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Substantive Change Policy and Procedures

Loyola University New Orleans is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and complies with the Substantive Change for Accredited Institutions of the Commission on Colleges Policy Statement, requiring the university to report all substantive changes accurately and efficiently to the Commission. The purpose of this policy and procedures is to provide a description of Loyola's processes for any intended substantive change. Depending on the nature of the change, SACSCOC requires prior notification and approval of the change before implementation. In other cases, only prior notification is required. See the complete Substantive Change Policy posted on the SACSCOC webpage for additional details.

Substantive Change

SACSCOC defines a substantive change as “a significant modification or expansion of the nature and scope of an accredited institution.” Under federal regulations, a substantive change may be at the institution or program level.

Institutional changes may include:

  • Acquisition 
  • Change in Measure of Student Progress to Completion  
  • Competency-based Education by Course/Credit-based Approach – Institutional-level Approval 
  • Distance Education – Institutional-level Approval 
  • Governance Change 
  • Institution Closure 
  • Institution Relocation 
  • Institutional Contingency Teach-out Plan 
  • Level Change
  • Merger / Consolidation 
  • Mission Change 
  • Ownership, Means of Control, or Legal Status Change 
  • Prison Education Program - Institutional-level Approval

Program changes may include:

  • Clock-Credit Hour Conversion 
  • Competency-based Education by Direct Assessment – Approval
  • Competency-based Education by Direct Assessment – Notification 
  • Cooperative Academic Arrangements Definitions and Guidelines 
  • Cooperative Academic Arrangement with Title IV Entities 
  • Cooperative Academic Arrangement with Non-Title IV Entities – Approval
  • Cooperative Academic Arrangement with Non-Title IV Entities – Notification
  • Correspondence Education
  • Dual Academic Award 
  • Joint Academic Award with non-SACSCOC Institution(s) or Entity(ies) 
  • Joint Academic Award with SACSCOC Institution(s) 
  • Method of Delivery – Approval 
  • Method of Delivery – Notification 
  • New Program – Approval 
  • New Program – Notification 
  • Program Closure 
  • Program Designed for Prior Learning – Approval 
  • Program Designed for Prior Learning – Notification 
  • Program Length Change
  • Program Re-open

Other changes may include:

  • Off-campus Instructional Site / Additional Location Changes 
  • Off-campus Instructional Site Relocation
    • Non-branch Campus
    • Branch Campus 
  • Off-campus Instructional Site Name or Address Change 
  • Off-campus Instructional Site Closure 
  • Off-campus Instructional Site Re-open

To ensure compliance with SACSCOC requirements Loyola University New Orleans has substantive change processes in place as follows (accessible to Loyola Faculty and Staff logged into their Google Account only):

Other Related Processes

Program Proposal Forms

Consistent with university policy, program proposals will be reviewed and voted upon by the University Curriculum Committee (UCC). Substantive program changes will also be approved by the Standing Council for Academic Planning (SCAP). All proposals require the Provost's approval. Some may require the approval of the Board of Trustees and the President.

The Program Proposal forms are available on the Curricular Forms and Processes page.

Assessment

  • Comprehensive Program Review Process

    Academic programs are required to conduct 5-year comprehensive programmatic reviews and submit a report to SCAP; those programs that are in colleges and programs that are accredited or certified by external accreditation agencies follow the cycle of their respective accrediting body. 

  • Annual Program Review Process

    Annual reports are required by all academic departments and educational programs. The annual report guidelines are available on the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness website. The reports are designed to mimic the cycle of ongoing improvement beginning with the previous year’s goals and student learning outcomes (SLOs), the assessment and results of the progress toward those goals and SLOs, and plans for the upcoming year.

The university’s guiding values and principles pertaining to planning and assessment, which include the assessment templates, resources, and reporting cycle are described.