NCA Terminology
(NCA Handbook)
accreditation association or commission - A nongovernmental body established to administer accrediting procedures.
accreditation, institutional - Accreditation that evaluates an entire educational organization and accredits it as a whole.
accreditation, national - A type of institutional accreditation primarily for religious colleges and universities, private trade and technical schools, private business colleges, and colleges focusing on health-related fields, as well as organizations offering programs primarily through distance delivery and home study.
accreditation, regional - A type of institutional accreditation provided by seven recognized accrediting commissions of the six regional accrediting associations.
Accreditation Review Council (ARC) - Commission decision-making body consisting of sixty or more experienced consultant-evaluators and public members who participate in the review processes of the Commission.
accreditation, specialized (also called program accreditation) - Accreditation of units, schools, or programs within a larger educational organization or for the sole program or area of concentration of an independent, specialized institution.
accredited status - Status that indicates that an educational organization meets the Commission's Criteria for Accreditation.
Association - The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Board of Trustees - The governing body of the Commission, made up of fifteen to twenty-one members of the Commission and representatives of the public.
Commission - See The Higher Learning Commission
comprehensive visit - Team visit to an organization seeking accreditation or continuation of accreditation.
consultant-evaluators - Members of the Commission's peer review corps who serve in the evaluation processes of the Program to Evaluate and Advance Quality.
Core Components - Subcategories of the Criteria for Accreditation that are reviewed in order to determine whether an organization meets the Criteria.
Criteria for Accreditation - The framework for determining an organization's accreditation.
examples of evidence - Illustrative examples of the types of evidence an organization might present in addressing a Core Component of a Criterion for Accreditation.
focused visit - A team visit that occurs between comprehensive evaluations to examine specific aspects of an organization.
The Higher Learning Commission - The commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools that accredits degree-granting higher education organizations.
monitoring report - Report that signals that a situation at an organization should change.
Obligations of Affiliation - The responsibilities that organizations affiliated with the Commission are required to fulfill in order to retain their affiliation.
Organizational Profile (OP) - Demographic information, program information, student performance data, and information on campus sites and distributed education offerings that take the place of the Statement of Institutional Scope and Activity.
PEAQ - See Program to Evaluate and Advance Quality
Peer Review Corps - The group of professionals who serve in accreditation processes.
probation - A public status signifying that conditions at an accredited organization that jeopardize its ability to meet the Criteria for Accreditation.
Program to Evaluate and Advance Quality (PEAQ) - The traditional program for maintaining accreditation with The Higher Learning Commission.
progress report - Report that provides specific information from an organization, monitors its progress in coping with changes or challenges, or gives evidence that institutional plans came to fruition as expected.
Public Disclosure Notice - A public notice that the Commission may prepare to explain a particular situation at an affiliated organization.
self-study process - A formal, comprehensive, institution-wide process of self-examination in preparation for a scheduled comprehensive evaluation.
self-study report - A document prepared by an organization that describes the process used to conduct the self-study, evaluates what it learned, and proposes what it intends to do with the knowledge. The report functions as the formal argument that the organization satisfies the Criteria for Accreditation.
site visit - A team visit to an off-campus site.
staff liaison - Commission staff member who serves as resource person for and liaison to an organization.
Statement of Affiliation Status (SAS) - An official document that summarizes the status of the organization with the Commission.
team report - Report that documents the findings and recommendation of the team that visited an organization on behalf of the Commission.
