Accreditation - Community College

The purpose of state accreditation is to confirm that each of Iowa’s community colleges are offering, educational opportunities and services consistent with state standards, as prescribed by Iowa Code section 260C.48 and Iowa Administrative Code 281-IAC 24. The process also assures the public that its tax-supported educational institutions are operating at expected levels of efficiency and effectiveness

Community College Accreditation Guidance Documents

The following guidance documents provide concise guidance, along with relevant excerpts from Iowa code, to assist community colleges in preparing for the state accreditation process.  Each guidance document lists evidential items that the accreditation team expects to see in a college’s review material, as well as actual wording to be used in college material to demonstrate compliance with federal and state regulations.

Iowa Community Colleges State Accreditation Guide

Faculty Qualification Guidelines

2019 Academic Chart Update

2018 Academic Chart Update

2017 Academic Chart Update

Facility Plan Requirements

SYP Instructor Background Checks

CC Non-Discrimination Statements

Community College Accreditation and Accountability Committee Report

​Final Report on Accreditation and Accountability

Faculty Qualifications

Faculty Qualification Credential Chart Suggestions

Team Member Training Webcasts

This series of six webcasts provide training, guidance, and expectations for team members participating on Community College Accreditation Visits.

Presentation Slides for all six webcasts

Transcript for all six webcasts

Accreditation Overview (3:04)

State Accreditation (1:22)

Four Phases of the State Evaluation (3:04)

The Review Team (5:52)

State Evaluation - HLC Criteria (3:15)

State Accreditation Report (3:57)

Accreditation Best Practices (by State Standards)

The State Accreditation team thoroughly reviews evidence, documents, and other resources provided by colleges to prove they are in compliance with Iowa state standards. Through the accreditation review and visitation process, the team often sees outstanding programs and processes that deserve to be highlighted and shared. These have been classified as “Best Practices”, and the section below will be updated in the future to provide links to resources that others can use to learn more about these outstanding practices.