The DEAC Accreditation Handbook is a detailed compilation of the Commission’s standards, policies and procedures. The responsibility for assuring the quality of an institution rests first with the institution itself. The accreditation process assesses the capacity of an institution to meet all accreditation requirements. DEAC expects institutions to produce evidence of compliance with all standards set forth in the Handbook.
The Commission requires its accredited institutions to offer distance education programs that focus on student learning and carefully attend to every aspect of the students’ experience at an institution. DEAC’s approach to institutional evaluation follows a multi-dimensional framework that supports (1) data gathering from multiple sources, (2) mandatory interim updates and reporting, (3) documented attestations from the institution, (4) layered review of documentation by academic, pedagogical, administrative, and financial experts, and (5) a comprehensive review of the entire record by members of the Commission. The fairness and integrity of an accreditation process is fundamental to the ability of an accreditor to function usefully and effectively. To this end, the DEAC Accreditation Handbook covers all aspects of each functional area of accreditation.
New Accreditation Standards to be Implemented January 1, 2025
The Commission has approved revisions to the DEAC accreditation standards. An updated edition of the DEAC Accreditation Handbook, including the revised standards, will be published January 1, 2025. In the meantime, DEAC is making this copy of the revised accreditation standards available here for institutions and the public.
