Role & Composition of the Commission

The Commission consists of 19 members elected by ACCJC member institutions; these Commissioners also serve on the Board of Directors of ACCJC in its capacity as a non-profit organization. It is the responsibility of the Commission, as a decision-making body, to determine the accredited status of an institution. In determining this status, the Commission uses the Institutional Self-Evaluation Report, the Peer Review Team Report, other reports/documents prepared for the Commission. The Commission decision on accredited status is communicated to the institution via an action letter and is made public through Commission announcements.

Commission membership is determined by areas of expertise and experience, or affiliation with other Commissions and related organizations. While Commissioners bring perspectives from various institutions, backgrounds, geographical regions, and related organizations, they act as independent decision-makers and are not representatives of a certain constituent category, institutional role, or organizational affiliation. These categories are informed by Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, defined in Article III, Section 1 of the ACCJC Bylaws and are summarized in the ACCJC Commissioner Categories and Definitions document.