Substantive Change

Accreditation Overview

---

North Florida College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. For more infomation, contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia, 30033-4097, call 404-679-4500 or visit the SACSCOC website. 

Accreditation by SACSCOC confirms that North Florida College:

• Has a mission appropriate to higher education

• Possesses the resources, programs, and services needed to support and sustain that mission

• Maintains clear educational objectives that align with its mission and demonstrate student and institutional success

NFC participates in a reaffirmation of accreditation every ten years, a multi-year process involving extensive off-site and on-site peer reviews to ensure compliance with SACSCOC’s Principles of Accreditation.

As part of the reaffirmation process, institutions must complete two major components:

• Compliance Certification – A comprehensive report demonstrating how the institution meets the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement through detailed narratives and supporting documentation.

• Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) – A long-term, focused plan designed to improve student learning and/or student success in a strategic area identified through broad campus engagement.

North Florida College recently passed the SACSCOC Decennial Reaffirmation of Accreditation in June 2025. 

Program Specific Accreditations

Certain nationally accredited programs such as the BSN, ASRN, and Paramedic programs, follow specific accreditation guidelines as provided by their disciplinary standards or their field's specific national organization (ACEN, CAAHEP). Those that do must also ensure compliance with the accreditation guidelines of these organizations and SACSCOC, working with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness to keep information regarding these efforts current. Please refer to those policies, linked below:

---

Substantive Change Procedures

Procedure to implement BOT Policies 1.10 and 2.59

North Florida College’s Substantive Change Procedure has been created to ensure all substantive changes are reported correctly and timely to its accrediting bodies. These procedures are designed to serve as a guide to person(s) modifying/adding courses, programs, degrees, at North Florida College. 

A substantive change is a significant modification or expansion of the nature and scope of an accredited institution. Typically substantive changes include changes to mission, new degree levels, distance education methods, new sites, closures, and contractual agreements.

• For specific NFC procedures to address substantive change, see Substantive Change: Reporting & Approval Procedure.
• For specific SACSCOC procedures to address substantive change, see the Substantive Change Policies and Procedures.

Substantive Change Types

The examples in the chart are the substantive changes most likely to be of consideration for North Florida College and are taken directly from the SACSCOC policies. Information on additional types of changes and required timelines can be found on the SACSCOC website or by contacting the SACSCOC Accreditation Liaison of the College. For specific requirements related to the BSN, RN, and Paramedic programs, see also ACEN and CAAHEP substantive change policies.

---

Type of Change	Requires Notification	Requires Prior Approval	Requires Visit
INSTITUTIONAL CHANGES
Change Measure Progress to Completion		Yes
Distance Ed-Institutional-level Approval		Yes
Governance Change	Yes	Yes	Yes
Institutional Contingency Teach-out		Yes
Level Change		Yes	Yes
Merger / Consolidation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mission Change		Yes
Ownership, Means of Control, or Legal Status Change	Yes	Yes	Yes
PROGRAM CHANGES
Clock-Credit Hour Conversion		Yes
Method of Delivery	Yes	Yes
New Program (50-100% new content)		Yes
New Program (25-49% new content)	Yes
Program Closure		Yes
Program Designed for Prior Learning	Yes	Yes
Program Length Change		Yes
Program Re-open	Yes
OFF-CAMPUS INSTRUCTIONAL SITE (OCIS)
OCIS (25-9% instruction delivered at site)	Yes
OCIS (50% or more instruction delivered at site)		Yes	Contingent
OCIS Relocation - Non-Branch	Yes
OCIS Relocation - Branch		Yes
OCIS Name or Address Change	Yes
OCIS Closure		Yes
OCIS Re-open	Yes

 

---

Prospectus and Prior Approvals

• The Accreditation Liaison submits the required documentation to SACSCOC:
  • Notifications – any time before implementation
  • Prospectuses – 6–12 months prior, depending on the type of change.
• Changes requiring notification may be implemented before receiving a response from SACSCOC. This applies to notifications only, not to approvals.
• Changes requiring approval cannot be implemented until approved by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees.
• For a substantive change to close a program, site, program at a site, or method of delivery, a teach-out plan should be submitted as soon as possible after the decision is made to close (i.e., stop admitting students).

---

Site Visits

Certain types of substantive changes, such as change in governance, level change, mergers, change in ownership or control, and addition of off-campus instructional sites require a site visit to determine continued compliance with the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement. When a committee visit has been authorized by the President of the Commission, the institution will be asked to provide documentation of the impact of the change on selected requirements in the Principles of Accreditation.

Timelines

In order to comply with SACSCOC policy on substantive change, North Florida College recognizes the timeline necessary in the reporting process.

The department contemplating significant changes for North Florida College should immediately contact the Accreditation Liaison to determine if the change fits the definition of a substantive change as required by SACSCOC. The Accreditation Liaison will work with SACSCOC representatives to ensure that the correct procedures are followed.

All substantive change activity will be documented in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

---

Accreditation Liaison

According to SACSCOC policies, “it is expected that the … designated representative of an institution will notify the Commission President of substantive changes at that institution.  Every institution has an Accreditation Liaison whose charge is to ensure compliance with accreditation requirements.  The Accreditation Liaison should take the time to become familiar with the Commissions policies and procedures, ensure that substantive changes are recognized and reported in a timely fashion, and consult with the institution’s SACSCOC staff member about any questions.”

Lauren Churchwell
Coordinator of Institutional Effectiveness & Accreditation 

850-973-9471 | churchwelll@nfc.edu

 

SACSCOC Representatives

---

References

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. (6 March 2024). ACEN Policies. Web. https://resources.acenursing.org/space/AP/1824260104/Policies

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. (2023). CAAHEP Standards & Guidelines 2023. Web. https://coaemsp.org/caahep-standards-and-guidelines

Sightler, Ph. D. Kevin. “Recognizing and Responding to Substantive Change.” SACSCOC Substantive Change Workshop. Tallahassee  College, Tallahassee, FL. 27 March 2015. Presenter.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. (March 2023). Substantive Change Policies and Procedures. Web. https://sacscoc.org/app/uploads/2019/08/SubstantiveChange.pdf

---