit, to conditionally accredit, or to deny accreditation based on a review of this information. The ACCGC Accreditation Committee Chair reports the accrediting decision to the Accrediting Council for Collegiate Graphic Communications and the ACCGC Managing Director informs the institutional representative of the decision.
3.7 Appeal Status	The institutional representative may submit a written request for an appeal within 30 days of receipt of notification of the accreditation status. This request should be made to the ACCGC Managing Director. The ACCGC Appeals Committee will review the institution's appeal and all accreditation documentation regarding the accreditation decision. The Appeals Committee may request further information from the institution and/or the Site Visitation Team members to clarify specific appeal issues. The Appeals Committee members vote to uphold or reverse the decision of the Accreditation Committee. The ACCGC Managing Director will notify the institutional representative of the decision of the ACCGC Appeals Committee. The decision of the Appeals Committee is final.
3.8 Accreditation Cost	The accreditation cost is paid for by the institution requesting accreditation. The Board approved a $3,500 application fee, of which, up to $2,000 is allocated to cover travel expenses of the site team for the onetime, two full day, campus visit which will occur during the second year of the two year accreditation process. Anything above $2,000 is to be covered by the institution where the graphic communications academic program is offered. To continue the accreditation, yearly dues of $1,000 must be paid to ACCGC for a degree program/department (more than 18 semester units of course work) and $500 for an emphasis, concentration, option or pattern (up to 18 units of semester course work). At the end of the first six year accreditation cycle, the institution is not required to pay an application fee for re-accreditation, nor are they required to pay the travel costs of the site team. They must, though, make written application for re-accreditation. In summary, $3,500 is due with submission of completed application to begin the process. Up to $2,000 of this is used to pay for site team travel costs for a one time, two-full day, visit. Any appropriate travel costs above $2,000 is the responsibility of the institution under review. $1,000 or $500 is due each calendar year to maintain accreditation status for the five year period following the initial accreditation or for reaccreditation. No application or travel fees for accreditation in subsequent 6-year cycles will be charged to the institution. A single statement for the on-site expense reimbursement outside that already covered by the institution will be sent by the ACCGC Managing Director to the institution within 30 days following the visitation and payment is due within 30 days of the statement date. In case of conditional accreditation, should additional travel be necessary for on-site verification by one of more Site Visitation Team members, expense reimbursement would be the responsibility of the institution seeking accreditation.
3.9 Accreditation Term	Program accreditation is limited to six (6) years, and is activated at the beginning of the fall semester/quarter following the accreditation approval. Re-accreditation should take place during the final year of an accredited term. If an institution is not granted accreditation, the institution may reapply after a period of one calendar year from the date of the evaluation report.
3.10 Accreditation Publicity	The Council's Managing Director will request that a list of all accredited institutions be published in selected national graphic communications and educational journals. A statement regarding accreditation should appear in the educational institution's catalog. Also, upon request from appropriate sources, the Managing Director will make a listing of accredited institutional programs available.
Written Report	For the written report, there should be a foreword consisting of a historic and current review of the institution, college/school, and department/division. The foreword should be approximately three to four pages in length. Following the foreword, the selfstudy content should be reported as listed in 4. Accreditation Standards.