ACCE is requesting a change to its Scope of Recognition from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The ACCE Board of Trustees approved the scope change on February 17, 2023, during the 2023 ACCE Midyear Conference.
The purpose for the proposed change is to enable ACCE to accredit post-secondary construction degree programs and single-purpose institutions that offer post-secondary construction-related associate degrees. This new scope would include construction education programs in the United States of America and all international locations.
The following text is taken from the application submitted to CHEA:
The current CHEA recognized scope of accreditation for ACCE that was approved in 2017:
- Master's, Baccalaureate, and Associate Degree Programs in construction, construction science, construction management, and construction technology located in North America and Australia.
The proposed new CHEA recognized scope of accreditation is:
- Master’s, Baccalaureate, and Associate Degree Programs in construction, construction science, construction management, construction technology, and other construction-related studies;
- Single-purpose Institutions that offer Associate Degree Programs in construction-related occupational education;
- Accredited Degree Programs and single-purpose Institutions may be located anywhere in the United States of America or at any international location.
The background and the reasons for this proposed change are:
- In 2020, ACCE developed a process and criteria for the accreditation of single-purpose Institutions that offer construction-related occupational education associate degrees. In December 2021, the Western States College of Construction (WSCC) in Denver, CO, was accredited based on published ACCE criteria.
- For WSCC to function as an associate degree granting institution, the State of Colorado requires evidence that CHEA recognizes ACCE as an agency that accredits single-purpose Institutions. Other single-purpose Institutions are interested in pursuing ACCE accreditation, but are hesitant, because ACCE lacks recognition for accreditation of single-purpose Institutions.
- ACCE has admitted into Candidate Status a construction management Master's Degree Program in Peru that seeks accreditation under existing criteria, and a mentor has been assigned to assist the program in developing its Self-Evaluation Study.