August 2026 Policy Revisions
Below is a list of NECHE news posts, which include public statements and Commission announcements as well as information about upcoming NECHE events.
At its April meeting and June retreat, the Commission gave preliminary approval to revisions to seven of its policies, a new policy, and two sets of guidelines/ instructions.
Commission Policies and Guidelines. Over the summer, Commission staff conducted a comprehensive review of NECHE’s policies/procedures/guidelines/statements to ensure they accurately reflect the new Standards for Accreditation. In general, a number of minor editorial changes (e.g., nine standards à five standards) were made that were endorsed by the Commission at its June 2026 meeting.
In addition, in response to the anticipated changes in federal regulations related to accreditation as well as to ensure current Commission practice is reflected, the Commission’s Executive Committee at its August 2026 meeting approved for review by the membership the revision of three policies:
(1) Policy on the Development and Review of Commission Policies, Procedures, Guidelines, and Statements: The policy was rewritten to better distinguish the terms used by the Commission (e.g, what is a policy; what are procedures; etc.). If adopted, each NECHE policy will be reviewed and, if appropriate, renamed to align with the new nomenclature. As required by federal regulations, the policy also more clearly defines the responsibility of Commission staff to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and integrity of all information provided in NECHE publications and on its website.
Policy on the Development and Review of Commission Policies, Procedures, Guidelines, and Statements
(2) Policy on Notice of Concern and (3) Policy on Warning (formerly Notation): In anticipation of a federal requirement (effective July 1, 2027) that all actions taken by the Commission will need to be made public, the Commission reviewed its range of possible actions including the issuance of a Notice of Concern or Notation when an institution is found to be in danger of not meeting one or more of its standards. Since its adoption in 2018, it has become clear that use of the term “Notation” is confusing both to institutions and the public and therefore a change to “Warning,” a term more commonly used by other accreditors, was recommended. Guidance for institutions regarding their obligation to post information about their accreditation status was also added to the Policy on Warning.
In addition to the above policy revisions, a new statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Accreditation Process and guidelines to codify Accelerated Pathways to Initial Accreditation for some well-established institutions, primarily international, were developed.
Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Accreditation Process
Before making a final decision about these changes at its September 2026 meeting, the Commission seeks your comments. Your comments and questions should be addressed to Paula Harbecke (pharbecke@neche.org) no later than September 11, 2026. Please put ‘Policy Revisions’ in the subject line.
The proposed changes to four of these policies (the policies on Selection, Ethics, and Responsibilities of Commissioners; Selection of Chairpersons and Evaluators; Off-campus Programming; and Substantive Change) are, in large measure, intended to bring the policies into closer alignment with relevant federal regulations.
Selection, Ethics, and Responsibilities of Commissioners
Selection of Chairpersons and Evaluators
The proposed changes to the Policy and Procedures for Adverse Actions and the two new related documents (Instructions for Arbitration of an Adverse Appeal Decision; Policy on Institutional Obligation regarding Litigation) are prompted by the Commission’s recent experience in handling an appeal.
Instructions for Arbitration of an Adverse Appeal Decision
The proposed changes to the Policy on Complaints and the Policy and Procedures for Public Comments are prompted by staff experience in handling complaints and public comments and are intended to make these processes more effective.
Finally, the Commission has prepared a new set of Guidelines for the Review of Prison Education Programs developed in response to changes in federal regulations that, effective July 1, 2023, will allow incarcerated individuals to use Pell grants to enroll in prison education programs.
