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Decision & Notification

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After the Due Process Response Period and receipt of the institution’s responses and required supplemental information, the review team prepares a draft Final Statement for presentation to the accreditation commission at its July Commission Meeting. During this meeting, the commission members collectively examine all information relating to each accreditation review and determine their decision, called an accreditation action.

The Final Statement to the institution will be completed after all updates from the July Commission Meeting are incorporated. The final version, along with a summary of accreditation actions conferred, will be mailed to the institution by August 31.

The final accreditation decision rests with the appropriate ABET commission, not with the individual review team. In the case where two or more commissions are involved in the review of a single program, each commission determines its decision independently.

The accreditation actions available to the commissions are:

  • Next General Review (NGR) – The program has no deficiencies or weaknesses. This action is taken only after a comprehensive review (initial accreditation or general review) and has a typical duration of six years.
  • Interim Report (IR) – The program has one or more weaknesses that will require a progress report to evaluate remedial actions taken by the program. This action has a typical duration of two years.
  • Interim Visit (IV) – The program has one or more weaknesses that will require an on-site review to evaluate remedial actions taken by the program. This action has a typical duration of two years.
  • Show Cause Report (SCR) – A currently accredited program has one or more deficiencies that will require a progress report to evaluate remedial actions taken by the program. This action has a typical duration of two years. This action cannot follow a previous SC action for the same deficiency or deficiencies.
  • Show Cause Visit (SCV) – A currently accredited program has one or more deficiencies that will require an on-site visit to evaluate remedial actions taken by the program. This action has a typical duration of two years. This action cannot follow a previous SC action for the same deficiency or deficiencies.
  • Report Extended (RE) – This action is applicable after an Interim Report action only. It acknowledges that the program has taken satisfactory remedial action to address weaknesses identified in the prior IR action. This action extends accreditation to the Next General Review and has a typical duration of either two or four years.
  • Visit Extended (VE) – This action is applicable after an Interim Visit action only. It acknowledges that the program has taken satisfactory remedial action to address weaknesses identified in the prior IV action. This action extends accreditation to the Next General Review and has a typical duration of either two or four years.
  • Show Cause Extended (SE) – This action is applicable after either a Show Cause Report or Show Cause Visit action. It acknowledges that the program has taken satisfactory remedial action to address all deficiencies and weaknesses identified in the prior Show Cause action. This action typically extends accreditation to the Next General Review and has a typical duration of either two or four years.
  • Not-to-Accredit (NA) – The program has deficiencies and is thus not in compliance with the applicable criteria. This action is usually taken only after a SCR or SCV review or the review of a new, unaccredited program. Accreditation is not extended as a result of this action. This is the only action that can be appealed. See Appeals, Reconsiderations, and Immediate Re-Visits.

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If you have questions about the decisions and notifications process or actions taken by the accreditation commissions, please contact our Accreditation Department.