Accreditation Process Guidelines

Cooperative Education, a distinct educational model, has been in existence since 1906, and programs of cooperative education have maintained common, defining features. In 1993, The Attributes of Cooperative Education was drafted to articulate a set of minimum standards for programs of cooperative education. In 1997 The Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education (ACCE) was founded.
The accreditation process involves the following steps:

• First, the applicant completes and submits an Accreditation Application which is essentially a self-study instrument.
• Second, an ACCE Review Team visits the campus of the applicant
  Teams are comprised of cooperative education practitioners who have been specifically trained to conduct site visits.
• Third, ACCE considers the Review Team’s recommendation and votes on granting accreditation.

Eligibility Requirements
At the time of application, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. The program must have been in continuous operation long enough to have graduated one class of students in the program.
2. The program must be housed at a regionally accredited post-secondary institution.
3. The application must be accompanied by a check or money order for the (non-refundable) application fee.

Program Self-Assessment
The Application must be prepared according to instructions. Requested data must come from the academic year immediately prior to the Application's submission. Information provided must be descriptive of procedures and policies in place at the time the Application is submitted.
The original of the completed application is sent to the Vice-Chair of the Accreditation Council as described in the Application Process.  
Accreditation Review Teams
Review teams consist of members as stated in the Bylaws of the Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education. The convener of a review team shall be a member of ACCE. Once a review team is formed and assigned, the applicant shall be notified and will begin to interact directly with the Review Team Convener.

The Review Team Convener will be responsible for organizing and coordinating the team’s activities. This includes organizing the review of the application and accompanying documentation as well as contacting the applicant to make arrangements for the site visit. All reviews are to be conducted relative to the published criteria for accreditation. Should questions arise about the application, the Review Team Convener shall contact the applicant for clarification or additional information. In addition, prior to or during the site visit the Vice Chair, Accreditation can be contacted for assistance either by the Review Team Convener or the applicant.
 Length and Notification of Accreditation
The Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education has the sole authority to grant accreditation.  Normally, accreditation is granted for a six-year period. The Vice Chair, Accreditation will send a letter to each applicant that announces the outcome of the ACCE decision regarding accreditation. This letter will be sent within 30 days of when the ACCE meets to consider review team recommendations and vote on granting accreditation.
The accreditation period begins upon receipt of the notification letter and extends to December 31 of the sixth year. For example, a six-year accreditation granted on October 1, 2002 will expire, unless a program is reaccredited, on December 31, 2008. A yearly accreditation is fee is charged.
Appeals
An applicant may appeal an adverse decision of the Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education if the applicant believes that the decision was based on factual errors or an incorrect interpretation of the application.  An applicant initiating an appeal will retain its current accreditation status until the appeal process is completed.
An applicant who wishes to appeal must submit a written Request for Appellate Hearing to the Vice Chair, Accreditation within 30 days of notification of the adverse decision. The request must state the basis of the appeal, specifying how the decision was based on erroneous fact or interpretation.  
Publicity Guidelines for Accredited Programs
ACCE supports the desire of member programs to publicize accreditation of their cooperative education.  ACCE programs receiving accreditation and wishing to cite their program’s inclusion in the Directory of Accredited Programs in catalogs, official school publications and brochures should choose among the following phrases:

•  “The (Name of Institution, Unit of Review) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education.”
• “The (Name of Institution) cooperative education program is an ACCE accredited program.”
•  “The (Name of Institution) cooperative education program is an ACCE accredited degree program.”

If the ACCE is notified of a non-accredited member program using language to publicize its program in such a way that “accredited status” is implied but not directly stated, ACCE will direct the program to take appropriate steps to correct the misleading language and then notify ACCE when public corrections have occurred.
For ACCE Accredited Programs, the following image may be placed on your web site and any printed materials. It is best viewed against a white background.