[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 34, Volume 3]
[Revised as of July 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 34CFR602.23]

[Page 203]
 
                           TITLE 34--EDUCATION
 
             CHAPTER VI--OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION,
                         DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
 
PART 602--THE SECRETARY'S RECOGNITION OF ACCREDITING AGENCIES--Table of Contents
 
                 Subpart B--The Criteria for Recognition
 
Sec. 602.23  Operating procedures all agencies must have.

    (a) The agency must maintain and make available to the public, upon 
request, written materials describing--
    (1) Each type of accreditation and preaccreditation it grants;
    (2) The procedures that institutions or programs must follow in 
applying for accreditation or preaccreditation;
    (3) The standards and procedures it uses to determine whether to 
grant, reaffirm, reinstate, restrict, deny, revoke, terminate, or take 
any other action related to each type of accreditation and 
preaccreditation that the agency grants;
    (4) The institutions and programs that the agency currently 
accredits or preaccredits and, for each institution and program, the 
year the agency will next review or reconsider it for accreditation or 
preaccreditation; and
    (5) The names, academic and professional qualifications, and 
relevant employment and organizational affiliations of--
    (i) The members of the agency's policy and decision-making bodies; 
and
    (ii) The agency's principal administrative staff.
    (b) In providing public notice that an institution or program 
subject to its jurisdiction is being considered for accreditation or 
preaccreditation, the agency must provide an opportunity for third-party 
comment concerning the institution's or program's qualifications for 
accreditation or preaccreditation. At the agency's discretion, third-
party comment may be received either in writing or at a public hearing, 
or both.
    (c) The accrediting agency must--
    (1) Review in a timely, fair, and equitable manner any complaint it 
receives against an accredited institution or program that is related to 
the agency's standards or procedures;
    (2) Take follow-up action, as necessary, including enforcement 
action, if necessary, based on the results of its review; and
    (3) Review in a timely, fair, and equitable manner, and apply 
unbiased judgment to, any complaints against itself and take follow-up 
action, as appropriate, based on the results of its review.
    (d) If an institution or program elects to make a public disclosure 
of its accreditation or preaccreditation status, the agency must ensure 
that the institution or program discloses that status accurately, 
including the specific academic or instructional programs covered by 
that status and the name, address, and telephone number of the agency.
    (e) The accrediting agency must provide for the public correction of 
incorrect or misleading information an accredited or preaccredited 
institution or program releases about--
    (1) The accreditation or preaccreditation status of the institution 
or program;
    (2) The contents of reports of on-site reviews; and
    (3) The agency's accrediting or preaccrediting actions with respect 
to the institution or program.
    (f) The agency may establish any additional operating procedures it 
deems appropriate. At the agency's discretion, these may include 
unannounced inspections.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 
1845-0003)

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1099b)