CIRP Surveys and Accreditation: SACS Guide Updated for 2014

Accreditation remains a driving force behind survey use on college campuses. Because CIRP surveys are comprehensive and designed to be longitudinal, they cover a wide variety of outcomes related to student growth and development. CIRP survey data can be used throughout the accreditation process—to engage in institutional self-study, to inform a visit by evaluators, and to respond to a decision handed down by a regional accreditor. The CIRP Accreditation Guides are designed to facilitate using the surveys in the accreditation process.

Each institution approaches accreditation differently—taking into account its mission, goals, programs, policies, and the composition of the faculty and student bodies. One shared element, however, is to understand how the practices and data already available on campus align with accreditation standards. The CIRP Accreditation Guides demonstrate how items from all 5 CIRP surveys (TFS, YFCY, DLE,CSS, and FAC) connect to standards for each of the regional accrediting bodies. For those that are considering future survey participation, sample timelines help institutions decide when and how often to gather evidence for use in accreditation.

We are in the process of updating all of the guides to correspond to the 2014 CIRP Survey instruments and the updated regional accreditation standards. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) has updated their accreditation standards in and the 2014 CIRP Accreditation Guide for SACS reflects those changes, in relation to the 2014 survey instruments.

The WSCUC (formerly WASC) guide was updated in May 2014 and the guides for the other accrediting bodies will be updated in the coming months. Previous versions of these guides are available now.

• Higher Learning Commission-North Central Association (HLC-NCA)
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
• WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) (Updated May 2014)

Please visit our accreditation webpage, where we highlight examples of how institutions have used CIRP surveys in their accreditation efforts.