DEAC Accreditation — Overview & Reference

Distance Education Accrediting Commission  ·  General preparation reference for any institution
ACCREDITATION REFERENCE

DEAC Accreditation
Overview & Reference

What an institution needs to prepare for DEAC accreditation — the standards, the compliance items behind each, and the exhibit evidence that supports them. General guidance any distance-education institution can use.

6
Standards
66
Compliance Items
44
Exhibits
▦

The 6 DEAC Standards at a Glance

Each standard maps to a set of compliance items and supporting exhibits

I
Ethics & Integrity
FERPA and student-records privacy, academic integrity and honesty, non-discrimination, the signed DEAC Code of Ethics, and current state authorization to operate.
9 items→
III
Programs & Curricula
Credit-hour (Carnegie Unit) compliance, program requirements published in the current catalog, curriculum development and learning outcomes, qualified faculty, and maximum time-to-completion.
14 items→
IV.A
Admissions
Admissions policies and criteria, documented exceptions, transfer-credit and prior-learning assessment, and enrollment agreements with required DEAC disclosures.
12 items→
IV.C
Student Records
Secure student records and transcripts, confidentiality and retention practices, records access and amendment, and representative sample records.
12 items→
IV.D–E
Advising & Student Services
Academic advising and orientation, satisfactory academic progress monitoring, complaint and grievance handling, and documented student inquiries and support.
10 items→
VII
Student Achievement & Satisfaction
Outcomes assessment, completion and retention data, student / alumni and employer satisfaction surveys, and public student-achievement disclosures.
9 items→
☰

Standard Summaries

Focus and key exhibits for each standard

I
Ethics & Integrity
9 compliance items
FERPA and student-records privacy, academic integrity and honesty, non-discrimination, the signed DEAC Code of Ethics, and current state authorization to operate.
KEY EXHIBITS
Ex 24 — Academic Integrity & Honesty Policies Ex 28c — Signed DEAC Code of Ethics Ex 29 — Student Identity Verification Policy Ex 34 — Student Confidentiality & Privacy Ex 03 — State Authorization Form
III
Programs & Curricula
14 compliance items
Credit-hour (Carnegie Unit) compliance, program requirements published in the current catalog, curriculum development and learning outcomes, qualified faculty, and maximum time-to-completion.
KEY EXHIBITS
Ex 15 / 15b — Clock-Credit Hour Policy + Chart Ex 09 / 09b — Curriculum Manual + Maps Ex 12 — Program Comparisons Ex 18 / 18b — Faculty Handbook + Qualifications Ex 04 — Institutional Catalog
IV.A
Admissions
12 compliance items
Admissions policies and criteria, documented exceptions, transfer-credit and prior-learning assessment, and enrollment agreements with required DEAC disclosures.
KEY EXHIBITS
Ex 21 / 21b — Admissions Policy + Exceptions Ex 22 — Sample Transfer Credit Evaluations Ex 23 — Prior-Learning Assessment Ex 30 / 30b — Enrollment Agreements + Disclosures
IV.C
Student Records
12 compliance items
Secure student records and transcripts, confidentiality and retention practices, records access and amendment, and representative sample records.
KEY EXHIBITS
Ex 43 — Sample Student Records Ex 34 — Confidentiality & Privacy Policies Ex 25 — Grading & Related Academic Policies Ex 32d — Transcripts / Diplomas
IV.D–E
Advising & Student Services
10 compliance items
Academic advising and orientation, satisfactory academic progress monitoring, complaint and grievance handling, and documented student inquiries and support.
KEY EXHIBITS
Ex 26 — Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy Ex 35 — Complaint / Grievance Policy Ex 32 / 32b — Student Inquiries Ex 13 — Advisory Council Rosters & Bios
VII
Student Achievement & Satisfaction
9 compliance items
Outcomes assessment, completion and retention data, student / alumni and employer satisfaction surveys, and public student-achievement disclosures.
KEY EXHIBITS
Ex 10 — Outcomes Assessment Plan Ex 11 / 11b — Student-Alumni & Employer Surveys Ex 37 — Public Achievement Disclosures Ex 08b — Institutional Effectiveness Data
📂

Exhibit Folder Structure

All 44 exhibits filed under the matching standard folder

DEAC\Exhibits\ ├── I-Ethics-and-Integrity\ Integrity & honesty policies, DEAC Code of Ethics, identity verification, confidentiality, state authorization │ ├── III-Programs-and-Curricula\ Credit-hour policy + chart, curriculum manual + maps, program comparisons, faculty handbook + qualifications, catalog │ ├── IVA-Admissions\ Admissions policy + exceptions, transfer-credit & prior-learning evaluations, enrollment agreements + disclosure checklists │ ├── IVC-Student-Records\ Sample student records, confidentiality/privacy policies, grading policies, transcripts & diplomas │ ├── IVDE-Advising-and-Services\ SAP policy, complaint/grievance policy, sample student inquiries & motivational comments, advisory council rosters │ └── VII-Achievement-and-Satisfaction\ Outcomes assessment plan, student/alumni & employer surveys, public achievement disclosures, effectiveness data
⚠

Key Evidence Rules

Universal DEAC expectations that apply to every exhibit

Links & Permanent File

Many DEAC exhibits require BOTH a live URL and a saved permanent copy (PDF). File both — a link alone is not sufficient.

Signed DEAC forms

Use the current DEAC forms and checklists (Code of Ethics, Enrollment Agreement / Catalog / Website disclosure checklists, Achievement Disclosure form) — signed and dated.

Current & consistent

Catalog, website, and enrollment materials must agree. Any figure given to admitted students must match the published catalog.

Cross-referenced

Every exhibit is cited from the Self-Evaluation Report by its exhibit number; keep exhibit numbering identical across the report, the index, and the folder.

Sample, don't dump

Where a 'sample' is requested (inquiries, exams, records), provide a curated, representative set with a short cover note — not the entire population.

Source: DEAC Accreditation Standards & Self-Evaluation framework (6 standards · 66 compliance items · 44 exhibits)  ·  General reference prepared by iCyber Enterprises LLC — Your Education Consultant