BPPE proposes rules to standardize accreditor verification for approvals by means of accreditation

Parker Strohmeyer, the bureau's regulation specialist, presented draft regulatory amendments intended to standardize what information a bureau needs when an institution applies for approval by means of accreditation under California Education Code section 94890. "We're proposing regulations that clearly spell out what information must be provided," Deputy Bureau Chief Manila Longmini said, describing the repeated back-and-forth the bureau currently engages in to collect program lengths, modalities and California-specific contacts.

The proposed language would reorganize the existing regulation structure to require a completed application, a certified copy of a current verification of accreditation that includes additional detail (accreditation period dates; list of owners and ownership percentages; addresses of accredited locations; a list of accredited programs with credential level and hours/units), the agent for service of process, custodian-of-record information, and an explicit acknowledgment that an accredited institution must comply with all applicable state requirements.

Strohmeyer told the committee the bureau had discussed the level of detail with several accrediting agencies, including ACCSC, NACUS and WASC, and that those agencies indicated they could provide the additional information. Committee members proposed practical changes: Michael Zimmerman suggested allowing ownership disclosures at a percentage threshold to avoid forcing institutions to enumerate hundreds of fractional owners, and members asked the bureau to consider a template or a reference to a current catalog edition to standardize the information. Bureau staff welcomed that feedback and said they will accept written comments as the proposal moves through the department process.