Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College Substantive Change Policy and Procedure

Responsible Unit: Accreditation Liaison
Original Approval Date: July 1, 2017
Revision Date: July 1, 2025
Revision Summary: The SKCTC Substantive Change Policy and Procedure was edited to align with 2025 changes in SACSCOC policy.

Related Policies/Reference

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) requires its member institutions to have a policy and procedure to ensure all substantive changes are reported to the Commission in a timely fashion. As an accredited member institution, Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College (SKCTC) is committed to adhering to the Commission’s substantive change policy (https://sacscoc.org/app/uploads/2019/08/SubstantiveChange.pdf - This link is the 2025 revised addition from the SACSCOC website - Substantive Changes - SACSCOC).

The Principles of Accreditation, Standard 14.2 states that “The institution has a policy and procedure to ensure that all substantive changes are reported in accordance with SACSCOC policy.”

Purpose of the Policy

The SACSCOC policy statement, “Substantive Change Policy and Procedures” (2025) defines substantive change as a significant modification or expansion of the nature and scope of an accredited institution. Substantive change actions require either timely notification to, or approval from, the Commission prior to implementation. Failure to comply with the SACSCOC policy on substantive change may result in the Commission taking negative action against SKCTC and loss of student eligibility to receive federal financial aid.

Policy

Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, with approval of the faculty body, will thoroughly analyze changes in its educational offerings and will notify and/or seek approval from the Commission on Colleges of all changes that meet the SACSCOC definition of substantive change. All submissions will meet SACSCOC reporting deadlines and requirements detailed in the SACSCOC policy statement, “Substantive Change Policy and Procedures” (2025).

Roles and Responsibilities

Academic Deans, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, IE/IR, and SACSCOC Accreditation Liaison.

Deans, the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Directors are responsible for ensuring all required approvals and notifications are received prior to scheduling or marketing courses or programs that require submission of a substantive change notification to the Commission on Colleges. Deans and Directors are to notify the Vice President of Academic Affairs at the time the program planning process begins, normally 9-18 months prior to the implementation of a substantive change.

Vice President of Academic Affairs

The Vice President of Academic Affairs provides leadership in planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating the instructional units of the college. This individual reports any upcoming academic changes that meet the SACSCOC definition of substantive change to the Accreditation Liaison by the timeline outlined in this document for the various types of substantive change. The Vice President of Academic Affairs works with the appropriate deans, program coordinators and faculty to determine if new academic programs, changes in program length, and/or changes in mode of program delivery are a significant departure from existing programs, and if so, works with these groups to gather the information/documentation needed to complete the substantive change process; in conjunction with faculty approval. The Vice President of Academic Affairs notifies the Registrar and the Director of Financial Aid of any curricular changes approved by the KCTCS Board of Regents.

Dean of Community, Workforce and Economic Development

Dean of Community, Workforce and Economic Development monitors the proposed schedule of for-credit workforce classes and approves and reports to the Vice President of Academic Affairs any schedule changes that conform to the SACSCOC definition of substantive change, which might trigger the need to notify and/or seek approval from the Commission on Colleges.

Accreditation Liaison

The Accreditation Liaison communicates with the college President and appropriate Commission staff regarding the status of each substantive change notification/approval request. The Liaison is responsible for compiling any required notification/approval request documentation and for ensuring each notification/approval request is submitted within the prescribed timeframe. The Accreditation Liaison is also responsible for providing professional development to the institution’s leadership, faculty, and staff about the SACSCOC substantive change process, the SKCTC substantive change policy and procedures, and for notifying the campus of any updates to the SACSCOC or SKCTC substantive change policy. The Accreditation Liaison notifies the Director of Financial Aid of any pending substantive change submissions to the Commission on Colleges. Responsibilities also include maintaining physical copies in the offices of Academic Affairs used to disseminate information about substantive change notification/approval; electronic copies can be made available upon request.

President

The President is responsible for the overall administration of the college. Along with the college faculty, the President is responsible for developing and implementing an instructional program that is commensurate with the purposes of a comprehensive community and technical college. The President is responsible for enforcing this policy and procedure.

Director of Financial Aid

In conjunction with the Vice President of Student Affairs, the Director of Financial Aid is responsible for assessing substantive changes that may require Department of Education (DOE) approval, submitting proposed changes to DOE for approval, and keeping the Accreditation Liaison and Vice President of Academic Affairs apprised of the approval process.

Procedure:

All Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) policies and procedures related to curriculum will be followed.

Per the SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy and Procedures, specific requirements exist for institutional, program, and off-campus instructional sites. A list of specific actions that constitute a substantive change by category is included below.

Specific elements pertaining to SACSCOC substantive change reporting requirements for each type of substantive change:

• Institutional Changes
  • Change in measure of student progress to completion
  • Competency-based education by course/credit-based approach – Institutional-level approval
  • Distance education – Institutional-level approval
  • Governance change
  • Institution closure
  • Institution relocation
  • Institution, program, or location acquisition
  • Institutional contingency teach-out plan
  • Level change
  • Merger/consolidation
  • Mission change
  • Ownership, means of control, or legal status change
• Program Changes
  • Clock-credit hour conversion
  • Competency-based education by direct assessment – approval
  • Competency-based education by direct assessment – notification
  • Cooperative academic arrangement
  • Cooperative academic arrangement with non-Title IV entities – approval
  • Cooperative academic arrangement with non-Title IV entities – notification
  • Correspondence education
  • Dual academic award
  • Joint academic award with non-SACSCOC institution(s) or entity(ies)
  • Joint academic award with SACSCOC institution(s)
  • Method of delivery – approval
  • Method of delivery – notification
  • New program – approval
  • New program – notification
  • Program closure
  • Program designed for prior learning – approval
  • Program designed for prior learning – notification
  • Program length change
  • Program re-open
    
    
• Off-Campus Instructional Site/Additional Location Changes
  • Off-campus instructional site notification
  • Off-campus instructional site approval (including branch campus)
  • Extensive review
  • Limited review
  • Committee visits
  • Off-campus instructional site relocation
  • Non-branch campus
  • Branch campus
  • Off-campus instructional site name or address change
  • Off-campus instructional site closure
  • Off-campus instructional site re-open

SKCTC SACSCOC Approved Off-Campus Sites

A list of SKCTC SACSCOC-approved off-campus sites, both 50-100% and 25-49%, is included in Appendix B.

List of Substantive Changes Approved Since the Last Reaffirmation

A brief description of SKCTC substantive changes approved since the last reaffirmation is included in Appendix C. Each description includes the date of approval by the Commission on Colleges. The Accreditation Liaison maintains hard copies. Appendix C also includes pending substantive change notifications. Appendix C is updated as needed.

Appendix B

SKCTC SACSCOC Approved Off-Campus Sites

Approved Branch Campuses

Approved Off-Campus Sites 50-100%

Notified Off-Campus Sites 25-49%

Appendix C

SKCTC SACSCOC Approved Substantive Changes Since the Last Reaffirmation