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Volume 62 - Winter 1996
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NAACLS as institutional accreditor and gatekeeper: a new role
by Daniel Angelucci
Administrative Liaison |
In an attempt to clarify our status with the new Department of Education regulations, NAACLS recently sent a survey to all Medical Laboratory Technician - Certificate and Medical Technology programs. This survey asked programs to let us know if we are their institutional accreditor and/or Title IV gatekeeper agency. We may have unintentionally caused some confusion, but we hope this article will clarify the situation.
Title IV funds are those funds distributed to students by the Federal government. The new regulations from the Department of Education require NAACLS and other accrediting agencies to closely monitor default rates on these loans. Historically, this responsibility has typically fallen to regional accrediting agencies, such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. However, NAACLS accredits programs in some institutions that do not have regional accreditation. For example, hospital-based programs are rarely accredited by regional accrediting agencies. As a result of the government's instence on greater vigilance of Title IV information from accrediting agencies, NAACLS must monitor default rates and other Title IV information, particularly at those institutions which have no regional accreditation. For these programs NAACLS will act as an institutional accreditor.
Those programs for which NAACLS will act as an institutional accreditor must meet both Condition (1) and Condition (2).
Condition (1) The program must culminate in a pre-baccalaureate degree or certificate.
Condition (2) The school or hospital must not be accredited by a regional agency, state agency, or organization for the accreditation of proprietary schools.
Please note that Condition (1) above means that NAACLS will not act as the institutional accreditor for Medical Technology programs. Also, there are a number of programs in hospitals licensed by state agencies, but which have no institutional accreditation. In order for NAACLS to act as an institutional accreditor for a program, an institution must not be accredited by any of the regional agencies, but may be licensed by a state agency. NAACLS will not act as the institutional accreditor for programs located in institutions accredited by SACS or other similar organizations.
If NAACLS will act as an institutional accreditor for your institution, your program is subject to a number of new procedures. For instance, your program must undergo at least one unannounced site visit per cycle, and must receive prior approval for any substantive changes in your institution, such as changes in legal control or ownership. Also, if any affiliates are added to the program, NAACLS must visit and evaluate the new affiliate within six months of the affiliation.
The second half of our survey asked whether NAACLS will act as a Title IV Gatekeeper for your institution. Once again, if your program is based in a regionally-accredited school, the regional accreditor will act as a gatekeeper agency. However, for hospital-based programs, NAACLS will act as the gatekeeper agency for Federal funds. This distinction will change nothing for the programs, but NAACLS' administrative staff will be required to maintain certain records for these programs relating to their Title IV responsibilities.
Example 1:
Metropolitan Hospital - Medical Technology Program (3+1 and 4+1 students)
Accredited by JCAHO and CAP
Because the program culminates at the baccalaureate level, NAACLS will not act as an institutional accreditor for this program, but because no other educational accrediting agency accredits the institution, NAACLS will act as a Title IV Gatekeeper for the program.
Example 2:
Sunshine State Community College - Medical Laboratory Technician-Associtates Degree Program
Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
This program culminates in a pre-baccalaureate degree but is accredited by a regional educational accrediting agency (SACS), thus NAACLS will act as neither an institutional accreditor or a Title IV Gatekeeper for this institution.
Example 3:
Silvertone Medical Center - Medical Laboratory Technician-Certificate Program
Accredited by JCAHO, AABB and CAP
This program culminates in a pre-baccalaureate degree and the institution has no educational institutional accreditation. Hence, NAACLS acts as institutional accreditor and Title IV Gatekeeper agency.
If you represent an institution for which NAACLS will act as an institutional accreditor, and you have not already returned the second page of the survey to the office, it is important that you inform us as soon as possible.
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