Significant changes to American University’s mission, degree levels offered, credit hour determination, and locations offering instruction require review and approval by our regional accrediting entity. AU is accredited by the Middle States Association's Commission on Higher Education and as a standard for accreditation (see Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation (Fourteenth Edition), Standard II.8f), the University must demonstrate "compliance with all applicable government laws and regulations and Commission policies and procedures, including...substantive changes affecting institutional mission, goals, programs, operations, sites, and other material issues...must be disclosed in a timely and accurate fashion." Such disclosures are submitted to Middle States via a substantive change process. For AU academic programs considering or in the process of using a location other than AU-owned property to deliver instruction to AU students, please contact AU’s Middle States Accreditation Liaison Officer, Associate Director Robin Beads, at beads@american.edu for more details.

Additional Resources

• Middle States provides policies, procedures, and guidelines regarding substantive change for its accredited institutions.
• The U.S. Department of Education also has a substantive change requirement (see 34 C.F.R. § 602.22) for accredited institutions.