Due Process Response Period

Due Process is the major post-visit activity before the commission confers the final accreditation decision. It begins after the on-site visit is completed, when the commission prepares and sends to the institution a Draft Statement containing a section for each program reviewed. The Draft Statement will include:

• General information about each program
• Statements about the program’s strengths, and
• Statements detailing shortcomings identified by the team

The institution will have 30 days to respond to the shortcomings identified in each program’s section of the Draft Statement. This back-and-forth response period between the institution and ABET is called 30-Day Due Process. During the Due Process Response Period, the institution may contact ABET about improvements made or corrections taken by a program to address the shortcomings identified in the Draft Statement.

The institution may need to provide supplemental information related to a program’s improvement after the Due Process Response is submitted. Supplemental information must be received in time for proper consideration prior to the commission decision-making meeting in July.

Shortcomings identified in the Draft Statement fall into three levels of compliance and non-compliance with an applicable criterion, policy, or procedure.

• Deficiency indicates that a criterion, policy, or procedure is not satisfied.
• Weakness indicates that a program lacks the strength of compliance with a criterion, policy, or procedure, and remedial action is required to strengthen compliance before the next review.
• Concern indicates that a program currently satisfies a criterion, policy, or procedure; however, the potential exists for changes in the situation that may lead to the program not meeting the criterion, policy, or procedure.

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If you have questions about the Draft Statement or Due Process Response Period, please contact our Accreditation Department.