Substantive Changes

Related pages:

Upcoming dates and deadlines

  • July 1, 2021:  Deadline to submit substantive changes to be implemented January 1, 2022, through June 30, 2022, requiring approval by the Executive Council of the SACSCOC Board of Trustees.
  • September 1, 2021:  Deadline to submit substantive changes requiring approval by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees in December 2021. 

The type of substantive change, the institution’s sanction status, and the institution’s Substantive Change Restriction status determine if a change requires notification, approval by the Executive Council of the Board Trustees (year-around) or approval by the full Board Trustees at a regularly scheduled biannual meeting (June or December). Carefully review the SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy and Procedures for details and guidance.

Updates and announcements

  • The Board of Trustees approved minor revisions and technical corrections to the Substantive Change Policy and Procedures in March 2021 following the major revision of the policy in December 2020.  (Click “Reload” in your browser to ensure you are reading the most recent version.)
    • A list of March 2021 revisions is available on p. 85 of the policy, “Appendix C:  Summary of Recent Changes.”
    • A redline version of the March 2021 revisions is available on the SACSCOC website until May 18, 2021.
    • A 90-minute video [MP4] and handout [PDF], recorded at the 2020 SACSCOC Annual Meeting, provide an overview of new and revised substantive change obligations in the revised policy.
  • For submissions requiring approval, we caution against sending by U.S. Postal Service.  This is due to increasingly long and unreliable deliveries.  With all delivery services, delivery confirmation is recommended.
  • Monitor the Coronavirus and SACSCOC webpage for new information and developments.
  • If the Coronavirus will delay implementation of an approved substantive change more than two years after approval, you may request an extension by submitting an Implementation Extension Request Due to COVID-19.

Substantive change policy and related policies

Webinars

The webinar series is designed for liaisons and others with substantive change responsibilities.  Webinars are one hour including interactive Q+A.  Each webinar address a single topic that often presents challenges in managing an institution’s substantive change obligations.  Registration is required for each webinar.

Webinars can be viewed in your browser. The Adobe Connect Meeting app is available but isn’t required; however, the app is recommended for mobile devices.  Test your computer/device and network connections before joining a live or on-demand webinar.

Upcoming webinars:

  • New topic-specific webinars will be offered in 2021.  Topics, dates, and times will be posted on this webpage when scheduled.
  • Watch the video introduction to the new policy delivered at the 2020 SACSCOC Annual Meeting; see the links under “Updates and announcements” on this webpage.

On-demand webinars :

New on-demand webinars will be available here after the live events.

Documents and Templates