Section 31.52. Accreditation

(a) Institutions which grant degrees, including private licensed schools which grant specialized associate degrees under § § 42.11—42.14 (relating to specialized associate degree programs approval procedure), shall maintain total institutional accreditation from appropriate accrediting agencies recognized by the Federal Government and acceptable to the Department and the Board. An institution failing to maintain total institutional accreditation shall be subject to proceedings under § 40.51(b), § 40.53(b) or § 42.14 (relating to approval of an independent junior college, college, university or foreign corporation; approval of State System, State-related or State-aided status; and revocation of the degree-granting privilege).

(b) Except for specialized associate degree-granting institutions, new institutions approved to offer degrees shall have 3 years after commencing operations to obtain candidacy status for total institutional accreditation.

(c) Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (a), a seminary which chooses for religious reasons not to obtain total institutional accreditation from an appropriate accrediting agency as indicated in subsection (a) will be evaluated by the Department on a scheduled 5-year cycle. Documentation necessary for the evaluation shall be submitted to the Department prior to the scheduled evaluation.

The provisions of this § 31.52 adopted April 30, 1982, effective May 1, 1982, 12 Pa.B. 1389; amended February 7, 1992, effective February 8, 1992, 22 Pa.B. 578; amended July 14, 2006, effective July 15, 2006, 36 Pa.B. 3650. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (244537) to (244538).

Notation

Authority

The provisions of this § 31.52 amended under sections 2603-B and 2604-B of the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P. S. § § 26-2603-B and 26-2604-B); and section 1 of the act of August 13, 1963 (P. L. 698, No. 372) (24 P. S. § 2421) (Repealed).

Cross References

This section cited in 22 Pa. Code § 31.1 (relating to purpose and scope); and 22 Pa. Code § 32.3 (relating to assurances).