Substantive Change Workshop
The Substantive Change Workshop is an opportunity to learn the principles and select advanced topics of substantive change from a SACSCOC staff member. It’s an ideal introduction for new liaisons and a refresher for those with experience.
Learning objectives are:
- to know what constitutes a substantive change;
- to assess substantive change in an institution-specific context;
- to learn how to develop a plan for monitoring and reporting substantive change;
- to understand the substantive change review process;
- to know the principal types of substantive change such as program closures and teach-outs, level changes, new programs, off-campus instructional sites, and more;
- to learn how to make and document determinations of “significant departure;” and
- to learn best practices for writing prospectuses and notifications.
Intended audience:
- academic affairs staff members,
- faculty members,
- liaisons,
- provosts,
- or others with substantive change responsibilities.
Upcoming Workshops:
- A one-day, in-person substantive change workshop will be offered as a pre-conference workshop at the Virginia Regional Accreditation Symposium (VRAS) annual conference, tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, November 19, 2025, in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Registration information will be made available as soon as possible.
- A one-day, in-person substantive change workshop will be offered as a pre-conference workshop at the Southeastern Association for Community College Research (SACCR) conference in September in Biloxi, Mississippi. Registration information will be made available here and on the SACCR website as soon as possible.